Just Roll Your Mouse Over a Number for Hints and
Tips on Purchasing a FL-400 Pilot

Take a hard look under the machine. The tie-rods and seat can take a beating from rocks if a skid plate wasn't installed. The front bumper is one of the weakest parts of the Pilot. A simple thin walled tube and plastic skid plate did very little to protect the front frame. Take a close look behind the skid plate for frame damage. There's a good chance that the Pilot was rolled at some time. Stand in front of the Pilot and check for alignment of the cage tubes. Body Plastic. It's hard to replace and expensive. Look for cracks where the body plastic screws to the frame. The most important thing to check is the compression of the engine.Start the engine and warm it up for 10 minutes. Put your compression tester on and it should read between 149 to 156 psi. If not, there are problems. Original shocks were poor performers. You may want to look at a set of "Works" shocks for your Pilot. They're worth the money and give you a better and safer ride. Lift and set the Pilot off its front wheels. Check both the wheel bearings and tie-rod ends for play. Check the brakes for rubbing or failure. Toe in should be 0.43 or 11mm. Tire pressure: 5.1 psi Drive belt system. Check condition of the drive belt, the clutch and driven pulley. Look for burn spots or cracks on the belt and the converter. Examine the rear arms & radius rods for damage. Carefully eyeball the CV drive joints for tears in the rubber boots and general condidtion. Test the rear brake and look for wear and leaks to the system. The Air Box is small on the Pilot and starves the engine for air. You may want to consider upgrading this area. Support the Pilot off the ground and spin both tires to see if they track true. Take a careful look at the rear brake for pad wear.