Well, I havent even got the chance to ride a Z400 yet and I am already sick and tired of hearing about it. "the z-400 smokes the ex" " the z-400 handles better than the EX" .......................well, i would hope this suzuki would! Suzuki only had three years to copy the chassis and set up on the EX and give it a liquid cooled engine with higher compression. What else would we expect- a sport quaD THAT competes with the 300? when is all this madness going to stop.....how many cc's will it take to stuff in an engine for a quad to be considered "clinically insane"
All the suzuki fans are waiting for honda to answer with a new quad........well, as far as i am concerned they have.....the 2003 400ex.

 

Nicely put EX1!!!!!

 

I'm amazed, they spent all this R&D time and money and this is all they could come up with??[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img] Wow, it barely out runs a 400EX and gets it's a$$ kicked by stock C'dale's, I want to own one of them!!! NOT!!!

 

EX1

You cant be to hard on people getting excited over there quads and constantly wanting and expecting the envelop to be challenged...if you see the Z400 header just skip the thread. I for one am glad Suzuki has decided to go after Honda...which, lets face facts, looks like they are doing (ozark/recon-eiger/rancher-vinson/ricon - z400/400ex)...this will push Honda to maintain their market share and you will start seeing true Honda technology meeting the challenge...400EX is a good quad...actually Honda doesnt make a bad quad...but their quads are starting to lose the edge they used to maintain at each spectrum. Read the forum and any true red honda lover, which we know there are tons, response to anyones feedback promoting their quad is that Honda is more reliable and this makes it the better quad...with the exception of the 400ex and its noted stability and ride and the recently dethroned recon, honda's are usually middle of the pack in ground clearance, power, ride, features, etc...they make a good solid machine...but they are no longer pack leaders like it or not. I would take a quad with more features or power and a maintenance rate of 5% over a middle of the pack performer with a maintenance rate of 3% (do not know if my reference is actually called maintenance rate...dealers and manufactures have numbers they maintain on bikes returned within an alotted amount of time in which work has to be done due to factory defects or problems unrelated to rider damage...Honda, Suz, Kaw, and Yamaha are all within the 3-5% range...honda is at 3%...polaris is substantially higher and couldnt find the numbers for bombardier)...

Not trying to start flame wars or put down anyones bike or honda's in general...HONDA MAKES A SOLID QUAD...but its these post you hate that are going to push honda to claw to stay on top and advance their technology, performance, and features, not just sales, and rule the quad arena like they used to with the 250R and their first set of utility quads...that or get passed by...with the technology advancements quads will get insane...go crazy with it or ignore it...but continue riding...have fun and let them blow their horns...I cant imagine Honda not giving their huge following alot more to brag about in the near future.

 

The 2003 400EX is the same as all the previous 400EX machines, if that is the point you were trying to make?

I agree with Dokyo, this competition is a good thing. I would like to see Honda come out with a more powerful sport machine, personally. Even if they come out with a restricted big-bore sport machine (like the Raptor), it would be worth it because of the power potential. The day that 650EX shows up is the day that my Raptor goes up for sale. Either that or that DS250R...

Honda has something to work towards for 2004 now...

 

Dokyo, you mentioned you cannot blame people for being excited about their quads and expecting the envelope to be challenged, that was my point. What envelope has been challenged with this Z400? The only thing to get excited about is the fact that this is Suzuki's first sport quad in a long time, that's all. It's using old technology!
I understand alot of people are brand loyal and that's fine, Honda has more brand loyal people than all others combined. I get excited not when something new comes out but when something new that is innovative comes out and challenges the industry, ie., Cannondale, not this Z400.

 

<< What envelope has been challenged with this Z400? >>

What has been challenged is clearly the 400ex. Suzuki aims too take away 400ex sales....plain and simple. Take a look at the dimensions and the engine......almost every category &quot;1-up's&quot; the 400ex. Don't expect Honda (or any of the big 4) too produce and aluminum framed, fuel injected quad like the C-dale lineup. Innovative, for the big 4 means a reverse lever that works better or different tires when it comes too atv's.

 

Brainsgi

You have to give credit where credit is due...Suk put together a machine that initial feedback has as very stable, responsive and competitively priced...thats challenging the envelop and innovative. Now time may change this as more hit the streets and this new bike comes under more scrutiny but for now you have to admit it has had a dramatic impact on the sport quad market...people are on lists around here (Utah) to get them. Also to say the cannondale is far more advanced and innovative...you would have to let a Z400 owner go out and spend the price difference in mods and see how they both perform in track, sand, and trail to write off the Z as the same ole wash...alot of publications believe zuk has made several advancements in several areas with this bike. I have not heard or read any feedback on a mod'd Z so I cant say...maybe the C-dale will still smoke it. When i was researching and talking to C-dale dealers I would reference the high price and they would say that they come completely ready for the track...piped and loaded with after market track specific parts. Was also told that C-Dales require more attention then the typical quad as far as routine maintenance and tweaking. Not trying to take away from the c-dale...but is that advancement or throwing money at it? But yes, if Suk has built a stock bike that will run , not beat, the C-dale in all areas of sport quading for substantially less and require less attention...I would say that is innovative and a technological advancement. Can the Z do that...dont know...but people coming on these forums and telling their experiences and sharing the excitement over their bikes is one good way to find out.

I am not a big suzuki advocate so my intention isnt to die on my sword for the Z400...just saying it has increased competition in the market and turns heads...I own a Kawasaki, in fact, my friend who is a big sport quad rider is in the market for a sport quad and having time on my hands i researched for him (owns his own business and very busy)...my recommendations, c-dale (as suk wasnt out yet and no actual feedback other then magazine previews...plus i wanted him to hurry and get one). He loves power and track/dune riding...previously owned and raced a Honda 250R...he rode my prairie v-twin and has since decided to hold off as he heard that kawi is putting it in a sports quad, loved the power plant, and now wants to see what they do with it before he decides. Plus he felt if he was going to put $7000-8000 on a quad he would mod it the way he wanted it. This tagged me as now i will have to wait for what i see as a lengthy period for one of the best riders i know to have a quad and ride reqularly with.

I am not saying the suk re-invented the sport quad market with great technology advances...I am saying initial feedback has them raising the bar for price/performance in the sport quad market and we should welcome it and peoples excitement over it ...when its not childish and the info is relatively factual that is...if it forced c-dale to come down $800 off their machine wouldnt that be a good thing? I know when it came time to make my purchase people on these forums provided a lot of information and helped identify alot of questions I asked the dealer...that excitement had me look at the 650 prairie and not just follow the crowd i ride with in getting a grizzly (both are GREAT bikes but i do love that v-twin). Just come back from Japan and Yamaha has a HUGE following in Ogden and the groups I ride with. I just dont see how you guys can be disgusted with excitement over this new product that i believe will make the market more competitive...which makes it all the better for us the consumer. Its not the end all bike...but it does make things more interesting.

 

EX1, For Honda's sake, I hope there are a lot more people with your way of thinking. You are the type of person that believes the 400ex is better no matter what else comes out. Stick with your Honda, that's cool with me.

For the people who are open minded, the Z400 offers a new entry into the 400cc sport quad market currently dominated by Honda. It's like a more powerful, liquid cooled, 400ex with reverse that laready has an aftermarket thanks to the DRZ400 bike... What's not to like?

 

Any time something new comes out people are going to talk about it for days on end. So everytime a new quad is released we will just have to deal with all the posts about the new quad (no offense to any new quad posts).