Congrads we made it 10 years since bomb was dropped on motorsport production. Take some time and share your story of the good and bad times you have had with your Cannondale . Lets hear some history of where your machine/machines have been through . Did you blow chunks or ride till the wheels fell off? What frustrating problems have you had and how did you fix it or just give up ? Post pics of cool prototype parts you have aquired or races you attended . Share a crazy trail story . Post a video. And keep adding as your fuzzy memory sparks back to life. Lets make this one of those threads to remember. I am going dig up a prize for the most enthusiastic poster that we can vote on .
10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY THREAD
Check this out . I purchased my speed for $7400 just days before the bankruptcy. I still have all the paperwork including the dyno checkoff sheets and (warranty papers). The dealer either had no indication of what was going to happen just days later or was just dumping inventory. I freaked out and called them when I found out about the bankruptcy and they offered to buy back my still never run speed for $3900. Instead of taking the loss I accepted a new D&M kit and a huge pile of oil filters and a couple of cases of synthetic oil in exchange for not bothering them ever again. Turned out to be a good deal as I believe that oil and filter changed every 5 hours kept my speed running for over 200 hours. It had a valve bucket tighten up in the bore and dropped a valve on my second ST Anthonies dune trip. Half way up Sand mountain. Its also put on 11000 miles of trail riding and been a test mule for dozens of dyno engines. Now it in process of its first frame up resurection known as project Maximus. This quad clearly changed my life and has been with me down the road of some good and bad times . Had I not stuck with it I wouldnt have met so many weirdos and nutcases like myself to share this experience with. Had I gave up Im sure I would still be another unsatisfied Honda owner in the perpetual wait for the next mediocre model spending small fortunes in upgrades which never really got me what I wanted. And that was a balls out super quad which I now have out in my garage.
Notice in the pic my speed was nearly a year old before I had purchased it.
Notice in the pic my speed was nearly a year old before I had purchased it.
-
MX Quad Dad
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2021 10:41 pm
I started shopping for a new quad towards the end of the 2001 race season. My son was racing a Banshee and switched to the "A Class" after he had locked up the points for the "B" in district 14. The Moto was already being advertised and the cost of a new banshee plus all the mods would most likely top the cost of the Moto. the two dealers nearest me wanted 100% payment to order one. Luckally (to look on the positive side) we had a repeated issue with a wisco piston on the banshee. when I call Wisco I somehow got on the topic of the cannondale and the rep advised me to call Cernics Suzuki and even gave me the number. for $250 down I was first on his list to recieve a Moto at over a grand savings from My local dealers. I think I was more excited about getting it than my son was, LOL. I kept calling Cannondale to find out if they shipped Motos yet and one day they told me they shipped the first shipment that morning. so my next call was to Cernics (which is just a half hour away from the factory). Jeff was not in and the guy I talked to said they just recived one and it was allready sold. That kinda shook me up a bit. then I told him that I thought I was supposed to get the first one, he said He didn't know who it was sold to, Just that Jeff told him it was allready sold. I told him to have Jeff call me and confirm when he gets in because I was making plans to pick it up in the morning (over 10 hour drive). I kinda think he wanted to keep it on the showroom floor for a few days but he was best powersports dealership I have ever done business with since the early 70's.
At the first race D-14 news got a pic of my son on one wheel leaving a corner and it made the front page which I had managed to get a few extra copies and sent one to Cannondale. I had been talking with them on a few problems I was haveing and they really seemed to care. they sent me parts and realy tried to make it work for us. The only bad I can say is even though they cared they just weren't up to speed when it came to Quads on a simple term like "bearing carrier". We were planning on runnig Loreta Lynn's and at a D14 race the weekend before LL's My son took out the rear axil bearing and carrier. A call to Cernics was proving that this simple repair might not happen and his parts guy put me in contact with someone at Cannondale and you wouldn't believe how hard it was to explain that I needed a axle all bearings seals and carrier. I actuauly told him send me the axle and everything between it and the swing-arm plus what the sprocet and rotor mount on, and still didn't get everything. luckly I had to work that day and my wife took him to the track which he had called me when it went down and in a panic I started emailing every dealer I could find on the web. after reciveing the red label shipment from Cannondale (which wasn't enough to get it back together) I hadalready recieved a email from Kyle at R&S stating he had everything I needed. and it wasn't to far out of the way on our trip to LL's. I asked him If he would let me assemble it in his lot because we were on our way to LL's he said no problem but when I got there he had me bring it into his shop and he probably did most of the work and only charged me for the parts, Plus he went through all the little thing he knew of like, the grounds and such. and when I returned home I Caleed Cannondale and explained everything. they told me to pack everything I didn't want and send it back for a full refund including Shipping and Now I have Two good dealers.
Now for the quad itself. he ran over 20 races (40 motos, 20 practices and weekday riding). I tore it down for a winter rebuild and was actualy kind of mad at myself because it looked like it had hardly any hours on it. it got a new linner, piston and rings anyway. and then the testing had begun on the Z400 bearing and about half way though 2003 he had a decomp fail so it got a full teardown and the z400 bearing on a 2.2mm stroker. Then I ended up buying a new speed from R&S for myself later that year for a tad over 4g which I have wore two sets of front tires off it plus I run studs in the factory fronts for the little bit of Ice ridding I do and the motor has not been opened up yet (as in rebuild, I think that the throttle has been opend up a couple times). so I figure I got two good ones. plus I cannot put a price on the rides with my son, even the first hare scramble were he lapped me.
At the first race D-14 news got a pic of my son on one wheel leaving a corner and it made the front page which I had managed to get a few extra copies and sent one to Cannondale. I had been talking with them on a few problems I was haveing and they really seemed to care. they sent me parts and realy tried to make it work for us. The only bad I can say is even though they cared they just weren't up to speed when it came to Quads on a simple term like "bearing carrier". We were planning on runnig Loreta Lynn's and at a D14 race the weekend before LL's My son took out the rear axil bearing and carrier. A call to Cernics was proving that this simple repair might not happen and his parts guy put me in contact with someone at Cannondale and you wouldn't believe how hard it was to explain that I needed a axle all bearings seals and carrier. I actuauly told him send me the axle and everything between it and the swing-arm plus what the sprocet and rotor mount on, and still didn't get everything. luckly I had to work that day and my wife took him to the track which he had called me when it went down and in a panic I started emailing every dealer I could find on the web. after reciveing the red label shipment from Cannondale (which wasn't enough to get it back together) I hadalready recieved a email from Kyle at R&S stating he had everything I needed. and it wasn't to far out of the way on our trip to LL's. I asked him If he would let me assemble it in his lot because we were on our way to LL's he said no problem but when I got there he had me bring it into his shop and he probably did most of the work and only charged me for the parts, Plus he went through all the little thing he knew of like, the grounds and such. and when I returned home I Caleed Cannondale and explained everything. they told me to pack everything I didn't want and send it back for a full refund including Shipping and Now I have Two good dealers.
Now for the quad itself. he ran over 20 races (40 motos, 20 practices and weekday riding). I tore it down for a winter rebuild and was actualy kind of mad at myself because it looked like it had hardly any hours on it. it got a new linner, piston and rings anyway. and then the testing had begun on the Z400 bearing and about half way though 2003 he had a decomp fail so it got a full teardown and the z400 bearing on a 2.2mm stroker. Then I ended up buying a new speed from R&S for myself later that year for a tad over 4g which I have wore two sets of front tires off it plus I run studs in the factory fronts for the little bit of Ice ridding I do and the motor has not been opened up yet (as in rebuild, I think that the throttle has been opend up a couple times). so I figure I got two good ones. plus I cannot put a price on the rides with my son, even the first hare scramble were he lapped me.
QUOTE (Wistech @ Jan 28 2013, 02:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I have a couple ideas for the prize for this contest. One is a set of plastic or a pair of 18"kenda klaw rear tires. Maybe Ill just give a choice.
So whats up for grabs for us 2-wheel guys that dont ride with training wheels?
, Sorry guys...no pun intended on you ATV guys....its all me! i just cant ride one and never spent time learning to ride one...just grew up on 2-wheels and you ride a quad different, and the one time i did ride a quad persuaded by my bud's whom rode them it was a C'Dale quad i took with several other C'dale bikes for a demo ride camping thing when i was a dealer and i was on a steep incline and out of habit stuck my foot down, ran over my foot and broke my ankle! 
No!, This is not my story for this contest...just a lil' humor....my story is to come!
-
MX Quad Dad
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2021 10:41 pm
QUOTE (promod @ Jan 28 2013, 04:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
So whats up for grabs for us 2-wheel guys that dont ride with training wheels? , Sorry guys...no pun intended on you ATV guys....its all me! i just cant ride one and never spent time learning to ride one...just grew up on 2-wheels and you ride a quad different, and the one time i did ride a quad persuaded by my bud's whom rode them it was a C'Dale quad i took with several other C'dale bikes for a demo ride camping thing when i was a dealer and i was on a steep incline and out of habit stuck my foot down, ran over my foot and broke my ankle!
No!, This is not my story for this contest...just a lil' humor....my story is to come!
, Sorry guys...no pun intended on you ATV guys....its all me! i just cant ride one and never spent time learning to ride one...just grew up on 2-wheels and you ride a quad different, and the one time i did ride a quad persuaded by my bud's whom rode them it was a C'Dale quad i took with several other C'dale bikes for a demo ride camping thing when i was a dealer and i was on a steep incline and out of habit stuck my foot down, ran over my foot and broke my ankle! No!, This is not my story for this contest...just a lil' humor....my story is to come!
Well, anyone who disses quads is an automatic DQ...LOL. I have raced both and all though I wasn't that good on either I will say that racing a MX bike is one heck of a workout you would think with only two more wheels it can only beat you up twice as much but, I would say more like 4Xs. My worst problem was getting the thing slowed down for the corners. seems like I always misjudged my speed comming to the corner.
Maybe if I can remember enough of my first Hare scramble Ill post it. should be good for a few chuckels.
QUOTE (MX Quad Dad @ Jan 28 2013, 05:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Well, anyone who disses quads is an automatic DQ...LOL. I have raced both and all though I wasn't that good on either I will say that racing a MX bike is one heck of a workout you would think with only two more wheels it can only beat you up twice as much.
Again, just a joke my fellow C'Dale ATV freinds!, And to me racing a quad would be the real workout thrashing around all that weight in the things you do in competition! So my hat has always been off to you guys who have the muscle, stamina and %$^&'# to and can do it!
But to me i dont care what brand, how many wheels it has, where you ride or whatever...i just say "Ride, Be Safe & Have Fun"
