i have a kodiak 450 and an ozark and i want a sport quad now. ive narrowed it down to the 400ex,z400,300ez or something else. i rly like both 400's. ill be riding mostly trails and everynow and then a sandpit. im 5'7 and 140lbs. oh and another thing this would be my first quad with a clutch. and help would be great!

 

I vote for the Suzuki

 

I wouldnt get the 400ex when you could get the suzuki liquid cooled with reverse for the same price.They say in dirt wheels that the frames on the suzuki are not very good though.

 

Yeah I've heard that starting to pop up too. I saw a guy last weekend when I went riding, had a z. He had the frame gusseted on it, he showed me all the spots they reinforced on it. He said the shock mounts were gusseted, and the steering head or whatever its actual name it was reinforced. They also added to below the motor mounts and a piece to fill in to open spot up front, behind the shock towers. Guess if you wreck them hard or love to catch big air its cheap insurance.

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]Just go the suzuki site and scroll through the frame problems it is scary,Suzuki claims 2004 will be fixed , I too am torn between honda 400ex and z 400, honda is quality but jeez water cooled would be nice and no reverse which is no big deal to me and good time to buy 400ex with new yammy comin out and all price should be dropping again,Decisions decisions.

 

Have you looked at the Pred at all? They are very nice bikes, I love mine to death. Do wish it had reverse though. Besides that, Even with Suzuki's frame problems, I would still take a z over an ex. There just isn't any compelling reasons to buy a 400ex anymore, imo.

 

two words yfz 450. its an awsome bike.

 

i am sure the price of the 400ex, a great quad, has just droped. find a good used one and buy it. wait a year or two, maybe sell it and get most or all your money back and see which new quad can compare to the honda.

 

I don't know what's really the big deal about the watercooling on a four stroke quad. Anyway those 400ex Engine ( Even being oil-cooled) are invincible. I never ridden one of them but I don't really trust Suzuki since my ol' quadsport was crap (the Z is new thought). The Z is more powerful and has reverse (Great if you do lots of trail riding).

 

Of all the quads I've ridden in training, the most surprising and impressive is the big Kaw 700. I expect great MX-type performance from the YZF. Of the 3 you listed, I'm partial to the Z400. Closest to my heart is my LT250R, but 2 strokes are "a horse of a different color," quoth the Wizard of Oz.