best quad for me .. i like trials i like dunes i like goin fast. ive always riden 4 wheelers and have good experience. i like exs and i like the 250r but i dont know which one to get i like the feel of a 2 stroke i like the powerband the 4 stroke dosent have that feeling but i havent really worked on 2 strokes before so i dont know how hard it would be to maintain one. so if anyone has some advice please leave it

 

They are both great quads. The only problem that might come up in getting a 250r is they are 14-17 years old and if they have not been gone through replacing old or bad parts, you may end up rebuilding you rear end (my dad and I had to on a 86atc250r we bought) or maybe some other things might need to be re-done. Also from my experience 2strokes are easier to work on then 4strokes, alot less to a 2stroke. My friend just bought a 2003 400ex and its a fun bike to play on but needs quite a bit more power to be fun in the sand(his is stock). hope some of this helps - Jason

 

If you are experienced and ride trails either bike is great. For the dunes, the 250r would be a better choice. 2 strokes are easier to wrench on, thats true. But you also have to wrench on a 2 stroke much more than a 4 stroke. If you are buying used, the prices on these 2 should be close, depending on the condition of the 250r. The problem is finding a good one that isnt cracked or ran to death. Both allow for upgrades, but obviously the R will take them better and will be faster. If you are looking at a new ex, you might want to consider one of the other comparably priced 4 stroke quads, namely z/kfx 400, predator 500. The big bores are about 1000 dollars more expensive. Good luck with your choice. Remeber to ride them both before you buy, if you can. My friend's 250R is somewhat faster than my raptor, but its tiring to ride for extended periods of time.

 

thanx for the info and about the 250r im pretty sure thats what ill get. but i want to get one pretty new that has all the work done to it. that way i dont have to invest alot more into it i would if i had the money but i wanna get a bike that is ready to go i know that prolly cost more but rebuilding a quad is prolly more then buying one already done, and is workin on a 2 stroke complicated are is it kinda easy once u learn what to do?

 

once you do it right, it is so easy to work on them

 

Be sure to look closely at the frame - the stock frames are weak in places and are notorious for cracking. Pay close attention to the area around the swingarm bolt and the motor mount locations. They are a nice quad, but they are a 2-stroke and they don't like to be ridden slowly, you have to keep the RPMs up and keep it in the powerband for the most part or you will be fouling a lot of plugs. Expect to pay around $4500-5000 for one in good shape that doesn't really need anything done to it. Working on them is easy once you get the hang of it. Best thing to do though is to get a service manual. They will tell you everything you would ever want to know about your quad. First thing I would do to it if I got one would be to look at the bearing carrier and make sure it is properly lubed. It seems like that is one of the most neglected parts on any quad. Nobody seems to want to keep them greased and the bearings will fail. Usually you will find out about it the hard way, while you are out on the trail and it comes apart into a dozen pieces.... so you might as well check it from the beginning. If somebody tells you they just put a new carrier in it still check it anyway to see if they did actually lube it.. I bought a 250X with a new carrier in it that wasn't lubed at one time...