High altitude

[sam3006]

This past Sept. I took my almost new 500, 200 miles on it, to a friend's cabin in Colorado. The cabin sits at 9600 ft. and most of the driving we did was from there up to 13,000 ft. I live in Arkansas at a lofty altitude of 700ft. We put almost 100 miles a day on the 500 for 4 days and it did good. Here's my question/observation. The first day we ran I noticed that it seemed like we lost about a gear from how it ran in Arkansas, thought this was probably about right for the altitude. The second day I filled the tank up out of the cans, about 1/2 a tank. When we took off driving it ran about the same as the first day, then about noon it was like you kicked in a turbo charger or something. It gained back the gear we'd lost, plus another one. We were going up inclines in 5th gear that we had to take in 3rd gear the day before. It did it all at once. My buddy riding in the passenger seat looked over and said, "What did you do to this thing." Now I'm 60, my buddy is 65 and we both have rode motocross, 4 wheelers and dune buggies since our 20's and neither of us has ever seen a machine perk up like this for no reason. I filled the 500 up with premium gas here in Arkansas before we left. On the way out, just before we got to the cabin I filled our cans up with premium gas in Colorado. Was it the different gas in Colorado? Computer reset?

 

[Admin]

 

[Hondasxs]

Sam,
Welcome to the community.

Could you relate it to temperature changes or even a difference in altitude within the same trail.

I remember back in 2004. I was riding ATV's in Tellico NC. Near the peak I had to be pulled by a Jeep up a difficult part because the ATV was not powerful enough to get me up. Never found the problem. Guys said it was altitude. That was my first experience with it. But after that point it regained its power for the rest of the trip. No clue if there was a issue or it was in fact altitude.

 

[sam3006]

The lowest we rode was 8500, 90% was above 10,000, up to 13,000. Temps started in the 40's and topped out in the 70's. There didn't seem to be a noticeable difference that could be associated with changing altitude or temperature. When the change kicked in we were on a flat road running pretty much all out and it was a one time deal and it kept running at the improved level the rest of the time we were there, no matter the altitude or temp. We wondered if the gas we bought in Colorado was formulated any different than what we started with from Arkansas, or the fuel injection adjusted to the altitude. Don't get me wrong, it ran good to start with the first day, took two old farts some places we really shouldn't have gone, but from half way through the second day until we left it ran great. Still just curious as to why.

 

[Hondasxs]

Ya, gas from one place to another is always different.
Different states and brands have different amounts of ethanol %'s.
You should try some Non Ethanol if you ever see it at a station.

 

[sam3006]

Non ethanol is all I run in everything, except my truck and the wife's car. Everything else, the 500 Pioneer, 420 Rancher, chainsaws, generators, lawnmower or the Evinrude on the back of my boat, gets real gas with marine sta-bil added to all of it for extra insurance, just in case the real gas I buy isn't real gas. With the price difference I wouldn't be surprised that some of the non-ethanol gas we buy isn't 100% non-ethanol.

 

[wyo700]

I live at 6000 feet and ride over that whenever I go camping. Can't wait to get the k&n and a different exhaust to see what difference. Every atv I have owned I have put a high flow air filter and a performance exhaust and their was a night and day difference every time. Lynn says I will be pleasantly surprised. Can't wait.

 

[Simpleman]

Hey wyo 700. Just installed the HMF pipe tonight! Sounds good. Not too loud but for sure a more deep tone! Put the DEI titanium header wrap from the head to the muffler. Should keep the gasses hot for a better exhaust pulse... I haven't had a chance to test drive it yet but in the garage the throttle response seems much better! No dyno here so this spring I'll test it on my 7700 ft road that I was mentioning in another post. Yes it does have a mid brace bracket to go into the factory location so I don't think we will have the same experience as Lynn did with the Big Gun exhaust. This is paired with a K & N filter... I'm still thinking of making a ram air snorkel mostly to get "clean" air into the intake. I saw the post where a guy ran it up front to the radiator area.. Not a fan of the location so I'm thinking of 2" or 2 1/2" conduit material up the roll cage to the roof area with a scoop to get clean not hot air for the project.