Is the 400EX going to get canned for next year?

If so, that sucks, and it will be the death of one of the most well rounded simple quads ever.

Not everybody wants a 450

 

Popular opinion is that they are updated this bike for the first time in many years. Liquid cooled, improved suspension, possibly even efi to keep up and raise the bar for their competitors. Either that or they're going to release a larger sport bike in its place to compete with the yamaha and kawasaki. Of course it's all speculation but we should get an answer by the end of september. I'm in the market to buy right about now and i'm holding out until then.

 

The EX is one of Honda's best sellers, so if it gets discontinued it will be replaced with something even better! One has to note that in the dirt bike segment the XR400 has been gone for several years, and for off-road all you have to choose from are the CRF250/450X's. I for sure wouldn't mind seeing the EX replaced by a TRX450X trail quad, with "wide range" gearing!

But....the 400's are in a solid market position. Enough performance to keep an experienced adult happy, yet not so much bike that a beginner will find themself in over their heads. And, there is a big gap between a 300EX and a 450R, so they do need something in between there.....

 

Hummm... it's more interesting than I thought.

I figured it was for sure a goner, and if they upgrade it further than where it is now, I guess it will technically be gone.

I had also assumed it was seeing the fate of the XR400.
And it would probably make more financial/production sense to can it in favor of a TRX450X... TRX450EX

It would probably be nice too, provided it was tuned for trail grunt and low maintenance/attention.

The liquid cooling would be a +/- thing depending on the shopper I guess.

 

I actually think the 400 will get EFI, and remain in the lineup. From what I see on the trail around here, these machines are still wildly popular. Hard to imagine that they added reverse, just to discontinue it a couple years later.

An ultralight medium frame TRX250X would be interesting as well. There really aren't any performance quads for small adults and advanced kids. Most of the ladies I know, would be all over this one! They don't want to ride an entry level quad, but that is all there is is you want to keep the size and weight down. So, they are stuck on full size machines that are to big for them....

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: reconranger

I actually think the 400 will get EFI, and remain in the lineup. From what I see on the trail around here, these machines are still wildly popular. Hard to imagine that they added reverse, just to discontinue it a couple years later.



An ultralight medium frame TRX250X would be interesting as well. There really aren't any performance quads for small adults and advanced kids. Most of the ladies I know, would be all over this one! They don't want to ride an entry level quad, but that is all there is is you want to keep the size and weight down. So, they are stuck on full size machines that are to big for them....</end quote></div>

EFI would be nice... but I bet in that senario I see a displacement change.
I'd bet TRX420EX EFI... again because of what is cost effective/efficient for production.

As for "an ultralight medium frame TRX250X"
I'm thinking Yamaha beat them to the punch there with the '08 Raptor 250.
Lightest production sport quad ever at 313lbs....
Manual clutch...
The question there is how is the engine and suspension.
I'm impressed with it so far and if it's a hot package there too... well then they have filled that niche.

 

I am talking the CRF250 engine (water cooled high tech screamer), which is light years different from the rather low tech air cooled 2-valve engine that is in the new Yamaha 250. The Yamaha will be a nice little entry level machine for those who want to stay at entry level, but it isn't in the "performance" class by any means.

The Yamaha 250 is a chain drive fully manual clutch, so it really isn't even in the same class as the shaft drive 250EX. The Yamaha 250's main competition is the Honda 300EX, which Honda had better put on a diet if they want to stay competitive.....

I know several petite women (not to mention teenage kids) who are on Raptor 700's, 450R's, 400EX's, and YFZ 450's, but all these machines have frames that are to big for them. An ultralight medium size high performance CRF250 engined quad would be perfect for them!