I was hoping to get some input from some of you trx 700 owners on how well you like the machine, I want one but dont know much about them. Are they super smooth compared to other solid axel quads? Is it faster than a rapter? I want to get a 2010 model in hopes that they will make it in red.

 

Call it the 700XX, and your post will be more noticeable!

Not really sure where this macine fits in the grand scheme of things. It is kind of a hybrid, and is probably best suited for those who frequently ride rocky and/or rutted trails. Otherwise, it is 100+ pounds to heavy to qualify as a descent "sport" quad, and it has a full manual clutch which isn't going to appeal much to the beerbelly utility crowd who seem to require a belt drive automatic.

I know Honda races it in Baja, but they have to do something with it to promote it. I ride desert, and believe me this is no desert quad, but hey you can put great riders on anything and they will win....and that is what Honda has done here.

That all said, I have ridden other Honda IRS machines, and the ride in rocky terrain is excellent! The price you pay however, is that the machine ends up heavy...which the XX certainly is.

Again, if you ride rocky or rutted trails and also don't mind being on a porker, this is where this machine will excell. Everywhere else, it is sort of out of place.

 

I wish Honda would have just dropped the 700cc engine into a "450R like" frame......

I am not fan of IRS first of all, and Honda made the 700xx (as Recon points out) a hybrid or sorts. Perhaps there are plans in the future to make a 4x4 version which would explain why they made it like that.

When are Honda and Suzuki going to make something to compete with the Raptor 700?

 

I think it is a heavy monster.Sat on a couple and the ergos felt really wierd. I think the reason suzuki and honda haven't made something as a direct competitor is the 400ex and z400 are very close in handling or better handling than the Raptor. Honda and suzuki "Hope" That the big giant Raptor motor will sway people away from those quads. I think the Honda xx is more suited to be compared to odball type sport quads like the kfx 700.

 

When the XR400 dirt bike came out, Honda simply dropped that engine in a quad and we have the 400EX. When the XR650 dirt bike came out, it was just a natural to drop it into a quad frame and get a 650EX....and Honda would have beaten the Raptor to the market by a couple of years.

Why was Honda so conservative? If you are old enough to remember the "consent decree" days in the 90's when the manufacturers (to avoid safety related lawsuits) had an agreement with the government to not come out with any new high performance quads, you will realize why Honda has always been conservative.

On the other hand, Yamaha has more of a "devil may care" attitude, so hence we got the Raptor early on.

 

I bet it was really boring back then when the only thing the magazines could cover were banshees.

 

I also wish Honda had put an XR650 motor in a 400EX or 450R frame. I'd have bought one. I'm just not real hip on a "sport quad" with IRS.

 

I have a 2008 700xx and trust me it's as smooth as butter. The ergo is the best I have ever had on an ATV. Power is amazing, ground clearance is ridiculous. You can go almost anywhere a big 4x4 can go except the 3 feet deep mud. DO NOT let the weight fool you. It's only 50lbs heavier than the 700r's "true weight" and has 10hp more stock so it more than makes up for it. And by true weight I mean what it actually weighs, not what Yamaha say's it weighs. Their claimed 422lb wet weight is 450lbs+ in reality. And the xx will do 80mph STOCK!!! To all the people that think it's a heavy pig really need to ride one. Not just sit on one in a dealership and complain about how bad it "feels". Ride one in the trails and see what you think. I have beaten plenty of Raptor 700's in the trails and on the drag strip with my xx. The front ends does push a little with the stock tires. But a change to Maxxis RAZR rears nearly eliminates it all together. You can slide it around exactly like a SRA ATV once you have some seat time on it. Which is why I think the mags gave it bad reviews, not enough seat time. I basically had to relearn how to ride after getting the xx. The power is very smooth and has massive amounts of bottom end torque. It is more suited to the rocky, rutted stuff with the IRS. Which is why I got it because of the extremely rutted and steep trails I ride. But there are a ton of riders that take theirs to the dunes with a set of paddles and tear it up out there. I can do far more extreme jumps on the xx than I dared to on my 400ex. The suspension soaks a bad landing up no problem. Honda did their homework on this one and scored IMO. My 2008 400EX that now sits in the garage collecting dust since the day I brought the 700xx home.

 

The simple fact that you "had to relearn how to ride" is what bothers me....... I don't have the time to relearn how to ride, I'm way too old for that..... Especially while wide open in the woods or through the whoops, one little mistake that I didn't learn yet in the split second could end up hurting a lot........

 

I know what all you guy's are saying but I am still fascinated by the 700xx, and while I am a hefty 38 year old utility quad boy....theres a skinny 25 year old inside me telling me to get it for some faster paced trail riding. I know how to use a clutch so that shouldnt be a problem and I dont mind it being a tad heavy either. I know the irs has its pro's and cons but for me the pro's out weigh the cons, whatever I buy will have irs for sure, if I want the crap beat out of me I'll go ride a mechanical bull. Its not a light weight race bike but I'm also not a racer. I'll bet it would be a blast on my nasty bumpy alaskan trails. Also my local honda dealer has a brand new one for 7 grand (tempting).