which is the best for trail riding? i'm 15 (soon to be 16), 5'7" 135lbs.

 

If you can get one without a busted up frame the Z400 is a very good for the money. The Warrior, what I own, would be second. I get to ride both at will and the suspension on the 400 is just much better. The 300 will bore you in a week.

 

Don't worry about a busted frame because most you find will be in excellent shape. The z400 is a lot of quad if you ain't experienced or if you're just stupid and will do anything on a quad before you get used to it. The 300ex is really a proven quad and probably the most reliable. The warrior is another proven trail bike and finally got somewhat of an update this year. It is faster than a 300ex but the z400 will leave them both in your roost and with mods the z is in a whole different league. Good luck and get the z.

 

I have owned all the bikes you mentioned. You are the same height as me, and all the bikes will fit you, but you are on the light side. At 15, you will no doubt put on more weight, and probably some more height, so you want a bike you can grow into, but don't want to get something so big that you are in over your head.

The Warrior handles heavy (to heavy for a 135 pounder), so don't even go there. The 300 fits you now, but you will outgrow it. So, my pick would be the Z. In another post you said you are coming off a Badger, so there is a big difference between that and a 400. Just take it real easy, until you get real use to the bike!!

 

I'm the same weight as you but slightly taller. And I'm not very stong by any means. I have no trouble steering a Warrior. The Warrior has plenty of power to keep you satisfied for a long time. I'd take the Warrior for it's reliability and fairly good power. The Z may be great in performance, but in reliability it doesn't look too great yet. If Suzuki would put a real frame on it that wouldn't crack I would have one of those for sure. But if you're moving to your first sport bike, I doubt you're going to be wanting to spend tons of money fixing it as soon as you get it and hit a jump. I will now be pummeled by every Z/KFX rider in the forums. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Thanks everyone. I think i will go with the z400. By the time a save for either of the 3 i mentioned i will be, most likely, taller and heavier. Thanks again for the advice, it was exactly what i was looking for.

 

I don't think you'll be pummeled if all the other z and kfx owners are like me they've heard this frame issue posted enough times that we simply don't care any more. All the posts ain't about someone who got a cracked frame they are from people saying well I b]heard[/b] the z's frames crack easy. The few frames that have cracked were posted a long time ago and everyone that was against the z quickly jumped on it for the frame crack. After awhile members just read a post and saw someone had said 400z's have frame problems and they automatically became z400 experts. Every post they gave about z400's from then these people will state the z's have bad frames. Most are not from experience, they don't own a z, there friends don't own a z, so it's strickly heresay what you guys are posting. I'll admit some owners did post that they cracked a frame or they had a friend with a cracked frame but what manufacturer hasn't ever cracked a frame somewhere if they were riding aggresivily. Even if and I mean if you got a lemon and say you got a crack, it is going to cost you, if you know somebody that can weld, maybe $200 at most to have your frame gusetted. On this particular post we're talking about a 300ex, warrior, and z so to get out of a warrior or 300ex what a z has in power just in stock form, it would take major money to get them to the z. That's not counting the great z handling and comfort. The frame is the only liability question on the z and to me that was just a couple of early lemons out of the manufacurer. The 2004 z400 and kfx's will be out before long and if you worry about this first year for the z wait a few months for the 2004 and they'll really have strenthened the frames. Or they will have made sure all suzuki employees go over the frames and the welds more carefully to make sure none leave the factory with a problem.

 

I never claimed to be a Z expert. I was fully set on buying a Z or KFX until I started reading about the frame problems. Now I'm considering the 400ex. But I agree, if they do something to fix the frames in 2004, it'll be practically perfect.

 

i would have to go with mudslinger400z on this one considering he has a z400. i'm really not too worried about the frame (strong or weak). for one thing i've heard more people, with the z400, not complain about frame problems than people complaining about problems. I just want to have fun riding around with my friends and such and i think the frame it has now can handle that.