I bought a 400EX in '00 when I first started riding, gave it to my wife and bought an '01 Raptor. I just found out last week about the Raptor major transmission problems/failures. I've talked to some mechanics and sales reps and most agree -- Honda has NEVER put out a bad product. So I'm getting rid of the Raptor before the tranny blows -- is the 450R safe despite it being the first year out?

 

from what ive read in the mags its nice, i think its a tad ugly but for a first year and i read 4 diff atv mags they all said its a good machine. not as fast as the yfz 450 thou.

 

wrongo McDongo Dude...they never said the TRX isn't as fast as the YFZ they just gave the YFZ the win for the overall shoot out. speed is comparable. the Yfz and the TRX are pretty close...the power just come on diffrent.

450r: more tourque on the low end
YFZ: harder hitting mid range (feels more like a 2stroke).

i think the move from a raptor to a TRX would be a a nice move if you don't have a problem with kickstart. Honda owners will hate this...but the TRX reminded me alot of my Raptor. The YFZ feels nothing like the raptor...nothing.

 

Nobody is perfect. That dealer is gonna tell you anything to get you to buy. If you just found out the raptor had problems in 01 then you need to get rid of your dealer for not telling you 2 years ago. Research Friend. This place is a good start.

Good Luck

 

Thanks for the input fellas. I'm definitely trying to do research first this time. Thanks for the comparison Kuz28! That's exactly what I wanted to hear. I loved my Raptor (except for the manufacture defect tranny obviously) and the only thing keeping me from being completely happy with going back to good ol' Honda was having to get use to a more "race-ready" bike. If it handles similar (which I'm not surprised by because the 450R supposed to be more plush) how does the 450R power compare to the Raptor if anyone knows? Does the lighter weight and quickness make up for the 200 less cc's?

 

Who did you buy the Raptor from??? I have a friend who bought an 01. I told him about the trans problems, and he sold it right away. You probably got it!

 

What's up Recon? I just started this whole message board thing and I've noticed there aren't too many southern california people on them. Anyway, I bought mine brand new from "John Burr Motorcycles" in Fontana. I have the extended warranty and they are willing to fix it but won't beef up the "undamaged" gears and can't guarantee it won't happen again. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who thinks its better to just sell it.

 

Guys I've heard of a few ones have problems with the tranny just like the Preddy but if you really look at it it was ones that was on the edge of abuse with the power shifts and banging the gears like a wild man on Spam wordSpam word Spam wordSpam word Spam wordSpam word Spam wordSpam word Spam wordSpam word Spam wordSpam word , anyhow I agree you should be able to slam it and it stay together if you a novice to good rider I don't think you would ever have a problem with the 01 tranny I really like the raptor as well as the Preddy but would opt for the trx I was always a Kawasaki fan for years I used to hate Honda and the people who swore by them and I bought one about 5 months ago a 400ex and to tell you it's been a 10 in my book on how it rides and feels and if the new 450 is equal or better WOW you got a fantastic bike to have with many years to come, way to go Honda.

 

I agree. I've heard people say that tranny problems are because of "rider error" or "abuse" but how could so many trannies from the same make, model and year, go bad. Regardless of what the real answer is, I want a bike (a manufacturer) that doesn't even raise questions. The 400EX that I'll be sharing with my wife for a while, is a GREAT bike. From handling, performance, durability, to ease of maintenance, I think Honda's are the way to go. Take it from someone who's tried something else.