Im looking for a sport quad for trail riding and i narrowed it down to a couple atvs. the trx400ex ltz400 kfx450r and the raptor 350. i ride in pa so there are coal banks and the hills there are pretty big so i want a quad that could make it up fairly easy. there are some rocks and some mud. so tell me what you think

 

I don't really understand how you came up with your choices, some of them are in different classes from others, but anyway, any of the quads you have picked will climb hills OK, but some will do it better than others. The Raptor 350 is the slowest, weakest of the bunch. The most reliable in my opinion as well as a great trail quad is the 400EX. The LTZ400 is OK, but will drop a valve in a heartbeat if over-revved. The KFX450 is a screamer and made for the track but is right at home on the trails. It would be the topdog out of the 4 you picked with the most power and best suspension. If you wanted a KFX450, why wouldn't you choose between a YFZ450, LTZ450, KFX450, TRX450, DS450, etc, etc? My vote out of the 4 you picked would be the 400EX.

 

Yes, any of those quads will handle PA trails just fine, even many of the bigger hills. Of course the more expensive machines have better power and suspension which will give them a small advantage. Mostly it will be how long it takes to get to the top though. Rider skill and choosing proper lines plays as much into hillclimbs as raw power for the most part.

Raptor450, can you please expand on the LTZ400 dropping valves? That is a pretty stout motor from Suzuki, it has even won the GNC in heavily modified form running against the initial YFZ/TRX platforms. I have never heard of them easily grenading themselves.

 

ok thanks guys

 

Well, recently I bought a '07 LTZ400 with the intention of fixing it and selling it. The engine was in a box because the owner took it apart after it blew up. The reason it blew up, you might ask? Because , wait for it................the valve dropped! After talking to my local ATV engine builder/ATV mechanic, he said 9 out of 10 engine failures on the LTZ400 that come through his shop are from a dropped valve. He said the valve keeper design on that engine is poor, and Suzuki even lowered the rev-limiter RPM adjustment to compensate for this.

 

Fair enough. I would go out on a limb though and say it doesn't happen "in a heartbeat." Between the dirtbike and atv version of this motor, there are tens of thousands out there, many with a lot of hours. This isn't a model I would shy away from. These motors still go longer than a 450 before needing a rebuild. Try paying for 4 or 5 new Ti valves!!!

 

so a 400ex

 

Well, that is true, if the motors are ridden like they are supposed to be ridden then they will probably be OK. It's the one's that hold the throttle wide open for long periods that would have a problem.

What I didn't get to say earlier is that when I bought this LTZ400, I was told it needed a new head because when the valve dropped, it messed up the valve seat. I found out these heads are in high demand because more people had the same problem that mine had. I even found a few heads that were being sold for parts because they had a dropped valve that destroyed the head. I got lucky and was able to install +1mm valves in mine and didn't have to have a new head. Needless to say, I will never buy another one and will never recommend a LTZ400 to a friend.

 

i own a warrior, and took it to trevorton pa coal hills, and i can say it DEFINITELY wont get up those hills, lol, even the medium size ones it fell flat on its face, great trail quad tho, but you're not gonna win any races or climb any hills with it

i'd go for the 400ex or a yfz450 would be my first choice

 

ive got a warrior and take it everywhere wellsville and everything