I've been asking the same question lately, with at least the Trailblazer and the 250ex. It certainly depends on what kind of riding you want to do. The 250ex is shaft driven, auto clutch...shaft is so much better in the water. TB is chain...kind of sucks to maintain. The two sport machines will have better suspension than the recon. I race some and the Rancher (I consider it similar to the recon) has terrible suspension for big jumps!! TB does better on that, and is automatic.

I want a new quad, but can't decide if I want sport or utility. I would get a Kaw650 and have both, but it's too big for me. We have one, but my husband races it. I want something that has decent speed, good suspension, turns easily, & decent power all for racing, but also gets through and over everything (4wd), and is small enough for me. Oh yah, then the options: automatic, pushbutton 2X or 4X, 4 stroke, and not too heavy on the dry weight. I ask little, huh? Haven't yet found the perfect machine.

I've thought about a scrambler, but not sure if that's too big or not. I am wanting to see what the new Rancher AT is like. So far that is my first choice, but will definately need some aftermarket shocks and maybe a pipe.

 

I've never seen a trail blazer that could handle much jumping at all. An earlier post said the TB was faster than the ex but I've seen that to be untrue first hand and all the magazines that did a shoot out with the 250ex, Trailblazer, Blaster, mojave all found the TB to be slowest of the line as well as slowest top end a 48mph.

 

trailblazer is faster in drag race.

 

they will all do about 48 mph, the ex will get there a little sooner being 10% more hp than the recon, but if you do a little mod called RCR stage 1 kit, (only $325, best bang for the buck) the TB will leave em'all wondering and will hit speeds into the 50's even wheeling off the line.......as you can see by my sig I'm loyal to no brand, I buy whats best for whoever using it at the time (size, abilty, $$$) . My "WIFE" ,lol, loves it and prefers it to my Rancher,gas and go - to each his own, I don't drive it !!!

I wasn't looking into getting the TB but my buddy gave me a deal I couldn't refuse and now the whole families involved. Her's does have factory rear rack, generation 3 rear bag, speedo, gas gauge but it does weight a ton for a 250 !!!

I'd go with the EX if it was ME !!!! I even found someone willing to swap the 2000 TB for a 98/99 300 Ex but the wife didn't want anything to do with it, she doesn't like shifting !!!!!!! Now she wants a 500 H.O., & my son want the new KFX 400, lol. It'll never end now..........though I'm very satisfied w/ the Rancher !!!

Scott
KX80
Trailblazer
Rancher ES
Enclosed trailer to haul'em

 

I had a 2000 TB and now a 2002 250EX (Since June 01).

I prefer the 250EX
-less maintenance
-manual shift (whatever is actually faster, it feels more powerful - stock vs stock)
-lighter
-smaller
-4 stroke
-HONDA QUALITY (only issue so far is squeeky front shock)
-it rocks in the tight woods

IMO there is no contest in "fun factor"

 

The EX is a recon with different plastic and 10% better engine performance. The way POSlaris makes a 2 stroke 250 so slow is to hook it to their snowmobile auto transmission and hang an extra 70 lbs on it. I have found the ex to be much more fun than the recon, that's why I bought one. In the same way that Honda sportified the recon to make the 250 ex, suzuki has sportified the ozark to make the new 250Z. In the same way that Suzuki bested the 400 ex with the Z400, they have bested the 250 ex with their new 250. ATV Sport mag wrote in the latest issue the new little Suzi will outperform the 250 ex. I'm interested to ride the new Suzi when it gets here in a few months. I'd say wait and ride the new Suzi before buying a new recon, ex or ozark. The suzi 250Z will be priced the same as the ex. Wake up, Honda!

 

OMG im not hearing this, dont bash on the recon. Im hard on stuff and i run the crap outa it, Ive had my recon since 99. Its great, the tires rule, i havent gotten it stuck in some pretty deep stuff, ive taken it submarining, in any weather, i hunt with it, its never left me sit, its not hard to start its an all around great bike.

As far as polaris goes i think all there stuff exept the new 500 is a big POS i mean they are just plain out junk. friggin CVT or whatever belt trans. that ive seen frigg up like 10 times, the guys down the road have 2 a trail blazer 250 and a trailboss, and they have fallen apart, they wont run with the air filters in or snorkle tube and they were taken care of and they are 99 bikes, i mean just no forgett a polaris they should burn all that junk.


RECON ALL THE WAY!!!

EsHe

--------------------------
88 Warrior
Pro Curcuit T-4
K&N Filter
Pro Design Intake
Jetted
DP Racing Brake Pads
DG Alloy Series Nerfs
Duro Hard Pack Rear Tires
New Plastic
New 98 Bottom End
Fresh 88 Top End

99 Blaster
FMF Fatty Gold Series Pipe
FMF Power Core 2

 

Scosho and Race Warrior350 - no offense , I have litterally beaten the **** out of all my polaris's and for the so called friggin CVT, well as far as I can say has never failed me or any one that I know. If CVT is such a bad thing why is Yamaha, Suzuki, Arctic Cat, Bombardier, and Kawisaki using them? Have either of you even owned a Polaris? Race Warrior 350- Unless the guys down the road got a couple of Lemons all i can say is no they were not taken care of.


P.S it just P!sses me off when people go and judge brands of machines and say they are POS. The majority of the people who have them have no problems with them.

 

Let's see, have I had Polaris? First was a '91 250 4x4, gutless as an aircooled VW van on the Continental Divide. Next was a 95 Explorer 400, fouled plugs at altitude, then you had to take the body apart to reach the plug. Then was a 93 350L, handled like a dump truck and was poorly carbureted, and a 95 Magnum 4x4 that I kept for a whole 2 months. I think the guy who bought it needed a boat anchor. They suck, suck, SUCK! Q: Where should you look if you want to find a Polaris? A: At the back end of a tow strap behind a Honda. Check the resale values of used machines, Po versus Yam, Kaw, Suz, Hon. Why did I have all these POSs? My wife was convinced she could only ride an auto. She spent a half hour on her 250ex, and now she wants to ride light machines with auto clutch/shifters only.

 

My son competes in a local Atv rodeo series and all of these quads are in his class. The Trailblazers that have showed up have been the quickest so far followed by our Ozark. We have since added mods to the Ozark and hope to even the score next season. As far which is a better machine I personally would take the Suzuki Ozark or the new Z250 over all of the ones mentioned. Our Ozark has outran 250EX's fairly easy even before we put the pipe on it and changed the cam. The Trailblazer is faster when stock and has more mod potential because of being a 2 stroke but I tend to think the Suzuki's and Honda's are better machine's.