I did some looking around and couldn't find a lot of info in regards to this.

I'm mostly wanting to know about frame, suspension, and overall handling differences. When it comes to the motor and transmission differences I not concerned about that.

Thanks!

Ted

 

i do believe the differences in the frames are that the 300ex has square tubing, which isnt as rugged at round tubing. square frame isnt as strong as round tubing, thats why all the high performance quads use round tubing. sispension on the 300 compared to the 400... 300 has decent trail capabilities but the 400ex's are mor superior. on the 400 they have more travel in the front and the rear. when honda produced the 400ex all of the other ATV companies took notice and pretty much duplicated its frame. durability wise for either maching i havent heard of much failure when riding trails, but when people get stupid on little quads thats when the front shock mounts break. the 400ex just handles better than a 300 with its wider stance, and better front suspension. hope this helps

 

square tubing is stronger than round. its harder to work with than round thats why all the new quads dont use it. those japanese crank them out as quickly and cheaply as possible. as for handling the 400 is superior by far. more suspension travel, better shocks, wider longer wheelbase. i still say the 400ex is one of the best stock handling quads made.

 

im no expert welder, but there are quite a few pro fabricators in the family so ive been around welding shops all my life. from what i can gather, or maybe having a serious brain fart right now(pro fabbers please correct me if i am wrong), it really depends on the metal being used and quality of the welding beads involved with the frame to qualify for 'stronger' or not.

In theory, a round tube is supposed to be stronger, but that's theory. if the metal is too thin and round then it will break faster than a square tube frame that is made of higher tensil strength. yes, square is harder to workwith but for some reason when aluminum is in the mix it is often done square. notice the top a-arms on the YFZ and new raptor are square tubed aluminum? why not round, if round is superior? the cannondales' aluminum frames were in large part "sqaure" and on the motcross bikes, what do you see - alot of 'square' geometry.

the aftermarket uses round alot b/c they can make them faster like the oems and sell faster which equals more $$$ faster....

all 250Rs and 300EX's had/have square tube frames. the 86 frame on the 250r is said to be the strongest b/c it has gussets and stuff from the factory. however, most hardcore jumpers and motocrossers have broken/cracked their 250R's frame over time. what period of time you may wonder, i cant answer that. mine is still fine after 20yrs. but im not a pro motocrosser but i am the 3rd owner and there is no evidence of re-welds anywhere. i guess it was well taken care of; it was in pristine condition when i bought it.

as far as 300EX vs 400EX, its almost red apples vs green apples in a sense. the 300 is, to me, a better trail/beginner bike. but i like both bikes and have fun on either but the 400 is faster and does everything the 300 does but a little better(especially since the 400 now has reverse). the 300 is still a fun bike. you can ride it all day and never get tired or break a sweat... its just effortless to ride and it loves tight, twisty trails. jumps surpisingly well too....but i think i liked its predecessor, the 250X better. it was lighter and seemed peppier.

 

It's funny you mention the 250X. I use to ride my cousin's '87 250X back in the 90's and a few years ago I rode his younger brother's 400ex. Now, I'm older and weigh more now but the 250X seemed to be more fun to ride and easier to throw around. Was wondering if that was just in my mind or if it was a more fun quad over that of the 400ex. Granted, the 400ex has more power but it was hard to get off of a fully upgraded exhuast Raptor and then hope on the 400ex for the power difference was drastic. I still liked how the 400ex handled over that of the Raptor.

 

well the 300ex is very tippy.the suspesion is way to soft.

 

about 2000$$$$$$[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

I have a 300EX and have ridden a 400EX a few times. The 400 has better suspension, size and power, but no reverse. Seeing as we have always had a Blaster in the family, to me that's no big deal. But the 300EX is a really nice quad too, great on trails.

But this guy sums it up better than any one. It SHOULD be better!!!