Well that's good to know that your buddy has no issues with the bike and he's my size. That was the only thing I was worried about because I see people that weigh a lot less than me that are riding machines this size or bigger. It sounds like that bike is perfect size for me. Sounds like it'll be a machine that I won't "outgrow" looking for more speed once I get to be a more experienced rider. I'm mainly riding on dirt trails that are not really rocky at all and sometimes have sand also so I think I'll be good as far as clearance goes. I am going to want to buy a 4x4 though for my cabin in Vermont once I get more experienced with riding but that'll not be for another year most likely. I will make sure I avoid making an impulse buy. I am not really in a rush to purchase one. As long as I have one for April or so I'll be happy. It's very cold around here at the moment so I would not be doing any riding unless it snows anyways. Ahhh man I'm completely hooked on ATV's and I don't even own one yet LOL!

 

The ltr450 is a great bike, efi is awesome and spot on. If you buy one and it dont have a cherry bomb chip, get one. It is a factory chip, it unlocks more power, when imported to usa they have to detune them for emissions, this simple plug in chip opens it up. I ride my 450 aggressive and see 25mpg every time.

Here is a awesome suzuki only forum. http://www.ltr450hq.com/

I hope you find a nice bike, they are well worth it. There is no speedo so its hard to tell mileage but if the paint it wore off where your feet rub the side of the frame, find a different one.

 

When it comes to 4x4 definitely look into Can-am outlander bike. I was a brand loyal diehard arctic cat atv rider untill I rode a can-am.

 

Yeah I've actually been looking at them a decent amount. In Vermont my cabin is pretty much dead in the middle of mountains so the terrain is a lot different than where I live. It can get pretty rough from what I've seen and there's a bunch of logging roads that go through the mountains that I'd love to explore. I think I would be asking for trouble by riding something that's not 4x4 on those trails. Seems like I would need a good amount of clearance to not end up getting stuck.

You've really got me liking those Suzuki's. I think I'm going to head to my local dealer which is both Honda and Suzuki and get a feel for the 400ex,ltr450 and ltz400. I should be able to get an idea of how they feel even though I would be getting an older model. I'll let you know how it goes when I get back!

 

Ask them if you can take them for a test drive, you dont have to tell them your not buying new.

 

You said, "(Rhode Island but am willing to travel to pretty much anywhere in RI,MA,CT and NH for a purchase)." I've ridden in ME, NH, and VT, mostly NH and ME and I can tell you that you might want to consider a 4x4. I had a Kawasaki Lakota 300 as the first quad I bought. On New England trails you're going to see mud, water, rocks, and nasty rocky hill climbs. While you can get through most of the above with a 2wd and momentum there are lots of places that the 2wd will not get you through. When I went to the 4x4 my son got the 2wd. He's aggressive but we still found ourselves pulling out the 2wds about a half dozen times per ride. There have been a couple spots where we got 4wds stuck pretty deep. You don't see too many 2wds out on the trails in our area. Renegade 500 or 800 will give you plenty of sportiness while having the 4wd that comes in so handy here. The 800 is crazy fast and will pull wheelies at will. The 500 is a bit more controllable but won't wheelie quite as easily.