Fixing common problems with old quad bikes / motorbikes

I buy old trx quad bikes whenever I see them come up for sale cheap, often they have multiple issues. I'll show you how to fix a few of the more common problems I encounter.

[@kenknight4560]

Marty, when you find the crashed alien Star Ship in the bush we looked forward to seeing how you fix and fly it! :)

[@blackdoublezero]

broken space ship in the paddock ....Marty & the 'lil green men on the tools

[@robvanza]

Just order a part or two from China, they work just as well!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@blackdoublezero]

@@robvanza parts are going to take a couple of days to arrive ...let me show you around

[@larrywhitaker4667]

I bet he can fix it.

[@davida.p.9911]

The warranty is for 4 light years or 4 Trillion kilometers, whichever comes first😄

[@curm1778]

You just fixed my daughter's little quad. Just killed its second battery. It wasn't a new battery but it had lots of life left in it, but it only worked for a week now its toast. Thought it might have been older than I reckoned, but, after watching this, I checked it and it was bone dry! All the acid had boiled off. It's the blessed CDI and the rectifier! Thanks, Marty!

[@MartyT]

Thats awesome, Glad I could help

[@paulvale2985]

Electrical tip when joining pairs of wires; cut each pair different lengths (e.g. Red long, black short, on one pair and black long, red short, on the other pair) so that accidental shorting is eliminated and the cable harness can be more compact. Great video again, love where you live. Envy from the UK.

[@im-that-guy-pal]

I do the same thing but power can still short to ground if it touches chassis without insulation.

[@MrDhandley]

Just a quick tip Marty. If you squeeze some silicone sealant inside the heat shrink then slide it over the soldered joint and heat, it makes a 100% watertight joint that will last forever! Give it a try sometime.

[@thedave7760]

Plumbers vulcanizing tape is great for insulating joints and wires.

[@jdhtyler]

Very late reply -- in the Thorn EMI factory we made domestic appliances and 1980s we had shrink tubing that had glue inside. I still have a bit left.

[@tony66au]

The oldies are the besties I found, I bought an abandoned Kodiak 400 4wd the cows had tried to eat and with a few hours and $50 I had her running. Having passed that test I spent time and added some LED worklights and a new battery and a few more hours tidying the electrical and she became old faithful hauling around the 6x4 fencing trailer and the round bale trailer when needed as I was on steep non tractor friendly pasture. When we moved to town I chucked the other quads (Suzi's) and kept the Kodiak and was actually looking at her today thinking I should give her some love again, and tonight I watch this lol Weird Quaddy Vibes over the Tasman I reckon! BTW, if you buy the expensive heatshrink and hot gun it I found its plenty waterproof/Cowpoo proof/Ram Wee proof but the thicker cheaper ebay stuff not so much.

[@briananthony4044]

The trees behind you, the sound of the birds, the kids playing, what an idealic life.

[@jusfranx]

The Honda Fourtrax 300 is a true classic, definitely a hard bike to beat. I had a lot of fun a while back showing up my friends on their big fancy Can Ams weaving in and out of tight spaces and going everywhere they could on a 2 wheel drive TRX300 I paid $100 for and fixed up.

[@davidfrank2824]

There's no better feeling than taking something that is broke and fixing it. I have gotten some excellent deals on craigslist for different gas powered yard equipment. I would say almost 95% of the things I buy it does not cost me a single penny to fix. Most of the time it's the carburetor and after taking it apart and cleaning everything at normally does the trick. All my neighbors bring their broken lawn mowers and weed wackers over to my house all the time. And for the most part I don't charge them anything unless I have to buy a part. It works out pretty good for me. When it snows I have two different neighbors that will use their snow blowers to clean my sidewalk and driveway. Enjoyed watching your video look forward to seeing more.

[@MartyT]

Thats awesome mate

[@MoosesValley]

Nice one Marty. Fixing my old quad bike at the moment. Appreciate your hints and tips and the fact that you are saving so many old machines still with so much life in them iwhen they get a bit of maintenance. Repair what you can, recycle what you can't repair, use less resources, produce less waste, tread more lightly on the planet. You are living proof that others can do it as well.

[@MartyT]

My thoughts exactly. Cheers

[@craigmahan5185]

And I'm not a "Rockefeller", I even recycled my old dog. You don't want to know...

[@thedave7760]

@@MartyTPlumbers vulcanizing tape is great for insulating joints and wires.

[@johnnymelendez4836]

Love your process of skills and logic while fixing all kinds of machines of any size. Thanks Marty for a all the knowledge.👍😇🗽🇺🇸

[@40cleco]

Great video. Two things. Inline filter for older machines with metal gas tanks is a must. Proper heat shrink with sealant build into it is waterproof...the cheap stuff don't have it. Nice bikes...bullet proof.

[@roguenz9848]

Of all the beautiful places on our little islands you've got one of the most amazing slices of paradise there.

[@MartyT]

We are lucky to live here, Marlborough Sounds is my favorite place in NZ

[@RadioReprised]

Hondas are keepers......worth throwing parts at as long as you can to keep them going.

[@yodawunn6700]

There is heat shrink for marine applications. It has a waterproof glue that melts when you heat it and it seals completely the whole length of the tubing.

[@berryreading4809]

Absolutely 👍 regular heat shrink just seems to suck in water and never dry out, just like dried out tape does on a wire loom.

[@riffraff9000]

Yep. Came here to say that.

[@c0mputer]

There are two kinds of glue in my experience, some cool and dry almost rigid and if you bend it too much it cracks. The other good stuff dries and stays flexible. Sumitube is the best heat shrink I’ve come across. Specifically Sumitube W3B2. I do a lot of electrical stuff for cars and motorcycles like building and repairing custom harnesses. Excellent stuff.

[@berryreading4809]

@@c0mputer good info! I'll try some on my next order if I can source it somewhat easily

[@ianc4901]

You can put some hot melt glue on the wires before you slide the heatshrink over, then when you warm the heatshrink up the glue melts and seals the joint

[@silvergrizzly316]

I love watching how you take a dead machine and give it life again. Awesome work Marty 👏 Take care brother!! Jay.

[@MartyT]

Thanks mate

[@officialweldingfarmingarch2041]

You can make something good useful and reliable from effectively nothing. I love learning how you do it, especially as we head into a recession; those skills will be very valuable to have.

[@SonOfAdolf]

Ayyyy buddy ;)

[@stanleyrandolph7968]

Marty love your repair methods I have a Honda that’s doing some sputtering soon as I get out to the farm I’m gonna take that thing apart and take a look at that fuel line and that main jet I’ll bet I have the same problem thanks for the tips you’re great

[@MartyT]

Cool mate, good luck

[@lynneperg6853]

Always a good day when I see one of your videos online. Thanks for reaching and teaching so many of us. My grown kids term the type of critical thinking you use as "sidewise thinking." To them that means staying totally outside of the box to create new solutions. They use to drive their teachers crazy. Not only did they problem solve in unique ways, what they did worked. Raising them to be creative paid off. Now they work in high tech fields. Stay safe and healthy. Living in lockdown in Michigan.

[@MrGeroth]

Is there anything you can’t fix? Enjoy your videos, thanks for sharing.

[@jonmarshall1502]

I’ve learnt more in this short video than I’d have thought possible.

[@TaralgaBushAdventure]

Hey Marty, great video thank you. On that first quad, you can check the filter in the bottom of the tank tap without removing it. There's a hex head shape on the bottom of the tap (can see it at 4:37 ), so just undo that, and the small bottom reservoir comes off - there should be a small metal gauze inside that stopping crud from the fuel tank. Mine was blocked completely - yours might be missing the gauze. Ether way, another simple thing to check on these.

[@walker2508]

Is that time stamp correct? That is at the end of the video

[@TaralgaBushAdventure]

Hey @@walker2508 you're right, went back and fixed it.

[@steveswallows8525]

as., the marine heat shrink tubing has a sealer inside that is heat activated and really seals those terminals . I've use it for years in my business with no problems. You can order it on line or most good boat stores have it.

[@pcdubya]

Those old Honda's are some of the best machines made. I have an old clunker, 96' 300 2 WD and doesn't even have a battery and cranks 1st or 2nd kick, every time , even after sitting for 2 or more months. Great tips there, as usual.

[@MartyT]

Brilliant machines, they should have never stopped making them

[@tomkirk6942]

Man, I very much appreciate and admire your abilities and craftsmanship. I have come across so many dodgy mechanics over the years and wish I could pay you my hard-earned dollars to work on my truck and my wife’s car. It’d be money and trust well spent. Bravo and cheers from Northern Utah, USA.

[@populous8232]

Hey Marty, love watching your logic. Cheers

[@MartyT]

Thanks man

[@fouracrefamily9801]

It's Kiwi logic. No fuss, we just get stuff done.

[@TheDieselStop]

Always good to see a new video Marty. With all of the trees you have around there a sawmill would be ideal for you. I have a 20’ mill and started to building a 30’ mill.

[@MartyT]

I've got one mate.. kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5_OpIqFrdxpo6s

[@davidsnyder2000]

Definitely knows his way around engines thats for sure. Thanks a bunch for the teachings 🙂👍

[@MurrayC]

I added an inline filter to my SS50 for just that reason!

[@douglasharley2440]

lol, only when someone completely understands all the mechanical details, at all levels, and is a master of all the requisite skills, literally everything is *just another simple fix* . as always, DEEPEST RESPECT!

[@jpallen719]

Having lived in the Pacific Northwest and in Hawaii for many years that quad trail looks like a blend of both of those what a cool trail Marty! Love your videos, learning more than my dad ever taught me!

[@jennyhonda9642]

Your tree ferns are stunning and l loved the sounds of your kids in the background, like the birds in other videos.

[@Suzuki1776]

I'm pretty sure the starter solenoid in my Honda is bad now that i've watched this video. Good one Marty as always!

[@chrisrea7347]

You make these issues seem very simple - love watching your channel. I am a Kiwi but overseas at present.

[@olireukids970]

cannot beat the old TRX, ive got an 84 model trx250 it is such a great work horse

[@travismatthews7314]

Didn’t make a trx250 in 84

[@olivier2553]

More often than not, te fix is not difficult, knowing what to fix is the real issue... Congratulation.

[@countrycartier]

Love your ingenuity Marty. Great channel.

[@Torqu3d]

youre all around knowledge of vehicles is incredible

[@xaydemeyers3344]

Great video mate, liked seeing those four wheelers fire up again👍

[@deaks25]

With pretty much every Honda motorcycle, even modern ones, if you're having a battery/charging issue, it's pretty much guaranteed to be a janky reg/rec so I had a good chuckle at a Honda quad doing the exact same thing.

[@whitacrebespoke]

Farm I worked on as a kid had a big red 300 replaced with a foreman 400 when the 300 got nicked. Then a foreman 450es when the 400 got nicked. All were reliable machines the 400&450 went so well though.

[@davidlyon2927]

Mr Fix it. Great video. You always get a piece of equipment that someone discarded and you get it back in working order with what seems to be no effort at all. Bravo. Looking forward to your next video.👍🇨🇦

[@haydenlindsey6481]

You’re such a knowledgeable and cool guy, so many skills. Please keep up the awesome content!

[@Jake-tw8qr]

Man, a Honda Big Red 3-wheeler broke my collar bone about 4 years ago. Cool to see a quad version of that death machine.

[@MartyT]

3 wheelers can be lethal if you're not used to them

[@vinharp167]

Greetings from Nebraska! Awesome Videos! Always happy when a new one comes out.

[@benhowe5506]

Marty you have done it again mate!! You have dazzled us with your handy mechanical knowledge and fixed everything in site with no worries at all. I even learned something very valuable today, so thankyou very much for your time making these videos for us. See you on the next one buddy.

[@absenteeatom]

To make a watertight seal with heatshrink, use hot glue on the soldered terminals, put the HS over the top and use a heat gun. The heat gun will re-melt the glue and shrink down the HS, forcing the glue out of the ends, you will then have a watertight seal.

[@MartyT]

Yep you can do that, I always forget to put the heatshrink on first though haha. I find the marine sealant works very well, I use it on boat wiring and never had an issue with joint corrosion

[@typgamer]

I got a set of heat shrink tubes with water tight hot glue already integrated on amazon for cheap, saves a lot of work and works great

[@absenteeatom]

@@jules5811 Shouldn’t be too difficult, just re-heat and cut away the heat shrink, then clean up the hot glue while soft or allow it to go brittle and remove.

[@nealvaughn2340]

This video and your entire channel is a WEALTH of knowledge. Love watching you and Andrew Camarata fix stuff and teach me how it all works. ZERO mechanical background but you guys have showed me what to do on a few fixes I’ve stumbled upon. Cheers and fix on!

[@timshelton4041]

I do like the way that you explain what you are doing and the reasons why.👍

[@dusty2206]

I love knowing even on the other side of the world, people know the value in Honda wheelers! And know how simple they are to fix if you know the basics. Love your channel man!

[@reggiefaggart196]

You can do more with a screwdriver and a pair of plyers than most machanic with a truck load of tools. Good job.

[@jonka1]

That's because his best tool is just above his shoulders.

[@eviethekiwi7178]

Thanks for telling us what you would've done if cleaning the carb jets didn't solve the problem! Not everyone has the same issues and that's so helpful.

[@muchmuchmore]

Thanks for sharing. Always enjoy your videos. A squirt bottle applying fuel direct into the cylinder or intake is a good quick check effectively bypassing the carb.

[@Scrapy-ih7ob]

Love when you watch Random Video, and learn something new , that explains why your project took the extreme way to fix it.. thanks for the info on diag. CDI fail issue now i know what to look for how to check what made it fail...

[@jaycobbaker5178]

Thanks mate my quad has the same starting problem couldn’t find out what it was but I know now so cheers, keep making videos love watching them👍🇦🇺

[@neilmurphy845]

Those old Honda's are brilliant bikes they run forever

[@kevinchamberlain7928]

Superb machine The Big Red, excellent ride quality and surprisingly fast!

[@69jbr69]

Great work. Inline filters for the win and if your tanks have quite a bit of rust in them, which old metal tanks usually do. Pull petcock and drop couple foot chunk of small link chain in tank and shake it around at all angles and than flush. That will quickly clean bulk of problematic flakes out.

[@MartyT]

Very good tip, thanks

[@ken.outside]

Great job Marty! I do love the honda's as well. I've found it is cheaper keeping a small fleet of old 4 wheelers that others call junk - although you do end up working on them alot. Keep up the great videos!

[@rickoliver2059]

Goodonya Marty , love that " can do " Kiwi attitude . I can see why SuperCheap gave you all the tools etc , you`ll be a great Ambassador for them .

[@idiovid]

Fixed our old TRX 450 many times using a very similar Bahco set.

[@fourbyfourer]

They are an amazing atv!! The Honda TRX300 Fourtrax is THE BEST ATV hands down!! It is simple technology no computer, no fuel injection, no power steering, and it's a very strong pulling machine for the size of the bike. I have two of them now (a 1999 & 2000) and had a 1993 when I was a teenager, and I have used them for hunting, riding, farming, you name it I have done it with them and they have never let me down.

[@MartyT]

I agree, they should never have stopped production

[@fourbyfourer]

@@MartyT I totally agree.

[@jabbalechat7910]

Glue lined heat shrink deals with that wire joint sealing problem... 👍

[@licencetoswill]

solder splices man, changes the game.

[@jabbalechat7910]

@@licencetoswill When you've finished soldering seal the joint with glue lined heat shrink...

[@dfross87]

@@jabbalechat7910 They make all in one solder and heat shrink tubes these days. Shove the wires in, heat and it does all the work for you.

[@jabbalechat7910]

@@dfross87 I like to make my solder joint, inspect it and only then put some glue lined heat shrink over it...

[@railroadman57]

MartyT I enjoy your videos you are a wizard at fixing up things very interesting and very helpful thanks for posting these vids !

[@arcticrunning8370]

Why do I love this channel so much?

[@cbplays3436]

I have a 1991 model TRX300FW, nice to see you working on one! Probably need to replace the starter on mine

[@leeharris3061]

Back in 1986..i had a '84 honda 200x 3 wheeler..was a blast..nowadays kinda wish i still had it...much respect from Minnesota usa 🇺🇸

[@pete-mate3524]

Hi Marty, loving the channel, a couple of idea's for you. 1; there is such a thing as 'dual wall' heat shrink which is designed for marine use. It has a water-tight seal internally that bonds to the original insulation of the wire. 2; mix black grease (molybdenum diasulfied) 50/50 with roof tar and then dilute with chainsaw bar oil (Maybe about 10%. The chainsaw oil has an 'anti-rust' additive in it), this will give you a good quality, marine grade 'anti-seize'. I've been using this for years, it works a treat!!

[@MartyT]

Thanks for the tips mate

[@michaelfisher9671]

Wake up on a Saturday morning to a new vid from MartyT and a new vid from AvE. It’s like Xmas!

[@garyburgmylifeandtimes6354]

Great practical tips to get those ATVs back on the road. Great way to make a little cash on the side repairing them.

[@NickyNiclas]

There is heat shrink tube with hotmelt glue in it that seals well. There is also a type with a ring of solder in it that both solders and seals, really good stuff!

[@jsource10]

Nice work!! I need to pick some up for around the property. Speaking of, it would be fun if you did a drive around your place and showed all the features. Seems like you live in paradise!!

[@1425race]

Marty, if you buy heatshrink with adhesive in it, when you heat it the adhesive melts around the joint shrinks and gives you a totally waterproof joint - lot less messy than Sikaflex

[@neildriedger637]

GREAT Toy's Marty..LOVE the video!!!

[@localcrew]

I use that liquid electrical tape to seal wire splices. Then I heat shrink the joint. Seems to work great. And it’s all black. Noir, you might say. Especially if you were French. Or French- speaking.

[@the_hate_inside1085]

I have the exact same orange Bacho ratchet set, it has served me well.

[@rstephe]

Thanks for sharing with us. Makes me want to look for a cheap quad.

[@alansmith4734]

The trail looks nice! Great one to ride a Mountain Bike on!

[@laoluu]

Was waiting for a dinosaur to step out from the bush - -

[@MartyT]

It is a nice trail to ride, goes right to the top of the hill

[@1425race]

@@laoluu Hey man that's just normal Kiwi bush.

[@meigscountymetalworks7480]

Love your channel brother. Word of caution on the cheap Ebay and Amazon CDI boxes. I went through 3 for a Kawasaki bayou and never did get one that worked. Ended up spending the extra money and buying a Ricks Motor sports one and it did the trick.

[@DominicClifton]

Good tip regarding regulator output voltage and CDI issue, I had to replace a CDI on a Moped recently but will check the regulator now too! Thanks.

[@70806allstars]

Shouldn't be running off the main at idle at all... You never actually checked the pilot circuit either just the jet. You can definitely make it work running it off the main but it's always gonna be a little lean. All in all good job man. That's how I used to fix em before I actually worked at a shop.

[@FJ80Coop]

Trx300 one of the top 4 Honda off road machines of all time.

[@orphandog51410]

Great video showing simple fixes. Thank you.

[@wesleycardinal8869]

If you ever need to repair a rectifier, Ichi Ban Moto has some great tips. 👍

[@adrianryan1975]

Nice Marty. Those Honda's serve you well.

[@justinwiechmann34]

The trx300 is one of the simplest bikes you could ever work on the ATV is basically Bulletproof and any repairs that are required 99% of the time are simple Parts swaps carburetor fueling issues and Spark aka cop problems and the rear ends tend to explode when larger than stock tires with aggressive tread are installed besides replacing the front drum brakes with disc brakes and standard maintenance. the 4 300 hondas i owned rarely required any wrenching two of them were 2wd and 2 were 4wd

[@Foxee1000]

Great videos, very informative. Best wishes from Ireland

[@_infinitedomain]

This channel is so relaxing and informative. Thanks :)

[@homelessman2257]

its amazing how much you know about quad bike electronics.

[@whosaidthat5236]

Great videos man , Always remember when twisting wire together righty tighty lefty loosee lol

[@stephenreese5921]

Thank You, Marty. I learn a lot from your videos! Gday Mate!

[@chadsimmons6347]

Ive fixed up stuff i got for cheap, then put it in a charity auction, its fun to see people bidding on something that was considered junk until I worked it over and helping the needy just feels good.

[@craigmahan5185]

Hey Mr. T!! Sorry buddy I didn't even realize that this was your channel until I watched it.. I should have gone to you first, you being a WIZARD WITH MOJO! Thanks mate from Montana. C

[@SB-nr1dz]

Nice video! You can sometimes pop the pins out of connectors and drop them into the other plug housing.

[@daos3300]

try the heatshrink with glue, works a treat stopping moisture

[@keeganfoster1792]

Yeah ive used sekiflex haha no water will ever get in that haha an you will never get it off if it gets on ya. You seem extremely knowledgable with engines and electrical! Awesome

[@MayorofDipshittery-lq7if]

Loving the “marine sealant”. 😂👍

[@SerielThriller]

I could watch this guy fix a toaster!

[@briananthony4044]

Same, nothing seems to fluster him. Just steady as she goes.

[@larannar123]

I watched him fix a coffee maker,does that count??😂

[@wyattbottorff2473]

Those Honda quads are easily my favorite. Ive got one that need both brakes redone, a gearbox and reconditioning the engine wouldnt hurt...

[@mischef18]

Great video bro. Cheers for posting

[@Ericimeri]

Love your videos, great contents. Greet from Italy.