I have a 250r and a 02 400ex. I like my 205r but I like four strokes better. Should I hop my 400 up so that it is competitive or should I get a 426 or 450. I am going to get a new fram.(money is kina an issue)

 

neither..... just sell it and buy a raptor.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

It would take some $$$ to really make your 400 competitive, though it is a nice bike. If you are serious about performance then you should sell your R and buy a Cr450 motor to go in that new frame you're getting. You could bolt on most of your 400 stuff and sell that motor as well. Not sure about the maintenance on the 450's, but I hear they really rip (around 50hp to the rear wheels). Good luck.

 

I say buy a 450 motor and put it in your Rs frame. Then slowly hop up the R over time, new A arms, new fram and all that jazz. Keep the newer quad as your weekend ride.

 

I'd say if you're getting a new frame, go ahead and get a motor.

Here's another whirl on things. Hunter Miller's CRF450(the same one Jeremiah Jones rode) puts out mid/low 40's on the ground. A 400EX motor is very capable of hitting the 40's, and being quite reliable. The only thing is, that motor would defiantely be strokin, so you'd have to spend some money to upgrade the cooling system too. A CRF450(can you buy a crate motor yet? I'm not sure, but I don't think so) around here runs in the mid $6K's. Now, you've got a $6K motor, $2K frame, and what chassis components? Unless you've got stuff on your 400, you've still got to buy a-arms, shocks, axle, swingarm, etc. RODSQUAD had a LSR450R built, and it cost him just a little over $18K.(I think?)

Also, the YZ426 motor seems to be decent for a quad, but the CRF has a little better tranny for 4 wheels. You can buy a YZ426 crate motor though. The 426's are VERY hard to crank, but once you get the technique down, they're a little bit easier. Warm starts on that motor are |-|ELL though. I don't think the 426 has quite as much power as the 450, but I have seen a YZ440 motor before, and that thing hauled.

All in all, I'd say you're going to spend just about the same amount of money any way you go. With a CRF450, you're looking at $10K at a minimum... So why not just buy a Moto 440?

 

So far I have been very happy with my 450 quad. The biggest reason I chose it over the yz motor is the ease of starting. I basically have gotten to the point I can start it first kick when warm. Power wise it seems real good possibly even better than my old Sparks 440EX. Also, there are 03 CRF motors on ebay right now for like $3900 which is a little higher than I have seen. The Houser frame uses alot of the CRF chassis components too. I bought a new 02 CRF and then sold what I didn't need to a dealer for like $1500 and honestly I think I did better than if I had bought a crate motor and then bought all the other parts I needed separately.

 

JakalWarrior does have a point because you wouldnt wont to mess up your race bike the day before the race