MX? -or- Trail bike?
Starter bike? -or- Pro bike?

 

I rode a Warrior for years. I wouldn't ride a Warrior again if somebody gave me one for free. The Raptor 350 makeover is long overdue! It is worth waiting to see what the new bike has to offer.

 

trail bike
not a starter bike and deffinatley not a pro bike some where in between

 

I would seriosely look into the new raptor 350. Its replacing the warrior. It should handle better, be a bit faster, and overal looks awesome. But the original warrior is a trail bike. Its more of a begginer than a pro bike. The power is more of a pro but the handling and suspension is for a begginer. I would perfer the new raptor 350 or a 300ex. The ex is more of a overal better bike than the warrior.

 

i would also take a look at the raptor 350. its just an updated version of the warrior. the warrior is a trail machine and not a starter as has been mentioned

 

wow! that raptor 350 looks hot.

 

I have a Warrior. It was my first quad, though I've ridden friends quads and bikes for years.

I just gave it to my wife, who had never ridden an ATV in her life. She's only got a couple rides on it, but I would say it is about perfect for a beginner at just about everything. I've had the thing in every condition available in the northwest, mud, steep hills, sand, and rocks. The thing is a tank, it can go basically anywhere. The weight bias is to the front, and while it has sufficient power, it doesn't have a ton of it, so flipping it over on yourself is virtually impossible unless you stand on the grab bar. This comes in REALLY handy on steep hills.

Now for the complaints. Reverse can be more trouble than it's worth. I've had it stuck in reverse a couple times, and it took about 5 minutes of rocking, clutching, and spurring to get the damn mule back in a forward direction again. Also, I don't know if it was because my jetting was set too lean or what, but at the Oregon coast, I was having problems with overheating. I think it was jetted at a higher elevation before I purchased it (used).

All in all, this quad kicks butt at virtually anything for a novice rider, and you can really wake it up with just an exhaust and a cam. As for the reverse thing, at least the reverse lever is mounted on the right side of the bike...The EX has it on the left side of the bike, and to engage reverse requires a Saturday Night Fever move. Plan on installing the eight-track on the gas tank before your first ride. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

I'd also recommend the 400ex. It doesn't have reverse, but it has a lot more power, much better suspension, and the weight bias is a little further to the rear, so wheelies are actually possible.

Good luck, and have fun!

 

Ryan, you took the words right out of my mouth. Now I don't have to type it all. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img] Your description of the Warrior is the same as mine always is.