i really think honda should not produce a TRX650ex!
i think people just like to say they would want one but never purchase it.
i also think honda should take one of their new CR250 motors and dump it into a 250r. give it an update that it deserves!

 

I don't know, most people love the 400EX but all seem to want a little more power. If honda could make a 650EX with all of the excellent characteristics of the 400EX, they would have a winner in my book. I don't think Honda would make a bigger air cooled motor so they would almost have to use the XR650R motor.
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I still can't understand why Honda didn't jump right into an XR650 based sport quad, years ago. I think their lawyers had liability issues, early on. But now the market has passed them up, and there would be nothing unusual about that kind of power. But, maybe now they have put all their eggs into the 450 style engine basket, and we will never see a 650? Does make some marketing sense though, because with the newer engines, you can build a much lighter machine that still has big horsepower.

I would agree that a CRF250 engine in a full size quad doesn't make sense, but I think there is a place for that engine in a MEDIUM size (300EX size) machine. A high performance machine for advanced kids and small adults, and an agile, fun trail bike for the rest of us! They could sell a ton of these.

I would imagine Yamaha is working on something like this already! And what will Yamaha do when the Blaster is gone??? They don't have another budget entry level machine (ala the 250EX), in the lineup to replace it! It's going to get interesting..........

As for reliability of the 250 engine, the price will be more frequent top ends than anything we have been use to in the past. In another post, I tell about a kid who rides with us, and has ~200 original hrs on his CRF250. Keep in mind that this bike gets ridden cross-country, and does not get MX'd. I have talked to him about the need for frequent oil changes and running a JASO MB oil in the engine side, but he doesn't seem to give it any kind of priority. His dad is a mechanical engineer, so you would think he would be all over it.

The Yamaha engines in the 250/450 class are more durable than the Hondas, so this may become an issue in the long run.