well to start i am not an High Perforance rider much but i am a fan of the 300ex and 400ex. I mostly ride utility in mud and trail. well the 400ex motor came from the xr400 right. or a dirtbike or some kind. Well honda is really getting stomped in the high performance market my the raptor and ds650. Honda being the best shouldn't take this. They should take there bigges dirtbike motor. Modifiy it for a quad and build a frame from the ground up based on the motor. then i guantee that honda will be back on top. the 750ex (don't know the real cc of honda's biggest dirtbike) so am i right or am i right....

 

NO, they do not need to take a motor and build a frame, they need to do the oposite. Build a motor from ground up that actually has power unlike the others, and put it in a beefed up 250R/400EX frame.
And Honda is not the best, atleast in my opinion.

 

No quad is the best in anybodys opinion except thier own.

2000 SCRAMBLER 400 2X4

SCRAMDADDY400

 

Hondas biggest dirtbike engine is the xr650r. I do agree with "fearthisraptor" they shouldnt use that motor, they should start over and build a strickly quad motor. And for gods sake, add reverse!

 

Honda should just build EVERYTHING from the ground up (including the frame and engine)

 

Yeah, if Honda just put the liquid cooled XR650 motor into a quad frame, it lighter and make more power than a DS or a Raptor. By the way, isn't the Raptor a motorcycle engine dropped into a quad chassis? How does that make them better than Honda? Happy new year!

 

honda has a good start with the 250r and 40ex frame in my mind (after all most aftermarket frames are made based on 250r) other that they could make the frame rails closeer up front.

 

honda has a good start with the 250r and 40ex frame in my mind (after all most aftermarket frames are made based on 250r) other that they could make the frame rails closeer up front.

 

I think this "big bore war" is getting out of hand. You have to remember that Honda has to sell these bikes to someone, and the average trail rider is the target. I have riden the Raptor and Quadzilla, and in the woods (to the average rider) all that power is pretty much useless, I think a 750 is out of the question! I did lots of research, and rode them all and the 400ex has plenty of power for the average rider. I do agree that the 400ex should have reverse, but I have always had 2 stroke race quads so I don't miss it.
It is nice to have bragging rights, and have the biggest, baddest qaud on the planet, but in reality, how much do you really need? How much power can you really use all the time? Where does it end? Maybe 1500cc's, bragging rights, in debt up to your eyes and a bike you can't use.
The only place you could use that kind of power is in the dunes or desert racing, but most of the country don't have deserts or dunes in their back yards.
The bottom line is that the average trail rider will never come close to using all the power of the Raptor, they might find a place to open it up for a gear or two, but not for long. I think it's a waste of money just to "keep up with the Jones's". Think about it! And just have fun!

My 2cents

 

i agree with racer18j i think the 400ex has enough power for myself in the woods? who would need to go 100mph in the forest? sounds kinda farfetched to me... the best racing engines would probably be a 2 stroke, Honda could probably squeeze 40 hp out of a 400cc motor if they made it designed solely on the high performance end for racers... i'd like to see a 2 stroke comeback but that would **** off the ecofreeks, (but yet a small jet carrying 73 people burns nearly 1.75 to 2 gallons to go 1 mile) but untill then i'm hopein for a 450cc quad with reverse