After much discussion and debate around our house, I bought my son a 2000 Scrambler 500. Most of the people he rides with have 400ex's and Warriors. We looked at everything, the DS650, the Warrior, the 400EX, and down the line. For us in New England, the Scrambler made the most sense for the trails and riding areas here.

Not that I wanted to know this or even hear this, but rumor around here is the Scrambler is just as fast as a 400EX in 'normal' conditions and will run rings around the local Warriors out of the box.

I'm not sure the riding conditions in other parts of the country, but very few people here have the room or trail conditions to get full throttle for a long time. Perhaps it's my age, but how often do you actually 'top speed?' I have never seen top speed on any of my quads.

If you want to go 95, you can buy a beater stock car for 1500 bucks and race the thing on weekends for a lot less than a 6000 dollar quad.

Under 'normal' trail riding conditions, the Honda and the Polaris will be competetive. I will say however, never having ridden and Honda and spending a couple hours on the Scrambler, the damn seat on the Scrambler is too narrow. My middle-age *** doesn't feel right on the seat!

One last comment, damn is reverse handy! I wouldn't buy any quad without it.

Good luck with your choice,

Jack

 

Like they said it all comes down to if you want a 4x4 or a 2 wheel drive. Although I don't think that on a flat out drag race the 500 could beat the 400ex. I have raced a few polaris's and none of them were closer than 5 bike lengths in a half mile race.

 

between the 500 and the 400ex the 500 will come very close to staying with the 400ex on a flat run but not on a track. The honda will NOT beat a 500 in 3rd. If you need 4x4 buy the polaris, if you want to jump don't buy the polaris.

 

hey,
On the road from a dead stop I can let the scrambler get 1/8 mile away when I take off on the 400ex, about when the 400ex is whinning out in 3rd their dead even.. They are both stock. My scrambler must be jacked up then huh??

 

Hey you got a rack on your scrambler?? SWEET!! So did that come factory or what man?? if it did that is so cool!! I mean i have never heard such a bunch of bull ever in my life!! i guess it could happen if you put it onyourself... even though i am just giving you ****... just a joke!! haha well except for the part about the 1/8th mile, but maybe you had like a 300 pound guy driving the scrambler, then maybe it could happen, well bye!!

 

I agree Ranger,
Did you check my earlier reply? I think TOY has a bad case of P-ENVY 'cause he gets spanked everywhere but on an MX track and wishes he had the 500 and really could pass it.

TOY400EX,W/NITRO....HA!!!

 

yeah TOY has something rammed in his butt... But thats another story. I think that the scrambler is a great machine, except of course as all honda men would say, IT NEEDS GEARS. of course that is an opinion. if you want to harness the power of that 500 you are going to need gears. thats what I think anyway. Oh well. Heyand has anybody heard about this new sport quad that Polaris is coming out with???

 

Hey I have an idea have yhe guy on the Scrambler push that little yellow reverse override button and I bet you want pass him with kind of head start.

 

I never said the scambler was a bad machine, I love mine, hakmazter2 said it would beat a 400ex and I'm telling you it will not stock. Check all the mags, they'll tell you, and i know becuase I can run outside right now and drag 'em..

As for not having one it's like my computer, I don't have one either huh?

 

TOYMAN,
Go ahead and check some back issues of DIRTWHEELS. You will find an issue with a 500 in it. The quoted, clocked speed on the 500 ranged 65-67 MPH. No STOCK 400EX will do over 63-64 on flat pavement. I know this to be true. I have two friends in the next town over. One HAD a 2000 400EX with a DMC Dual pipe kit, set professionaly , with all the extra's to go along with it and a K&N filter, the other bought a new Srambler 400. The 1st day out riding
the S400 beat the 400EX in a drag. The EX got out of the hole 1st, but by 3rd gear the S400 caught up and pulled away. Then I beat him on a '99 S400 bone stock, but broke in. He got just past the front bumper and then I blew him away bad. He might have been able to get to 66-67 MPH but, by the time he got close to the S400's 68-70 MPH I was so far gone he would have never got close. Maybe after several miles and some curves. 10 minutes later, he loaded up and went to trade. The next weekend he was on an Arctic Cat. Now, his girlfriend drives it, since I took him down to the dealer to get his 2000 Scrambler 500. He is happy now. He still ain't the quickest, but faster and more satisfied than before and he's not riding around with a $550 pipe and $100's more in other matching mods. He beats 400EX's now .

IF YOURS DON'T YOU NEED TO TAKE IT IN TO BE FIXED IF YOU REALLY HAVE ONE.

I like the 400EX and I'm proud of Honda for offering it. Two sport models is more than you can say for some companies and it is a leap up from the 300EX.
I've had five Honda 4-wheelers: 125 back breaker, 200 SX-R that flew, 250X that was great, the MIGHTY '89 250R, and a 300 4X4 that over heated all the time.
I'm no Polaris lover, but realisicly, that will probably be my next new machine because of price and 2-stroke

RIDE & BE MERRY