As the size of the quads go up and the number of inexperienced riders do the same. I think this may damage our sport. If inexperienced riders start out by buying the faster machines I think that the number of ATV accidents will rise considerably with the injuries being more severe than ever. This concerns me. I like the new, bigger, faster quads but I think that someone is going to have to say when enough is enough. There are enough after market companies that make parts for the quads that will make them go faster. I think the ATV manufacturers should stop the displacement war and just improve on the quads that already exist by adding features that don't involve their displacement. I fear that if the war rages on, quads may go the way 3-wheelers did. Just a thought.
Exer

 

I agree 100%

If i would of bought something with more power for my first quad i would of gotten seriously hurt! I had a Honda 250 Utility, 87. And i never did wreck it, only because i couldn't jump it, wheelie on it or anything.

Next i stepped up to a trail blazer, Had a lot of fun on it after my RCR stage 1.

Then my blaster. Of course i started doing wheelies! Then my 94 300ex, and now my 00 330.

I don't see the need to have over 400cc in a sport quad. Yeah its cool for dunes. But for the average rider, your normal 250cc 4-stroke will take you anywhere you want to go!

 

They use to think that way with sleds along time ago when a 35hp 440 TNT Ski-doo was considered fast at 7Omph.Now the middle of the road 500cc sleds pushes 90hp and will easily do 100mph and I need not even talk about larger 800cc to 1000cc models, and that war is far from over.

 

hey, i had a yugo...i paid 500 dollars for it. Used to use it as a dump car. Take it shooting, hunting, and fishing!!

My whole point of too much power is when a new rider goes and gets a raptor and can't handle it.

 

3TV, does a drag racer hop into a top fuel right away? That would be suicide, you have to work your way up. It is the "gotta be fastest" mentality that is going to kill the sport. I just don't want to see that happen. To be honest, I like the thought of getting a "faster" machine right out of the box, but I can also see the reality of it. Reality tells me that too many people are going to get hurt.
Exer

 

i work at a yamaha dealership and watch some jerk talk this guy into geting new banshee that didn t know chit about the sport as i myself had a banshee as my very frist ride on a sport quad and i got sucked off the back of it and skinned me up a bit because i had noidea at that time of the late powerband of the banshee the same can go for anything that has way more power than you think it has ofcourse its going to get away from you it takes year's to learn how to really handle and know quads you simply can t just say"yea i wanna fast one" to a beginer its going to be less because of the fear you'll have of giveing it to much gas etc..and worest case get ya killed my very frist ride was an 85 big red 250 ES which other than a few pointer's from frineds i had to teach myself how to ride it and i don t mind saying that it sometimes got pretty ugly here's my overall all point now could you see a beginer on say a 400ex banshee or raptor oochh iv had 5 quads/atc's in the last 8 years you and i may make it all look easy but its not if you have no idea what your doing
86 atc/4trx250R's

 

I thing they should just keep between the 250cc-450cc and update the sport quads they have now like the banshee it could use some updates and who needs a 650cc prairie?? the 400 is plenty my dad has one and they pull hard and are pretty quick.
I started riding about 2 years ago i started on a bayou 220 and this summer i moved up to a 300ex i hope to move up to a banshee but that is about as much speed as i will ever need unless i start grag racing an teh banshee still should be enuff, I think the 400ex is the most perfict quad yet for smaller riders the 300ex is great it isnt that much slower than the 400 but it is still snappy but it can be waked right up with a few simple mods.

 

Big bore Atv's don't get people hurt,people who don't use their heads do.
What will kill you worse?
a 22 caliber rifle or a 50 caliber rifle?
It doesn't matter you're dead.
People can get hurt with anything they don't use in the proper way.
Ever read the warning label on a plastic bag from the grocery store? Seems like a waste of ink right...wrong.There are people in this world that are way more stupid than the stupidest person you know.That is why there are warnings on everything,including ATV's.
On models like the Banshee and Raptor it states:
THIS IS A HIGH PERFORMACE MACHINE INTENDED FOR EXPERIENCED OPERATORS ONLY
then at the bottom it states:
FAILURE TO FOLLOW ANY OF THESE RULES CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
It is all written in plain english(and even french if you buy an Arctic Cat)so there is no excuse.In my opinion.
The obvious coarse of action is to start small and work yourself up.
This is the eveloutionary track of Fivel250Rman:
bicycle,buddies minibike,various three wheelers,87'200 moto four,82' CR 125,85'CR 125,buddies 88' 250R,buddies 89'LT 500,then I turned 16,so I was off the dirt and on the pavement for a while,now my 250R.
People will always try to rush in and do what it has taken me 16 years of practice to accomplish,and thats why they get hurt.
I think it would really suck if ATV's didn't get faster over the years because of the people that don't use their heads.

 

You guys dont want a quad over 450cc????
thats pathetic. As it stands, quads are way to slow. Yeah, i have a rancher, but I refuse to buy a "racing quad" such as a banshee or 400ex. Why?? because they cant even hit 75 mph. orrest me if im wrong, but can any stock quad hit 80 mph. The day I buy a racing quad is when the come out with a 600cc or 700cc triple cylinder two stroke, liwuid cooled pf course. What i want is my sled engines in a quad chassis. To sum it up QUADS ARE TOO SLOW
one more thing, when riding anything, your brains are all in the wrist. the more you twist the faster you go. when you get into more power, you just dont twist as fast!!

 

Are you guys talking about the 250EX in here???