i dont understand why its such a big deal! so what if the 400ex is air cooled, less maintenance and possible problems. and the machine is only on its 4th year of production. yea, it dont have reverse which granted it would be handy. i think that some company should make an after market tranny fer the 400ex that has reverse and a 6th gear. and how long you think the kfx400 and z400 will be in production before they will jump into a new design? and yamaha to fer that matter. just because we dont have the biggest and fastest dont mean we dont have the best! just some late night ramblings, nathan.

 

You cannot make an 'aftermarket tranny' for such a machine.
The tranny is part of the motor... the motor is part of the tranny. You cannot add reverse.

The 400EX is a great machine, (ive owned 2 in the past) but its time for Honda to update its top notch sport quad.

"just because we dont have the biggest and fastest dont mean we dont have the best!"

Are you saying that you think the 400EX is the best sport quad available?

 

im sure you could add reverse to a tranny but it would be more money and time than worth it
when you can just get off the quad and push it around

talking about aftermarket trannys i always thought it would be cool it some company
machined new case halfs for a cr500 or cr250 to add a counterbalnacer and mount up
to 400ex or 250r motor mounts now that would be cool

 

No you cant add reverse to a 400ex, The transmission is designed into the engine cases, Since no reverse was intended there are no places to put in the gears and shafts needed for reverse.

 

We Honda loyalists have long enjoyed the best of all 3 worlds; performance, quality and innovation. The technology and resulting performance curve is rising very steeply now, and with every passing model year the 400ex is more of a dinosaur in those departments. The new YZF is as far ahead of the ex as the first 400ex was ahead of the way-old-school Blaster. That is why we are frustrated, disappointed and READY FOR WHAT"S NEXT from Honda sport quads. The 400ex is good, it just isn't great by comparison any more.

 

When was this, the eighties?!?! Hondawg has been trailing the other ATV companies for some time now, in the first and third department that you listed. They are just finally catching up now. Granted, the Rubicon and Rincon are hi-tech and rock solid, but they aren't dominant in their respective classes. The 400EX was never dominant in any class (IMHO). The 400EX is a great sportquad, but Honda just made a quad version of the 350X with it. They should have come out with that machine back in '87 when they were switching from trikes to quads. Nothing special there.

I only wish that Honda would put half the effort into quads that they put into MX machines...

 

Honda will have the last laugh!

 

I worked for HONDA [cars] for 14 years and HONDA m/c for 3 years and I dont understand the holdup. I mean, when they said they were leaving CART and giving up, the next year they have an IRL car running. They said it would take 3 years...
So they have the capability... granted the 400ex is a good quad, but its getting long in the tooth...could they be watching govt legislation? theyre really good at that. Or perhaps there's a very large warehouse somewhere thats still full of em. Or they sell like crazy everywhere but here...I dont know man.
The conduct is unusual for Honda.
But if you are a Honda die hard, 'trust the force Luke'
Sometimes in the past it took Soichiro a while to get up to speed, but when he did.......[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

OMG you guys have resorted to considering adding aftermarket trannys for reverse. You know...i came over to check up on you guys after another New quad got released. I'll hand it to you guys...your fn loyal. adding reverse trannies though...i almost wet my pants.

your new quad is comin folks. your next. hang in there.

regardless...these are great times. im like a kid in a candy store. i don't know what to get! its definately time to get ride of the 01 raptor and 01 warrior. i don't want to jump into another first year model but the YZF450 looks so sweet. and Honda's got to release something...they've got to. z400 ,kFX400,predator, yzf450 nice quads all.

 

I have been hearing alot about a 600EX for next Summer. And all I have been hearing good things about it.
They say it will be a Liquid cooled and will have a 6 speed and it will also be a twin Cylinder 4 Stroke.