Don't bust on me for this opinion. I am a PROUD!! owner of a 2002 400ex, but Suzuki just put another nail in the Honda sport quad coffin with there 250. How long do you all think before people will be saying the LTZ250 will spank a 400ex? I love the fact that I can afford to own a quad but riding a Honda these days is like riding the fat girl. They are fun when your alone, but as soon as someone finds out, your embarrased to say she's with you.

 

pitch black room does wonders for fat girl.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Love is but a light switch away!

My thoughts were this I was going to sell my 400EX for a new quad then I looded at the big picture. OK the diff in the sale of my bike and purchase of a new one was almost $3000. For that I can go to a 440 kit Plus 1 plus 1 forward A-arms a good set of shocks all around. Stock a Raptor will not beat a stock ex in the woods or on a tight MX track and the Z has only 2 hp. Add a custom tallored suspension and bump the power and they are both lunch. If you have to have the newest and flashiest buy new. If you want to kick *** ( all you have to do is look at the results of the GNCC races) build your EX.

 

I don't know what you are talking about, buddy, but a 400EX won't eat a Raptor in the woods. Just my opinion from riding with an EX and dirtbikes. Alot of it is rider, but this isn't why I posted...

If you like your 400EX, keep it. Who cares if it isn't the highest tech machine or most powerful. If you can modify it for a reasonable cost to obtain a level for your liking, just do it. But once you start pushing the borders of reliability issues, you really should start playing the field. I'm not saying to go get a Raptor or Z400, but it doesn't hurt to list what you want from a machine and then shop around to see what quad will best fullfil those requirements.

 

Hey Shelby, don't worry about the LTZ250 "spanking" a 400ex. The Z400 will {I know that firsthand} but the LTZ250 won't. The LTZ250 is designed to go after the 250ex and based on my unbiased opinion {I like ALL the Japanese brands, no preference} I suspect they will do well. Honda carves out these ATV niches and Suzuki seems intent on following up Honda and out doing them a little. Mission accomplished on the Ozark and Z-400. Don't fret or have a conniption about it, Honda will answer back eventually. Ratchet down your brand loyalty feelings and enjoy the ride that all the ATV companies are taking us on. I have seen more real world major improvements in ATVs in the last couple of years than ever before! Brand loyalty is fun and I have been guilty of it with autos and trucks in the past, but I feel that zealous brand loyalty blocks some of the enjoyment of ATVing. It's a great time to be an ATV rider!
BTW, I heard the joke as, fat girls are like mopeds, lotsa fun to ride but you don't want to let your friends see you on one!

 

I guess it like this. I watched the YROC Yamaha race of champions,they take past motorcycle champions and put them on the trace on the 125 250f 250 and 450f. Now you might think that one bike would dominate but even w/ the hp advantage of the 250 and 450 they did not win every race the 120 won one the 250 2 and the 450 the other. But the top few riders were up front no mater what they were on.
The same goes for quads the 400ex in the right hands will beat a raptor in the woods it will also lose to a 250ex if not riden correctly.
But anyone who races will tell you the very first mod to make is suspension not HP. Also a 440ex is as reliable if not more so than the stock bike. Plus if you have ever riden a quad w/ a suspension set up for you it is great.
In a test in one mag an ex went as fast as 2 second per lap quicker just buy swapping front shocks and picked up another 1 sec when the rear was swapped. In every test I have ever seen the ex was w. in 1 sec of a raptor and some times faster on tight tracks so pick up 3 sec and you see the outcome. Now add a-arms and 12 more hp and well you will be very happy.
Around here there were a few raptors show up at the race tracks they did not come back, They would get the hole shot only to get passed in the turns and coming out, they had to slow to much not to tip then spun to much comming out. I am not saying they are not great quads but a stock raptor in certain situations is only marginaly better than a 400ex and I can not see any situation short of the dunes that it would be better than a modded EX.

 

Fat girls need lovin too. Just not my lovin.

 

<< Fat girls need lovin too. Just not my lovin. >>



LOL,

We will not force one on you.

Chet

 

Ride whatcha love, love whatcha ride. It started out about the love of the ride for most of us, and will always (for the smart ones) be about that, the ride, not the brand of the ride. I ride a Suzuki, but I don't ride it cause it's a Suzuki, I ride it cause it's got what I wanted to get out of a quad. I wouldn't care what brand it is, as long as it fits my needs. And yes, fat chicks need lovin too, and are REAL appreciative for it; that's what I heard.

 

daimon, yeah man, tell me how a 440EX is MORE reliable than a 400EX... quit talking out your a$$ just because you love your EX... my post wasn't trying to get manufacturer biased-- yours is... just like statistics, you can twist the numbers however you want to make things look favorable in your eyes...

But if you want to get specific when it comes to technology and performance, bringing a 400EX to a competition is like the old &quot;bringing a knife to a gunfight&quot; arguement. Stock vs. stock everyone knows that a 400EX is at a disadvantage, be it Z400, Raptor, and now Predator. Open your eyes, man!!!