Hey all,
Question, I was having trouble lifting the front end off the ground while sitting on my 400ex, hints on how to do this with out killing my self would be great. Tried the clutch idea but i do not think i am doing it right. I can get it to lift if i kneel with one leg and pop it up pretty good in second gear but the sitting part is whats giving me trouble. Any good help would be great.

 

when you clutch it are you moving?

 

yea i am, the thing is i get it to lift a little but then i can not hold it and most of the time its when i shift gears ans when i lift it like that i try to do the same thing again and it doesn't help.

 

Hmmmm....on a 400ex wheelies are pretty easy in most any position and you shouldn't have to clutch it up in 1st 2nd or even 3rd sitting. Clutching it up is good though if you want to ride a slow wheelie since the trick is to get the front end up in the air as quick as possible.

Anyway....

Get going in 1st gear at about 1/8 - 1/4 throttle (somewhere near the base of the powerband). Just stabbing the throttle at this point should bring the front end up even if you are playing dead on the quad and don't put in any effort to pull it up....but what you want to do is nail the throttle and sort of bounce a little bit on the seat while pulling back on the handlebars. Should come right up without any problems....same thing with 2nd gear. 3rd takes more effort, but should be done without too much trouble too.

If I'm understanding your problem correctly it could also be a couple of other things....What surface are you doing it on? A 400ex gets good traction almost anywhere, but you could be spinning a little bit I suppose. Does it feel like it spins?

Also, from watching a friend ride my quad I have seen that he has this problem.....He tells me that he can't get the front end up in the air, but in actuality what he is doing is nailing the throttle, getting nervous, and letting off as soon as the tires start to climb more than 2 ft. off the ground.

Clutching it up is pretty straight forward....This is where you have to have decent traction or else you are going to spin some too. Pavement or really hard packed dirt work the best. Basically you'll want to give the quad plenty of gas while letting the clutch out quickly BUT SMOOTHLY. You don't want to "pop" the clutch out because you'll either spin or it will come up too violently. That's really about it, it's hard to explain in writing...it's even hard to show somebody in person..you just have to get a feel for it.

Hope I understood your problem right and hope this helped.

-Josh

 

sweet man, thing is i get it up but i think it had to do with the area i rode in, had some turns in it. Plus being new to quads and all that i think it has to do with the fear factor. Also how strong is that back bar, i do not want to put it in a 12 and have it break off in the middle of the stunt. I rode mostly hard dirt and grass mix. But i really have to agree with you on the fear stuff. I think it will come with time but right now six months on a new 400ex as the first quad is a bit intimidating.

 

that's understandable man....the back bar is actually the subframe and it's really strong. I have 12'd mine extremely hard a number of times goofing off and it is basically as straight as stock. It will save you in most cases on level ground at fairly slow speeds. The faster you are going when it 12's the more likely the quad is to catch on something and turn..and flip...and flip...and flip....lol. Guys 12 all the time in 5th gear though flying so you "should" be all set. If it hits on the bar just tap on the brake and bring the front end back down.

If I were you I'd plan a day alone or with a couple patient friends and just spend the whole time in a good area practicing wheelies. If you deticate a couple hours to it you should have a nice long basic wheelie down no problem.

Practice makes perfect though...the key is to concentrate and be smooth with everything...clutch, throttle, brake. If you are having a bad day and things aren't going for you then park the quad for a while cause it'll start messing with your head and you won't make any progress...lol.

 

thats what i need, but in delaware there is not that many places to ride and well i can hook up with FlatAir2, buddy of mine, and see where he rides but also i think it has to do with the fear of looking like a goof when i fubar it

 

LOL...that's why I said to go alone or with a couple of patient friends.

Heh heh...

Soon you'll be purposely going to the most crowded locations just to show off your skillz...trust me.

If you've got a little bit of free time and feel like driving a little ways you may want to get in touch with a guy on here named JDMIMPORTS79...he is from Maryland and I know he wouldn't mind showing you a thing or two.

-Josh

 

i will keep that in mind so when i get back from my deployment and decide to keep the quad, long story, i will look him up

 

try to get it higher and cover the brake so you can tap it if it gets too high. work the throttle a little bit. with some practiice you should be able to get it.