all it comes down to is how good of a rider you are. like i said give me a 400EX and in the woods, or on the track i'd be right there behind you!!

 

I think the reason that there are so many Honda's dominating is because that WAS all there really was to choose from at first, so there is a lot of them out there. Look closely... the numbers ARE starting to fade.

And like Rincon said, it's all about the rider. But unlike what he said, not all your power is in the top end (Wide open throttle). Having more power throughout the power band is what you want... and sorry to say, the 400ex doesn't have it w/o a lot of $ in the motor. It's easier to go faster on a stock Cannibal than it is a stock 400ex, so it will take more rider skill to be as fast on the EX.

 

yes. i don't see any c'dales around here cause there isn't a dealer anywheres. do you know of any in Canada??? the Z-400 might be winning i don't know because i not getting out to the races this year.

 

<<

<< If they weren't why was 89 the last year for &quot;the best quad ever made&quot; >>



guess what it STILL is the best quad EVER made. and don't you forget it!

half the people get all upset very easily, honda is #1 in sales in Canada. the 400EX WINS almost all the races, and the ones it doesn't a 250R oicks up the slack. it's 90% (or higher) rider anyways. lets get a chant going HONDA HONDA HONDA. are you getting mad yet?? >>




I'm an ex-redwinger....so don't start on me about how the 250r is the best quad ever made.....it's not anymore. I'd take a Cannibal or a Raptor over a stock 250r anyday....c'mon guys snap out of it! Most people see race built 250r's and forget how it was bone stock. It wasn't that impressive people!

And If I put $10,000 in a quad, it sure the heck wouldn't be in a 400ex. It'd be in a Blaze or Moto. You can't tell me you wouldn't either. Why put $10,000 in a 400ex that you'll have to tear down after every race, re-ring it and rebuild it every other race. And run race gas just to be able to compete out on the tracks. C'mon, people wake up. Honda WON'T produce another &quot;true sport quad&quot; and Cannondale and quads like it, are the wave of the future....

The reason 400ex's are dominating the GNCC Pro Production class???? Top riders on &quot;Race QUADS&quot;. They're far from production quads. No one in this forum could afford to build and run a 400ex based quad in the pro-production class without sponsors and lots of them! Your still talking about a $15,000 race quad here, and most have 2 quads, then new tires, airfilter, rings and piston, etc every race. Race gas, entry fees and transportation to get there.

And bring your 400ex Rincon....make sure you bring something to drink along....cuz you'll need something to wash the dirt off of my tires down with....

 

RINCON is from Canada... surprise, surprise... *smirk*

The 400EX is a great all around sport quad- but it isn't a Cannondale, that's for sure! Suspension does go a long way, yes, but even the best suspended XR400 will never touch a YZ400F... maybe not the best comparison, but I do agree with jvc400ex.

Wake up and smell the Castrol, a stock 250R is no longer the best machine to start from anymore. Get a C'dale.

I am a former '89 250R owner, BTW...

 

stock EX, R price VS stock C'DALE price = no the same!!! take the extra 2 grand or so and make it the same, or at least close!

 

If you seriously thing about it....it is close. The retail on a 89 250r was between $2800 and $3600( I can't remember how much it was exactly), the retail on a 1999 400ex was $5399, I believe. So, there's a $2500 difference over a 10 year span. And your looking at a $1600 difference in a 3 year span from a 400ex to a Cannibal.

And look at the added aftermarket items on a Cannibal. So the prices are comparable with the economic price rises. SO it's not &quot;apples to oranges&quot;

 

YoDaddy,
That's all that was out there - that had potential, was reliable and had a industry set up with go fast parts. This is what builds winners when the factories are not directly involved, throwing in millions. Why are Harley xr750's still the bike to beat on the dirt ovals? The 250r became the standard because of it's reliability and handling. The racing aftermarket &quot;picked&quot; the 250r as the standard even though in most peoples opinion it had the least powerful engine in stock trim. We've had Quadracers, Banshees, Tecates, Warriors and Blasters since the 80's and with a few exceptions [mainly LT250r's and a few Banshees your average race ready 250r smokes'em in MX. And when something broke, you picked-up the phone, ordered the part and it was on it's way or at least you had a better chance of getting it than the poor guy trying to race a Tecate. Trust me, been there, done that. Along comes Cannondale and that all changes. Now the Suzuki/Kawasaki 400's are out and provide an excellent entry into racing. They seem to be a much more logical platform to use compared to a 400ex. However, throw in the perceived value of Honda reliability and that would muddy the decision making process because, you can't race what you can't run. Plus how far can you push the z400 right now? You can get @50hp from the 400ex that is &quot;moto-able&quot; if money isn't an issue.[ I know you alky burnin' 465/480 guys put out near 70hp, didn't want you guys giggling at me] What does a Yosh 450 put out?? Plus anything you were gonna do to a 400ex you are gonna do to a z400. Is the engine work gonna be cheaper on a z400 than on my 440ex? That being said, if I were getting into racing today and I could'nt afford a Moto 440, I would still probably buy a Kawasaki 400 and build it as the funds were available; as long as there is an engine package that could get me an honest 50ish HP. But for the thousands of guys like myself who have sunk the money into our 400ex's, why do we sell them. I shell out upwards of $15,000 on quad and parts and now my 99 is worth $6,000 to the right guy, $4,000 to the weekend warrior looking thru Cycle Trader. Bottom line is my bike is better than anything I could buy right now and has been rock solid reliable. Same piston since Dec '98! The friction caused on these boards is from some fellas realizing they no longer have the latest and greatest and that they have their retirement savings wrapped up in it. Get over it. This sport will never be like the 86-99 era again. You can't build something and have it be the undisputed king of the hill for eternity. Things are going to continually change from here on out. All the manufacturers are in the sport business now and to survive they must deliver to the market a competent product. The other thing that causes heat in the forums is when guys run their mouths about &quot;I have a new _____ and it'll kill your 400ex -- the 400ex's are dead!!&quot; Basically, on a mx-track my 440 will out run 99% of the quads on this board. It will also out drag 90% of the quads on this board. And best of all I could really give a .... who cares. I got to build, in my mind, the perfect quad at the time which is something I wanted to do since I was in college back in the 80's.
As for my next creation, I'm heading down to LSR right now to get them to build me a frame for my new single cylinder 685cc 2 STROKE. Easter at Glamis with 90hp. Life is good. Very good.

 

<< well said!! i don't think many people here can hold a 400EX wide open for more than 5 seconds on a MX track, so it has all the power it needs. the only area it's not good for (stock anyways) is in the dunes. give me a 400EX on the track or in the woods and i'll be all over your a$$. it's a fact, face it. >>



not to start a flame but.have you heard of the suzuki ltz400 vs 400ex (p.s./i like honda also)

 

My point was that honda is selling somthing like 6 to 1 400EX's to everythink else.
It is not important why but Honda is a large company and is dictated by profit. Why spend millions on R&amp;D and tooling when you are already the sales leader by miles.
I would love a faster 400EX but I do not make desions at Honda bean counters do.