Why I'm purchasing a new '04 400EX:
#1
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After posting a number of questions on this site and reading a huge number of opinions I've finally decided to purchase a new SportTrax 400EX! In fact, I'm planning on picking it up tomorrow!
Here's why I elected to go with the Honda versus the Yamaha Wolverine (my #2 choice) and the Suzuki Z400 and it's clones:
1) Some improvements, the larger carb on the '04 for one, have made an already good bike even better.
2) While the Honda is not water cooled and doesn't have reverse it is simple and has proven reliable. Less maintenance is good. Plus hop-up parts are plentiful for reasonable prices. Even regular service parts are cheap as are most components on the bike.
3) Honda has the best financing right now and I'm purchasing the bike for $4,799 + $53 in doc fees. That's a good $400 to $500 less than the going rate on the Z400 and only $100 more than the deal I could get on the Wolverine. Plus I qualified for a 60 month loan at 4.9% with $0 down through Honda Financial. Yamaha had 3.9% but that's only good until Jan 2005.
4) Since there are sand dunes in Michigan I decided that a true sport ride versus the semi-sport ride of the Wolverine would work far better in the sand. And the Honda is a good trail bike, too. While it doesn't have the utility of the Wolverine I can get a six pack rack for hauling the important stuff!
5) I'm a racer at heart and a former kart and SCCA road racer and I figured I'd get bored with anything less than a true sport bike.
6) I'm a fairly big guy at 6' and 225 or so and the lower end grunt of the Honda will get me off the line quicker.
By the time I weighed all the options and everyones opinions and looked at the total package of bike, pricing, quality, maintenance and financing the 400EX was the most logical choice for me.
Here's why I elected to go with the Honda versus the Yamaha Wolverine (my #2 choice) and the Suzuki Z400 and it's clones:
1) Some improvements, the larger carb on the '04 for one, have made an already good bike even better.
2) While the Honda is not water cooled and doesn't have reverse it is simple and has proven reliable. Less maintenance is good. Plus hop-up parts are plentiful for reasonable prices. Even regular service parts are cheap as are most components on the bike.
3) Honda has the best financing right now and I'm purchasing the bike for $4,799 + $53 in doc fees. That's a good $400 to $500 less than the going rate on the Z400 and only $100 more than the deal I could get on the Wolverine. Plus I qualified for a 60 month loan at 4.9% with $0 down through Honda Financial. Yamaha had 3.9% but that's only good until Jan 2005.
4) Since there are sand dunes in Michigan I decided that a true sport ride versus the semi-sport ride of the Wolverine would work far better in the sand. And the Honda is a good trail bike, too. While it doesn't have the utility of the Wolverine I can get a six pack rack for hauling the important stuff!
5) I'm a racer at heart and a former kart and SCCA road racer and I figured I'd get bored with anything less than a true sport bike.
6) I'm a fairly big guy at 6' and 225 or so and the lower end grunt of the Honda will get me off the line quicker.
By the time I weighed all the options and everyones opinions and looked at the total package of bike, pricing, quality, maintenance and financing the 400EX was the most logical choice for me.
#6
#7