i was going to be funny and sugest the warrior, but i guess some people think it is a better idea to get it. you really dont miss the reverse. i have had reverse on quads for about 8 years now, and after riding a 400ex, i dont even notice it. you just get off and wip it around. you kinda start to miss the reverse on the ds650 though...

 

2 valves..the Warrior...you are kidding...aren't you?
The Warrior should be more comfortable...more tourism oriented. If you wanna go fast...I hate to say that...but get the H......H..................Ho...................... Ho..............................Ho................ .......Hon...............................Honda! (I told you it was hard to say)

 

I would hardly consider a Warrior comparible to a Yugo. I'd put it up there with an F150 w/the inline 6. It gets the job done, runs very well for what it is, and dependable as heck. As far as Corvettes go, I find it fair, being that Corvettes never really impressed me, I guess I've beat too many of those pigs.

 

The Warrior is a CLUNKER compared to the 400!! Always pick suspension and handling over ANYTHING else. I used to have a Warrior and now I have a 400. Need I say more???

 

No, you need not say more. You've already proved your ignorance in just one sentence.

 

Not with your Ford F150 with a 300/6

 

Dude, I "grew up" riding a Warrior. I know what I'm talking about. The Warrior is an old tired design. There is definitely a place for bikes of "intermediate" displacement. Yamaha needs to retire it, and replace it with another bike of similar displacement, but with a modern engine and frame geometry. Even throwing the Warrior engine in a Raptor frame would be a big improvement. But they won't. My dealer tells me they can sell every bike they get in, no matter what it is!! Why retire something that sells no matter how outdated??

The only circumstance where I can recommend a Warrior is if you are a beginner. Buy a CHEAP USED Warrior, ride it for a year until you know what you are doing, them move up to a better bike.

 

Y'see! I told you that you need not say more. Now you went and did it again.
The Warrior is far from a clunker. It also has a history of reliability that goes back over a decade. Granted, so has the design, and it being considered a contender for sportiest quad IS old news. But to say that it's a clunker is ignorant. Because a machine isn't competitive by todays standard in any racing category, doesn't makes it a piece of junk. It's awesome for those of us that enjoy zipping through a long set of trails, and where we ride, you wouldn't even get close to 4th gear. Now I wouldn't try to race MX with it, and I wouldn't try jumping it as far as someone would with a 400ex. BUT that's not the only thing our hobby is about.
The original question was about whether they are good trail machines, and which one has more power.
Yes they're BOTH excellent trail machines, but YES, the 400ex has considerably more power.

 

WildTurkey-I see you list a killswitch among your mods. Why, do you fall off a lot?? Seriously, there would never have been a Raptor if Yamaha had not lost Warrior/Banshee market share to the 400EX. There will be a 650EX (or whatever) when Honda loses enough market share to the Raptor, and so on.... The manufacturers have continued to let their older designs slide (for a dozen years now), because they can still sell them. If we keep recommending them, people will keep buying them and it will never end.

 

Speaking of the buyers market, when will Honda make something for the duners. I love the 400ex but i imagine in the dunes the Banshee or DS would make better choices. As far as Warrior vs 400ex, sure the 400ex is newer and faster but believe me anyone can have a blast on a Warrior. It's a great trail quad, heck! i have seen people in the sand pits with them going up steep hills and jumping.