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.

 

[timswi]

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

I think you're right...I believe that one of the new things for 2014 was FI on the 570 anyway...Might have been '13..Not 100% sure.

 

[WilliamBos]

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

Yes Sir! 455 cc Fuji with the Mikuni BST 34 carb. Love it. Next quad will be an AC XR 550, which is EFI.

 

[WilliamBos]

I think you're right...I believe that one of the new things for 2014 was FI on the 570 anyway...Might have been '13..Not 100% sure.

You are correct. Efi on the 570 in 14 which replaced the 498cc 500HO, then the ETX replaced the 455cc 400HO with the efi 325 cc that debut in the Ace for 2015.

 

[jejeosborne]

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

I was thinking this as well. I adjust my valves once a year on my 4-wheeler and 3 times a year on my motorcycle. It definitely improves starts and idling while cold and you can burn a valve if they get out too far.

 

[timswi]

You are correct. Efi on the 570 in 14, then the ETX replaced the 400HO with the efi 325 cc that debut in the Ace for 2015.

Thanks for the sanity check..I bought a '14 570 Touring...Love it so far..My daughter who is disabled likes some open air speed, she loves this--ergo the 2-up. Worth every penny to me.

 

[jejeosborne]

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.

OH boy, never had the valves adjusted.... It'll run like new then when you get that done. Easy to do yourself in about 30 minutes. Newer tires are a lot more durable than the cheap stock tires. Flat tires are annoying and well worth replacing.

 

[jejeosborne]

I have had my share of carburetor powered off road vehicles. Some of the worst things you can do is not run them often, not keep the air filter clean and oiled, and keep valves adjusted.

I only run ethanol free fuel for the past 3 years and have never opened a carburetor since. Fuel injection has some advantages and you can more easily tune them for more power but they are more likely to leave you stranded on the mountain from a failed component.

 

[timswi]

I have had my share of carburetor powered off road vehicles. Some of the worst things you can do is not run them often, not keep the air filter clean and oiled, and keep valves adjusted.

I only run ethanol free fuel for the past 3 years and have never opened a carburetor since. Fuel injection has some advantages and you can more easily tune them for more power but they are more likely to leave you stranded on the mountain from a failed component.

I don't disagree with you but greenie-weenie rules will result in nearly everything being fuel injected before long...A sunk float or a clogged needle valve can leave you stranded too--just sayin'.

 

[WilliamBos]

They are now putting catyletic converters on atv/utv. Look down the pipe, homey comb style.

 

[WilliamBos]

Did you get EPS??

Thanks for the sanity check..I bought a '14 570 Touring...Love it so far..My daughter who is disabled likes some open air speed, she loves this--ergo the 2-up. Worth every penny to me.