I ride the 400EX on desert XC and love it! We specifically chose tight rock strewn trails, and I think this is (arguably) the toughest trail riding there is!! I run Holeshot XCT tires for extra ground clearance, a 14 tooth countershaft sprocket (for more torque), and full DG Baja skid plates.

Most of the adults I ride with have Banshees, and the kids have Blasters. I can keep up with the Banshees on (short to medium) straights, and rail around the corners as well as the Blasters do. I have the best of both worlds!!

 

Scram500man
Hello, I also live in PA and I think you would be quite pleased with the 400ex as a trail machine. It is a comfortable ride that handles great and when you want to play a little it excels at that also. It is also a very reliable machine that has held up great to these same conditions for me.

 

Guys dont take me wrong here but I have a 400 Xplorer 4x4 and my buddy has a 400ex. Its a very nice atv for dirt track riding or riding on dirt roads but everytime we go into the tight trails with mud, creek bottoms and rocks he gets stuck and I have to pull him out. I know the 400ex is faster on the dirt track but I doubt it would win the same contest on the trail you are describing.
Thumbs up to the 400ex but be keep in mind the above.

 

I appreciate all of the replies so far. This might be stirring up some trouble but I figured some of you with the 400 EX might have some expierience with the Warrior also. For the price diff and to add reverse this might suit me with my terrain. As I said flat out speed isnt my big concern. Just good trail ability and a decent flyer. WIscrambler I thought about the Polaris 400 but would like to get back to some clutching. If I were going to get another Polaris I would still buy a SC500 4x4. Now before I tick off the Honda forum. Any help from you folks on the EX and some Warrior info will be appreciated.

 

Hello I have a 400ex and my friend has a Warrior. Mine is stock and he has a pipe, air filter and jets. If we are racing on gravel roads we are pretty much even. The Warrior suspension is softer than the Hondas but is ok as long as you are not trying to get huge air on it. The seat is a little wider and some say more comfortable. For a trail bike it works fairly well and Is dependable. The only prob with it is the ground clearance sucks due to the design of the brakes, sprocket etc. Hth

 

I agree that the 400ex would be a great choice. Here is nova scotia we have almost 3 feet of snow, and the other day I did a 60km looped trail through thick windy woods on my 300ex in an hour believe it or not. The 300ex is a good quad and so is the 400 so I say go with the 400 because it has more power and better suspention.

 

My friends wife has a Warrior and they give it nothing but praise very reliable, comfortable, easy to ride and reverse.

 

I have a 400EX now and I USED to have a Warrior-get the picture!! No way does the Warrior suspension even come close to the 400. The bikes are similar in weight, but the Warrior just handles heavy and clunkey by comparison. Reverse is nice, but not usually a necessity. Why get a 12 yr. old design, when you can get a new one?

 

Hey Scram500man~
I see where you're coming from about wanting the manual clutch. I can hop off my Scrambler and jump on my TW200 and have a blast ripping through the gears! I guess the reason I suggested the Polaris 400 is partly because I am a diehard Polaris fan. The Warrior never even came to mind when thinking of a quad for your terrain. Personally, I don't think I could live without reverse. Even if you use it very rarely, it sure beats getting off and turning the quad 180 degrees! It might not be as big a hassle if I didn't ride a heavy Polaris, but I think the Warrior would keep you happy as a trail machine.

Bob4x4~
Some "FACTS" would have been nice to hear. Here are some true facts: Scrambler has 23" tires on FRONT and 22" tires on the REAR. Scrambler has 6.5" ground clearance. 400ex has 22" tires front and 20" rear. 400ex has 4.3" ground clearance. Do the math and the Scrambler has 2.2" more ground clearance. To get up to 6'5 inches on the 400ex, you would have to run 24" rear tires and 26" front! Now THAT is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing ut the truth. Lord nows I couldn't get any FACTS from you, much less the "polaris boys".

 

Greetings,

Except in the worst mud or snow, or towing on loose ground, I find the front wheels rarely kick in. We take the 450ES and Recon out together all the time and I can't think of a time when the Recon couldn't follow right along. It might slip a little (especially in the snow) and sometime you need to attack an obstacle differently, but I really haven't used the four-wheel drive that much. Even though its a sport quad, the 400 EX is still an ATV.

As an alternative, you might check out the Wolverine. I've seen a few of them in operation and they seem to be in a class by themselves as far as a sport/utility.

And, off topic, I grew up in Hollidaysburg (where every day is a holiday and Christmas is just another day). I still have county place outside of Orbisonia -- that's where I ride. If you get a minute, I'd be interested to hear where you ride around Hollidaysburg.