Anyone know anything about Quad Bikes?

[sunbeam alpine]

Last year I acquired a second hand quad bike, and I've been having a lot of fun charging around the fields on it.

It's probably a cheapo Chinese quad - (called Quadventure?) - with a 180cc petrol engine.

It has a gear lever on the RH side to select Forward-Neutral-Reverse, and has to be in Neutral to start. It starts on the button and runs fine, but it has recently started cutting out whe you select Reverse (selecting Forward is fine). When this happens it will not restart - you can churn and churn as much as you like but it doesn't fire.

If you stop it with the key you can restart it no problem.

I didn't get any manuals with it, and can't find anyone around us who knows anything about them.

I'm quite handy with the spanners, but don't really know where to start looking.

Anyone have any knowledge/point me in the right direction?

[LiamB]

Should probably start with the basics and check the carb and clean it out. Nothing to do with reverse, but it can help a lot and stop it from cutting out randomly in the future.

[sunbeam alpine]

LiamB said:

Should probably start with the basics and check the carb and clean it out. Nothing to do with reverse, but it can help a lot and stop it from cutting out randomly in the future.

I really don't think there's anything wrong with the carb - it'll run fine all day - it even pulls a tiny trailer so it's not down on power.

It just cuts out as soon as you try and put it into reverse, and then it won't start again. It would be handy to have reverse sometimes.

[GadgeS3C]

If it has to be in neutral to start there must be a sensor somewhere so it knows it's in neutral. Is it on the gear lever and is this acting up in reverse? Can't see why it would cause it to cut out (would expect it to be linked to starter circuit) but worth a look maybe.

[sunbeam alpine]

GadgeS3C said:

If it has to be in neutral to start there must be a sensor somewhere so it knows it's in neutral. Is it on the gear lever and is this acting up in reverse? Can't see why it would cause it to cut out (would expect it to be linked to starter circuit) but worth a look maybe.

I can't find any cables around the selector so I fear it may be an internal sensor. Normally it won't even turn over unless the selector is in neutral. When it cuts out after selecting reverse, I put it in neutral, the green neutral light comes on and the motor turns over, it just won't fire. If I stop it using the key, then restart, it fires up immediately.

[GadgeS3C]

Does sound very odd. Sounds like some form of electrickery but can't understand why it wouldn't fire if the neutral light is on.

Sorry - can't think of anything else to suggest

[Lordglenmorangie]

Sorry this not going to help .










Buy a Honda !

[AdeTuono]

My Polaris has an over-ride button that you have to hold in when selecting reverse. This allows the engine to run, like a backwards kill switch. Have you got one of those on the bars?

[sparkybean]

sunbeam alpine said:

I can't find any cables around the selector so I fear it may be an internal sensor. Normally it won't even turn over unless the selector is in neutral. When it cuts out after selecting reverse, I put it in neutral, the green neutral light comes on and the motor turns over, it just won't fire. If I stop it using the key, then restart, it fires up immediately.

Definitely an electrical problem.

This sounds very very much like the gear position sensor. One thing I would try is unplug the sensor from the harness, and bridge the 2 pins (on the loom side) so that the quad thinks its in neutral. If you find you can start the quad in any gear after doing that; bingo, the sensor is dead.

[anonymous-user]

It must have a switch like a bike has on the kick stand, have a look at the gear lever there will be a simple switch, like the courtisy light on a car, just disconect it,
To answer the question i9n your title Only thing I know about quad bikes is they don't counter steer.