Rode the "thrillcraft" today

[Freakshow]

After reading that garbage that was spewed out on that website, I decided to gather up some friends and family and hit our favorite local riding area.

The Father-in-law recently picked up a used 6x6 and wanted to test it out. The friends were on a 4x4 Rancher ES, Honda 300ex, and a Yamaha 4x4 400 Grizzly.

I brought the 350x that I picked up last week to give it a shakedown run to see what if anything it needs. Since it hasn't been run in 3 years, I brought my wife's 250ex quad as a backup ride.

I hung out with my FIL for the first 2 1/2 hours since he had to make it a short day. It was interesting to see what that 6x6 could do, but OMG was it slow! :rolleyes:

Notice the speedo in the one pic, yes .. that is in fact 10mph. I think the highest speed I saw riding behind that thing was 18mph.

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q267/ThreeBigFords/IMG_5128.jpg

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q267/ThreeBigFords/IMG_5129.jpg

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q267/ThreeBigFords/IMG_5134.jpg

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q267/ThreeBigFords/IMG_5137.jpg

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q267/ThreeBigFords/IMG_5140.jpg

[Freakshow]

So while I was riding around in 3rd gear, my friends took off and explored a little, they found some nice puddles and some great trails. The Yamaha Grizzly found a puddle it didn't like, and decided to start sputtering real bad.

I caught up to my friends as they were limping it back to the trucks. I said adios to the FIL and we set to work trying to get the Grizz to run right.

After an hour of cussin', we gave up and stuck my friend on my wife's 250ex. Notice the big man pouting lol!

All in all it was a great day, the weather was perfect, trails were great, mud was awesome, and best of all the 350x ran circles around the quads and never missed a beat. I hit water up to the tank, mud up to the grab bar, flat out stretches maxed out in 6th,(speedo said 67mph), gravel pit sections and everything in-between.

We rode from 10am to well after dark at 6pm. I used two tanks of fuel and the odometer clocked 72 miles. :w00t:

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q267/ThreeBigFords/wussy4x4quadcantgetupthemolehill.jpg

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q267/ThreeBigFords/damnbrokenYamahaholdinuptheshow.jpg

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q267/ThreeBigFords/sombodyspouting.jpg

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q267/ThreeBigFords/niceview.jpg

[350xrider911]

sound likes you had a blast. did the grizzly git waster in the air box?

[Freakshow]

You know. it wasn't even wet in the airbox, and I've seen it cross some nasty stuff where the box was half full. We tried draining the float bowl, checked the plug, checked the coil, it was wierd, it would idle fine, then sputter as soon as you gave it throttle.

It actually ran better when you choked it while giving it throttle. It reminded me of how my 350x ran when the intake boot was cracked between the carb and the engine. I looked for similar cracks to cause a lean out condition and found none.

I dunno...it stymied us. So on the trailer it went.

[Freakshow]

Here's a before and after, this is one garage queen that WILL get ridden!

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q267/ThreeBigFords/IMG_5061.jpg

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q267/ThreeBigFords/IMG_5169.jpg

[ATC-Eric]

Heck yeah man, good pics, and great lookin X.

[Twilight]

The grizzly probably has a dirty jet... What kind of filter you have? If its not UNI, its ****

[Freakshow]

I didn't check to see what filter was in it, just checked for water in the airbox, I told him his best bet would be to pick up a carb rebuild kit and start with that. I agree that it seems to have something buggered up in the carb.

[Twilight]

im guessing if it ran better on choke, that carb has a clog.

Best setup for any bike is a UNI filter, oiled up, and a K&N pre filter on top.

[Twilight]

Oh and as for your FIL's ride.. you can slap any engine in that puppy and make it roar, My friend had a Argo 6X6 that had a 5.5hp in it that put it around 20mph, they use snowmobile engines...so after a day with a; 300cc engine, drill, some bolts and a new belt, we had a 45-50mph machine.

They are simple machines, now give it some pep.

[Freakshow]

lol! after watching how that thing steers, there is no way in hell I'd want a 72 yr old man to have it up to 45-50! :eek:

Heck, I'd be terrified in that thing at 35 mph, it's a tad twitchy if you ask me. I think they definatly have their uses, but I'll take a decent trike/quad/bike anyday!:TrikesOwn

For the price he paid, he could have bought two really nice newer quads. Granted, they wouldn't float, and they wouldn't go in the really deep snow like the 6x6 can with the tracks he has for it, but still, this is Washington, not the bayou or the tundra! :crazy:

[super90]

Nice 350x! Indeed it was a great day to go riding, if you like snow! What kind of 6x6 is that? My uncle has a Max 6x6 with a 27hp kohler vtwin engine and it will do 30! I rode it a few years ago and it moves for the tank it is! But there awesome because you can turn in literally no room at all.

[Freakshow]

It's a Max amphib as well, it has an 18hp vtwin. It's setup with the hub extensions for the tracks he has. His next purchase is a winch.