yea you could get a warrior for that much, its a bulletproof bike, and it rocks on trails.
Ive never taken my quad to the dunes so i couldnt tell you how it likes them.

 

October '03 I purchased a LT250R. I was just getting back into the sport and wanted something sporty and fast w/o spending a fortune. This bike has been an excellent choice. Something like a 400EX or Warrior would be a good place to start also. Maybe the question you should ask yourself is this, Do I like to powerslide or wheelie more? The two strokes will spin the rear tires so eaasily it is rediculous. On the other hand, 4 strokes are generally a bit easier to pull wheelies. Either way you should be able to find something in your price range that will keep up with your buddies.

 

how does that work? I understand that 4 strokes have generally more torque than 2 strokes if im not correct. but if your tires spin crazy it would be because you have bad tires or not enough weight on them or a bit of both right?

What i mean is if you have good tires on a 2 strokes that spins tires wont it just wheelie like crazy instead of spinning tires? and if you have bald tires on a 4 stroke wont it spin like crazy?

 

FoxSpirits, Tires have a bit to do with it, but I would say it is more how the power is delivered. When a 2 stroke"comes on the pipe" the exhaust essentially acts like a supercharger and produces a hit of power. Also you are getting a power pulse twice as often as a four stroke, so it takes a larger 4 stroke engine to produce the same power anyway. The new 450s have the power delivery, but realistically, the bikes he is looking at are not going to produce the same HP numbers w/o some serious engine work, if ever. Someone else might have some hard HP and Torque numbers, But I would say that the average 250 racer of old probably is making at least 30-35 HP with minimal mods. Add to that they are usually around 340/350 pounds ready to roll. Lighter, more powerful, and a harder edge to the power delivery are all going to add up to spinning tires baby! On the other hand, take something like a Warrior or 400EX that has less HP, delivers it a bit more leisurely, and weighs a good bit more to boot. These bikes are more tractable and are more likely to wheelie. All of the sport bikes mentioned in this thread are capable of spinning/sliding and wheelies. Some just tend more towards one than the other(in general)

 

she has been very good about me and my toys. she didn't say a word when i bought a new 29' Fountain offshore race boat or a new donzi sweet 16 speed boat or spent $30k in guns in the last 2 years. so...... now she wants some new furniture for the new house. i have to give her a break some where. if she wasn't so good about everything else, then it'd be go time for her, but she puts up with a lot and asks for very little.

 

Get yourself a Mojave

 

a warrior is a good idea but don't rule out a 400ex right away considering honda is a very reliable brand.you could find a 300ex 400ex warrior blaster and maybe a banshee if u raise ur range a little bit. Also do u want a 2 stroke 4 stroke and wat do u think is the most important features to have on the quad. Is handling important suspension over reverse. Make a very specific list of wat u want and find the quad in ur price range that has most of wat u want

 

I just got a '03 cannondale cannibal with an extra set of rims and studded tires and the D&M kit. i paid $3400. the wife made a deal. she said i could buy what ever i wanted, but she got to spend the same amount on new furniture for the new house. nice deal, but kept me from spending too much. just have to work a few bugs out of it. it sat too long and wasn't run for 6 months or more.