Best Bang for the Buck to Widen and Suspend ?

[rigger]

I was thinking of widening and working on suspension on my wife's 400EX.

What is the best bang for the buck to do it?

She is just a trail and play ride. She is not big into jumping anything big. Just small stuff. She will ride at a pretty good clip in the trails. I would like to give her the same kind of a ride that my 250R has. Or at least better than the stock 400EX has to offer.

Cost is a big thing and I can't do this for her until maybe tax checks come in and even then it is going to have be on a tight budget.

I was thinking for the rear, just doing some wheel spacers. And the rear shock, I could send it off and get it built for her.

The front end, I was thinking of a plus 2 set up. If I found some used arms, that would be fine. I was reading some stuff on the Wicked arms and how they can use the stock shocks, but is this going to give her a better ride or the same as a stock ride but wider?

Maybe find a good used wider front end and get some other shocks. I know a lot of people rag on the Works shocks but that is what is on the front of my R and they ride great in the woods. So I was thinking of maybe finding her some tripple rates built for her. I know I could get some 450R shocks for it but by the time I spend the money in shipping and getting them built for her, I could probably get some new Works for less money and still give her a good ride.

So anyway, what are your thoughts on a budget widening and suspension set up for her 400EX ? Remember, biggest bang for the buck. Not racing, just play.

I have the solid G-Force front 1.5" wheel spacers on mine, the ones with the built in studs, and I jump here and there and ride pretty hard. Notta ounce of problems. I didn't notice much extra bump steer at all, it corners better, and I really don't notice any adverse effects. I Have no problem with them. Stay away from the screw-on stud type though.

For the rear, G-Force extended hubs. MUCH stronger then wheel spacers.

[KISSmyACE]

I absolutely DO NOT recommend the Works shocks, I have triples on my 400 and I hate them. I have a set of 450 shocks on the way as we speak.

If your wife is anything like my size, honestly the best bet is to have a set of 450 shocks revalved to match her weight and ride style.

Otherwise, I'd recommend the GT Thunders because they seem to always come out a little bit on the softer side. For MX that would be a downside, but XC it'd be fine.

Also, the Honda 450R shocks work really well on the 400's once they are widened, but I'm being told on stock arms they're extremely stiff. If you do widen it to plus 2s, the 450 shocks would do the trick, just soften up the compression and take some of the preload out.

If I'm wrong, correct me. I'm still learning myself but in my recent findings that's the conclusion I've come to.

[tri5ron]

Bang for your Buck...

keep the stock a-arms

3/4" to 1" wider offset front wheels (Douglas red lables)

450r shocks w/ works triple rate springs.
(not all that necessary to have them revalved for xc/trail riding)

CCP Custom Steering Stabilizer

this combination will give impressive gains, and will take anything she can throw at it.

The bike will go where you point it at any speed, it will have near zero bumpsteer, she will not get anywhere near as tired, beat-up, or as sore, and it will suck up the meanest of whoops and or rocky trails.

If you want to wake it up a little after that, get a better flow exhaust, and airfilter, a properly jetted '04-'05 450r carb, and a sparks advance key.

HP to the rear wheels, will be right at 35hp, as compared to approx. 20-22hp at the wheels in stock form.

that's a rather impressive gain in both performance and useable power, on a stock piston and cam,and the bike's reliability is still basically bullet-proof.

Originally posted by KISSmyACE
Also, the Honda 450R shocks work really well on the 400's once they are widened, but I'm being told on stock arms they're extremely stiff.

I kept reading about how stiff they are on stock a-arms. I put them on and backed the preload so its softest and set the rebound and compression to slow and soft. Nice when going slow but any whoops and your bottoming out. I added a little preload because they sat so low. THen that wasnt enough but the ride heigh was good. THen I went to rebound because they werent coming up fast enough. Then more compression... before you know it i'm running more compression and faster rebound than most do on their 450's. If you ride hard or jump you gotta crank them. EVenw ith mine really stiff I can still bottom them with ease. Anyways its a great upgrade and they are much better than stock.

[Ba9801]

I am currently waiting for my 450r shocks to come back from GT Thunder, I am getting Dual rate springs & new valves. I do all trail riding so I hope this helps out. I am on stock A-arms as well, maybe next year I will have some money for +2's. I also have the CCP steering stabilizer and it is a worth will investment. I am ordering one for my wife's 400ex this week.

[rigger]

I had a 400EX before with all the normal motor mods, pipe, timming key and such. That does wake the motor up nicely and will come in the future. But where we ride most of the time, handling and ride is much more important than power. When we ride our local trails, you will get beat up and you can't use a lot of motor on them. So I would like to give her a better ride and then go to more power later. Just like I use to do on bikes, suspension first.

I can see the off set front rims but would that not do the same thing as wheel spacers on the front? I don't know because I have never ridden with wheel spacers or off set rims. It has either been stock or wider by a-arms and axles.

I could see trying to pick up some 450R or YFZ450 front shocks for it if I could get away with out having to rebuild them for her. If that set up with off set wheels or wheel spacers on the front would ride better and still handle well, that would probably be the most cost effective way for the front end. But I do not want to do anything that would screw up the handling.

On the rear, does the rear shock take well to being re-valved? I would rather do that then try to find another rear shock and then get it built too.

Keep your thoughts comming guys. It is research time for me right now so I can figure out the biggest bang for the buck for her.

Thanks.

[bigbad400]

i have the wicked products a arms you mentioned and i like them, they use stock length shocks but i have elka shocks on mine and its a dream in the trails and corners. i rode a stock 400 with just 450 shocks on it and it was a nicer ride than mine thow i really liked the 450r shocks, im about 140lbs and the 450 shocks were setup for a 200+lb rider and i felt way better in the woops and hard landings on the 450 shocks althow they did bottom out once on a good jump and my elkas dont even get close. they are recreational series elkas on tripple rate springs, valved for xc with a 140lb rider. elka makes them on order for your style and weight, they were about $450 a set. with 450r shocks you will have about $300 more into revalving and like. i think for the price i cant beat my setup, for what i do its perfect.

[matt14c]

If she is riding mainly trails then you dont really want to go too wide sometimes things can get a little tight. I liked the idea of just getting the 450R shocks and then different offset wheels. That should be somewhat inexpensive. On the rear if you have the oem shock rebuilt or even put a dual rate conversion on it it is a totally different shock and much better. Which on the 400's the rear isnt to awful bad as compared to the fronts.
If your set on getting arms I would just get stock or +1 length then get a g-force axle. As far as shocks then I would start watching on here and on ebay in the next month or so people really start to part out there toys and you can find some great deals on everything your looking for and then some.

[400ex28]

stay away from works shocks, i blew out a set and bent the springs on a 100ft double. the gforce axle is decent but i would still recommend getting a rpm or lsr. as far as a-arms there are alot of good choices to go with.

[rigger]

I like the idea of a dual or tripple rate spring set up for the rear. I may have to look into that one.

Who makes a good dual rate spring set up for the 400EX rear shock? That might be something to start with. Then if it still needs the re-valve, then do that.

My last KX250 I had it all valved front and rear and it did not do that much good until I re-sprung both ends. It was just sprung to stiff for the valving to be able to work.

If I run across some 450R front shocks, I can give them a try on her 400 and if they are to stiff, I could just play around and swap them out with the Works Tripples that are on my R. It has a plus 2 front end. Just to see which one works better on which machine. Does not hurt to just try it.