OK, lets start with my requirements:
4-stroke
Reverse
Working head and tail lamps
Budget of around $1.5-$2k each, (1 for me, 1 for wife/teenage daughter)

About me:
Older guy (approaching 40)
Only ridden utility quads (Polaris 500's) a couple of times
Not interested in racing, jumping, etc . . just looking to have a good time on the trails. Not a big mud fan

About the trails:
North and central Wisconsin . .95% dry and sandy . . .some rocky/hilly terrain

Currently have a 96 300ex and a 97 Warrior on the radar. The 300ex has very low hours, in awesome condition, runs well, bone stock
The Warrior has been bored 40 over and jetted and is in excellent condition.

Buying these 2 with a trailer gets me in under my budget and appears to be a nice mix of reliablility, upgradeability, and performance.

Will I regret not getting a 400 right away? I don't see getting out a ton and improving my skills to the point where I'm dying for more speed/performance. Any thoughts? Any reservations about buying 10-11 year old quads even if they appear in great condition? Should I be looking elsewhere?

Thanks

 

I rode a Warrior for years...back in the day. Got to say that it was the worst machine of all the quads I have owned. It just handles heavy and kind of clunkey. I never liked the ergonomics, and it has an absolutely ancient engine. It has been bored out, so that tells you it probably has lots of miles on it. Some quads (like the 400EX) will actually make you a better rider...not so with the Warrior. Pass this one up! If you pick it anyway, then you deserve to have to deal with its ridiculous air box, and chain adjustment.

The 300EX is a superb machine. Now that my kids are older, I wish I had kept mine. It's the best tight trail quad of all time. Should make an excellent choice for the wife and daughter, if they are on the smaller side. It handles well, has descent suspension, is easy to handle, and is dead solid reliable. Has a fully manual left hand clutch...like an honest sport quad should!

Only negative on the 300 is the stock tires are way lame. You will want to replace them first thing, if that is what is still on it.

 

Thanks for the input.

The plan is to get my 14 year old daughter riding quads and it sounds like the Honda line is right up our alley.

 

If she absolutely isn't willing to lean a fully manual left hand clutch, then the Honda 250EX is a good choice (it has an autoclutch). Its disadvantage over the 300EX is that it has shorter suspension travel because it is shaft drive, but the 250 has an advantage in more technical terrain (it will do anything a 2wd utility will do).

Sounds like you are limiting yourself to used (???). If not, Yamaha has an all new Raptor 250 coming out for 08, that promises to give the 250-300 class some competition!

 

lets just say we like the input reconranger supplies. but hes more honda biased . The old warroir is a decent machine . being bored over it might have alot of miles but its been recently rebuilt so its kinda young in a way. I grew up with kids back in the day with warriors. yes they are no 400 style machine of today but they are ok.



just get what u can afford.

 

I have to agree more with Reconranger on the Warrior. Not a bad quad, but one with a bad suspension. And it being 10 years old, probably a beaten one too.

Plus, the two you listed don't have reverse.

Welcome to the forums Sewerrat. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

In any case, I don't think there is a sane person on the planet who will not agree that the 400's are superior to the Warrior. Trouble is, in your price range you aren't going to find a 400EX with reverse (they added reverse only recently), and the Z400 came along later so there aren't so many really old ones on the market just yet.

You said you are "not interested in racing, jumping,...", but it is precisely the fact that the higher end sport quads can do this that makes them such superb handling machines! A little jumping is good for the soul!

 

No reverse, really?

Both the specs listed by the seller state reverse. I wonder if the seller is mistaken.

I'm not 100% convinced this hobby will stick, so I want to start with a low investment and build up if we really get into it. I also have a 6 year daughter that can be the heir apparant to a machine should I feel the need to upgrade.
My biggest thing is I want reliability . . nothing like driving a couple hours to hit some trails, etc and end up spending the whole weekend wrenching on the machine or spending bucks to get em fixed.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: sewerrat

No reverse, really?</end quote></div>

No, that was my mistake. They do have reverse. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img]

Thinking of a different model. That's what I get for thinking.

 

As far as reliability goes, the Honda is going to be your best bet. Pretty much gas and go. Minimal maintenance, long lasting machines.

What area are you looking in? Could make a difference in pricing. Down here in Texas, they ask top dollar for them. But I have seen the same quad sell for up to 1000 less in other parts of the country.