400EX Frames, Junk or not?

[Scott]

Has anyone else experienced problems with the 400 frame? Most of the guys I ride with have 400's, and 5 out of 7 have had the frame either bend or crack. We woods ride mainly, once or twice a year some of us race hare scrambles. No motocross, no big air. Some of us had or have 300ex's, ride the same trails, raced them, etc. and never had a problem with the frames. The 300's were stock, 305kits, and 330 kits, some with factory suspension, some with aftermarket. The 400's vary from completely stock to 426's and 440's with racing shocks. Doesn't seem to matter if they're stock or not, the 400's are still breaking. If this is as common as it seems, why aren't people flaming Honda to get htem to do something. Either fix the problem for the new 400s or stand behind the guys that are buying the junk frames and make it right for them. :grr

[Adams44]

Yep...I've broke mine too. In the front upright tube next to the top shock mount broke in half on both sides (had it gusseted and repaired). Also broke the foot peg mount and had it repaired.

Nothing is break proof, I have broken the stock swing arm in half AND a burgard +1 swing arm IN HALF, all racing woods. If you think about it, they take some extreme abuse when racing versus trail riding.

It would be nice if honda engineers read internet forums, maybe they would get a few ideas.

[Scott]

So far the breaks have been cracked at the footpeg mount, cracked at swingarm mounts, rear lower a-arm mount on left broke completely off, cracked shock mount, plus two bent frames. One bent on the main tube, bottom right, front edge of engine, the other almost folded on the left side (caught a tree with the left front wheel, and the frame gave-Big Time). The tree-incident bent every tube on the frame, the shock mount, and the shock.
Saw two hit head on, we really figured that was going to total both of them. Don't know what the total damage was to them.

[trx400ex]

broke mine in about 3 places on the frame,,, and destroyed the aarms

[Tommy 17]

i never had a problem wit mine and i trail ride and do mx everyday... stock suspension too.

[4punksdad]

I saw a 400EX "T-BONE" a 250X............400EX won. 250X needed a trailer ride home. both riders saw stars & neither got up fast.

my 400EX has held up well so far.

[400exRacerX]

Mine has held up fine, but my one friends 400 cracked at the upper shock mounts 3 times already, and snapped a foot peg mount, ran over his leg and broke it.

[Nausty]

http://forums.exriders.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=32756

3punks dad is all you need to do is upload it once to a site like imagestation.com and then you can use the img code it as many times as you want and the only bandwidth it will take up is the code you use which is about the same as 1 sentance.
Or you could just upload it once and then just do what i did to your picture is all I really did was img it to a older post.

[Guy400]

Originally posted by Nausty
3punks dad is all you need to do is upload it once to a site like imagestation.com and then you can use the img code it as many times as you want and the only bandwidth it will take up is the code you use which is about the same as 1 sentance.
Or you could just upload it once and then just do what i did to your picture is all I really did was img it to a older post.Nausty, are you taking some type of HTML class in your vocational program at high school? Just about every thread you've replied in in the last 2 weeks has been an instruction on how to use the vb code or how to link off imagestation.com:confused: 3punksdad is a moderator and not only that, he's a Super Moderator:D He knows the rules and if Leo has a problem with it he'll address it with 3punks. Crimany...

guy666..you should have seen the huge pics of bike riders he posted in my snowmobile backflip thread. i made it celebrating the snowmobile not stupid bike riders

[Wheelie]

Over two years of hard riding on MX and Trail without any cracks, bends or breaks.:D

1 1/2 years of hard riding,,MX racing and lots and lots of jumping and a few good wrecks and no problems with my frame either..

[MOFO]

Well I ride with about 6 other 400EX's in my group....not one bend or break. These bikes are ridden hard too. Mine is going on 2 years now without a problem.

My one buddy did manage to bend up his rear sub-frame pretty good, but that was from 1 of his 8 roll overs he's had while hill climbing.

Kinda sounds strange that ALL of you guys are having frame issues. Did you buy them all from the same dealership at the same time??


Eric

[Scott]

All but one came from the same dealership, I think. But I know they were spaced out over about two years. One guy got a 400 the first week they hit the dealerships and two weeks later the a-arm mount ripped off and he was waiting for a new frame. He kept that one until about June this year then sold it and got a second one. No problems yet with the second one. The guy that had the frame buckle on him bought it about July this year and had it totaled the next day. Then he waited 6 weeks for another frame. The guy with the crack at the footpeg didn't see it until a week ago when he stripped the frame to paint it. The quad was bought in April. With the different guys having similar problems, I was wondering if anyone else was having the same problems. Some of these guys are faster than others, some build the engines for top end, others for low end, some are still stock with only a K&N and a pipe, but to have 5 of the 7 frames break or bend?!? Just seemed like something was fishy.:huh

[MOFO]

Yes, that is very strange. Well, I'll keep that in mind and keep an eye on our frames..... :huh


Eric

[4punksdad]

Originally posted by Nausty
http://forums.exriders.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=32756

3punks dad is all you need to do is upload it once to a site like imagestation.com and then you can use the img code it as many times as you want and the only bandwidth it will take up is the code you use which is about the same as 1 sentance.
Or you could just upload it once and then just do what i did to your picture is all I really did was img it to a older post.

nausty..........if you take a closer look at the pic, you will see it is a different pic than the others I have posted of this same jump.........notice the guy on the 400ex (bottom left corner) :)
thanks for the instructional information though :)

hello all..

i race motocross and desert/grand prix on my 400ex... i beat the living snot out of my bike just about every weekend...

the frame WILL break above the shock mounts and at the left footpeg.. around the weld.

just have it gusseted on the front and put an extra bead of weld around the foot peg area...

the stock swing arms are as strong as an egg shell.. so keep your eye on that as well.

the subframe will bend if you jump a bunch..

but dont get me wrong.. i just got another 400ex and i swear by them!!! they are great, but if you ride hard, you better know someone with a good welder!

[Scott]

mudspot440

Sounds familiar. The newest causualty was the cracked footpeg. After closer inspection, 4 cracks were found in the frame. Gussetted, Tig welded, added new A-arms and swing arm. I hope it holds up for him. General opinion is now that the new parts have been added, they'll flex less than stock and as a result put more stress on the frame. So it should crack more and more often! Time to start building Chrome-moly frames...

[Nausty]

FINE! I guess no one wants any help. Kinda seems hiporcritical when peeps complain about a slow site and then upload pictures non stop when is all they got to do is link it and then turn around and bash me for me teaching them how. btw magrathsucks (lrd250r) its not like its hurting anything I linked it do you know how much memory that takes up? About the same amount as the 1st line of this message and if you think its such a big deal to have to hold your down arrow more than a second longer than you shouldn't of spent the min to type up that message. SHEESH.

[4punksdad]

Originally posted by Nausty
FINE! I guess no one wants any help. Kinda seems hiporcritical when peeps complain about a slow site and then upload pictures non stop when is all they got to do is link it and then turn around and bash me for me teaching them how. btw magrathsucks (lrd250r) its not like its hurting anything I linked it do you know how much memory that takes up? About the same amount as the 1st line of this message and if you think its such a big deal to have to hold your down arrow more than a second longer than you shouldn't of spent the min to type up that message. SHEESH.

relax.........nobody is bashing you.........and who is complaining about the site being slow? it loads up super fast for me. the images I post are only around 40K anyway..........hardly worth the worry of taking up too much space. Everyone appreciates your ability to link the pictures, and we thank you for taking the consideration not to upload huge images...........you ok now?

[01 250exman]

my 250 ex has a crack in the weld at the lower a arm.ive never jumped that high:huh

[Mitch400EX]

I've had my quad for 2 years, and in that time have beat the crap out of it. Mostly big jumps, no quad on quad encounters. I would frequently bottom REALLY hard, and the frame is still fine. The works shocks gave before the frame did. I had a season of racing too. No frame problems yet, but I don't usually ride as often as everyone who said they had problems.

[Stevo]

Mine cracked at both top frame tubes up front. And my a-arms cracked at the mounts on the bottom. I just had my dad weld them up before anything serious happened.

I think they mostly cracked due to the hard bottoming and abuse the stock front shocks were taking from me jumping!