Well for all of you 400ex riders here is some good news. Last weekend the 28th, there was the First Annual Tillamook Drag Races, and they had a 400 4-stroke class. There was problly about 14 bikes with about 5 or 6 Z400's and 7 400ex's and they let one polaris 400 scrambler race there class. Every Z400 there had a pipe and Silencer. They placed 4 positions, and only one Z400 placed (1st) but he had a cam and k&n filter and all kinds of good stuff. He barely won, but he did win. But the next 4 positions went to 400ex's and sent the rest of the piped Z400's home crying. So that just proves that the 400ex will still compete with bikes in the same cc range as them.

 

It sounds like there was some 400EX riders there that had great ability.

Chet
VP Knowsalot Facility

 

i would have to agree with 660r
a great rider is a better mod then an extra couple of hp
l8r

 

Well I do agree with you about rider ability, but I know a couple of the people that were on Z's, and the couple of people on the ex's. And for drag racing they all were real capable riders. Beleive me I thought the z's would pull away from the ex. But they had farely even riders. the people on the ex's might of been a little lighter, but all I am saying is that the ex's held there own. Z's are a good bike but they are not all that much better than an ex.

 

The yellow honda 400Ex looks rather pale when compared to the Lime green Kawasaki 400.

I saw my first Kawasaki 400 last Thursday and I liked it much better than the Yellow Suzuki 400.

Chet
VP Knowsalot Facility

 

So do you people think because it has abot 1-2 more HP, the Suzuki is going to smoke the 400ex? Come on people!

And Raptor, you are owing it all to rider ability? WTF? We're not comparing a XR 50 to a YZF426! The way I took your post it seems you think the Suzuki should have beatin the EX undoubtly..??...

 

I raced a piped/jetted/filtered 400ex with my bone stock Z-400, I weigh 240 lbs and the ex rider weighs 180 lbs. The 400ex rider is much more experienced than I am but we both handle our quads very well. We are both in our 40's {we aint hot rod kids} and have no bias towards manufactuers, and were interested to see exactly what the real world speed differences were between the 2 quads now that my Z was fully broken in. We were on hardpack flat dirt roads. When we both had clean {no spin, no bad wheelie} starts, we were nearly even till the top of 3rd gear when the Z-400 started to pull away from the 400ex. The gap got larger after that. It was not a bad runaway but the Z-400 is clearly faster in a drag race, for what that's worth. In contests with other stock 400exs, the Z-400 was able to open gaps right from the start, especially when rider weight was equal. The 400ex is a great quad but the Z-400 is clearly faster as it should be with the more advanced design engine it has. In the woods the Z-400 speed advantage is not enough to make up for rider ability differences. Rider ability IS the most important aspect of fast quad riding!

 

Well last time I was at any drag races, they did not last three miles. There was a Z400 with a full on race exhaust, and a filter, and 400ex with slip on exhaust and a filter. The Z had a more experienced rider and the ex beat him in a 100 yard drag race. Like had said 3 0f the 4 top places went to 400ex's. And I do not have nothing against Z400's my dad has one and they are a good bike. I just get sick of everyone saying how much better they are than a 400ex, because they are not. They might be a little better here and there. But they are not all that much better. I am giving the Z respect, I just think the 400ex still deserves a little, it still holds it own against the Z400!

 

now this is getting pretty sad.
did someone say they raced a piped and cammed Z400 and the EX won????
the Z riders must have only had about an hour of riding experience because i raced a modded EX and i have a STOCK Z and smoked his ***.personally, i don't give a damn which is faster.I have raced a modded EX and there was NO contest.
I challenge you to bring this absurdity to the Z forum and see what kind of responses you get.

 

Geez guys, chill out a little. If you've got a 400ex, it's ok to admit the Z-400 is a little bit faster. It should be as it is a newer design quad with 4 more years of tech advances built into it. Blind brand loyalty doesn't serve much purpose. What does it really matter if a newer designed quad from another manufactuer is a little faster than the one you currently own? Z-400 owners will be facing the same situation {if you can call it that} when the Predator hits the trails. Enjoy what you own and consider yourself very lucky to have such dynamic growth and great new products in your favorite hobby as it is these days!
But the Z will still spank a 400ex in almost any speed contest, all things being near equal.