The point ain't about being lazy, heck I work 60 or more hour weeks, weight train, run, and train kids martial arts and I don't like no quad with the exception of a full race quad to not have reverse. Sure I can lift the end around (I can lift almost the entire sport quads) but for over $5000 I shouldn't have to. As for saving weight, yeah it does but remember the z400 kfx400 are as light as the 400ex and they have reverse. I do agree I wouldn't really care about reverse at all if I didn't live in these darn rainforests we have here in the East. The guys that say who needs reverse haven't seen this stuff around here. I've been in a 100 foot (I'll call it a hole) long trail that I couldn't even turn my quad around in one spot. I guess if I hadn't had reverse I would have had to have pushed the damn thing all the way out. I'll admit situations like that are very rare but hey why even worry about it. I don't beleive it will hurt hondas sales at all. They have their reputation and wide fan base and reverse would be a very minor complaint on a Honda especially against all the good things Honda has going for them. I can think of to many pros against this one con(no reverse). If it compares to the yfz's power then I'd probably buy the Honda first.

 

I do agree with you at a few things mudslinger, you know me and you know i am not trying to start an arguement with you, but if you did buy that quad for about $6800.00 for mx or racing, it wouldnt need reverse, a z400 is an excellent trail quad im sure, and thats one of the reasons they made it with reverse, but the pro riders buy the 250Rs and dump loads of money into it to race it on tracks and other races, w/o reverse and this is what that quad is meant for, i agree they should have put reverse on the 400ex if they could find a way to make it lighter than the z, or just as light. bottom line, if you want a trail quad, you shouldnt buy a race quad that doesnt have reverse, and if you want a race quad for racing mx tt or something that you will be going one way on then these quads are pointed at the race fans and not the trail riders.

BTW Mudslinger, hows the Z400 hangin together?

 

lol lilnots, im sorry to say that i havent lifted the front of a ds but i would sure like to ride one.

 

i dont think they will put reverse on it. it's being touted as the replacement to the 250R and as a race ready quad. they dont need reverse for this. id be surpised if they put reverse on it.
reverse will not decide this one for me. deciding factors to me will be what the bike offers me, the quality of things with the bike, and if the price is not too outrageous. but if it lives up to honda's rep, then there will probably be one in my garage soon. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

haha, well if ya keep hangin out in the bomb forum 2, hopefully u can find some1 u can meet up wit, i'd let ya ride mine but theres a lil distance there [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Reverse???? Who needs reverse. I aint backin out of ****.

 

I've been riding quads since '85. I accepted that the two stroke racers didn't have reverse back then, but every four stroke sport quad did. This new Honda is being billed as a replacement for the 250R. With that said, the arguement I'm hearing is that reverse adds too much weight, its too complex, it doesn't belong on a "race" quad. How many are going to complain if the 450R doesn't have electric start? Back in the day, E-start was only on utility quads. Now all these lazy ATV riders want it on their sport quads! I guess I don't get it. I'd much rather have reverse than electric start. Reverse is one or two extra gears and a linkage. That is going to weigh what, 5lbs? E-start adds 30lbs, according to Yamaha, with their kick starter conversion kit for the YFZ 450.

Basically it will only broaden the appeal of the 450R to include reverse. No one said you had to use it. How many are going to bet that the 450R comes with both E-start and a kick? Wrong. I bet its electric only, then you can pay extra coin to delete the e-start.

Reverse adds very little weight, it doesn't break, and doesn't give you 1% of the problems e-start does. This quad should have reverse. If it doesn't, Honda still offers nothing to compete with the Z400.

 

Thats rediculous. Honda offeres nothing to compete with the Z with the new 450?

It isnt meant to compete with the Z. It will dominate the Z, as does the YFZ450.
The new 450's are race bikes. Not reverse bikes.

 

Race bike, race bike, race bike. What's the percentage of actual racers out there? 5-10%...maybe? I think most of "us" are wannabe racers. Want a cool race quad, but the quad will never even see the dirt of a true race track. I personally wouldn't buy it if it didn't have reverse. But, that's just me, because I'm NOT a true racer, I'm a trail rider. If I were, reverse wouldn't mean anything unless I did Harescrambles. I've been to the Ironman a couple of times and believe me the boys with reverse have an advantage to the ones that don't.

I spend as much time on a Raptor and 400EX as I do my own. You'll see why when you read my signature. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] BUT, neither of those quads can do 1/2 the work mine can. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] AND, I can keep up w/NO problems in the tight technical stuff as the Rappy and EX. Been there done that, proved it, many times. I HATE when my buddy on the EX is behind me and we get into somewhere where we have to back out. Oh, yes, we get into deeps woods, making our own trails, and MUD here in Indiana. My buddy on the EX will never lead because he can't get in and out as easily as the Rappy and me. I won't ride the EX if it's not familiar trails. It may be light but when you hit a mud hole and find out that it's much deeper than you thought, it's not fun to get off knee deep or deeper and pull the damn thing out. Ain't so light then. Most of the time, I can go in reverse and get mine or the Rappy out. Piece of cake. Not that damn EX.

Just my .05!

 

I find it amazing that reverse is a deciding factor for many people buying a sport quad. I just don't get it?
I look at performance and handling 1st. luxury items last. That's just me though.

Do you make sure the seat is soft before you buy a sport quad?