buying 400 or 450

[rsf98]

hey everyone im new here and im looking to buy a 400ex or a 450r and wondering what things i should check out before i buy one...
what some things that go wrong with them?
ive never owned one before at all just always rode friends and well, when riding a buddys quad you get to enjoy the fun but dont have to worry about the matienence and upkeep! so this is why i am curious what to look for!

so far i've heard that the carrier bearings are often replaced! what else?


thanks for the help!

[F-16Guy]

which one to get depends on personal preference and how much performance you're looking to get out of it vs. reliability. If you just trail ride and don't need a huge amount of power, you can pick up a bone-stock 400ex for dirt cheap, do some suspension work, and have a dead reliable trail quad that won't ever leave you walking.

With that said, some known 400ex issues are:

-- Clutch lifter pin breaks, makes it impossible to disengage clutch (but you can still ride and shift gears to limp home, not a huge deal)
-- Valve seals leak a little after time, causing some smoke on start-up and when revving hard.
-- Frame developes cracks where top shock mount cross brace meets frame down tubes. Gusseting fixes the problem. Better front shocks go a long way in reducing stress in that area.
-- Be leary of any big-bore kits unless you can see receipts of work professionally done. Bone stock is a much safer bet.

I don't know much about the 450R specifically, but some common 450 issues are:

-- Short piston life.
-- Hard coating wears off of intake valves, causing hard starting/no start condition due to decreased valve clearance/valves not closing all the way. Requires new intake valves to fix. Upgrading to stainless valves and compatible springs will solve the issue and dramatically improve reliability.
-- Powerband a little tricky to use in tight trails. Not necessarily a problem depending on the rider. Not a tractor like the EX, though.


Both have their ups and downs. It really just depends on your riding style, terrain, and power preference.

[rsf98]

probably going to look at a 400 tonight..thanks for the list that helps a lot!

[tbrackman84]

i just wanna say that F-16 guys Quote from Thomas Jefferson is awesome!!!