Looking to buy first bike, any recomondations? Im thinking about getting 400ex but i dont like the fact that it is air-cooled, how much will this matter? Getting bike to ride trail, open area, and dirt roads in vt.

 

I have owned both. Of the two, the Z is probably the better all-around machine, and the EX is probably the better pure trail machine.

I pick the EX for tight more technical trails. Along with its brother the 300EX, it is the best trail quad of all time! It has an engine that will lug down and doesn't mind being ridden slowly through nasty stuff. You can just put it in 1st gear and it will idle along picking its way through the rocks. I don't know how hot it gets in Vermont, but it is going to be in the 90's here this weekend and I have no problem riding an air cooled 400EX in that weather, providing I am running some 15W50 oil.

The Z and its clones like to rev, so I pick it for the faster more open trails, and wide open country. It makes a great trail bike, but you just have to do more annoying clutch work in the slow technical stuff.

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I agree with reconranger ....

The 400ex is better for slow technical trails.... I ride with a guy who has a 400ex, and I cannot be behind him in the woods because I am constantly reaching for the clutch... When I get in front of him, I can keep up my speed better (where possible) and keep the RPMs up.......

I suppose by dropping the front sprocket one tooth, you could ride the z400 slow enough in the tight stuff and keep the RPMs higher..... but the 400ex just loves to rumble along in the slow stuff........

 

do a search on this. this thread comes up about 10 times a week

 

I have a 400ex and a z400 the ex is a traktor lots od bottom end grunt.
the z you need to really rev to find its power which is way maore than my ex
as for the air cooled water cooled issue, dont worry about that

 

Thanks for the helps guys, i think im gonna get a new 05 400ex, for 3,900. But i still havent made up my mind.

 

does the 05 have reverse? I have thought about selling my 99ex and getting one with reverse

 

Yes the 05 does come with reverse.

 

The 400ex is a great bike for anything, i would go with the honda simply because it has been around for a long time and has proven itself over and over.

 

i got a 02 400ex such an awsome quad cause i found that on trails i dont really have to be busting my *** on high revving it. the Z400 is real nice too but stay away from the low 2000 versions i heard a while ago they had frame problems