Unless its a CR500 engine in a sub-400lb package I could really care less. Its almost impossiable to buy a "bad" quality in any of the sport quads that are preseantly on the market, all of them are exceptional. But I am so tired of the new, tame line of 4-strokes that have flooded the market fot the past 4 years. I know that it forces more competition from the other MFGs, but they keep comming out with relatively the same quad. the 400ex started it, the DS was a little to big and heavy, raptor had reverse, but was not all that fast considering the size of the powerplant, cannondale is to pricey, and the 400Z is nothing but a 400ex with reverse and a little more power. I think that there are a few of us out here that rember the power of the 2 strokes of the late 80s, LT500, Tecate, Shee, ect. I for one do not need a new 4-stroke with "adequate" power. I want something that makes 50-60 hp in stock form, and that does not weigh a ton. I am done with buying 4-strokes, when the EX came out everyone said it would beat a Banshee,lie. When the DS came out everyone said it would beat a Shee, Lie. same for the Raptor and the Z. I do understand that sheer power is not the be all end all and that the majority of these quads will be used for trail riding where big power is not all that importiant. But there are a few of us out here who would like one of the MFGs to step up and make something with some serious balls. I know that all of this is just wishful thinking, and no company is ever going to produce anything in the near future with any ammount of power. They are going to keep shoving the same sh1t down out throats, year after year, just warmed over a little bit, with new graphics and other things I really care nothing about. And I always hear about how the companies will not make anything with a "race" engine because of warranty issues. Well look at the Banshee, it has a 90 day warranty, and that is it, yet go to any sand drags and the vast majority of the quads will be of the 350 variety. I guess what I am saying is this: If you build something with some nuts, they will come, I know I would.

This guy is 100% on track. Older quads where made better. Period. What the hell is going on??? 4-strokes should be work quads only.Screw the dam epa. I have no muffler cars drivng by my house all day. Bring back the 250r. Honda would them have all my votes. It seems to me that old quads were made better and the corporation didt have the though of "How can we make more money" on there minds. Kepp in mind though guys. The EPA will cancle all 2 stroke atvs. The day is coming and us saying how awesome they are is not going to stop them. So buy all the 2 strokes you can while there here. And keep them in your grarag and sell them for more once they canecle the beloved 2 stokes!
Ben
BTW 250r's and shee's will always kick ass!

I have personally seen a stock DS out run a stock shee, but for the DS's and Raptors engine size, the Banshee was pathetically close. The 2-strokes that were produced aren't exactly power monsters either... those drag quads you talk about have lots of money in them. Yes, I know it takes more $ to make a 4-stroke fast, but deal with it... the 2-strokes are fading away! Nothing you can do about that. But Banshee's aren't that fast! They are a twin cylinder thats less than 100 cc's smaller than a C-dale, it's a 2-stroke vs. a 4-stroke, and the C-dale can out run one pretty damn easy. I beat a piped banshee in the holeshot in a MX race one time by 5 bike lengths and my quad is stock! No the shee wasn't being held back... it was in 2nd place and I was in 1st. I have more pictures that I can show you of me beating a banshee in the holeshot too. As for the 4-stroke being a "work motor"... thats a bunch of crap. The 4-strokes are just now really getting worked on and progressing, and the 250 2-stroke / 440 4-stroke rule is almost getting to be unfair. You guys just have this mind set that 2-strokes are the sh!t and 4-stroke will never measure up... yall are just as brainwashed as those tree huggers. You're daddy, and the neighbor w/ the bad ass shee always told you that these 2-strokes are the fastest things around, and since it was true then, it just got stuck in your heads and your mind set is that times haven't changed. Ofcourse the pathetic excuse of a quad (Raptor, DS, 400ex) didn't help either because of the EXTREME detuning done on the motors. But look at C-dales, and look at a uncorked Z400, and the predator just might suprise people too... 4-strokes are takin over, and they are quickly becoming the thing to get because the 2-strokes really aren't that great. WAKE UP! Maybe it's just us younger people that see this because yall that were "fortunate" enough to ride during the 80's have been breathing in to much 2-stroke exhaust.

i agree 100%,this 4 stroke trends sport quad market is superficial in kind of performances wise,you can have a 650cc 4 stroke quad that rev 10000 rpm but still sound like a torqey harley on top end,
polaris and yamaha are the ONLY mfg to still produce 2 stroke quad on the general market,so let see what they have in their sleeve in the future...

Not necessarily guys. At least one company out there is finding ways to make 2-strokes as clean and efficient as 4-strokes...Since Bombardier bought out Evinrude they have found ways to make their 2-stroke 200 and 250 class marine powerplants run cleaner than the 4-stroke motors on the market. If they could apply this technology to atv's the EPA would run out of ammo against the ring dings and we could a revival of the 2-stroke market.

ummmmm....can you say Gas Gas, they produce a 300cc two stroke and a 450four stroke with EFI, and you can buy them both right now. If your sooo into two strokes why dont you put your money where your mouth is and buy one of the new Gas Gas's. Just curious.

If he thinks a C-dale is pricey, than he wouldn't want a gas gas. And there is also only around 2 or 3 dealers that I've ever heard of in the U.S. Sorry, but I don't think the Gas Gas is exactly going to take off here in the U.S.

Well, putting my money where my mouth is and buying a Gas Gas are 2 totally different things. For starters where on earth can anyone get this thing worked on at? 2. How many aftermarket companies make products for it? 3. The Gas Gas is not a proven quad in the real world and has been constiantly plauged by reliability issuse from day one. I do respect the Cannondale for its attempt at a race ready quad, but its a pretty specific notch into which it fits and many of the parts that they used on it that jacked up the price are of no use to me, like the tires, not everyone is fond of that brand, therefore you are right back where u started with any other quad, having to buy tires for a $7800 quad. The Banshee has many things going for it, least of which is aftermarket support which the Cannondale does not have. Like I said before, I want a quad to do different things than most people do, for one, handeling is a distiant second place to power, I dont care how it looks, or how snazzy the graphics are. I want a quad with a strong powerplant that I can build on. Take a stock Banshee, and a stock Cannondale make up the price difference on parts for the Banshee and then drag race them. Or any other quad for that matter, Raptor, or the new Z and the Cannondale will be eating dust. And like I said before, This is what I would like for a new quad to be like, not everyone has to agree with me. Most people want them for light trail riding and are not hard core riders who want a quad with serious power. I guess I need to be happy with my LT500, but it would be nice to see a new big bore 2-stroke. Or a seriously rev-happy 4-stroke that has not beed de-tuned from the motercycle that the MFG took it out of. Hell, if Honda made the 450 with about 45-55hp id be all over it, but it will never happen. They will lower the compression,put a cam with a lower powerband in it and rejet the carb, it would hit the floor with a run of the mill 30-37hp, nothing to get excited over.

I agree with that, and as far as aftermarket goes, the Shee will be king. But just keep an eye on these 4-strokes. Not Honda, cause as far as power is conserned, Honda has power like Richard Simmons has style. But if you pay attention to Cannondale, you will notice that more power is being found in them all the time. It's just that they aren't like everything else where you can put a pipe on it , open the intake up a bit, rejet, up the compression, cam, and then you have the basic power increase... the motors are more complicated and it's harder to figure out what will work w/ other mods to get the most power out of it. That is what a lot of people don't like about the Dales, but in the near future, when people do figure them out more, you will see some big threats comin from C-dale. And then there's Suzuki... if they release this rumored big bore, it will obviously be faster and have more power than their 400 so that will be the quad that people will have to work to catch up to. As of right now, the only companies that I see that are actually working on their quads is C-dale, Suzuki, and Polaris. Bombardier might have something interesting coming... if they do, and it's light weight, I bet it will be a dang good quad. Why should Yamaha get any recognition and compliments for keeping a quad on the market for 15 + years and never changing it any? Honda leaves everyone in a hole and leaves the power gains to the customer... and then the customer has to spend a lot of money just to be equal to these stock machines! Kawasaki almost makes me embarrassed to call myself a quad racer, and if I forgot to name some other company, thats because they aren't worth naming.

Never owned a two stroke and never will. Can't stand the noise and can't stand the smell, like a diesel. Old vs New. Drum vs Disc. Belt vs Fluid. They are all never ending stories. I have a stock 1989 5.0L Mustang that is as quick as a 1969 Mustang Mach I with a 428 Cobra Jet and get 20 mpg around town with the AC on. My daughter has a friend with a 2000 Honda Civic Si VTEC with a 1.6L engine that is a quick as my Mustang and he gets 30 mpg around town with his AC on. Times do change.

I would not have a older Honda 300 4X4 ATV, I like my smooth high-tech computerized 4-stroke 500 cc Rubicon.

The buying public (and government) drive what the manufactures build. The two-stokes need to go because they are too dirty. What this causes is the manufactures to do is to improve the "new" four strokes and they have come a long way in the last couple of years.

I hope I didn't get off track too far, buy the buying public demands new ATV's every year, they don't want the same ones every year.