# I finally bought me a Honda Recon 4 wheeler



## Jody Hawk

It's been a long time coming but I finally broke down and bought me a four wheeler. I drug my last deer out of the woods opening morning and I told my wife that I was gonna have to buy me a four wheeler if I was gonna keep doing this. I'm getting too old for this stuff.

Anyhow, I got a 2007 Honda Recon 250 that is in great shape. Guy said he bought it for his 12 year old daughter but she hardly ever rode it and it's been just sitting in his garage for the past year. He said it probably didn't have 75 hours total on it. He also said he just changed the oil and replaced the spark plug and the air filter. You can tell by looking at it that it has been taken care of and hasn't been abused.  

Only drawback is it won't idle when it is cold. He said alot of Recons have this problem and I noticed several of y'all have threads on here complaining about the same thing with yours. Once the engine warms up, it is fine. Any ideas on this?


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## au7126

Have the same problem with mine since new in 2004. Runs perfect after one minute and since have traded for 03 - 350 and has same problem, I have learned to live with and now is no problem.


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## PWalls

Jody,

Go join up or just read as a guest on www.hondaatvforums.net. They have subforums for the different models of Honda ATV and there are some very knowledgable guys on there.


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## Mission

that 250 engine is cold-blooded. ive done this to a few of them and it helps alot with the starting issues.

take the carb off, and replace the stock pilot jet with the next size up. if i remember right, it comes with a #42 stock, install a #45. keihn carb


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## Hooked On Quack

Jody, best I can tell ALL Hondas are "cold natured"  just learn to live with it.  I've owned a few, and my family owns a Polaris dealership and I still drive Hondas, that tell ya sumpin??


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## germag

The absolute most cold-natured and difficult ATV to get running on a cold morning that I've ever seen in my life was a 2004 Polaris Sportsman 600 that I once owned. I hated that machine and it hated me. The carbureted Hondas typically take a minute or so to sort of smooth out and run...that Polaris took 15 minutes, no exaggeration.

If the warm-up time is an issue, buy a fuel injected ATV. I have a 2007 Honda 420 Rancher now that is fuel injected. It starts and runs smooth every time with a bump of the starter button....no issues at all.


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## PWalls

germag said:


> If the warm-up time is an issue, buy a fuel injected ATV. I have a 2007 Honda 420 Rancher now that is fuel injected. It starts and runs smooth every time with a bump of the starter button....no issues at all.



That's what I did. Two guys in the hunt camp ahve the Recons with carbs and they do have to let it warm up. Just nature of the beast. But they are Honda's and both of those machines have been running for years with no issues. I bought me a 2007 Honda 420 Rancher as well mainly because I figured me, a kid and a deer would be just too much to put on the Recon. I do like the fuel injection part. Cranks right up every time.


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## au7126

I brought 2 deer - 1 on frt rack & 1 on rear rack, myself and another man with our guns on the 2004 250 and it did a great job.


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## Meriwether Mike

Jody,
 My old 1997 Recon had a manual choke which worked great. It was a round knob on the left handlebar that you pulled out until the engine warmed up. Just be sure to push it back in as its bad for the engine to drive it with the choke open. Never had a bit of trouble on a cold morning as long as I used the choke.


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## trkyhntr70

How about some pics man ??


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## Hooked On Quack

Meriwether Mike said:


> Jody,
> My old 1997 Recon had a manual choke which worked great. It was a round knob on the left handlebar that you pulled out until the engine warmed up. Just be sure to push it back in as its bad for the engine to drive it with the choke open. Never had a bit of trouble on a cold morning as long as I used the choke.



The chokes on Hondas are known to break, just hit the throttle a couple of times, OR push the inline fuel line and she'll fire right up.


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## striper slug

*recon idle*

i got a 2007 recon that wont idle when cold,  when it warms up its ok . it can be aggravating for sure


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## thomasr

I'm still running a 1991 Honda 4-Trax...the most cold-natured beast ever created.  I've just learned how to feather the choke on and off  as I ride and it still keeps on ticking.  It can be 20 below and it will start but it will take some finesse to keep it going.  Hondas last forever...just learn its quirks and adjust your style.  Or...change the jets likes already been mentioned and give it a go.


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## Gruntin & Cuttin

i have 98 recon, have to use choke half way for first min,then is fine


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## Havana Dude

thomasr said:


> I'm still running a 1991 Honda 4-Trax...the most cold-natured beast ever created.  I've just learned how to feather the choke on and off  as I ride and it still keeps on ticking.  It can be 20 below and it will start but it will take some finesse to keep it going.  Hondas last forever...just learn its quirks and adjust your style.  Or...change the jets likes already been mentioned and give it a go.



I got that same bike. You nailed it. I bought a 98, used, and the 91 runs as good as the 98. 

Jody, you will love the Honda. Everyone is right, once you get it warm, she's good to go. Enjoy!! You'll be kickin yourself for not doing it sooner!!


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## the r.o.c.

hey jody, my mechanic suggested that i use stay-bil fuel stabilizer in every gallon i use in my mowers. the ethonal is a problem for all of the small engines.  after i started using it in my 21hp it ran better idles better so ive started using it in all my stuff. give it a try. imo it is worth the money.


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## 021

I have a 2007  we liked so much that we went out and bought a new 2012. That IS the only issue with them both, but what the heck, just stay on the throttle lightly a few minutes and they are fine. Other than that, they are the proverbial "bullet-proof" 4 wheeler. Enjoy your machine.


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## Miguel Cervantes

the r.o.c. said:


> hey jody, my mechanic suggested that i use stay-bil fuel stabilizer in every gallon i use in my mowers. the ethonal is a problem for all of the small engines.  after i started using it in my 21hp it ran better idles better so ive started using it in all my stuff. give it a try. imo it is worth the money.



What he said. Had to have my carb de-gummed on my Recon twice. Honda engines are awesome, but for some reason everything I have with a honda engine gums up faster from ethenol gas than other engines if it isn't run for a few months.


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## hiawassee1

i have a 02 rancher, dont have an idling issue, but just getting it started, have to prime it, but man I havent had any issues with it yet


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## tcward

the r.o.c. said:


> hey jody, my mechanic suggested that i use stay-bil fuel stabilizer in every gallon i use in my mowers. the ethonal is a problem for all of the small engines.  after i started using it in my 21hp it ran better idles better so ive started using it in all my stuff. give it a try. imo it is worth the money.



Great post. Ethanol is a demon in small engines!


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## 308fan

my 350 rancher carb was abused by ethanol! had to get it fixed...

seafoam, stabil, and startron are your friend


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## southernboy2147

all carberated fourwheelers are cold natured... i dont believe you will find one that is not. try cranking a old yamaha, suzuki, or as mention polaris when its below freezing outside... its almost impossible. my brother and i had recons, and i had mine for 6 year until i finally killed it... that is saying something for me. im extremely hard on these things, or use to be... ive sunk it over the handle bars in ponds and creeks, pulled it out drained everthing and it crunk right and and kept on tickin.. its the toughest fourwheeler made imo


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