Cool Post, lots of good debate.


I agree with the guy a few posts up. Manafacture the quad with parts that will suit the average trail rider and keep purchase price down. A true racer will want to keep the saved $$$ and build his/her own quad to suit their needs anyway.

Cannonfail did not do this, they decided to up the ante and the purchase price by adding lots of expensive parts off the showroom floor. Now ist simple economics, they cut the potential buyer market down to a few, leaving it open to only the true race guys. Now how many bikes are these guys going to buy when compared to the mass market??? The tale of cannonfail finishes my story.

THe Japs got it right. Sell a bike for 6k as opposed to 12k, make it cheap enough to appeal to the mass market, and just enough technology to provide a solid platform for the racers. The race guys can take the 6k they saved off the purchase price and buy aftermarket parts to race with.

At the end of the day, the Japs sell lots of machines, make a tidy profit and are around year after year to better service thier customers.

 

You put it better than i did.

 

action- well said. I expect to see the new yamaha and honda 450's to start the decline of the 250r quads. I would think that they will be turned out to the dunes/trails before to long. I would also expect a suzuki/kawi water cooled 450 in the next 2 years. Read the new dirtwheels today and the gas-gas 450 is working to overcome it teething problems.

The gas-gas450 is fuel injected so i guess the cannonfails can trade there in for those. Hope they stay around longer. Gas-gas made a lot of changes from last year to this year.

I have a few friends that spent 20k plus building crf450 quads last year, they have been sold and replaced with the new yamaha.

 

Well, I'm one of 14mins' few friends...........j/k that had built and sold a CRF450 race quad (LS everything). It was a fantastic "race ready" machine, but cost alot of jack. The YFZ450 that I have abused weekly is by far the most "race ready" tough,reliable, fast quad ever manuactured that is only a few mods away from the custom quad I sold. And Honda is quick to follow with my next quad. Out of the box, these quads will need very little to be considered "race ready" if you don't think they already are.

 

Jammer- That is a lot of predators from one dealership. Do you have any plans to put the polaris 440? 450 ?kits in them? What is the weakest link on the predator for racing? I have a little seat time on a predator. Although it is not the quad for me i did like the powerband and the way the front end stayed planted in the corners. Ever run any of them cannonfails jammer?

 

Keep all the stock items and when you are ready to sell your quad, powder coat the frame and put new plastic on it and when you put the original parts back on such as axle, a-arms, shocks, it will like a brand new quad. Then when you get the new quad, Honda of course, reinstall the aftermarket parts on it and continue the cycle.

 

To Cannondaleguy: excellent observation. I agree whole heartedly, as whether or not the existing shocks, suspension, and engine performance goodies supplied on the "race ready" 'dales were actually good enough, no racer worth his salt want's what everyone else has anyway. This is such an individual sport, that everyone wants to put their own stamp on their equipment as a statement if nothing else. Plus every rider/racer who competes loves to have the illusion that their mods have given them "an edge" over the competition...........such illusions are not possible when everyone is riding a stock "race ready" quad.

Not that there is no advantage gained by changing some of the equipment, as so much of good racing is "feel" and if a rider "feels" more confidant with a few aftermarket changes, that confidance will translate into faster laps.

But I agree whole heartedly that manufacturers should offer a basic set up theat can make a good race conversion. This means a fundamentally strong and reliable motor, capable of being "up tuned" without self destructing, and a frame that will endure the rigors of more power and greater loads seen in a full race environment. Beyond this, the suspension and drivetrain should be adequate for the recreational rider who want's to flirt with high performance. If someone really want's to get serious, they will learn what levels are required once they make a few trips to the track and see what is being run.