gncc prep?

[Drifterboy3]

hey guys im a first year atv rider planning on getting into gncc and some harescrambles this year. current mods are
yfz450 shocks
rear skid
11:1 piston
k&N filter no lid

im planning on a belly skid and a kill switch what other mods would you recomend?

[CJM]

If you dont already have them buy nerf bars w/heel guards. They will save you from people smacking you or you running over your own foot.

A stage 1 or stage 2 hotcam (stage 1 has alot of torque but really drops off after mid rpm). Id run a stage 2, it has good all around power.

Otherwise ride for endurance, GNCC isnt easy.

[Drifterboy3]

Sorry forgot to say that. I already have nerfs. What about a stage 3 cam. The 400ex already has gobs of torque

[Longdong]

What's your budget? Do you have all the protective gear?

[CJM]

Unless you have a 440 the stage 3 camis a waste. All topend power.

[Drifterboy3]

Budget isn't a whole lot I have a full suit few pairs of goggles and a quality helmet

[ish416]

Steering stabilizer should be toward the top of your list.

[Drifterboy3]

What about Ditching the rear skid for a sprocket guard and rotor guard. For clearance. Also in favor of clearance what about 21 or 22 rears

[Drifterboy3]

What kind of stabilizer. Interms of brands?

[Longdong]

Originally posted by Drifterboy3
What about Ditching the rear skid for a sprocket guard and rotor guard. For clearance. Also in favor of clearance what about 21 or 22 rears

I would run 20 or 21 inch rears. Sprocket and rotor guards I feel r the way to go.

[ish416]

Originally posted by Drifterboy3
What kind of stabilizer. Interms of brands?

Any of them are better than nothing but in terms of brands, CCP, GPR and Precision seem to be the better of them.

[Stickman400]

I'd only run sprocket and rotor guards if you are riding in decently smooth easy terrain, meaning not a whole lot of rocks or trees/roots to run over. Because I would hate to crack your swingarm because you clipped a rock or tree root going at a fast pace and ruin your swingarm.

[Longdong]

We raced GNCC, MWXC and MAXC last year. If you walked the line at them races, I would say 70% of people run rotor and sprocket guards. Most of the pros run the same setup. Just saying!

[coryatver]

Originally posted by Drifterboy3
hey guys im a first year atv rider planning on getting into gncc and some harescrambles this year. current mods are
yfz450 shocks
rear skid
11:1 piston
k&N filter no lid

im planning on a belly skid and a kill switch what other mods would you recomend?

Your plans sound good. As a first year racer you have all the mods you need. Don't worry about having the perfect setup get a year or so of racing under your belt before you even need to start thinking about that. All you need is a quad that is in good shape and a kill switch and a wallet with some money to blow on racing.

I would not worry about getting anything else especially motor mods you don't need any more power than what a stock 400ex has!

Just make sure your bike is in GREAT shape. Racing will find the weakest link in no time.

Pull all your plastics off.

-Check every single bolt make sure they are tight and if you take something apart put blue locktight on the bolt when you put it back together.

-Check your axle bearings, swingarm bearings, a-arm bushings, tie rod ends, front hub bearings, ball joints all of it for any play. If any play replace!

-Check brake pads. If half worn out replace. 400ex use a brand new set of rear brakes in one race usually.

-Have new front, rear sprockets and chain. Have chain tightened correctly. Make sure swingarm chain adjustment bolts are tight.

-Clean the air filter. Make sure you have the air box lid on.

For tips on racing
Do not ride over your head. Lots of first year racers go out there and try to go as fast as they can and crash 5 times the first lap and quit and don't even finish the race. Just go out there and ride your own pace don't worry about anyone else. If someone comes flying up behind you let them around you will pass them back later when they crash or get stuck or hung up! If you can make it around the track without getting hung up you will do really good. Good luck.

[Blodg]

^^^That was some GREAT advice coryatver! The steering stabilizer is probably the only mod I would consider if on a budget.

[Drifterboy3]

Thanks so much for all the advice! That's one thig I forgot to mention I plan on replacing my carrier with bearings. Also I have a lonestar rear axle I'm planning to install. It is an optional +2 axle would you recommend running it or not?

[Stickman400]

Originally posted by Longdong
We raced GNCC, MWXC and MAXC last year. If you walked the line at them races, I would say 70% of people run rotor and sprocket guards. Most of the pros run the same setup. Just saying! Were they running stock aluminum swingers or did they have an aftermarket steel one? Not trying to argue but I've hit some rocks pretty hard just riding around where I live and tore aluminum stuff up pretty fast. I could see someone coming up on a rock or a tree root in the middle of the trail and thinking "Oh, I can clear that, I have plenty of ground clearance with no skid plate and rotor and sprocket guards on" and then after you get home there is a huge crack or chunk taken out of your swingarm. Rock are alot stronger than a thin cast aluminum swingarm.

[shaggy01]

I raced GNCC for the first time last year and also did some local harescrambles. Out of all the mods you can do, i feel like your health is one of the most important. It doesn't matter if you have 2k in suspension or 3k in a custom built motor. If you are not in good enough physical shape to finish, it wont matter. It will take its toll on your body.

After the season moved north, i raced the local harescrambles and was consistently beating 450's. Not because i have a kick ***** quad or because im a phenomenal rider. It was because i am in good shape. I run/workout everyday. Focusing on cardio and endurance. Not only does your quad have to be in tip top shape, you should be too.

I'm your average weekend warrior with a 400ex that does not have much done to it (see signature). I went out there to have fun and do they best i could. If nothing else, finish. Who cares what place youre in if you just finish. Its a feat in itself. haha.

But, if you're still looking for mods to do, i would take advise from some of the guys who have already posted. Bulletproof your quad.

-revalve your yfz shocks if you haven't and get a gt thunder xc link for the rear and have the rear shock revalved as well.

-steering stabilizer

-a decently aggressive 6 ply tire (found that my holeshots are lacking in the mud holes on the course)

[quadmanw]

Maxxis RZR II are my favorite tires to run in GNCC. I run 20 in the back and 21 in the front, as does Bill Ballance. but do you have your 400 piped and jetted with a good air filter? that will give you more of a snappy quad. A pipe is a huge advantage in racing.. My first race on my 400 I ran the stock exhaust and couldn't even hear my quad to shift to the next gear over all of the others in the holeshot lol. Just some suggestions to help you out!

[Drifterboy3]

Yes stock header aftermarket pipe k&n filter

[suspension101]

I'd highly recommend a rear linkage. This would be one of the first mods to do on any honda.

[Drifterboy3]

Like the gt thunder xc link? What about other brands?

[suspension101]

I would only recommend the GT Thunder XC linkage

[Drifterboy3]

I know links lower the rear suspensions do will I need to worry about the link clearing my skid plate? The plate I have covers the link

[Drifterboy3]

Also what do I need interms of number plates? Front and rear or just rear?

[Longdong]

Originally posted by Drifterboy3
Also what do I need interms of number plates? Front and rear or just rear?

You don't need number plates for gncc.

[CJM]

Gotta cut out the skid for the link to work.

[ben300]

Originally posted by Drifterboy3
Like the gt thunder xc link? What about other brands?

GT link only. but if you get the rear link, its going to change the leverage ratio of the rear shock and its going to make the shock softer. you'd want to send the shock to a good shock builder like GT thunder, Jet Suspension, Derisi, Geg's ATV, C&D racing, etc. they'll revalve adn respring your rear shock, and front shocks, to your weight, riding style (xc), and riding ability (beginner, c class, b class, etc)..

some other mods i'd do before you do anything else, and this is just from experience is:

1) ditch the swing arm skid plate. I run the chassis skid plate and last season (my 1st), i ran the swing arm skid for the first half the season. i would constantly get hung up in ruts! id ditch the skid and get a sprocket guard (gtt has them for $49.99, jet has them for $79.99, you can buy them off ebay, or make your own), and id get a poly rotor guard (GTT and jet both sell them). this will give you clearance enough to clear ruts. Ive never found rocks to cause any problems yet with teh swing arm or the linkage on the quad.

2) get hand guards. not the cheap kind, but spend $100-$120 and get either a good pair of cyrca's or powermadd's with the wraps. these are gonna protect your hands, BIG TIME! trees are not forgiving when you clip them with your bars.

3) id say tires, but im assuming if your gonna race XC your know you need a good set of 6ply's. guys on herer with tell you 21" razr2 fronts with 20" razr rears. if you go to the Qzone forums, which is pretty much an xc dedicated forum, all those guys will tell xrex's or razr2's or holeshot xc's....ive seen a ton of xrex's, razr xc's and holeshot gncc's this year on the lines. I run kenda claw xc front's and kenda kutter xc rears (even though the klaw xc rears might be better) and im happy with the traction and slidablilty i get from them. they're cheaper than most other tires accept the xrex's.

4) get a steering stabilizer. this is gonna take a ton of the jarring and bumping out, that you'll experience from the futs, roots, rocks, etc,. you can get a precision for like $400+, ccp for like $180 on ebay..

Get your *** in shape! ride and work on your fitness. your out there two hours, sometimes a little longer. you need to be in good riding shape and good physical shape if you want to be competitive. some guys here tell you the pro's only ride and dont work out...i call bull ****....


good luck, and maybe we'll see you out on the line somewhere

[CJM]

Best skid option other than none or spocket/rotor guards is the GT thunder skid. its designed to work with the linkage and is steel not aluminum. I dont get hunt up on stuff with it.

As for the kenda klaws, dont bother. Once they get worn in sidebite sucks big time.

You really dont need the linkage if your doing this for the first time. But it doeshelp. Id spend on then stabilizer first myself.

[ben300]

Originally posted by CJM
Best skid option other than none or spocket/rotor guards is the GT thunder skid. its designed to work with the linkage and is steel not aluminum. I dont get hunt up on stuff with it.

As for the kenda klaws, dont bother. Once they get worn in sidebite sucks big time.

You really dont need the linkage if your doing this for the first time. But it doeshelp. Id spend on then stabilizer first myself.

i still woulsnt run a skid. i dont know what kind mine is, i believe DG (it came on the quad), but it gets hung up on everything, especially in really rutted areas.

go with the sprocket and rotor guards.


as for the kendas..i was on a budget and went with the klaw fronts and kutter rears. did want to spend $100+ per tire at the time. went with the klaw fronts because the kutters tend to plow a little at higher speeds. my kutter rears, i really like. i havent had any problem with them yet, but mabye ill change my tune in the future, but for now they work.

[Longdong]

Originally posted by ben300
i still woulsnt run a skid. i dont know what kind mine is, i believe DG (it came on the quad), but it gets hung up on everything, especially in really rutted areas..

Need to go faster! :devil:

[ben300]

Originally posted by Longdong
Need to go faster! :devil:

Heard that!!!! lol





No, our local series runs this one track twice, BVR (Beaver Valley Raceway), and your ride a river bottom straight into a 180° swtich back up a hill, adn the switch back has two paths you can take. one's got a MONSTER, quad swallowing rut in it. This is the path i should have taken. jus stick your left tires in the rut, sit off the right side, and go! but i took the right every time, thinking id get up it no problem. well the right has two ruts in it that are fairly deep from the big bikes that run before us. well id get caught evertime on the dirt between the ruts.

by the time i got to the 4th and 5th lap, id just plow my own path up throught the woods:devil:

they call that insanity right? doing the same thign over and over again, expecting a different result each time? or maybe thats stupidity lol

[quadmanw]

I race switch back all the time. I run a skid but you deff don't need one there. I think I've hit one rock there.. Lol. It's like a dirt and root trail until you hit the mud.

[Drifterboy3]

I'm planning on some Itp holeshot gncc. I was at Ed 12 gncc crawfordsville in 2012 and prolly 80+% of the pros or people in general were running those. I found a sprocket guard eBay for 18. It was one a guy made but it was laser cut .25" steel. I think I'm going to go for that and I'm going to check out jet and gtt for a rotor

[ben300]

Originally posted by Drifterboy3
I'm planning on some Itp holeshot gncc. I was at Ed 12 gncc crawfordsville in 2012 and prolly 80+% of the pros or people in general were running those. I found a sprocket guard eBay for 18. It was one a guy made but it was laser cut .25" steel. I think I'm going to go for that and I'm going to check out jet and gtt for a rotor

i saw that one on ebay the other day. good deal!

theyre pretty easy to make, if you have the means to. couple of my buddies who race, and who work as machinists and welders at the compnay we work fors plant, make their own.

[quadmanw]

I didn't have a good first experience with the ITP GNCC.. Mine wore very quickly, but i swear mine were the only ones lol

[ben300]

Originally posted by quadmanw
I didn't have a good first experience with the ITP GNCC.. Mine wore very quickly, but i swear mine were the only ones lol

My one buddy who runs them burns through them quick. He only gets 2-3 races out of them, but the tracks PAXC run are litered with rocks

[quadmanw]

That's why I like the RZR II or the GBC. They last pretty dam long

[d90rick]

Shaggy01 advice was the best, fitness should be at the top of the list, and its free! It is what made the difference for me last year and i hardly worked out, this year i am going to be more consistent about it.

[Drifterboy3]

Well guys thanks for all this help I know this is late but I had a race April 28 and well got hit by another racer and broke my femur. I'm all good now and back to riding. Just if anyone wanted an update

[HondaRacing83]

Sorry to hear that man!

[Speed37]

Definatly a steering stabilizer. Beadlocks if you plan to keep racing, the rotor and sprocket guards are great ideas! But power really isnt a major factor. Your suspension should be where you attention is. Get thoes shocks valve and set up for your abilites. Handguards are something that come in handy too.