Replacing quad frame

[lotus_esprit_s1]

Recently purchased this from my partners employers - Honda 500cc quad, they've owned it from new and has 900hrs on it. The frame lower rails are completely rotten along the entire length.

I've purchased an excellent frame from the same year / model quad from a quad breakers. Any tips? I've swapped frames on bikes before but never worked on a quad or indeed driven one!

 

[pedrobedro]

I've never done one either but I always go with keep the bits as big as you can and swap as units so you don't get swamped with fiddly bits that you can't remember where they came from. The wiring harness is always the bit that gets complicated.

 

[Dee J]

Road registered....? Do you keep the reg of the original quad (like replacing a landrover chassis with a new one) or do you adopt the reg of the replacement frame and in effect 'scrap' the original bike?

 

[stormin]

The rest of that machine looks very tidy. Hard to believe the frame is rotten.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Once you remove the plastics they seem to get smaller and less complicated very fast

 

[stormin]

Once you remove the plastics they seem to get smaller and less complicated very fast

The more modern machines seem to have cables and wires everywhere and even electronics. Routing these and not catching and damaging them with a heavier mechanical component will be the difficult part.

 

[Robotstar5]

Pretty easy to strip down, as said once the bodywork's off it's straightforward spannering. It's worth getting a few spare plastic "rivets" off the bay for re-assembly.

Suzuki 2WD

Yamaha 4WD

 

[Migmac]

My bosses quad went the same way, bottom of the frame rotted away. Was welded up twice then stripped for spares. Going by what I saw it was quite straight forward stripping all the bits off. Riding them is more fun though, scary moments to come!

 

[lotus_esprit_s1]

Once the body is off it looks a lot simpler! It's a 2001 so hopefully electrics are not as complicated as newer models

The rest of that machine looks very tidy. Hard to believe the frame is rotten.

That's what I thought too - it's been garaged all its life, one operator from new. The rot was only noticed when it was in for a service and the bash guards were removed and the extent of the rot revealed- The photo shows the front a arm- there should be a frame tube extending forwards that has disappeared! Still they only wanted £150 for it!

 

[Gareth J]

Those Honda quads are excellent but the paint does let them down. I look after a couple and part of the care routine is to sit them up on their tail and completely power wash underneath and everywhere. Then rewaxoyl everywhere. Even then they start to look tired after about 5yrs.

Before you get too involved, double check the mechanics, one I had developed pretty bad piston slap at around that sort of hours.

£150 is a bargain though, swap it around and enjoy or sell on for a very tidy profit!

 

[addjunkie]

900 hours is nothing for a honda quad. Thats worth about 500 quid in spares alone.

Get it swapped over and have fun or make a good profit, rare to see a honda quad running for less than 1500 quid.

Take pictures of all the cable routing.


Cow **** is very corrosive if not washed off regularly

 

[Migmac]

The older quads lasted much better, none of the ones I have had rusted through and they were treated badly. Never cleaned, left out in all weather in a coastal area. My 500 is now covered on the trailer to try and stop water ingressing into the electrics. The frame has lost a lot of paint but as yet there is no rust

 

[octo0072000]

keep pictures of the old frame if road reg DVLA is a pain and will want proof of it been destroyed
and keep all receipts