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New here...interested in getting a cannondale

Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:25 am
by yellowz03
hey guys...im new here...im interested in getting rid of my banshee and getting a cannondale. i dont know much about them though. i heard they are very touchy and hard to start sometimes...how reliable are they? im just worried that if i got one id be stuck working on it more than i get to actually ride it. any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks everyone!

Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 1:05 am
by comander420
Everything you ever wanted to know about a cannondale is posted in here, if you want to be an informed consumer you best start reading now. R&D and powertrain are a good place to start

Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 2:03 am
by jesshamner
Where did you hear that they are hard to start? I think they are the easiest quads to start. Just hit the starter. You don't have to choke it or give it a certain amount of gas. No hot start either. If its cold you just let it warm up for a couple minutes.

Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 4:11 am
by azcannon
unless you meet and see someone who takes care of their cannondale you won't know what they are or can be like, it is amazing how many misconceptions there are out there , I met a guy who told me " all about the cannondales breaking the frame up front after you jump them a few times " ( he rides a raptor )
needless to say he doesnt know what performance or fast is, and doesnt jump - just rides up some hills and tells everyone how his raptor was the biggest fastest quad made.
I tell people try and ride a bunch of quads and buy the one you like the most , if its cannondale then join the club otherwise there are a lot of nice atv's out there

Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 11:33 am
by yellowz03
what i meant by hard to start was that when i was reading about them people say they flood easily if you try to start them wrong? im not sure about all of this since im new to cannondales. im also lost about all the updates and changing mapping but ill try to read up on that later today. Thanks for the replies everyone! :head:

Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:31 pm
by theJeStEr1340
QUOTE
Originally posted by yellowz03
what i meant by hard to start was that when i was reading about them people say they flood easily if you try to start them wrong? im not sure about all of this since im new to cannondales. im also lost about all the updates and changing mapping but ill try to read up on that later today. Thanks for the replies everyone! :head:

Yes, they will foul a plugif you give them gas while starting. It is EFI, it will give itself gas.

You use a D&M kit to change maps (it is $300 and can be purchesed from site sponsors). Very easy tool to use, load it onto your laptop and away you go. It is uses to change maps, re-calibrate the throttle (very important) and it can be used ot change fuel settings.

How reliable do you want to make it? If you don't get one that has the updates already I hope you are mechanically inclined. It would be best to drop the motor, do the Stage 8, oil line, pull the crank out and get it looked at (timbo has awsome prices on crank work). While your motor is out you might as well spend the money on some magnets (look up wistechs magnets) and get a magnetic tranny and oil plug. Oh yeah, and get the motor mount update.

You can look to spend $500-$600, but then ride the **** out of it.

Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 4:46 pm
by Cannondale88
It is very important to check ur crank out...I had mine go within 3 weeks of When I got it, Haydug can build some nice motors, if he is really busy and cant get to ur motor, ask around for some places on here, dont go to your dealer or anything becasue they dont know what there doing. Im finally gettin my dale running again after a couple of months, but its not my fault, my brother is a moron and hits stuff with hamers and rolls quads and blames the damage on me...

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 6:05 am
by SlOoT
QUOTE
Originally posted by jesshamner
Where did you hear that they are hard to start?  I think they are the easiest quads to start.  Just hit the starter.  You don't have to choke it or give it a certain amount of gas.  No hot start either.  If its cold you just let it warm up for a couple minutes.


Indeed, my Speed ALWAYS started good. Except for that one time that my battery was dead...

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 11:25 pm
by yellowz03
thanks for all the help guys...now after all the updates are done will i have to keep updating it every so often or is it done? and and with the mapping i can just leave it as is and ride it, correct? i dont want to be totally lost with all of this if i were to get one...also another question while im at it...how low do cannondales sit compared to othe quads..not ground clearence i mean seat level..thanks again everyone. i know i must be driving everyone crazy on here with ridiculous questions but thanks for all the help.

Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2005 1:39 am
by cdalerider75
How much would you be willing to spend? Or how much do you have.... ballpark... there are always good deals going on here..