Looking for opinions on selling Cannondale

Message

cannondale27 · #11 Post by **cannondale27** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 11:36 am

Azcannon thats great you arranged a meeting like that.I agree also if it werent for Wistech and Iceracer who are both right near me who knows.Sure helps having a team that is dedicated and I dont think you will find a more dedicated group than right on this site.

jesshamner · #12 Post by **jesshamner** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 1:10 pm

QUOTE

Originally posted by parks9
its all up to you whether you sell it or not. All bikes have their problems and your not going to get totally out from undernieth their problems. get what you like, and just realize that all bikes need tlc every now and then.

oh yeah if you get a yfz, you will be replacing the crank or rod bearing within the next 1 1/2 years. Just a heads up!

I don't know about the yfz but there seems to be a buzz about the trx cranks too.

banzairx7 · #13 Post by **banzairx7** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 1:36 pm

In the 1st couple hundred YFZ's there were some crank problems also. I'm pretty sure that's all straightened out now though.

wistech · #14 Post by **wistech** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 2:12 pm

For those that think going with foreign 450s will end all your troubles check out the Halls of Destruction.

kdeal · #15 Post by **kdeal** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 2:15 pm

QUOTE

Originally posted by banzairx7
In the 1st couple hundred YFZ's there were some crank problems also. I'm pretty sure that's all straightened out now though.

"First couple hundred", they must all be in FL then!! I have heard of a quite a few locally, and throughout the state. My local shop has seen at least 20-25 per them.

Every bike has problems, especially the breed of bikes that we have now: TRX450R, YFZ450, Cannondale, and to a lesser extent the Z quads. The reason is, they are getting more and more high strung, and getting a whole lot more hp from them. The bottom ends being the biggest problem, with the short skirt pistons and extra stress on the crank in a dry sump environment. I'll bet if someone out there analyzed the other bikes as close as our group does our bikes, they would be changing the oil after every ride too!!!

We just don't have the added benefit of all the mass production having problems crop up sooner, and the time in the saddle the other manufactures have thru the years. I am quite impressed with the bike Cannondale came up with in such a short time.

Does anyone remember KTM in the early days? They made changes all model year long to fix any and every problem that cropped up. They are the only European bike even close to the level of the Jap4 brands, and in my mind surpasses a few of them. They didn't have as radical of an approach as Cannondale did....but they are still around too. Look at the Polaris Predator that is out now. Would you have expected that 5 years ago from Polaris? They weren't making anything with out a drive belt back then....

banzairx7 · #16 Post by **banzairx7** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 2:22 pm

The ones I had heard about were ones that didn't have an oiling hole drilled through the whole crank.

wistech · #17 Post by **wistech** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 4:34 pm

We were all in shock to see the first predators dominating at a local track. They hired older pros to ride them and they smoked the competition. I remember all the people in the pits kept asking if polaris really made them themselves . It was such a dramatic change from thier usual rack laden tank like objects. Turned out to be a nice quad.

cannondale27 · #18 Post by **cannondale27** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 10:23 pm

Kdeal is right.All the new race 4strokes are right on the edge.One piece of dirt,neglected oil change or small defect and there she blows.We used to think nothing of blowing a 250r motor and tranny.Happened all the time.We need to get the old 4st rule of running forever with zero maintainence out of our heads.Those days are over if you want performance.
Wistech those first Predators were factory racers.I was amazed when a year later I lifted a production model.Somehow my back said they added alot of weight.LOL.

banzairx7 · #19 Post by **banzairx7** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 11:37 pm

I think it's pretty sad that we've accepted these failures as the way it is. It's actually pretty unacceptable to me. As a point of reference Honda is able to make automotive engines that make the same or more Hp per liter than we are that will last 200k miles. Granted they aren't seeing near the abuse. Even if you said under the severe abuse they lasted a 1/4 of that or even a tenth, that is much longer than what we are seeing.

My guess is until we see variable valve timing we are going to have to rev these poor little motors into obvilion and put up with the quick failures.

GDITheman · #20 Post by **GDITheman** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 1:36 am

i'm in northern MI. i haven't seen anyone on the boards near me. they are all down state a few hours or so.

i'll be out riding a new TLD pred, a raptor and a 400ex this weekend with my buds. it'll give me a chance to see if i really like my dale all that much.