What i think is gonna happen is in the next 3 or so years after the new 4-stroke mx motorcycle is out and tested they will take that engine and put it into a quad. Honda is making waaaaaayyyy too much $$$ on the quads now just to build one from the ground up. They will probably put that new engine in and stop making the 400ex if it sells better. You have to remember sport quads arent where the money is. it is utility and small quads and Honda knows this that is why they came out with the 250ex. But when sales start dropping on the 400ex/300ex that is when they will drop a bomb a come out with a new ???450ex??. I believe this will happen a year or so after kawasaki comes out with their new one (v-twin i heard) and cannondale finally puts theirs out their. the company that really needs to be building one is Suzuki!

 

To be honest with you, I think honda is going to release 1 of these quads in the next 2 or 3 years. I think we can expect either a atc500r or a trx650ex. All they have to do is take the engions off their dirtbikes. I would really like to see them build their own engions not just swap them between models. But you never know.

 

Why woulde they drop the 400ex? That will never happen my friend, or at least any time within 10 years. That is there best selling bike and they are supposed to drop it becuase they come out with another bike. Then are they goin to drop the Banshee? Dont think so. Maybe redisign it.
And I would put all my money on it that we will never see a ATC again. Will never happen.

 

I agree with fearthiis...they will never! ever come out with another ATC. Also im not saying they will drop the 400ex if they put that 4-stroke mx engine in its chassis they will just change it from a 400ex to a 450ex or whatever that new engine is....for all i know the new engine in that mx bike is one out of a 400ex LOL....i really doubt they will go with something like a 650.

 

A counterbalanced CR500 motor in a TRX R frame would be a force to be reconed with

 

No questions here, Honda should change his 400ex air-cooled engine, with his new dirtbike engine, 450EX Liquid cooled, a 650EX is a useless power, and a heavy weight power plant, at least for MX and XC, of course should be good for dunes, and like somebody said, there are not to many dunes availables around the country and in other countries.

 

i don t think sport atv's should ever gottin out of the 500cc range ok you guys are right in the dunes you could use it but thats about it if the raptor had a 400 engine it could have been somewhere around the 350lb range or less that would have been killer ...screw it! give me a 40 hp 500cc engine in a 250r based frame with 10 inchs of shock travel 6 speed tranny with some race stlye looks and i and every sane atver would be happy whens the last time you all did more than 40 mph in the woods im lucky to even have the clearing to even do a hole 30 in most places i think most of us just want something that feels right has a good low and mid range and don t brake down alot ill be the frist to stand up and say i don t need the 47hp my x raceing 86 250r puts out all it does is drinks gas along with it the pre mix i pay nearly 5 bucks a bottle for
my point is......do we need 200 hp quads ? i think not
86 4trx250r
86 atc 250r

 

About the ATC, there was a law passed that you could not produce three wheelers anymore because of how dangerous they were. Thats produce, not sell. And the rumors i've heard about the new honda quads, is that there is 600ex, a good one, and a 500R thats supposed to be the stuff. Let me know what all yall here.

 

You might not need a 200hp bike but i might

 

well first things first honda will not drop the 400ex any time soon secondly they wioll not come out with s 500cc quad because they already tested one and they didnt like it . also they cannot come out with an atc because it was outlawed to produce anymore atc's back in the 80's becaue too many people were dieing

and personally i think that if hoinda makes a new quad above 450cc that trhey are aiming strickly on desert racing and drag racing cause here in newengland thwat kind of power in the raptor and ds is totally too much plus raptors woods durability sucks