hey guys, i have asked this question for the 3rd time now and i cant seem to get any answers in the sport quad section so i am just comming back to my roots here at the honda page lol. anyways... here is my prob. i want to race... but i also want to trail ride... i dont go putting around the woods when i say trail ride.. i mean fast switchbacks, nasty technical stuff, tons of mud to negotiate, and a few fallen trees to bounce over or around if possible. so what i am asking is, what is a good quad to race a couple races with and still have fun with throughout the week? i am 18yrs old i have ridden for 12-13 yrs of my life.. i do have skill and knowlege so i doubt there is a bike out there i cant handle with enough practice. i had a 300EX at one time.. it was alright.. but i want more power... a LOT more power.. i thought about a 400EX but they are getting pretty dated from what i am reading about them. i want something that i can be competitve on and not have to sink 10 grand into a bike. which bike does better in the woods? rappy? 400EX? 250R? 450R? Z400? how about the preditor? i am planning on buying one this summer so i should have some money to play with by then. thanks for the help guys.. i want as much info as possible on this stuff.. opinions, facts, rumors, whatever you got give it to me. thanks again.. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

you need to look at the z400,raptor,and predetor.The reason i say these three,is because all three are quick and have good power and will be competitive racing.Another reason,since your a trailrider all three of these have reverse which should help you out alot in the trails.

 

I am a honda guy o i'll say the new 2005 400ex but my next choice would be the z400. The good thing about the z400 is you can pick up a used one pretty easy now! and save some $

 

you left out a fourwheeler the yfz 450. they are great quick bikes with incredible power.but has one problem. for what i hear they can't take the beating like the 450r or the z 400. so the rest is up to you.

 

hey clover, what all do you know about the predator? i was never a big fan of polaris but it looks like they got this bike dialed in pretty good in comparison with the 450s, 400s, and the rappy. ive been doing some research on it but i havnt found the info like i am looking for... i would really like to have an opinion from someone who does some serious woods riding on theirs but so far i havent had any luck. the yfz450, i dont really care for it and from what i have heard its not all that reliable either... i thought about the honda.. but i really like the design of the predator... how does it really stack up against the others? shocks, handling, egonomics, accel? speed is BS who cares about that? you CAN NOT RUN 70+ mph in the woods.. it is JUST NOT POSSIBLE! LOL unless you want to have one busted up quad when your done...lol. but acceleration is a must for the stuff i ride. what does a predator cost new? what can you get them for? how does it compare price wise? thanks for the info guys... keep it ocmmin. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

 

I cannot help much on the Predator I have been trying to find one to ride with. We have four here in town and they are all dead. The Z400's are not staying together very well. If you look at a Z400 check the frame in the front they are still cracking around the front shock mount. If you here a noise in the motor it is a good chance the cam chain is wore out this is real common and the parts for the Z400 are very expensive.
The Raptor's except the 2001 are holding up good and are not that bad of ride. The 400EX is still a good ride. No radiator to worry about and parts are cheap to get when you crash it.

 

i highly doubt i will be getting a Z400... if i was going to get one of those i would probably stick with an old 400EX and put a pipe on it or something... i think the Z400s are overrated in my opinion. ive never got to ride one.. but i watched the Z400s and the 400EXs race at a local track with crappy riders on both machines.. there were about 10 of them.. 5 Z's 5 X's and they where really close... so in my book the Z isnt worth the extra dough. the rappy i have thought about... BUT if a 500cc predator will stay right with it i dont see the need for the 660cc. it just didtn make sense to me. and i knew about the 2001s havin tranny probs.. but thats all i konw about them really. some people say they are tipsy as well.. but i have ridden a scrambler 400 and i dont think that thing is even that tipsy.. its all just a matter of gettin used to what you own. i guess i am really comparing the Raptor, Predator, 450R, 450. but i am open minded to about any quad.. but just to keep it simple which would do better in the trails? im not talking trails as tight as a virgins *****, so dont give me that crap about the rappy being too big to go fast.. LOL.. and i am not talking about trails that are wide open either.. im talking about intermediate trails.. something that has a couple straight aways in it.. and mostly hills and technical stuff to negotiate. Traction, Acclleration, Handling.. those are the 3 MAJOR things that i am concernd about and reliablilty of course... but i really dont care that the predator will run 75mph and the rappy is just behind it or any of that bs.. i just need to know about the 3 main points i brought up. also if you think there is another quad i should look at then please by all means tell me. i am just doing my homework and i need to see which of these bikes i can go the fastest on while having the most fun on. thanks for the info guys. keep it commin! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img]

 

man i don't know first hand about the predators,all i know is what i've read in the mags,but someone will probably help you with pred.

 

all i got to say is dont use

ds650.gasgas hp300,yfz450,450r,banshee,blaster

 

hey honda how much money are you willing to spend? might help alot at narrowing down the choices..if your budgets up there get one of the new 450s. weather its fast riding on the trails or organized racing i hear the 450r is quite a buy. If your getting into mx anytime soon go for the yfz.