While riding with my buddies this weekend, we came upon another group of guys, one of which was on a 2004 400EX. I've been thinking about acquiring one this summer, but this pretty much put me over the top; those things look like a blast. I picked up a local trader and saw a completely stock 2002 listed as $2200 obo. Does this machine more than likely have a ridiculous amount of miles on it, been beaten to hell and back or is there any chance that it's just a genuinely-good deal? There were similiar "good deals" in there, but I just listed this one. What is more than likely the story on a 400EX for that price? Also, the guy seemed to think that a rider of my build (6 foot, 145-150lbs.) would have a problem dealing with the power of even a stock 400 and suggested the 300. I would much rather have the 400 unless it's absolutely going to kick my @$$. Any input on that? Thanks!

 

Don't settle for a 300ex go for the 400ex........u will be glad u did.........$2,200 seems cheap for a 02 ex

 

You should defiently go with the 400ex. Im 5'9" 155 and the 400ex is not to powerful. Im even thinking about selling it to get something with more power like the 450r.

 

i got my 01 400ex for 2500. no joke this thing looks new. the paint on the bottom of the frame is hardly scratched. the guy that bought it new rode in a field behind his house. its hard to tell by price what condition the quad is in. look it over, its easy to tell how it was riden by how the paint looks. check the condition of the oil in the quad. are the tires origional. so on and so on.

 

it isnt too powerful, im 6'0 140 and i can handle it just fine

 

He said you can be doing 60 down the road and hit a bump and the front end will start to climb on you. If there is any truth to that, that would seem like a very scary event. Does the front end ever come up when you absolutely do not want it to? If you lean forward off a dead start and pop the clutch, like for a drag race, will it come up then?

 

The front end doesn't come up that easily. You can bring it up easily if you want to - but not like it's out of control the way this guy makes it sound. About the only time I ever have trouble keeping mine down is when I drag race, that's usually when it grabs a little more dirt than I expect it to.

 

So the only time it would ever come up and flip over is if you pull a hard wheelie and continue to give it throttle? Can you climb really steep hills safely by leaning forward?

 

Yes and Yes - Also, climbing steep hills just takes some experience ( I don't claim to be the most experienced [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] ). One of the biggest mistakes I've seen guys make hill climbing is trying to stand up and lean forward - which raises the center of gravity and over they go - have to keep your rear on the seat.

 

You couldn't lift the front wheels of a 400ex off the ground in anything higher than 3rd gear unless you tugged really, really hard even on pavement. The bike doesn't have the power to lift the front-end like some crotch rockets do. The only gear you can be guaranteed of lifting the front end is 1st gear. Rolling along, it would be difficult (but not impossible) to flip the bike over even in 2nd gear.

My girlfriend is 5'5" and 120lbs max and she has been riding the 400ex since 2001. She has never brought the front-end over except coming out of a creek once going up a bank that was almost virgin territory (even this was her fault and she later did it with no problem). She has been up and down every black trail at Hatfield McCoy except one black trail that has a 20' section that you have to walk the quad up with a rope attached.

Don't even think about a 300ex for your size.

/Jon