Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

List 01 Components Used (Right and Bottom) . Tallon hubs, Excel wheels and Braking oversize rotors grace both ends. The Marzocchi 50mm conventional forks work very well in varied conditions. (Below) The IMS XR440L feels right at home on a motocross course. The PIAA light kit Is an offroad option thatlMS plans to sell In the future. 1997 XR 400 . . . . . . •.............•.......$5.299.00 IMS XR440 kit . . • . .• • . .• . . • . . • . . . . .. . ..$249.00 IMS all around cam .............. . $153.00 .....•.........$225.00 IMS head modifications R&D titanium valve springs with collars $139.40 . . . . • . . . .. . $75.00 IMS carburetor modifications ..... IMS cylinder sleeve installation (labor) .......•.........$125.00 White Brothers oversized head pipes $199.00 White Brothers heavy·duty clutch springs $12.00 Pro Circuit exhaust . . . . . . . . .•..•.......$190.00 'IMS Krizman spark arrestor $89.00 K&N air filter ................•..........•..........$54.89 White Brothers power filter. . . •. . . . . . . . .23.95 Airbox modification ..................•.. , $25.00 Works Connection frame guards $55.00 Ceet Racing seat cover .................•... , $49.95 Emig racing clamps wi Pro Taper-mounts $284.87 Pro Taper handlebars . ..•.••.......$99.95 Baja Designs rewound stater $99.95 Baja Designs dual sport kit . . . . . . ...•.• , ...•......$395.95 IMS dual sport perch mount for mirror '...•..•...•.......$14.95 IMS mirror pivot ...........................•.......$29.12 IMS oil line guard : ..$2B.40 . $29.10 IMS disc fin protector . . 50mm Marzocchi Magnum Forks modified by PPS $1.550.00 Ohlins Shock modified by PPS ,..... . $747.00 Talon Hubs. Excel wheels wi Buchanan spokes. . . . . ..$1.099.62 IMS Footpegs . ................. . $64.95 IMS 4.0·gallon dry break fuel tank wi receiver $349.95 Brakin9 oversize rotors, brackets. and pads . . . . $569.96 AFAM 42·tooth aluminum rear sprocket ',' $59.95 Total " , . " " , . " , . , . " " .. " " . " , ,$12,387.91 (without tax. license, registration or documentation fees) IMS Products Inc. 62.40 Box Springs B~d. Riverside, CA 92507 909/653·7720 800/237·9906 fax 909/653·1060 . For those of you that don't have an extra $2,300 in your bank ac,ount for the PPS goodies, IMS has also had very good results on several of its XR400s using Pro Circuit-modified stock units that work very well together and the mods cost significantly less. IMS found in previous motocross applications that they could trash a set of stock wheels and hubs pretty quickly; so they don't take chances anymore. White Brothers got another call for a complete set of racing wheels comprised of black Excel wheels, Buchanan spokes and Talon billet aluminum hubs. No more wheel problems. Honda brakes are widely reg?-rded as the best in the business, and since the XR comes stock with CR brakes you know they're good. But IMS was building the ultimate dual sport so they gave Ludo a call over at Braking and he supplied oversized front and rear brake rotors, caliper spacers and pads. IMS now had tlte ultimate brakes for the ultimate ride. Next up was the addition of a Baja designs dual sport conversion kit, and IMS had them rewind the stator, as well. IMS modified its own headlight assembly that incorporates the use of the stock headlight case and a 1996 or '97 Suzuki RM front-number-plate I fork-guard combo. It looks really sana, .but you can get a pre-made version from Cycra that 1'eam Suzuki Off-road team has been using this year. For added protection.. IMS added one of their stainless-steel oil-line guards, and a rear IMS aluminum disc fi.n protector. IMS footpegs and an IMS heavyduty folding shift lever were also added for increased strength and reliability. Works Connection frame guards were installed to save the frame and make a smooth surface for boots to slide around on. An IMS 4-gallon clear dry-break wei tank was added for !bose longer rides and races, and a Ceet two-tone seat cover was added for its durability and good looks. In the control department, IMS opted White Brothers 24845 Corb~ Place Yorba Unda. CA 92687 fax 714/692.3409 (Below) The IMS '440ce B';g Bore kit Is the heart and soul of the potent IMSXR440L, and produces a very broad and usable spread of power, much more than a stock XR400. to go with CR-high-bend Answer Pro Taper handlebars, the strongest in the business. An IMS clutch-perch mirror mount was added so a mirror could be threaded into the stock clutch perch, thereby saving valuable handlebar space. IMS also added one of its trick mirror pivots which allows your mirror to be folded down and out of chin's way while off-road, and folded up into its normal position on the street. We were able to ride the IMS XR440L on trails, around town, on motocross tracks and we even rode it at the Chap. arral Fall Grand Prix. The grand prix ended up being the perfect test for the dual sport since it combined· a motocr0SS track with some off-roadtype sections, and there were even 1.5 miles of twisty pavement to run on. Simply stated, the bike is awesome. The motor absolutely rips from the bottom right up to the 9,000-rpm rev-limiter and will easily pull a rear sprocket that is three teeth smaller (45 stock to a 42). The bike produces its peak horse-. power at about 7,500 rpm, so semi-short shifting is the best way to ride the bike. Throttle response is impressive and we couldn't get the bike to bog or miss like . most four-strokes will. With all of the motor modifications, it is somewhat surprising to report that the motor is not a fire-breathing, hard-to-start behemoth and is perfectly content being lugged on trails or revved around an MX course. And the bonus torque was always welcome. During one of our rides we did experience some problems with the clutch, but Scott assured us it was a used prototype clutch that had been improperly installed. We can tell you that with the stock clutch and the White Brothers heavy-duty clutch springs that we never had another clutch problem. We never needed to abuse the clutch on a bike that has so much torque and usable power in the first place. It's not a two-stroke - at least in the motor department. The motor might be awe-inspiring, but the suspension components work just as well in their own respect. The action is very plush initiaUy, gobbling up small bumps and ruts without transmitting any harshness through the handlebars or footpegs. The components really shined at the GP, where squareedge chop reigned supreme and was throwing other bikes in all directions. 714/692·3404 Baja Designs 11588 SorentoValley Rd.. Suoe 19 San Diego, CA 92121 619/792·0213 fax 6191792·5398 On the IMS XR440L you simply pin the throttle and motor on through the nasty sections. It tracks straight and true and still has a good resistance to bottoming. The fork may have been a tad soft on serious MX-'type terrain, especially while over- or under-jumping obstacles (what suspension wouldn't?), but this bike was prepared for all types of conditions and has 'an excellent setup. The brakes are simply incredible. Enough said. The rest of the bike is just as good as the motor and suspension. What else would you expect when you're riding a bike that has all of the cool parts. It's like riding a catalog with wheels. Wherever you go on the bike, whether it be on the street or the trail, you are surrounded by drooling motoheads, and you surely can't blame the police for eagerly pulling in behind you on the street until they see the license plate. IMS has created a bike that can and has been raced in motocross events, desert races, enduros, qualifiers and dual sport rides in a heartbeat - with or without the dual sport trim - the choice is yours. It is the ultimate dual sport, combining proven accessories and epic suspension components with a truly electric motor. l:N

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