(Sorry for the repost, i didnt realize there was a section for newbs [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img])

So I'm just getting into the sceen and am a little lost. I have been reading for only about a week and i cant figure out what kinda quad i should get for both me and my old lady.

Im a 6'3" 220lb guy and my wife is a 5'5" 150lbs. So i was thinking about the 450r for me and the 400ex for her.(mind you this will be our first time on a bike for the both of us.) Now ive read both sides for the 450r saying its a terrible trail machine(which is what my wife wants) or that its a GREAT trail machine so long as your know how to clutch and/or moderate the throttle. I also hear that the 450r is about as fun as it gets on the straights(which is what i really wanna do.)

Now its pretty much unanimus(sp?) that the 400ex is an ideal starter quad for trails, so im not soooo much confused about that one, other then a lot of ppls recomend the ltz400 over the 400ex. I soppose we will infact do a lot of trail riding because the wife lets me get away with a lot, so a lot of us getting into quads is for her. But you better belive ill take my quad which ever it is to the dunes or something where i can open it up! it just may not be as often as say the trails. To wrap things up, im asking what all of you recomend?

Please bare in mind that im a first time rider, and for referance i live in Suprise AZ which is about 2 hours from the dunes and about 1.5 hours to anywhere else. thx for the advice!!!

 

i never thought of the 400ex as a starter quad.not long ago it was the king of the 4 strokes.

now it is reduced to a starter trail bike?

i dont know what sort of bike is good a for a girl. i got mine a lame underpowerd full auto polaris. i hate it but she loves it.i dont know what kind of woman yours is .

if i was in the market for a new sport bike. i would get that bad azz suzuki 450 thing. that is the best new bike i ever seen.

 

GiJoe i'm just down the road rom ya. At the bottom of the white tanks.I'm choosing between the 450r,yzf450 & the 660 raptor. Still doing research.

good luck

 

I like the R for the open desert, and the EX for a tight trail. The R frame handles great on a trail, but it is geared tall so you have to work the clutch in the slow stuff (or just go faster than you want to!). The R is the king of desert endurance racing, so that is all I ever needed to know about it.......! The EX is a great all-around machine, which does well in the desert, but it's motor doesn't mind being lugged down and ridden slow, so that's why I choose it for a tight trail quad.

The Z400 is probably the best all-around machine on the market. It falls somewhere between the R and the EX. It likes to rev and run, but you can trail ride it too. The engine hops up nicely with just a few simple mods.......

If you are a beginner, start out on the 400 for a while, and then when you have things down move up to the R.