broken frames, bent axles.... hmmmmmmm it's just not a Honda

the way I look at it...

Raptor = best at speed
EX = best at reliability & handling
Z = best at nothing, but good middle ground between the EX and the Raptor

 

You make a good point about reliability and handling. You can beat these things to death and they keep coming back for more.

 

If I had to have only one bike, I guess I would pick the Z. As it is, I am going to hang on the EX and later I will hand it down to my daughter. Maybe by then I will be shredding desert on a 650EX, and I will trail ride the Z????

 

There have been 100s of 400EXs with broken frames from Mxing in this area. Along with broken swingarms and failed bearing carriers. I see more 400EXs with misc failures than I do Z400s. The BS about the Z's frames breaking is only on 2 quads that were Mxed hard and jumped. Not trail ridden. The 400EX will break in the same spot as the Z everyone is talking about when you start clearing doubles with it. They need gussets above the shock mounts. Both quads are nice and handle excellent both will break if you jump them 80 feet. Some people just feel the need to run down what they don't own. I would buy a used 400EX for my kid to ride in a heartbeat if the price was right. But I would never buy a new one now that everyone has something better than the Honda. As far as the handling they are identical. Powerwise my Z has more power stock than any stock 400ex I have ever ridden and that is from the bottom to the top. The Z has a more explosive powerband and now that mine has been regeared it is a chore to keep the frontend on the ground when riding fast and tight trails. Anything more than gradually opening the throttle will instantly carry the frontend in 1st or 2nd and that is with my 240 pounds on the tank. And you never realize how handy reverse is until you actually have quad with it. I will be changing my gearing back to stock since I am fixing to add a pipe and airbox mods. It will have more than enough grunt with the pipe to use second gear on the tight trails and hopefully will keep the frontend planted instead of carrying it.

 

Hey guys,

I'm in a position (in the near future) to buy either one. As soon as I sell my Sport, I'll be in the market for either one of these fine machines.

My questions are as follows:

#1. Are dealers discounting 400EXs because of the better value of the LTZ 400? There is a Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki dealerships within shouting distance of each other. I was wondering if I could play one against the other and get a good deal (pay less than retail) on a 400EX. The 400 EX has a lack of reverse (no big problem with me, but I'm not letting the dealers know that), less power and air cooling could I use that to drive the prce down on the EX as they are both priced the same.

#2. I don't plan on modifying this machine after dropping $10,000 into my Sport. I just want to do some nice easy trail riding on it and some play racing at times. So the matter of which is faster is a moot point. I basically want a "gas it and go" type quad. Not one that I'll have to spend countless hours of maintenance on after every ride. Which would be better?

I know Honda has the reputation for reliability (I've seen a 250X run for years with milky white oil in the engine), but frankly, the Suzuki would seem the better value.

Thanks in advance!

 

The dealers in rural area's of Oklahoma and Northern Texas are selling both quads below retail. A co-worker of mine bought a Z400 for $5200 OTD. I am not sure what the 400ex's are going for new. But, my son bought a 2002 400ex and one of his friends bought the same thing for $4100. Both machines had virtually no time on them. 400ex's have dropped in price dramatically after the z's came out. They didn't buy Z400's for a couple of reasons. The difference in price allows the ex's to be hopped up with the cash savings, and both bikes are backups, one for a Zilla, the other a Banshee.

 

well guys i have owned them all. i traded in my raptor for a z and never looked back. the raptor was to big for my type of riding the z was perfect i ride the 400ex all the time to but i like the z better, when they were both in stock form we would drag race them and the z would walk away for the ex, now that there both modified, we put the same stuff on both of them. wbs pipe, k&n, and rejetted it, the z runs away from the ex now. as far as handling goes the z handles better because you can spin the back tires easier so you turn a little easier. i raced motocross awhile back and i got the holeshot by two quad lengths. against ex, banshees and raptors. all the stuff about bending axles and frames thats a bunch of bull, any quad well bend an axle if you hit it hard enough. now ive been know not to always land so smoothly and i have yet to bend the axle or anything. right now my only problem with the z is my gearing. ever since i did everything to it it winds out to fast and i hit the rev limiter, so i have to shift fast. in my opinion i think the 400ex looks better. im not a real fan of the z plastic. but is under the plastic is what counts. the 400ex has more torque then the z. this is all i can think of right now. if yall have any questions just ask.

 

The Z frames, A-arms and axels are bending or braking and not from MXing. They are the same as the 85/86 LT250R poorly built low grade quads. The factory parts for the Z are two to three times the price of the EX. So why would anyone buy a Z (reverse)?

 

the frames and axles are not bending. thats a bunch of hype from people who don't even own them.

 

CCRERaptor,

Your right, I don't own one but ATV Action called the axle on the Z-400 swiss cheese and replaced it with a Dura Blue.

The magazine still gave the nod to the Z-400 though over the Raptor.

Chet