Well, I've been checking out the Yamaha board lately, and apparently the Raptor is having all kinds of problems including: gearing, carbs, and cheaply made axles. Now, I have yet to see anything bad with the 400EX.

I'm going to get a new sports quad this summer, either a Raptor or a 400EX, I ride in the woods, so I need something that has power. I've seen the 400EX in action many a times here, my buddy lost a hillclimb on a 350 Rancher 4x4 to a 400EX.

I've only seen 3 Raptors so far, just trail riding, so I haven't seen them in the action yet. But what would you guys really recommend? I don't necesarily need the top-end power where I ride, so I don't care about high speeds, just comfortability, control, and reliabily. I have a '00 450 Foreman 4x4 and have yet to have any troble with it at all. So, I know honda is reliable. So help me out here guys. Thanks

 

the 400EX has great low end power witch is just as good if not better then the raptors. The handling is way better also. when i am ridin my friends it seems like the front end is floating and it sits high. Handling on the 400EX is remarkable, there is no better quad out there that can out handle it... I am not just saying this because i have one, it has been stated in serveral magazines. There are no real big problems with the 400EX... if so its just a defective part everonce in a while... raptors parts are cheaply made like the axle for example. I hope this helps you out.

 

Matt, I'll agree that the 400EX will outhandle the Raptor but you are NOT putting out more low end power. My cousin has a '01 EX and I've got a '01 Raptor and even he will tell you that I'm putting way more power to the ground at all levels of RPM.

 

I have rode both and on neither.In a flat out drag the rapter smokes a 400,but i never drive in a straight line!The handeling of a 400 is way beyond a rapter.The rapter is top heavy and two narow to do anything but go in a straight line.And to top it off, a rapter is 1500$ more so if you put that 1500$ into a 400 ex it will smoke the rapter in a drag race to!!

 

The raptors power curve is a lot different than the 400ex. Its hard to explain. I think it might be the gearing. Raptors are not that much faster only about 5 mph. I can hang with my friend all the way up to 5th and then he pulls away. I like the raptor but it doesn't feel right for me. You should ride both and see which you like better.

 

I have had my 400ex for a year now and i rode a Raptor once a while back. Raptor has more power but the 400 is no slug. I agree with coryatver that the Raptor just didn't feel right, when i rode it over woops i felt like the front end was real loose and i thought i was all over the place. But the seat is more comfortable, my 400 seat is still rock hard. Maybe if i spent more time on the Raptor i would have grown into it but i was happy to be back on my ex. If i were racing against myself in the woods i would be faster on the 400. This might sound wierd but since the 400 has less power than the Raptor it seems like you can really ride it hard where the Raptor has soo much power that in the woods you might have to back off a little bit. Hey they are both great quads but you must decide if you really need the extra 260cc's.

 

In the April Issue of ATVSport, they did a comparison btw the Polaris Scrambler 500 2wd, DS650, 400ex, and Raptor, the comparisons include; straight line acceleration, which the 400ex is beaten by the DS and Raptor, One other comparison is the lap times of these machines on two different courses, the fastest time on both courses was the 400ex,

 

when i raced my friends raptor it never smoked me in the low end... come to think of it... it never smoke me, we rode on the road for alot of the day and he was 40 feet ahead of me at the most on the straight country roads... we made it all the way to another town. when we drag raced on the road it was my friend on his raptor and me on my 400 (we didnt take turns switchin people)we were even all the way til the top of 4th.
you must be bad racers. there were four of us ridin this weekend and we all took turns against eachother switchin from the 400 the the raptor... same thig over and over the raptor took the holeshot by 1 quad length if not tied until 4th gear. It we were raceing on hardpack sand that would rip up if you slammed the gas and i had way to much air in my tired i let ALOT out after the races were over and was back home. i got way better traction.

 

Both quads have good and bad points. You can buy an axle flip the rear link over (sits almost three inches lower) and get some 3+2 offset wheels and it will handle as good as the 400ex. I know I will catch grief for saying that, but I have tried it. Flipping the rear link is the major key to this. I've even run w/ my stock wheels flipped around on my Raptor which makes it five inches wider then stock. It's whatever floats your boat. I still like to jump on my wifes 400 and ride. Change is good.

 

If you aren't worried about straight line speed then get the 400 you won't be sorry. It really is a great machine and you will even save some money to boot, can it get any better.