2015 utv buyer`s guide

2015 UTV BUYER’S GUIDE
PHOTOS, INFO & PRICES!
FEBRUARY 2015
DIRT WHEELS •
70 O
M VE
OD R
EL
S
CCC 02968
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FEBRUARY 2015 •
FIRST TEST:
SPORT
CAT
700
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OUTLANDER
500 4x4
BESTPRICED
CAN-AM
MODIFIED
450
SHOOTOUT
HONDA vs.
KAWASAKI
vs. YAMAHA
WE RACE
THE ACE: HOW DID IT DO?
NEW LIFE
FOR YOUR
OLDER
QUAD
PAGE 84
Att’n Retailer: Please
display until February 5
$5.99
T
EC EX
J
O
PR X40 0
TR
HONDA
BUDGET
BUILD
Upgrading your older machine
like new
By the staff of Dirt Wheels
❏ Once upon a time, two-stroke ATVs
ruled the market for many years.
Honda’s 250R was the staple of the
industry, and from its success the
Honda TRX400 was born. This aircooled four-stroke machine helped
revolutionize the racing and trail-riding world of ATVs. Consumers soon
moved further away from the snappy, occasionally untamed power of
machines like the Yamaha Banshee
and seated themselves with the
smooth yet torquey power of fourstroke machines. Eventually, the
400EX helped pave the way for the
sportier TRX450R that is a major sta84 www.dirtwheelsmag.com
ple in the racing world. Instead of
finding a pricier used 450, we found
a Honda TRX400 on Craigslist for
$1200 that was perfect for this budget
build.
BRING ON THE POWER
To start off this project, we connected with Rocky Mountain ATV/MC for
most of the parts on the build. The
TRX400EX is a very simple machine
that is great for longevity and decent
in performance aspects, which
makes upgrading the power easy.
We started with a new Vertex .5mm
over-piston for $135, and Pro-Tec was
FEBRUARY 2015 / DIRT WHEELS 85
BUDGET
BUILD
The custom graphics by Psych Graphix helped make the TRX400 look far more stylish, as well as the new red seat cover.
Tusk makes nerf bars for most sport ATVs, so we picked up this bolt-on pair and
they fit perfectly. This pair ran us $99, which is a great deal for the protection.
A big-bore piston, Stage 2 Hot Cam,
Dynojet jetting, and a two-stage air filter
from Uni Filter for $24 all played a part
in getting this tired motor new life. The
custom graphics also helped make the
TRX400 look stylish.
able to bore the cylinder for us. A
Stage 2 cam from Hot Cams finished
off the engine’s internal upgrades.
A FMF header costing $251 and a
muffler for $296 were added. As for
jetting, we went with a DynoJet kit for
$48. A 170 main jet was installed, the
needle clip moved to the third spot
down from the top, a 45 pilot jet and
then the fuel screw was turned out
by three turns. Now the TRX400 felt
like a revitalized machine, and power
was broadened through every range.
Honda tends to make their motor’s
output a decent amount of torque,
and the upgrades enhanced that fact.
We went with an FMF exhaust system from the header to the muffler,
and power was increased throughout
the whole range. We noticed that this
pipe gave the Honda more bottom-end
torque overall.
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PROTECTION AND HANDLING
Nerf bars are a must for safety, and
Tusk has simple, inexpensive bolt-on
nerf bars for the Honda. Tusk also
helped us with a front bumper for $65,
a rear grab bar for $40, and finally
a front brake-cap cover and throttle
cover. After installing some protective bolt-on parts, we then wanted
to give the handling a better feel. It’s
no surprise that simply changing the
handlebars will help, so we went
with a Renthal bar with a 7/8 bend,
Renthal grips and even put a R-1
Works chain on it. After those were
installed, we decided to incorporate a
A Works Connection clutch perch was a great addition to this build. The perch operates smoothly, and the lever feels good on
your hands.
FEBRUARY 2015 / DIRT WHEELS 87
BUDGET
BUILD
With the increased power out of the engine
modifications, getting the TRX sideways is too easy.
Works Connection Elite clutch perch
for $156. The operation of the new
lever and perch is a lot smoother and
better feeling on your fingers than the
stock setup.
With the addition of more power
output from the TRX400’s engine
upgrades, traction is the next important step. ITP tires are now on all
four corners of the ATV. The rears
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are 20-inch tires, while the fronts are
21-inch tires, costing the build about
$582 for tires and wheels together.
FINAL STEP
The next stop was to enhance the
overall look of the ATV by throwing
on a new set of graphics by Psych
MX Graphix that were custom made
for this project. With the addition of
all the performance and handling
upgrades to the Honda TRX400EX
, it now feels and looks like it rolled off
the showroom floor with fresh mods
just yesterday. If you want to build
up your own project, go to the guys
at Rocky Mountain ATV/MC and they
will steer you in the right direction.
They can be reached at (800) 3365437, or go to www.rockymountain
atvmc.com. ❏