From: Drew
Elko, NV
I have a 2007 can-am renegade. It wont come out of 4x4. any ideas?

Wow, A tough one right off the bat. I cannot say for sure what the trouble will be because the amount of information I have is very small. The electronically controlled devices in new utility ATVs is just astounding, and if I had to guess, which I hate doing, I would say it could be anything from actuator trouble to broken internals from abusive four-wheeling. Look into the wiring that controls the 4x4 actuator on the right side of the engine and be sure it’s all hooked up and no connections are cut. Otherwise, if I could get a better description of what you experienced at the time of trouble as well as maybe a description of any prior trouble you may have had I could possibly make an educated shot at it.

From: killntime73
Stockport, OH
We have a 225 bayou late ‘90s model that won't start. We tried rebuilding the carb but replaced carb from another bike with no luck. With a new plug it started out running rough or like it was starving for gas or running half power then would take off running like new did this back and forth for awhile now won't start any ideas plug is new and firing.

The very first thing I would do is to take the fuel tank off this beast and give it a very good cleaning. Then check all the gas cans from which you dump fuel into the poor Kawi for debris or water and possibly trash. Make sure your fuel is clean and flowing. If you trust your own word that the machine is firing correctly, then all you need is some air and a little gas to make an explosion in the throat of that monster. Now you need to unscrew the carburetor bowl clean-out screw, which is on the bottom of the carb probably on the left side of the quad, and make sure fuel is flowing through the carb. When that’s done make sure the air filter is clean or heck just take it out for a test and try starting the beast. Let us know how it works out for you.
 

From: jimmy
Milton, WV
HELLO, I HAVE A POLARIS 425 XPEDITION. IT WILL NOT START. THROUGH TROUBLE SHOOTING I FOUND THAT I AM NOT GETTING SPARK TO PLUG. I HAVE CHANGED THE IGNITION COIL. NO CHANGE. WHILE CRANKING I GET 1 SPARK AND NO MORE, AND ITS WEAK. I OHMED THE STATOR AND IT OHMED 400 OHMS. HOWEVER THE BOOK LISTS THE PROPER OHMS TO BE 446. DOES ANY ONE KNOW WHAT PERCENT THE STATOR SHOULD OHM WITHIN? OR COULD THIS PROBLEM BE THE CDI BOX? ANY INPUT WILL BE APPRECIATED. ALL WIRING CONNECTIONS LOOK GOOD. AND THE TRIGGER COIL OHMS 97 OHMS JUST AS THE MANUAL LISTS.

Do you have a kill switch on this model? Have you sunk this behemoth into deep mud or maybe washed it a little too well with the pressure washer lately? Try taking the kill switch on the bars apart to be sure that there is no water, corrosion or mud hanging up the connections thus stalling the ride time! You’d be surprised how many guys replace hundreds in parts before looking at the obvious.

From: Kruton
Queen Creek, AZ
I have an 05' TRX 450r every time I get past half throttle or so it bogs out like crazy, if I throttle past half she will spit sputter and get little spurts of power. ive changed my jets back to the stock 185 ive looked and my air filter, its good as well as my spark plug. I messed with the mixture screw a bit and it gets better but never perfect. (sorry im not sure where to post Q's) Any ideas?

You messed with the mixture screw? Which way did you turn this mighty little screw to get it “better”? If you richened the engine by turning the screw out then you might have had the answer and never knew it. By turning the screw out you are adding fuel to the engine. If this helped the situation then look into the gas you are using. Check the bowl on the carb for trash or water in the fuel. That’s the easy way out. Then look into what you use to put fuel into the bike. Most people do not realize that plastic and metal cans can condensate, and that water along with any trash in the fuel finds its way to the tiny hole in the jets of your carb!

From: hooter
Monroe, LA
I was cleaning some of my land up last week, i came across my old 1994 300ex! Wanting to rekindle my ole kid side of me, i figured i would rebuild it instead of buying one of the new higher priced atv's, i need a little help on mod's and things for this little bike! all wiring needs to replaced and motor seems to be in pretty good shape. any and all help will be greatly appreciated of the better aftermarket parts and accesories to make this little bike race o local track and fun on the trail.

The first thing I would do is take any info off the frame of this gem like the VIN and travel to the local Police department to see if it has been lost or stolen. The last thing you want to do is throw a chunk of money into something you “found” only to find out it has to be returned to the rightful owner with all your new parts on it. If it checks out then get a service manual and visit the local Honda dealer for any OEM replacement parts you might need. There are tons of aftermarket part companies that, in today’s economy, wish for your call, so don’t delay.

From: Mitchell
Subject: sixth sense shocks
Hello I have a set of progressive sixth sense shocks on my yfz and I CANNOT find any shock seals for rebuilding them, I have contacted the company through e-mail a couple times but no one has got back to me and it frustrates a person if you know what I mean, please get back to me with what you think I should do, ANY HELP would be greatly appreciated
thank you
Mitch

It is my understanding that most ATV shock companies can get the seals you need. These seals are used in many other forms and brands of shocks. Remember, this is the busy season with everyone wanting to go racing and trail riding so be patient with them. Tucker Rocky, as well as Parts Unlimited, carries these shocks and I’m sure they would be able to get service parts as well.

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From: spike
Terre Haute, IN
Recently I was tugging on a tree limb with my 98 polaris 300 xplorer when it started acting like it was starved for fuel. I baby'd it home and took a look at it. The boot between the air box and carb was blown out. I decided to sew it together with some stainless wire then epoxy the outside then wrap with electrical tape. It's better but it still boggs when throttling up fast. If I pump the throttle just right it will catch and take off. I tried reducing the air via the adjustment screw and also adjusted the choke as recommended in the manual. It better yet but not for long as it seems to get worse as it heats up. I've never changed the fuel filter. Air filter is clean but not new. I figured I'd better get some advice from you before I went any further.

It sounds to me like you have way too much time on your hands. You sewed and air box boot together with stainless wire? Oh my friend, the boot is about $30 bucks (Polaris PT#5411159) and you probably spent five hours sewing, epoxying and then wrapping it in tape, not to mention you used enough hardware to build a battleship. You done all that to save 30 dollars? I know, times are tough, but come on. As far as the power problems go, I figure the boot had probably been torn for quite some time, and you may need some new rings but don’t go cutting those out of the sofa cushions man.

From: Pelt
Gray, ME
I have 2003 Bombardier Quest 500 and it idles high is there a way to adjust the idle? I have backed off the adjustments on the cable by the throttle and the carb, is there any other adjustments on the carb that can be done?

If you look on the left side of the carb there is a very large round knurled knob that will allow you to set idle on the quest. This should get the revs down a bit, and maybe your teeth wont chatter so much when you ride that beast.

From: Terry Holbrook
Springdale, AR
I need head setting and valve settings on trx400ex Honda.

I haven’t a clue what a “head setting” is. That’s a new one on me. The valve clearance on the Honda TRX400EX is .005 for the exhaust and .004 for the intake. You need to be sure the Timing mark or “T” is in the window on the left side of the engine and that the rockers (all four) have slack in them. These are two key items to remember. Keeping a 10mm wrench handy and a small flat head screwdriver will make this easier as well. Good luck on the head setting! As far as I know it “sets” right on top of the cylinder.

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From: James
Barrie, CANADA
I bought my kids a used polaris phoenix 250 last year. The girls rode it as hard as they ride their dirtbikes! The damn thing wont go forward now unless i pick up the rear end. it goes in reverse alright but wont go forward. checked the shift linkage already and looks good. Any ideas?? never worked on an automatic before so im a little shy of ripping it apart until i have a game plan. Help ATV guy... the kids are getting spring fever.

This is a belt-driven machine, my friend. I would just about bet the kids have smoked the CVT belt. These are not hard to replace at all. With the girls raging on the poor old Phoenix, I would buy two of those belts while I was at the dealer. Get a service manual and with a few basic hand tools you can replace this whipper snapper in under one hour!

From: DaltonSaskboy
Lloydminster, ZZ CANADA
I have a 2007 800 Sportsman. I have a Dynojet power commander chip on it. I cant seem to find any good maps for it. Also what can u do to take the rev limiter out of it.

I would never recommend removing the rev limiter on any machine. Plus, without a dealer computer, it’s impossible to even adjust anyways. The rev limits are set to keep guys like you and I from grenading the engine. We love the extra power range, but it’s not worth the headache of building another motor. As far as the maps for your Power Commander, you can just click over to DynoJets website and they have several to choose from for all types of modifications and machine sizes. Heres a link to check out: http://www.powercommander.com/powercommander/powercommander_iii_usb.aspx?mk=12&mdl=323&yr=2007

From: pipelinepirate
Charleston, WV
I have a stock 2003 Bombardier DS baja 650. what should i do to get more power low and top end and not take away from my high end speed? And also keep the bike dependable for every day riding?

Top end speed is overrated, so forget going 80 mph unless you’re racing wide-open desert with thousands on the line (like that actually happens in ATV racing). It’s not as fun when you crash at 80 mph. Trust me here! Work on jetting the carb and try lowering the front sprocket one tooth. Start there, and if more is desired then add a tooth or two to the rear sprocket to see how that changes things. Having ridden the DS650 in the 2003 Baja 1000, I have very little trouble with the stock engine’s power. Staying out of the motor will keep it reliable!

From: DUROND
BAKERSFIELD, CA
HI I WAS WONDERING IF YOU KNOW WHERE EXACTLY DO I SET MY OIL PUMP LEVER (I THINK) ITS RIGHT ON TOP OF MY WATER PUMP ON MY 92 LT250R ITS A SIGHT WHOLE BUT THE LEVER CAME OFF OF THE ARM THAT HOLDS IT TOGETHER?

This will actually be an exhaust valve and not an oil pump lever. This controls the exhaust tuning for the engine and helps create power at certain RPM for the two-stroke engine. I would suggest you find a service manual for this machine to get the part in correctly. Looks to me like it just slips into two plastic retainers on the right side of the engine right above the water pump, like you mentioned. The trouble is that if the clips broke during disassembly then you need to replace them and find the pieces to the old ones in your engine cases.

As usual, we had some very good questions this month. Please keep them coming and ride safe this spring and summer!
RS