Weight - No Free Freight

The question - I want new plastic for my Banshee and was wondering how Maier plastic looks on the quad?? I know it isn't shiny, but is it worth the extra money for factory stuff?? Also I heard there are companies that make plastic that looks like factory stuff. If anyone can tell me some brand names and prices it would be much appreciated thanks a lot.

The response - I put Maier plastic on both of the 250R's out in the garage, the price was at the time the driving factor, but I wish that I would have waited a while longer and spent more money on better plastic. The finish on it isn't near that of OEM, and the fit was marginal, each side of the front fenders is different, I whacked 'em anyways, but the difference is noticeable if you get down to looking hard at them. While OEM is very expensive at least you know what you're getting, fit and finish wise. I've heard that Motoforce makes plastic that looks OEM, but is also pricey ($400 for a set). Trinity sells plastic claimed to have the same fit and finish as OEM, may try giving them a look-see www.trinityracing.com - called MotoForce.

Backcountry

I agree with you - the Maier plastic just looks bad. Never mind the fit. OEM always costs a few bucks more but it's worth it. Always buy the best you can afford, that way you'll never be unhappy with your decision.

Multi-time AMA 125 cc Champion Golden Wrench engine builder/tuner, Chris Hanes - HRC Factory, told me as I was rebuilding by top end (holed a piston) in the middle of the desert in Mexico during a Baja run "Stock is Best." Sometimes it is. I would consider four hundred bucks for OEM plastic a deal.

I've put off buying new plastic because it doesn't add power, which makes it almost useless to me. My TRX looks good from a distance but it's a real road warrior when you look at it up close. There's no shine except for a chrome pipe and there's no stickers because they look crummy after a while too. Shine is nice, but it doesn't shorten the time it takes to get from point A to point B. Overall racing speed and distances are too short to matter. Though the OEM plastic is kind of heavy. Perhaps there would be more of an advantage by using lighter weight plastic than anything else. At least then maybe I could measure it.

Rick

The LT80 racers here grab at anything to lighten their kids' racers, yet remain stock looking. There exists a tool for measuring paint thickness on a car in mils. It needs a steel silver dollar-sized, 16 ga., handheld backing plate to measure plastic quad fenders and such. What they do is, they sand the BACKSIDE of the OEM plastic, leaving the shiny-new outer side alone. Where they need strength, like along ridge lines and corners, they don't sand down. Pretty sneaky, HUH?

Flyin' Ryan

Pretty sneaky and VERY cool. I like it. Less weight is one of those "all gain and no loss" kind of modifications, unless your kid forgets and decides to stand on the fender of the bike while its in the garage to try to reach something on a shelf... Overall weight is an important factor when designing a motor/quad. I hate to see all those HP's get sucked up by the weight of every add

on after market bolt on part made. Clear Kevlar body skins anyone?

Rick

We are firm in our shared belief that ATV weight reduction is "free power" and "sport quad handling" all rolled into one. The recent outbreak of large displacement 4-stroke quads will have limited results unless the overall weight is brought down. The article in the march 99 issue of 4-wheel ATV Action magazine said that to "prep" the 400EX for Baja, American Honda ADDED a whopping 75 lb.. to the quad in bolt-ons!! Assume that an average rider weighs 170 lb.. OK? Now imagine this, what A.H. did by adding the 75 lb.. is equal to... a stock 400EX with a 245 lb. rider. Comments?

Flyin' Ryan

We are firm! As would be the case and we've all seen it a thousand times the real weight of the machines somehow increases between the prototype and the showroom. No surprises there.

Seventy-five pounds of anything is a lot. I don't like anything that much to add it to my quad. And I've been and done Baja, there's nothing worth hitting out there to justify protection from it - except perhaps for good swingarm protection. Though I suppose if you have to lug 75 lb. around with you it might as well be at Baja where it is mostly flat-out and wide open (WFO) throttle. You'll not spend much time accelerating since you'll not spend much time having to use the brakes to slow for obstacles. For 75 lb. I could add another motor to my TRX and still have a lot of room to work with.

Four strokes have always been heavy. They have to have so many parts to make them run fast. And to make them faster you have to add more parts! Then you have to add more frame to carry more engine. UGH! Lighter is (always) better. If it's not rule #1 it should be.

Maybe I'd paint the Kevlar skins on the inside...

Rick

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