My thoughts exactly SOONERDOONER!

 

I think the fact that Cannondale riders are on the Honda boards speaks for itself (I rarely venture away from the Honda stuff). There are hundreds of satisfied Honda owners out there... and we don't have to prove to ourselves we made the right choice. Cannondale is new and has a long way to go to show they build a good product. Nobody... and I mean nobody builds a better product in terms of quality than Honda. Sure Ferrari might build a better sports car, but I'd rather have a Corvette and avoid the headaches. I like the Cannondale's design, but I'd never pay a premium to have one (besides the Japs will copy the idea and make it better). I beat the living crap out of my 400EX and it runs like a top... not a single problem. How many companies can say they've won F1 and CART championships? If Honda wants to make a better quad... they will. But they'll never sacrifice quality to do it... they'll take their time and do it right. As far as I've seen, the 10+ year old 250R's are still holding their own on the tracks.

At the same time, I hand it to Cannondale for coming out with such an innovative quad.

 

how many major companies have had terrible seasons and dropped out of f1 racing? HONDA[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] Seriously though, i feel that honda makes quality atv's but i do not feel like they are the gods of the atv world that everyone makes them out to be. And also 250R's aren't holding their own out on the gnc ciruit; aftermarket frames with rebuilt 250R bottom ends and aftermarket cylinders and heads are holding their own. I don't mean to start a flame thread here, i'm just saying that i think that honda makes good machines but it is also very over rated.

 

Do you actually believe out on those race tracks those R's are the original quads, better go look at them more closely. None of the serious quad racers are running the original R's they are all aftermarket frames, modified motors, shocks, hubs, spindles, swingarms, etc. Don't get me wrong, I own an R and love it.

It's OK to be brand loyal and hardly anyone would not say that Honda does not put out a quality product but think about it, anyone could if you put out the same product for over a decade!! Where is all the new technology, you've being left in the dust riding your under powered "quality built" 400EX. I like the fact that there is a company out there that is willing to gamble and offer us another choice, something somewhat radical, aluminum frame (which houses the crankcase oil), fuel injection, quality parts already installed like the Ohlin shocks, hole shots, itp wheels, etc., And to top it off, they go out and put up big $$'s to support factory race teams. Oh, and one more thing, they are built in USA!! So while you continue to ride your quality built 400EX and continue to have your doors blown off by new technology, keep waiting for that new Honda quad, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting!!!

 

Did someone say they would rather have a Corvette over a Ferrari? Yea, stay on the Honda.. You like old school!

As far as a 450EX or even a 650ex, i dont know, like was said, 400ex's are selling like crazy and the Japanese arent interested in what we want, only what sells. Right now the 400ex sells like hot cakes, but I bet the Z400 takes away some of those sales, the Cannondale will take a small fraction of a percentage right now, but as time passes and cannondale keeps up the customer support and proves reliable, their numbers will increase... I am thinking about a Cannondale right now for the simple fact that I am tired of waiting for a better/faster quad from Honda. Get a Cannondale for regular riding, turn the Banshee into a drag racer, yea thats the ticket..

RoostKing...

 

the overprice statement is annoying!!!! tell me how its overpriced?

take the shocks off and put EX equals on and it will = the price of a 400ex. so your still getting aluminum frame, EFI, a killer engine.

the cannondale is not overpriced some people dont even try to add the parts up you get with it before posting. so thunder add up the canninbal and be fair (cannondale cannibal water cooled,EFI,ETC) now add up 400ex( carb still not water cooled) cannibal has quality shocks,400 ex stock junk. etc etc etc so how do you get off saying there over priced? go figure it out.
the guy just asked a question and of course there always has to be a few idiots that cant debate it. they have to start by saying what are you doing in a honda forum! well i like both and would be happy to ride either one. but the cannondale is ahead of the game right now

P.S anyone local to NE CT i wouldnt mind trying your cannondale [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

RoostKing makes a good point, the 400EX continues to sell extremely well, so what incentive does Honda have to start manufacturing a new performance quad. It takes alot of $$ to put out a new product, engineering costs, manufacturing buildup, marketing, advertising, etc.
If everyone is perfectly satisfied with the product that Honda is currently selling and it's selling extremely well, you Honda boys are going to be waiting around forever for a new quad. Don't get me wrong, I believe Honda puts out a quality product, always has and probably always will but you need to view the situation from Honda's point of view as well. Honda VP of sales speaking at BOD's meeting "We have content customers, sales continue to be great, we're making huge profits on our quads because we've long recouped our engineering/manufacturing costs, let's continue making our current quad lineup for another 20 years" Until you start buying other products which will take sales away from Honda, the Honda quad lineup will not change anytime soon!!

 

There will be no 450ex or an updated 400ex until sales drop. Honda is only interested in what sells....this is why the last supposed (we thought and hoped) high performance quad wound up being a 250ex. When 400ex sales drop enough, we will get the announcement that a new sport quad will be released in 2 years....same thing going on with the Rincon. Honda will then scramble to assemble something to compete.
Why is Honda introducing the Rincon.....but not until 2003? Because there were no plans to make the quad until the new big-bore utility (Griz, Prarie, Sportsman, and the Quest too) quads were available and taking significant market share. Only now, Honda scrambles to assemble a new big bore ute to regain lost sales....probably were assuming loyal customers would continue to purchase outdated, underpowered equipment (compared to the beforementioned new quads of course). Just my opinion guys.

 

A friend of mine just bought a CRF450 crate motor and put into his 400........AWSOME

 

Just curious what he paid for that crate motor?