Fuel Injection ATVs

[joemd11]

Motorcycles have had FI on selected bikes for many years now. Reliability has been good, from what I
hear and read. Mine have all been carbureted.

I remember in the 70s when they started to eliminate kick-starters from street bikes. There was quite
an outcry amoung enthusiasts. Me, too. Now, virtually no street bikes have them. I will bet the
same outcry happened 100y ago when makers were eliminating back-up hand crank-starters from electric-
start cars.

As for kick-starters and pull-starters on ATVs, they are going away, yes. But, pull-starting big
thumpers, esp without compression-release levers, is very difficult. I find it very difficult to
kick-start my Honda TRX300FW, and it is only 300cc. Even harder than kick-starting my old
78 Kawasaki 650cc 4-cylinder.

I use to have a Kodiak ATV that had a pull-starter as a back-up to the electric. There was no way in he** I could use that to start the quad if it was cold. I don't think it had a compression release. Always chuckled as to why they even bothered to put it on the machine.

 

[dfkrug]

I use to have a Kodiak ATV that had a pull-starter as a back-up to the electric. There was no
way in he** I could use that to start the quad if it was cold. I don't think it had a compression release. Always chuckled
as to why they even bothered to put it on the machine.

Yes, exactly my point. Comp-release is now indeed rare, too. It is usually a lever on the right side of the cyl
head. It's a thumb lever on the handle bar on some dirt bikes (and old Suzuki sporty quads). Thankfully,
my 55cc chainsaw has CR.

 

[Chooglin]

Something that has not been mentioned yet is, valve adjustment,this will cause hard starting and possible backfires......... Have you had them checked ?

 

[DrRod]

I doubt it. The backyard place I've been taking it to just cleans the carburetor and air box. I don't think they would get around to adjusting valves. Its been a long time since the 450 ES has been to a dealer so maybe its time to haul it to town for a good going over by some pros. Might be a lot cheaper than replacing machines out of frustration.

And I'll admit that I'm still on original tires and they are chronic leakers. I have put a shameful amount of fix-a-flat in them over the years but that is becoming less effective. Plus they show a bit of dry rot. I suspect that after 15 years I've gotten my money out of them.

 

[PapaPerk]

I doubt it. The backyard place I've been taking it to just cleans the carburetor and air box. I don't think they would get around to adjusting valves. Its been a long time since the 450 ES has been to a dealer so maybe its time to haul it to town for a good going over by some pros. Might be a lot cheaper than replacing machines out of frustration.

And I'll admit that I'm still on original tires and they are chronic leakers. I have put a shameful amount of fix-a-flat in them over the years but that is becoming less effective. Plus they show a bit of dry rot. I suspect that after 15 years I've gotten my money out of them.

Give that horse some water!

 

[DrRod]

Yeah - I might be analogous to the old farmer with the ornery mule. He found that he could cut his feed by 10% with sawdust and mule did alright. So he upped it to 20% and it was alright. But by the time he got to 50%, that mule was so ornery that he died.

 

[PapaPerk]

Yeah - I might be analogous to the old farmer with the ornery mule. He found that he could cut his feed by 10% with sawdust and mule did alright. So he upped it to 20% and it was alright. But by the time he got to 50%, that mule was so ornery that he died.

Yeah even a tough 'ol mule needs some caring for eventually.

Those 450ES wheelers are pretty tough... Take good care of it and they'll run thousands of miles. I've heard stories of Honda Foreman 450ES with 40,000 plus miles on them! I'm so impressed by them I bought a used 2003 model with 900 miles on it last year. Should last me the rest of my life if the stories are true. (0:

 

[DrRod]

Well - here's to a long life for both of you.

 

[WilliamBos]

I have 2,900 miles on a 2012 Sportsman 400HO, have not had one issue with the ethanol fuels. I keep marine grade stabil in the fuel year round.

A non issue.

 

[PapaPerk]

I have 2,900 miles on a 2012 Sportsman 400HO, have not had one issue with the ethanol fuels. I keep marine grade stabil in the fuel year round.

A non issue.

That has a carb right? I have a ranger 400 HO and it's carbbed.