another motor question

[tnine416]

I am getting very close to a rebuild and I was wondering what is the difference between sending off your motor to sparks, ct, baldwin, etc... opposed to buying the parts and installing them yourself(besides the bore)...

is there a power difference? do they do something special? If I am going to keep my ex I want it to compete and beat some newer quads!! I really want a baldwin built motor but I dont want to dump a bunch of cash for the same gains...

Originally posted by tnine416
I am getting very close to a rebuild and I was wondering what is the difference between sending off your motor to sparks, ct, baldwin, etc... opposed to buying the parts and installing them yourself(besides the bore)...

is there a power difference? do they do something special? If I am going to keep my ex I want it to compete and beat some newer quads!! I really want a baldwin built motor but I dont want to dump a bunch of cash for the same gains...

nope...i got the boring from sparks and bought everything then assembled it myself...i also did my own porting...this is what i would do if i was you...buy a clymers manual and go to work on it...do a little porting...jus smooth everything out...takin out the defects...dont go mad crazy unless u want a pure hp drag bike...i would jus get the boring and the parts and do the assembling and porting urself...unless you dont kno what ur doin...then get someone to lend you a hand that is experianced:D

[tnine416]

awesome, thats what I will do then...

now, another question...
are the gains more or ALOT more than stock...wheelying machine? lil bit faster than a raptor? I need to know

the reason I ask is because I need all the help I can get to beat those banshees and raptors:o :rolleyes:

Originally posted by tnine416
awesome, thats what I will do then...

now, another question...
are the gains more or ALOT more than stock...wheelying machine? lil bit faster than a raptor? I need to know

the reason I ask is because I need all the help I can get to beat those banshees and raptors:o :rolleyes:

if ur talkin my setup u should own raptors and some shees...a built raptor will give u a run for ur money and a built shee would beat u for sure...but a built raptor vs my setup...we run damn close...if u want a low end setup i wouldnt run what i got...i run mine for high rpm xc race bike

[BIGRED400]

I done my 416 myself, got the parts including Clymer's Manual from C&D RACING http://colbykostman.tripod.com/
Took the piston and rings to a local Machine Shop( a man I knew for 24 years),Done right put together...already had a few Z400 Owners had this look:confused:after a run with my stock looking 400....we used to call them sleepers in high school 27 years ago...damn I'm old but still a gearhead:D

[tnine416]

^^^hahaha
thanks for all the info and I will definately look into it. Honda_Racer I am glad to hear about your setup beating raptors and some banshees...and also, your set-up (high rpm xc) is exactly what I want, is it tough keepin the rpm's up with a 416 over stock?

Originally posted by tnine416
^^^hahaha
thanks for all the info and I will definately look into it. Honda_Racer I am glad to hear about your setup beating raptors and some banshees...and also, your set-up (high rpm xc) is exactly what I want, is it tough keepin the rpm's up with a 416 over stock?

no way...my bike revs out so fast its easy to keep the rpm up...its not so much that i dont have any power down low...its just down low i cant take advantage of all my mods...and up high is like a huge power burst...its very easy to keep the rpm up:D

[cals400ex]

Originally posted by XxHonda_RacerxX
no way...my bike revs out so fast its easy to keep the rpm up...its not so much that i dont have any power down low...its just down low i cant take advantage of all my mods...and up high is like a huge power burst...its very easy to keep the rpm up:D


hey, what compression did you have sparks cut your piston at? i am not including the thinner gaskets or anything, just what compression the piston was cut at. also, do you still run on premium fuel?

Originally posted by cals400ex
hey, what compression did you have sparks cut your piston at? i am not including the thinner gaskets or anything, just what compression the piston was cut at. also, do you still run on premium fuel?

it was built at 11:1 and i still run premium and my bike doesnt ping or nething...even after riding for 2 hours...but for the dunes and when its hotter i run a 50:50 mix...i also am gonna run that when i race

[dirtmomma]

YEP do it yourself!!! We do ALL our motor work except for boring it'll save ya a TON of dough!!! Our machine guy does our boring so it works out great!!


we used to call them sleepers in high school 27 years ago...damn I'm old but still a gearhead


HAHA YEP so did we!! It's funny cuz I called mine a sleeper on here once & someone asked "whats a sleeper":confused: :huh kids these days LMAO!!!

[cals400ex]

Originally posted by XxHonda_RacerxX
it was built at 11:1 and i still run premium and my bike doesnt ping or nething...even after riding for 2 hours...but for the dunes and when its hotter i run a 50:50 mix...i also am gonna run that when i race


are you running only one layer of the headgasket too? did you take out the base gasket?

[Derrick D]

Does your machinist's use a torque plate when they bore the cylinder?

Originally posted by cals400ex
are you running only one layer of the headgasket too? did you take out the base gasket?

im pretty sure...and i still run the base...both are sparks gaskets...they are very thin