Can I pick your brain Rudy?

[panici33]

Doesnt matter what kind of quad you have. I have seen Suzuks outrun Hondas, vice versa, etc. etc; it doesn't matter what brand. Depends on three things: the rider, who is doing the motorwork and how the quad is maintained. I have a 13.5 hc in my Suzuk, have had no probs.

IMO, you will run in reliability issues if you increase the displacement or cut the head. I don't think cams and valves with a HC will hurt the reliabilty as long as you have the right setup and the work is done correctly, but I am also no expert and you asked for Rudy's input not mine so I will be quiet

[DFR Rudy!!!]

I'm going to be pulling the Engine on my 06' LTR450 after the Nov ITP race because I'm starting to notice paint chips on my welds so I'll be getting the frame gusseted and powder coated.

I think that since I will already have the engine out that I would throw in a 14.1-1 piston with new intake and exhaust cams and maybe some new valves but I'm concerned about my reliability.

I've got a stock engine right now with a full Yoshi exhaust and a PCIII commander with a stock intake.

Have you noticed any reliability differences b/w the 14.1 or 13.1 pistons? I'd really like to get more overall power out of my motor but I don't want to be tearing the engine out of the bike ever 2 months for a rebuild.

Thanks for the info...

Hey Buck,

The high comp will do you well as far as a noticeable power increase. Anything you do to the engine that makes more power will always reduce reliability. But of course there is a range that you can still call the bike reliable. I have several bike out there with 13 and 14:1 engines. All have many hours on them. The 14 won't last as long as the 13 but will make more power in the low end. If you rode once or twice a week including races, you can run a piston for an entire season. Like some of the guys said, maintenance is a bigger issue than some of the mods. We see more problems in the service shop caused by lack of maintenance versus the fact that you are running high perf products.

Couple other things that you may want to consider is that the LTR's are known for valve and cylinder failures. It would be a good idea to replace the stock valves with stainless and a spring kit. Also have the cylinder re-plated, 75% of the LTR's we teardown have worn through the Nikasil coating.

Feel free to give me a call at the shop, there is plenty more info on that machine that I can offer.

[bucknaz]

Thanks for the input. I really appreciate everyone's responses.