Hey everyone, My brother wants to know how good the 300EX's suspension is for trail riding? He wanted a 400ex but where I ride my Honda XR250R Dirt bike theres just alot of tight stuff and a 400ex without reverse would just get to be to much so he difently needs reverse. All the time in my XR250R I just have to stop rev the engine and dump the clutch and spin it around. We ride down by creeks and everything. So back to my original question how good is the 300ex's suspension for trail riding? Also how good do they wheelie? Thanks in advance. Matt



1991 Honda XR250R(You quad riders please don't cuss me because I ride Dirt bikes, I have rode quads to,Just love the single track).

 

awesome wheelie and trail machine, i could whelie my 250X (same as 300ex) through every gear and so could me friedn on his 300ex, goo suspension unless yo get 4ft or more of air.

 

The 300EX is a great quad; very dependable and easy to maintain and alot of fun too unless you want to go very fast or jump very high. With the exception of reverse, the 400 does everything better than the 300. No quad will go everywhere a dirtbike will go (e.g. singletracks), so if that is what you are after, better stick with two wheels.

 

Very well put TRXter. I agree on everything that you said above.

As for the 300ex's suspension for trail riding, in my opinion it is an awesome sport quad for that type of riding. I used to own (2) Honda 300ex's and rode both of them in every type of terrain including sand, mud, tight trails, and on the mx track. The suspension is awesome of course to a certain point. The 300ex can handling soaking up ruts and things like that but as for jumping I wouldn't push the limits. As for how good do they wheelie, the 300ex will wheelie pretty good but not near as good a 400ex (thats a different story though). For me, I remember in order to get the front end up and to keep it up I had to use the clutch to get it to wheelie.

Now, as I said earlier, I used to be an owner of (2) Honda 300ex's. I was very pleased with both machines that I owned. They are not the fastest machine in the sport class that they are in, but in my opinion, the 300ex has outstanding suspension and handling rather then top-end speed. The one thing that I can remember most about the 300ex is that it has a lot of low-end torgue. It has no problem getting up steep hills.

HOWEVER, the 400ex is a much better machine then the 300ex. It performs much better and the suspension/handling is by far better than the 300ex. It has been recognized for having an outstanding performance in tight trails, mx, dunes, and other types of terrain. When the 400ex hit the showroom floor in 1999, I still had both of my 300ex's. I was amazed on how everyone raved about the suspenion/handling as well as power. You would think that usually the first year after a new machine is released, usually it tends to have mechanical problems which are fixed for the next years model. For example, the 2001 Raptor had reported cases that the transmissions kept failing. Did the 400ex have any problems after its first year debut? No. Instead it was named the ATV OF THE DECADE. Just how the legendary Honda Fourtrax 250r is named for the ATV OF THE CENTURY. Honda desided to take the best frame that they made (250r frame) and the best motor that they made (XR400r motor) and put the two together.

My whole point to all of this is to not just toss out the 400ex just because it does not have reverse like the 300ex. Reverse is a nice thing to have, but isn't really necessary. I will admitt however, I was a little intimidated myself giving up my 300ex and upgrading to the 400ex loosing the reverse gear. I have owned my 400ex for almost two years now and don't miss not having reverse at all. In my opinion, if you know how to ride especially on tight trails, you can some how turn yourself around without having to worry about not having reverse. Maybe not in all situations, but for the most part. I know that the 300ex and the 400ex are in two separate classes, but think of it this way. With the exception of the Yamaha Blaster, the Warrior, Mojave, and all the Polaris quads (that are pieces of crap....Polaris that is) that have been tested in the same shootout all have a reverse gear. Most of all of those models have been around for a long time. Now, the Banshee has been around for a long time does it have reverse? No. DS650? No. Cannibal? No. Raptor? Yes buts thats what makes it unique. The 400ex, Banshee, DS650, Cannibal, and Raptor are all classified as HIGH PERFORMANCE MACHINES. Whereas, the 300ex, Warrior, Blaster, Mojave, and Polaris-(p.o.s.) are classified as SPORT QUADS.

HIGH PERFORMANCE is a gigantic step up from SPORT. Its like a Honda Civic vs. a Corvette. A Corvette is by far a much more powerful, better handling, and would whoop the pants off of a *****-*** Honda Civic rice burner any day in any condition. Maybe my analogy isn't all that good considering that fact that a Honda Civic isn't a sports car at all. It's more of a high school girls, economy car.

Anyway, once again think I would suggest thinking about this a lot more before you do something. If you want a 300ex to ride in places that you have trouble sometimes riding with your XR250R in the first place, then realistically, a 300ex probably won't beable to go very far or very fast like a dirtbike can. If thats the case, then maybe your brother should get a dirtbike like yours rather than a quad. If not, then go with the 400ex. You won't be disappointed. Trust me. I remember someone telling me once you owned a 400ex (this was before I bought the 400ex) when I still owned both of my 300ex's. I asked him if I could ride his 400ex and he said "okay, but only if I plan on buying one in the near future because if not, I won't let you ride it because you will end up hating your 300ex and will never want to ride it again because the 400ex is so much better". I personally thought that he was crazy when he said that but man, was he right. I sold one of my 300ex's and bought a 400ex and from then on I never rode my other 300ex again. I ended up selling the other 300ex that I owned because it just sat in my garage collecting dust.

Well, I hope that I answered all of your questions okay. Sorry if I may have offended anyone, I promise all of this listed above is all true and based on personal experience.

Fourtracker14

 

I kinda hate to promote the wrong brand on the Honda board, but Suzuki's newest sport quad, the Z400, has reverse. It's basically the same weight as the 400EX, has similar amounts of suspension, but is liquid-cooled, which will probably mean more power, though nobody really knows as of yet. Chances are, however, the Z400 will carry a more hefty price tag than the 400EX.

 

fourtracker14

The blaster does not have reverse. But good post other than that

 

Its like a Honda Civic vs. a Corvette. A Corvette is by far a much more powerful, better handling, and would whoop the pants off of a *****-*** Honda Civic rice burner any day in any condition. Maybe my analogy isn't all that good considering that fact that a Honda Civic isn't a sports car at all. It's more of a high school girls, economy car.

Ever see the movie "The Fast and the Furious"? That was a Toyota Supra(POS HIGHSCHOOL GIRL CAR) that tied the heavily built 383 stroker Camaro. Now, most of you guys would rather take a car that will do 115, and make it go over 200. Some guys would rather take a car that will do 100, and make it hit 200. The Civic is one of those kinda cars, for one of my kinda people. Add a 70 shot of NOS, and a Civic with an intake, and full exhaust will compete with common 350's. My friend has a 1995 Saturn CS(4 cylinder, bone stock) that has outran every V6 Camaro, Mustang, and any truck it has ever faced. The only car it has ever lost to was a Civic that was on NOS. The Saturn even spanked the legendary 318 Dakota. You might try Speed Options and check out the HP ratings of East Cal's built Supra twin turbo. If my vision isn't failing me, I see 763HP out of a 4 banger.

 

If your talking about the supra's 763 HP, that aint no 4 banger. Thats a straight six.
Much more power... But I agree with your post completly though.

-Matt

 

<<Ever see the movie "The Fast and the Furious"? That was a Toyota Supra(POS HIGHSCHOOL GIRL CAR) that tied the heavily built 383 stroker Camaro. Now, most of you guys would rather take a car that will do 115, and make it go over 200. Some guys would rather take a car that will do 100, and make it hit 200. The Civic is one of those kinda cars, for one of my kinda people. Add a 70 shot of NOS, and a Civic with an intake, and full exhaust will compete with common 350's. My friend has a 1995 Saturn CS(4 cylinder, bone stock) that has outran every V6 Camaro, Mustang, and any truck it has ever faced. The only car it has ever lost to was a Civic that was on NOS. The Saturn even spanked the legendary 318 Dakota. You might try Speed Options and check out the HP ratings of East Cal's built Supra twin turbo. If my vision isn't failing me, I see 763HP out of a 4 banger.>>


For starters, naturally aspirated Toyota Supras are rich high school girl's cars, Supra Turbos are 320hp beasts. No offense to any possible female riders on here, but most of those rich girls don't even know how to drive a stick, and if they did, they wouldn't know what to do with all of that power.

Secondly, it was a Dodge Charger, not a Chevy Camaro, in the movie "The Fast and the Furious".

Thirdly, any car that has an NO2 system in it is NOT "bone stock", and if your friend's SC does not have nitrous oxide, you are lying through your teeth. The '95 Saturn SC1 has a 100hp 1.9L inline four, and the SC2 only makes 24 more horsepower. Now, I'm sorry, but even a bone stock (see earlier definition of "bone stock&quot SC2 has absolutely no hope of running with any of the cars you listed.

Also, you take your riced up little Civic, and all the money that you poured into it, and give me that same amount of money. With that money, I would buy a used car with a half-decent engine (read: more than 4 cylinders), and I would create something with twice the horsepower, and consequently MUCH faster than your little riced up piece of crap. Mostly because, instead of buying all of the little pieces of junk you tack onto the outside of the car (ground effects, air dam, spoiler, rims, clear taillights, etc.), I'll actually spend my money on the important stuff: what's under the hood.

Finally, as somebody else already pointed out, Toyota Supras have a 3.0L straight SIX, not a 4 banger.

 

There is a little kid down the road from me with a "phat" (his terminology) civic. Big giant wing bolted to the rear...little *** low profile tires and ground effects...blacked out lights....and baggy pants to boot. LOL

It cracks me right up to see a car like that....When they stop the car..it ends up being one big sausage party inside. 4 or 5 guys getting out...each one stopping to pull up the pants before they can walk without falling. What a mess.

He has been stoning me for a year now to race him with my triumph. This spring, I am going to give it to him good. This is no stock triumph...it us used for autocrossing. I accidently forgot to put the stock 1500cc back in...and replaced it with a small v8.
But that big ole wing should save him...I mean he must get at least 100 more hp with the wing. Does he even know that it is a front wheel drive car?