Our family's new toy...

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thedeatons · #1 Post by **thedeatons** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 5:13 am

Well, because we were able to sell the dirtbike and the ATV, and a bunch of other things we weren't using, my wife okay'd the purchase of an inexpensive quad to run around with the quads on. (Let's face it the Dales don't exactly like idling around while chasing 50s...). Here is the story on the quad.

The build is not "complete" yet okay, so please spare the flames.... LOL. There are still quite a few little things to address. I didn't touch the engine/pipe cosmetically, because I want to make sure the engine holds together well for my kind of riding.

Regarding all the chassis components, everything has been powdercoated. When I bought it the frame and subframe were black, and the a-arms and swingarm were the hammer-tone silver. Now all the extra bracketry is black also, including the new air filter bracket I fabricated with the help of my welding friend (cdsracer).

There were a lot of little things I had to fix when I bought the quad. Every bearing I have found was dry. All the bolts were rusty and installed back in the fresh powdercoat.... Now the bearings are all checked (except for the swingarm carrier), and all the fasteners (98% of them) are stainless!

I am not very happy with the plastics/graphics, and frankly I prefer to look at it naked... Eventually the plastics will be black, with graphics to match my daughter's DRRs. The great thing is the previous owner went through the entire front end (except for the hub bearings) and replaced all the bushings/heims. So, the steering is super tight, with no play.

The cockpit is upgraded with new age parts... Tag T2 handlebars from a Cannondale Moto (I liked the bend) that have been sandblasted and left raw. 300EX thumb throttle, ODI Lock On ATV grips, TRX450R front brake master cylinder, and an EZ Pull clutch. Oh, don't forget the new style Tag bar pad.

There are still a few things that I need to do, such as install the OMF shrouds I have (powdercoated black), and powdercoat the case saver... little things. I figure at the end of this summer I will look into a different cosmetic package and some other engine add-ons... For now I just want to ride it and see how it performs. As soon as my air filter comes in that is

thedeatons · #2 Post by **thedeatons** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 5:15 am

More...

thedeatons · #3 Post by **thedeatons** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 5:16 am

Last one...

thedeatons · #4 Post by **thedeatons** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 5:23 am

We are doing a lot better financially.... Making ends meet at least. We are both on the GI Bill, and using college loans to pay for school, so the GI Bill pays for us to live. Thank goodness we were both in the military for a while! Another year and I will have my degree, but will need to start looking for real work in a few months. We have decided to keep Boise as our home, and not move if at all possible. We love the city, and enjoy raising our children here.

Thanks to everyone who has helped us so far, by buying things to help us get by, or sending me work. We really appreciate the help! That help got us through a tough point, and now it seems as if we are cruising okay again, just not much to spare.

It's really difficult to walk away from this sport that I have come to love so much. Without Cdsracer's stupid quad borrowing insistency we would not be here... But instead we have 3 nice quads and are itching to get back to the sand. Addictive is an understatement.

In no way do I intend to beat up on Dales with this 265.... Our main goal is to have fun on an occasional trip, and stay out of the garage as much as possible. We are hoping this new ride will offer the best of those worlds...

By the way, it is a 1995 Laeger Narrow Frame - Pro-Trax front end (long travel front end with heims throughout) with CR500 linkage (long travel rear end) and a 265cc engine with National porting....

speedracer · #5 Post by **speedracer** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 2:47 pm

Nice looking Honda!Gotta love the simplicity of a two stroke,I miss my Tecate.Congrats James!

Kuma · #6 Post by **Kuma** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 6:14 pm

QUOTE (thedeatons @ Mar 21 2009, 10:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We are doing a lot better financially.... Making ends meet at least. We are both on the GI Bill, and using college loans to pay for school, so the GI Bill pays for us to live. Thank goodness we were both in the military for a while! Another year and I will have my degree, but will need to start looking for real work in a few months. We have decided to keep Boise as our home, and not move if at all possible. We love the city, and enjoy raising our children here.

Thanks to everyone who has helped us so far, by buying things to help us get by, or sending me work. We really appreciate the help! That help got us through a tough point, and now it seems as if we are cruising okay again, just not much to spare.

It's really difficult to walk away from this sport that I have come to love so much. Without Cdsracer's stupid quad borrowing insistency we would not be here... But instead we have 3 nice quads and are itching to get back to the sand. Addictive is an understatement.

In no way do I intend to beat up on Dales with this 265.... Our main goal is to have fun on an occasional trip, and stay out of the garage as much as possible. We are hoping this new ride will offer the best of those worlds...
By the way, it is a 1995 Laeger Narrow Frame - Pro-Trax front end (long travel front end with heims throughout) with CR500 linkage (long travel rear end) and a 265cc engine with National porting....

That is a nice looking quad, I've always liked the honda.
That is a pretty unique gas tank you have, I've never seen a desert tank quite like it.

thedeatons · #7 Post by **thedeatons** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 8:21 pm

Thank you! IMS 4 gallon. Similar to a Clarke but utilizes more OEM pieces. Line-X'd by the way. We left a clear rectangle by the radiator so we can check fuel levels while out riding.

speedracer · #8 Post by **speedracer** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:40 am

I have been wanting to try that on an extra Dale tank I have,I think if it was black it might blend in alittle.I think I would have to put some heat tape on it near the head pipe to prevent the coating from bubbling and lift.Btw,what kind of rad.hoses are those?

thedeatons · #9 Post by **thedeatons** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:51 am

"Lowe's Special" hoses... I have tested them in boiling water up to 160-ish, and the other day the inline temp gauge read 175.... No bursting yet!!! They get pretty soft, but otherwise are holding on. The nice thing is I can see when air bubbles pass through as the system bleeds. It was an $8 upgrade.... Even while in the pot of boiling water I couldn't poke a fork through them.

The tank would blend a bit better, but have them install a pull string in a rectangular shape on the side or rear, that way you will have a sight window.

NRath · #10 Post by **NRath** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:51 pm

I don't think you'll be needing the new style Tag bar pad with that monster gas tank! You couldn't hit the bar pad if you tried!! You should be looking for a gas cap pad.

:P

Nice looking Honda, though!

I was just thinking about you and your family when I got to this thread. Glad to hear you're hanging in there. Is all your 'dale stuff gone?