I want to buy a quad to start racing in novice(local) events just to see if i like it. My plan was to get the machine spend a few months getting some experience riding it and then try a few novice races. I'm not looking to be a world champ or anything. I wiegh 220 but am in very good physical condition. What would be a good quad to buy? So far I have thought about 250R, Raptor, Z400 or 400ex

 

250R, for sure... 2-stroke mods are cheaper, and parts are very readily available for it. If youre not into 2 strokes get a 400EX...(Im a Honda guy!) Those 2 quads are proven champions.

 

Motocross racing I would go with a 250r (light and cheap to hop up)
woods or harescramble, I would go with a 400ex or a z400. (easier to ride in the woods unless you like the rip of a 2-stroke).
These are my opinions the big thing is which you are more comfortable on a 2 or a 4 stroke?
I have a 91 lt250r suzuki 250r set-up for harescrambles if your looking for a quad that stands out. It doesn't handle like a honda but it has a little more power. /if interest e-mail me at lt250r91@netzero.net

 

400EX is a good choice. The 250R is not a bad choice either, but remember they are getting very old and if you are not careful you could end up with a real piece of junk. Realize, I am not bashing 250R's, but I have seen people who just have to have a 250R and then all they do is wrench on them.

I don't know what your price range is, but what about Cannondale? A friend of mine has a MOTO-440 and it is a great quad. A couple people I know have recently been racing Cannondales and all of them have said they are really impressed.

The 2 stroke vs. 4 stroke war is slowly going to be put to bed. Granted, displacement for displacement it may never be an even match. However, the new Cannondale motor, YZF and CRF motor are all just as powerful as the 250 MX bikes. Also, 4 strokes are more forgiving for most riders. If I had any complaint about racing my EX it would be the engine braking it will wear you out if you don't learn to ride in the torque range. 2 strokes are great bikes, but you have to adopt an abusive style to ride them properly slipping the clutch and keeping them screaming.


I do agree it is cheaper to mod a 2 stroke, but realize you shouldn't get to hung up on a quad that is never going to be made again. If you get used to riding a 4 stroke now it will help you later...When, there are now more 250R parts or bikes.

 

If you're planning on racing MX, DON'T get a Raptor. The 400ex takes more money to get it up to "racing speed". Although ultimately it all comes down to rider, not quad. The Z400 is nice but the first year models have some axle problems, which may not really matter since most racers buy aftermarket axles. The Cannondales have awesome power out of the box but the stock Holeshots on the Cannibal/Speed/Blaze grab a LOT in the corners which make it kind of tippy.

The 400ex has proven reliability, good handling, and decent shocks.
The Z400 still has some proving to do, has great handling, but the shocks kind of suck.
The Cannondale has been very reliable for me so far, has great handling, and great shocks.

The 400ex seems to be the top choice so far but that might just be because there wasn't anything else to choose from besides the double digit old 250R.
The Z400 doesn't seem to be as popular as I expected it to be. I've only seen one so far on the track and I go to different tracks all the time.
The Cannondale is slowly getting more popular. It takes a while for people to trust them or even hear about them. If you look at the GNC results, you'll notice more and more Cannondales. Although there seems to be less the farther you go down the skill level. Don't really know why.

Some people won't want to hear this, but a 440ex isn't much faster than a Cannondale. It's close enough that out of the gate, a better rider could easily be the deciding factor. On the rest of the track the rider is pretty much always the deciding factor. If you're into MX, the cannondale would be the best choice IMO. Plus it has lots of power and speed... nice for those days that you just want to drag race your buddies and make them feel bad [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img].

 

Does a 400ex or even 440ex have enough power to be competitive at all. That would certainly be my first choice from a cost/maintenance point of view but I was worried since I weigh 220? Please help. Also how much of a maintenance nightmare is a 250R going to be. I was also planning to do some recreational riding/practice with the same quad.

 

Also, why is a raptor bad? Handling?

 

The 400EX in either 416 or 440 is capable of being very competitive. I have pulled holeshots even with a bad jump against R's and raptors. Maintenance wise the 250R is getting old so that can be a problem. However, be warned a highly tuned 4 stroke can be a maintenance headache far worse than any 2 stroke.

400EX's are awesome machines when modified, but they can get very expensive. Mine and several of my friends have all split the cases at least once. It is a counterbalancer problem or crank problem that causes them. The rods will break if you run a 440 with high compression. The stock valves are 2 piece and can drop (trust me I know!). Racing is very expensive and if you stick with it you will break things you can't even imagine. I once sheared a main clutch shaft in half on a CR125...don't ask me how.

 

If your racing local you don't need a 416,440 kit. 250r quads in my book are the best quads and alot of money. The 400ex is a very good race quad thats what i would go with. Motor mods you don't need right now,go to some local races and try it out(what ever quad you get) and see if you like it. If you can't ride it pinned why motor mod it! The 1st mod I would do is get the shocks set up for racing. Anybody can go fast in a straight line it's the corners,and jumps thats were you will win races. I would get 18" tires on the back,k/n filter run without the airbox lid and play with the jetting until it run right. Before spending alot of money and thinking that you don't like to do this. Thats my 2 cents.

 

Zorgman gives excellent advice if you're new to racing. Try it first and see if it's something you want to do. Racing is expensive. Zorgman is exactly right, rider talent wins races not the fastest machine. All the machines you listed will do just fine in your first year of racing.
If you're interested I have a sweet '88 250r for sale with all the extras. This one hasn't been raced, just dune ridden. Have pictures if interested. Good luck to ya.