Re: Up Close With the 2010 Can-Am Utility ATV Line Up
From: troy
Richfield , UT
Do you know if i can get a power steering unit for my 2008 650 can am?

Sorry but if you want a power steering Can-Am you’ll have to buy one in a new model Can-Am. The frames are a bit different in that they have special extras to hold the power steering unit in and from what ive been told they are not building any conversion kits for the older models.

Re: Frequently Asked Honda Pilot Questions
From: txpowerwagon
Justin , TX
I would like to change the jets, I have stock jets and am running 32/1 mixture. I bought some jets about a year ago but never put them in and i do not know where they are now. I need to know what size jet to put in and if i can get them from the local honda store. I am running too rich with the stock jets.

It would be best to get a jet kit for the carb you have that includes several jets above or below your stock jetting. This way you can fine tune the machine. Just get the specs or maker of the carb and go to the dealer or online and find an assortment of jets and needles for this carb.

From: Tyler
Tollesboro , KY
Comment: My buddy has a 07 LTZ 400 and he is getting new suspison. Will his stock suspison work on my 06 TRX 350 fm rancher?

Sorry to break it to you my friend but the suspension swap wouldn’t work between these two atv’s. The fronts shocks might be close in measurements but the way the suspension on the LTZ400 and your Rancher works would make it hard for them to perform safely.

From: tbonesak
Anchorage , AK
I have an 07 Poaris sportman that is driving me crazy! I am dry fouling plugs every 4-5 miles. Spits and sputters throut the entire rpm range. And surges rpm's at idle from 1500-2200 spaced out about every 3-5 seconds. heavy black smoke until warmed up, and fouls after a short ride. What is going on with this machine!? tried to search forums on this, and I am apparently the only one in the world with this problem!?!?!?!

It is amazing to me that anyone could get an accurate description of your problem with the spelling in this letter. Ill try to decipher the issue. Im assuming that you mean Polaris sportsman? The Polaris Sportsmans came with EFI(Electronic fuel injection) in 2007 and the only model that wasn’t fuel injected was the 450. I really need to know what displacement you have before I could get you pointed in the right direction. However, if this is the 450 I would suggest a total carb teardown and through cleaning to remove possible trash or varnish from the carb. If this is a EFI model (500-800 cc’s) there could be issues with the injectors or as simple as trashy fuel making its way to the engine. Check all vent lines and fuel delivery as well.

From: woody
Leon , WV
I have 08 can-am 650 outlander max and i am looking for some led or hid replacement bulbs for my headlights. we do alot of nite riding and i am having a hard time leading the pack, for this machine always wants to be in the front.i liked your tip on lighting up your project 650 awhile back and am thinkin of doing a similar set-up, although i am looking into mounting them on the handlebars to give me better lighting in the sharper turns. any comments or help would be greatly appreciated.

The Baja Designs Fuego lights worked flawlessly for us and made seeing even the sides of the trail great with no problems. You could add two more lights to the rack and just point them off more to the side of the quad. These things light up the night for sure. If you want to see as you turn maybe consider a helmet light such as the Cyclops HID or other helmet lighting products. The only trouble we found when trying to retro our Can-Am with HID lights is when the switch is turned on the HID ballasts try to fire and this draw on the electrical gives a low voltage signal to the computer. This causes a maintenance warning that has to be reset by the dealer. If the lights were wired to come on in the second position of the key switch I don’t think we would have had this trouble.

From: TAMMY MCQUAIDE
Subject: Oh GOD, Please HELP!
I have a 2007 Polaris Sportsman 450 Carbureted. Got it out of the garage after a 5 months of storage. Did not turn off the petcock, I could not find it! Fired up easy and rode nice for about ten miles. I am now dry fouling plugs about every 5 miles. I tore the carb off after testing the spark. Cleaned out the slide, diaphragm, and opened the bowl. Cleaned it all out... the choke cable has some minor corrosion in the connection to the carb. I was not able to get the cable out of the carb itself. It sounds like it is operating properly. Put it all back together, and low and behold, another fouled plug!? It will start, and idle. At idle it surges from 1400-2800 RPM, about 3-6 seconds between surges.  This machine has 110 miles on it and 20 of them are from me trying to figure this out... Please, I am already balding and cant afford to pull any more hair out!!!!!
Thanks, Steve "The bald one"

Sounds like you have the same issue as another reader before. These carb’s can varnish up very easily with cheap gas. My suggestion would be to remove the carburator and thoroughly clean the beast. You will need to remove the Primary jet which handles the very bottom throttle to ¼ throttle as well as idle. Be sure when looking through the end of the jet that you can see through it. Use a carb cleaner and compressed air to blow any trash out of the carb jets. I also keep a set of acetylene torch nozzle cleaners handy to get in the super small areas.

From: skipp00
Freeport , OH
I'm trying to get my rear inboard cv out of my 2005 honda rincon and it just won't come the bike shop says that if u cant just pull it out then u have to buy a new rear end. please help

After removing the wheel, hub, and knuckle assembly you should be able to hold the shaft in your hands and tug that baby right out. Just push forward toward the tranny then tug quickly out towards you. It might take a time or two but it will come out. You have to remove it from the knuckle first though. There should be an upper bolt holding this knuckle in as well as a lower bolt and once removed the knuckle should slip off the outer drive shaft. The shaft has a small circlip on the end of it on the inner side that just compresses as you pull it out.

From: KDSONE
LAKE BUTLER , FL
I HAVE A 2001 90 CC POLARIS SCRAMBLER SMOKES BADLY AND CONTINUOSLY FOULS PLUGS CAN YOU GIVE ME A FEW IDEAS OF WHAT IT MIGHT BE.

Sounds like the carb is set to rich or the quad needs a new set of piston rings. Wear on the cylinder or rings will cause low compression and the engine will not burn the fuel properly. Thus, leads to many fouled plugs.

From: alex
Deming , NM
I have a 2003 honda 400ex and i have k&n air filter, fmf header and exhaust, and jet kit. now im planing on borin it out to a 440, but i would like to know which compression is best a 11:1 or 12.0:1? i also would like to know your opinion on which brand to go with?

Don’t waste your time or money on anything over 11:1 compression. The quad will become unreliable, youll have to run a race fuel mix which is expensive now days and bench racing will be your only fun then. Trick that beast out with add-ons and do your best to leave the engine stock or close to stock. I prefer JE pistons and Mickey Dunlap is still working on these 400EX’s so give him a call for the cylinder mods you want. Remember this though, if you want a reliable quad or something that doesn’t have to be worked on every time you want to ride, don’t go crazy with displacement.

From: Smilinjenn
Parachute, CO
We have a Chinese Hi-Bird ATV. We are having trouble finding information to fix it. The problem we are having is that when you are stopped and in first gear and start to go it jerks like the chain is not catching after it "pops" and you get going it does not do it anymore. We are not sure if it is something to do with the chain or transmission. Any help you could give would be great. Thanks

The only advice I can truly give on this may not be of use to you now. I know sometimes finances regulate what we can get for our children but a $400 dollar atv is worth just that. My advice would be when buying these garage sale junkers is to buy two more for parts and hope to have one that will stay running. Try checking the chain as it could very well be loose but after that id say scrap it and buy a known brand that has dealer support.

From: mozeus3
New Castle , PA
I am a newbie adult rider with an 03 yamaha warrior. I recently purchased a 93 suzuki 230 quadrunner ep for my wife to go on the occasional ride with me. I knew it needed a few repairs when I bought it, but after a day of hard riding, I found it needs more that I thought. The problem is I'm trying to find a repair manual for it and I cant seem to find anything with the "ep" designation. Even when looking up parts online, I never seem to find listing for the ep model. Could you tell me what the ep stands for, and if it is even nessessary when ordering parts. Thanks for the help.

When ordering a service manual or parts for this model simply state that is a Suzuki Quadrunner 230E. There was only one model of this 230 built in 1993 and it will be the correct one you are looking for. Manuals are available through many sources including Suzuki itself so dig around my friend.

Re: Product Spotlight: Legend Air Suspension Air Shocks
From: Tony Diaz
I am interested in installing an air suspension/shocks on my 2007 Kymco MXU 500 to have the versitility of switching to a lower ride when ridding on-road, but I don't know which of your system will be compatible with my ATV. Can you tell me which one I should get, how much is it and who can I get it from? Thanks and keep up the good work.

I'm sorry to say this but Legend Air Suspensions do not make shocks for your Kymco. You might try other brands for lowering products and shocks.

[Editor's note - lowering the MXU for riding on-road? Maybe this is an international reader...]

From: armando
Miami , FL
I have a polaris 700, I am having problems shifting the transmission, I taken the shifter apart and cleaned good. Any ideas.

Its hard to diagnoise your troubles with such a brief description. I have no clue what the unit is doing or when and what transpired to make it start shifting rough or not at all. You see, this column depends on you (the reader/inquiring mind) to give me (the genius) much more symptoms and then I find solutions. Got It? For all I know, you may be the problem..

From: Bob
Fenton , MI
I have a 2002 Honda 450ES 4 wheeler. I put a new battery in it last year. About 3 months ago I noticed the battery was not staying charged. I didn't think to much of it because I don't us it much. The other day I went to use it and I had to pull start it. It started fine and ran fine until I put it in gear. On the display the gear selection was flashing and the oil light was on real dim and the 4 wheel light and the others were flashing. When I put it in gear and this didn't matter if it was first or reverse. I wanted to make sure the charging system was working so I unhooked the battery and it still ran. With the battery still unhooked I checked the voltage at the battery cables and it read 13.4 which I thought just fine. Now when I put it in gear it goes to about 5 volts and the lights start flashing. I also can't shift anymore after this happens. Any ideas?? Voltage regulator????? Short??? Bad ground??? Thanks Bob

Try installing a new battery once again. I know you claimed to have replaced it last year but the trouble is you don’t use this atv enough the keep the battery alive. When an atv sits for long periods of time it still needs attention. The battery could be put on a trickle charger during the off time to keep it fresh. It needs the resource of the battery to work the essentials. That’s why its there. Good luck.

From: scavin
Backus , MN
I have just rebuilt the wifes 1994 polaris 300 atv and had to go .40 over on the piston. I have been told to go up to a 165 main jet. I was wondering if the prelim carb settings stay the same or if i should start with a different setting. Can you help?

When changing displacement to this extreme everything needs to be looked at. The main jetting will need to be adjusted to larger sizes and you might consider the pilot jet size as well. This will give the engine more bottom response and keep it from leaning out to much. It will also make the motor respond quicker. Rich can be tolerable but lean will kill the engine. Learn to read your plug and it will tell you where you stand with your jetting.

From: shesuredoshine
Greenwich , NY
I own a 2008 Polaris Sportsman 300 ATV. I am replacing the lower left-hand side drive shaft boot. I have pulled the shaft out of the hub but cannot get the shaft to disengage from the transmission shaft to slide the new boot on. Is there a clip or does it take a good yank? If I yank it will it disengage the top shaft?

Give that puppy a good tug or two and you will be on the road to boot repair before you know it. Its held in by a spring circlip and it will pop out into your arms.

From: pkohus
Subject: brake wheel cylinder
I have a 1996 Honda 300 and the front brakes don't seem to work as well as they should. When I pulled the drum off the right side wheel, I noticed that only the front shoe moved when I applied the brake. It looks as if the wheel cylinder only moved the front pad,the back pad never moved. Should'nt both shoes move at the same time to engage the drum? Thanks.

Heres the deal my friend. The front shoe would push out until the drum catches it then the rear will move out. Without the drum on the quad the front or rear would only move as there is no resistance. If your brakes are fading try bleeding the system and be sure the pads are up to spec by the manufacturer before reassembling the system.

From: Thor
NELSON,CANADA
I have a 2002 Honda 500 rubicon with 7000k on the odometer. The problem is not consistent with the ESP-D1-D2 are flashing on the display. Most of the time when the ignition is turned on the "N" is displayed. Aprox. 1 out of 10 times the flashing is displayed. Code "11" is indicated. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

This will be a problem better suited for the dealer. The dealer has the proper electronic connections and computers to talk to your ride and figure out whats going on.

From: paul martin
Elkton , KY
WAT AXLE WILL INTERCHANGE WITH 99 YAMAHA BIG BEAR 350 REAR 2 WHEEL DRIVE?

Yamaha part number :4WU-25381-00-00 is the correct replacement for this axle. As far as interchangability this one will work best.

From: joe
Pickerel, WI
I have a 2001 suzuki king quad,transmission slips going forword,is there an adjustment,or replace the clutch ?

Sounds like it is time for some clutch service. This is an easy task for an experienced mechanic. If your not sure of yourself then just take it over to the dealer for repair.

Article Title: New Billetanium Hydraulic Clutch for the 400EX
From: Audiodoc16
Calgary , CANADA
The Billetanium clutch looks to be a great solution to broken cables and sore wrists but the link to their website is a dead end! Does anyone know if they are still in business?

Sorry but we were also unable to make contact with these guys.

From: betty adams
Subject: My three wheeler
Hello, I am having some trouble and i need help badly, i can start my trike up just fine but when i put it in and gear, it wont move, and makes a horrible sound like something rattling?sorta-, it just started today but only when i put it in 2nd or 3rd gear it would just rev and barely move.. actually it wouldent move.. I need Some Help!!

Without the year or specific model/Make I couldn’t give you much help at all. I would say normally it needs clutch work but im not sure what im even working on so good luck with that!

From: april
Houlton , ME
Hi, I have a 04 Kawasaki 360 Praire. As soon as I try to shift in to high, low or reverse, I lose power. It starts and idles fine but shuts down as soon as I use my hand gear shift lever. Thanks

There seems to be a little info missing from this question. Does the engine die when you put in drive or reverse or is it just not doing anything but idleing? It sounds like a transmission problem to me. Have you removed the clutch cover to see if the drive belt is still ok? Start there.

From: 400ex
Arnaudville , LA
My 400ex pops when i let off the throttle. I have new jets tried different one, cleaned the carb and still have this prob. Can you help please

I need to know how much you changed your jet size. Also did you readjust the air fuel mixture screw when you changed the jets.Its sounding like a rich condition to me. When adding larger jets you must add more air. Look at the plug after riding and if its dark brown or wet its running rich. You can adjust the air fuel screw on the carb to lean it up a bit.

From: ken
Fort wayne , IN
97 yamaha warrior took body off painted put back together ran fine for 2 days then stopped. have no spark, i checked plug and wire all the way back to cdi box no spark.had some bad wiring so put on new wire assemble still nothing,checked all switches i have no power to neutral switch. i have 04 warrior so it was easy to check parts still i have no power to spark wire. any help is appreciated thank you. oh yea i have owners manual and did all checks for cdi box then i ended up switching it out and still no spark. thanks.

Man it sounds like you have covered all bases. Does this warrior have a kill switch of any kind that could be grounding out on the frame? There is a small inline fuse and fuse holder assembley at the battery that could be the culprit!

From: 08 750 Brute Force
Fishersville , VA
My question relates to fuel. I currently run premium fuel. I have owned several "hot cars" and motorcycles. I ran racing fuel in all of them at times and noticed a signifigant increase in performance and throttle response. I was curious if I would see the same results in my Brute Force. I called my local bike shops and they didn't have a clue as to if it would harm the factory set up or not.

The addition of oxygenated fuel to your stock motor will make improved performance but not enough that you could justify the cost today. With larger bores and higher compression pistons you would need to run this type of fuel but in stock form your just wasting money.

From: tommy
Union , GA
I have a 2003 grizzley 400, it will run as long as your spray cleaner in the breather, but on other time, what's wrong? Please

How long has it been since the carb had a real good cleaning? Usually having to spray a motor to keep it running means its not getting gas. Clean that carb inside and out and check the fuel tank for debris or water in the gas.

From: cat-crazy
Madison , WI
I am looking for a engine rebuild kit for my 06 TRV 400 Arctic Cat. any information would be great!

As far as a specific kit goes, I haven’t seen one. But if you go to the local dealer they can set you up with stock or overbore pistons and rings as well as a sexy new gasket kit to get you started. Besides, kits are for sissys.

From: doug
Forestville , NY
I just started to rebuild a 1989 yamaha blaster.. my question is.. do i need to drill lubrication holes in the new piston.. the old one did not have the holes.. but this could be why it fried... i have never did much work on two cycles.. did the blaster have a power valve exhust?? or is it a bridge.. i bought this thing in a baskct.. only thing left to do is put the piston in... and buy the exhaust system...

WHOAAA COWBOY.. Don’t do no drillin in them thar pistons. The two-stroke piston only requires that the proper amount of premix be added to the gas to keep it from sticking in the cylinder. Using a 32:1 mix with a good oil like yamalube will keep that motor running strong. Also be sure the cylinder and head have new gaskets and are properly torqued to keep them from leaking air into the cylinder. This to can cause a 2-stroke detonation of destruction! There is no power valve in the blaster exhaust.

From: Gary L
Subject: 2009 Can-Am Outlander 800R XT
I recently got my new ATV and while out ridin' I got into some deep water and had to be pulled out by my buddy. Upon exiting the water my bike would not move forward. (Runs just fine) I have had this happen once before but once the whatever dried out it was fine. (slipping went away) This time it is not fine it still slips. How do I change my drive oil? I am good with a wrench but cannot find a repair manual anywere? Any help I would be thankfull for sir. Thank you for your time. And I love your website thanks Gary Lehn in Wisconsin .....

Gary my friend you may have just fried the CVT belt. Getting into deep water gets the belt wet and constantly slipping breaks it down until it cannot get enough grip to pull the quad anymore. Snorkel that baby and get a new belt. The your worries will be gone!

From: todd
Lufkin , TX
How difficult is it for me, a novice, to remove and repair or replace a water pump on a 200 polaris 400 scrambler 2x4? I bought a manual but it looks pretty tough. Thanks

I can tell you from experience that this will not be an easy task. The pump and impeller shafts are located in a very complicated position and this requires specialty tools as well so id take that Polarbear to the dealer for a proper replacement.

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Its very easy to get caught up in your questions. I would again recommend that when submitting a question please slow down and take your time. Info in gets info out and I don’t read shorthand so please give a good description of the problem as well as the year, maker and model of the atv your having trouble with. Thanks again and keep the quiz questions coming!

RS