this is my first post so bare with me. i have the opprtunity to buy either an 04 honda 450 sport quad or an 06 baja x ds 650. i ride in fields, dirt roads, sand pits, tight trails, and woods and do lots of steep hill climbing as well as some mild jumping. would the 450 be any better for any these than the ds. basically which one should i buy for this type of riding. thanks and sorry for the long post.

 

My thoughts on ANY 450. They are for racing and serious ridding only. Sure, you can cruise a 450. And you can take a drive down a dirt road with a Vett. That does not mean it's the best thing for the job. If your the type of rider that rides WOT all the time and are on the smaller side maybe the 450 is for you. If you just are out to have fun and are on the bigger side, then maybe the 450 is not for you.
Make no mistake, the bomb is a bigger machine and not for small riders. It rides very nice and soaks up the rough stuff real well.

The bomb is a well rounded machine just like the Rappy. Any 450 is for racing.

 

The DS is kind of a big machine! If you are a big guy and you feel it fits you well, then it is the best choice among the few larger machines out there....but it isn't any woods bike, that is for sure!

I don't agree with Turbo that the 450's are just "race" machines. You may have been able to say that in 2003, but today they are main stream and absolutely everybody is riding them absolutely everywhere. The Honda in particular is a solid machine. It's the king of the desert endurance races...you know, start it up and ride 1000 miles non-stop!

That said, I don't like the 450's in the woods, because they like to rev more than lug, but they certainly can be ridden in that venue with some gearing changes and if you are willing to do a lot of clutch work.

The best all-around machines are the Z400, 400EX, and maybe the Raptor 700. For the mixed bag of riding you describe, one of these might be your best bet!

 

yeh the 400ex is a good bike but around here were i live you either have to pay out the teeth to get a built one. or pay more than its worth for a stock one.

 

You can't get an 04 400EX for less than an 04 450R????

I would say save your money and wait a while to purchase something that is well suited to your riding conditions....rather than go cheaper just to have something to ride today.....