lazy , were not lazy its just say that there is a log on the other side of the 2nd corner on your friends motocross track. Then say you miss that corner and your front tires go over the log and your back tires didnt. There are trees two feet in front of your machine. its gonna be hard to get out of there without reverse. Ive done that one time but luckily i have reverse *suzuki quadrummer 230 E* Im not bashing the 400ex.

 

2000majove-
the electric start is very helpful on dead engine starts, gives you an advantage over the kickstart guys. in a race, you can usually spin it around just as fast as you can click it into reverse and be on your way.
jason300ex-
i can pick the front end of a 400ex up with one arm- picking one up over a log wouldn't be that hard. if you get forward enugh, you dont need to worry about going off the trail. i know, my trailblazers brakes usually dont work, you grab them and they pull all the way to the handle bar. when you are taking corners with the throttle craced open, you better not be going off the trail.

 

i agree.
if you want reverse stick with a 4X4.
the sport bikes dont need the extra weight and another thing to worry about braking.

 

Actualy I feel neither machine should have E start or reverse. That would make them more of a hipo machine (lighter) like I am used to in the 80's. I own a 400EX but I would prefer no E start as long as it and the Raptor had a comp release. In my opinion if you want those options buy a Warrior. No offense to anyone but we need true hipo quads with no frills, just speed and handling.

 

Ride Red 04- yeah the brakes on my machine suck so....

 

I kinda find it annoying that for the past 10 years we have not had a new sport machine introduced and once we finally do everybody starts wishing it had reverse and 4wd. I seriously saw a guy thread that he wished the 400EX was 4wd.

Why cant myself and the thousands of others who have bought the 400EX have it the way it is. There are several machines with reverse and 4wd if that is what you like then buy one of those.

Adam Smith

99 400EX

 

The lack of reverse is what kept me from considering a 400EX. I do a lot of trail riding and exploring and reverse is a must have item for my type of riding. Electric start is not nesessary so I don't see the agrument where people say you are lazy for wanted reverse but yet they love the electric start on the 400EX. I want to get one thing straight. There are trail situations where you cannot simply spin the quad around or even pull it around by hand. There are situations where reverse reigns surpreme. Xplor gives a good example of this. Another situation where reverse is necessary is when you are bushwacking through alders and willows. Many times your quad will crawl right up the small trees and come to a stop because it does not have enough weight to force the brush down underneath it. With reverse you simple back up and try a different line. Without reverse you have to drag the machine backward by hand which often times is not possible because the brush is so thick. Just try spinning it around in that type of situation! I know. I've ridden Blasters and Quadracers in these types of conditions and did not enjoy it.
Honda screwed up by not installing reverse gear. If this quad was a race quad (which it is not) why did they include electric start? According to an old Dirt Wheels article the 400EX engine was 90% redesigned to be a quad engine. How difficult would it have been to include reverse? Because they didn't they lost a sale to me. Had Honda equipped the 400EX with reverse and kick start with no electric start they would have produced the best quad ever.

 

If Honda was to make it a race quad they are correct about not putting a reverse on it but like Rockrider said it is not a race quad it's a "sport" quad. If it was to be a true race quad they should have put a bigger motor in the 420-500cc range, built (welded) the frame better and maybe left off the electric start. I'm sorry, I'm a big Honda fan but the 400ex was a big disappointment to me but it is a step in the right direction.

 

Hey adamsmith, I was the guy wanting a 400EX 4x4 with reverse.....I believe it would be the ultimate trail machine.

You guys just can't get it through your head (or don't want to) that having reverse is a useful tool....granted the 4x4 adds weight and takes away from any MX racing so many of you "seem" to do in real life. I do believe that many more people SAY they race ATVs than actually do in real life in these forums. I have a Masters in Bovine Stupathology and can generally sniff 'em out. LOL

In real life, I see all makes and models of bikes riding the same exact trails from Recon to Raptor...from EX to DS...from.....oh you get the picture. On these trails, having reverse keeps a person on their bike, pointed in the right direction much better than the old tug 'n' pull period! It is not about laziness but about common sense.

Close your eyes and answer this question honestly: Given the choice between a hypothetical bike that you have to get off to turn around or the same hypothetical bike that you just have to put it in reverse to do the same, which would you pick? Keep in mind these two bikes are exactly the same except 1 has reverse and the other does not. I'll take reverse and supersize it please. lol

Frankly, I don't see why we make such a big deal about hi-per ATVs for MXing...it just seems that a motorcycle is set up so much better and honestly, these hi-per bikes don't exactly fly away from me where we all ride. (creek, trails, mud etc) Fact is, I am right there in my [insert rude comment here] Scrambler 4x4. I am not saying I am a pro rider because I am not but a hi-per bike does not get to use its advantage in weight, jumping capability, and speed. On straight aways the hi-per bikes are superior, but there is very little of that and always water at each end of the straightaway. (which hi-pers generally don't like) I can understand it all from a bragging rights perspective but that is all talk...kinda like these message boards...lol

Most MX tracks around here actively discourage allowing ATVs on their tracks anyways and usually only give them 1 night a week usually. So where exactly do all the advantages of having a hi-per quad show themselves if I can't ride at the track and must ride out on the trails where reverse and 4x4 are advantages...not tools of the fat and lazy?

If somebody can answer this question for me perhaps I can justify joining the hi-per crowd and getting myself an old 250R Quadzilla or whatever. Until then, 4x4 and reverse will do me a lot more good than a 2WD quad that jumps good, is fast and allows me to get off it frequently to turn around (not to mention all the flaming I will need to do online to fit in). sheesh

However, even if I did join the hi-per crowd, I wouldn't spend my time on here insulting other people's opinions. Some of you folks have the maturity level of 7 yr. old kids with Tourrette's Syndrome high on sugary breakfast cereal. (If you are offended by this, you are probably guilty LOL).

Please tell me where I am going wrong here.

Mr"Riddle Me This"Man

 

I'll answer some of your questions MrMan.
1) We have a track in channahon, IL to mx 4 times a week.
2) Sport quads can go thru the woods much faster, which is more fun than mopping around on a 4x4, to me anyways.
3) I bet a sport quad can even get through the mud better than a 4x4 which is heavier and sinks. Only pigs play in mud, so why go through it when you can go over it? Most don't even have posi track making 4x4's pointless. It all depends on the tire pattern for different terrain.

If you need reverse for your type of riding then get reverse. Personally I think the 400ex should of had reverse being it's not a true racer like the 250r.

Finally, what kind of name is "MrMan"? I guess it's true "only steers and queers come from Texas".

Ohhh Yeah, I'm gonna hear it now!