Buy a 400ex now ( used ...I just got my 01 for $3500 w/full skids & Holeshots)

Ride the snot out of it and let the new Honda get tested for a while

Why wait to ride [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

 

i got my 400ex new for $4800 out the door. Its a canadian model though.

And i have an inside source on the new honda quad. (dealer) How reliable is it? i dont know. He said Honda is going to tell everyone about it in June. So if we dont hear anything next month then he was bs'ing me. But he said expect the bike to be out by december. I always try to get info and this time for sure he had heard something from honda. He couldnt tell me though. The 400ex is my dad's for now and the Raptor money will go towards whatever honda comes out next if its worth buying.

Yamaha has a 450 also coming. I wouldnt get it thought based on Yamahas first year reliability. Yamaha blows. Trust me. (01 raptor owner)

 

Actually what I have been thinking about doing is buying the new Rancher AT which is a scaled down version of the Rincon, riding that for a while and if I want a sport quad, then sell it and get the new Honda. If I end up liking the Rancher then I'm set - the one question I have is has anyone spent any time taking a utility quad on the sand dunes.
I don't want to hear what you don't know just because someone, somewhere told you something - if you have a credible opinion then go for it....there's too many BS'ing on these boards sometimes

 

Ive ridden one on the dunes. Its not very fun though. But I guess if you have never ridden a sport quad there then you dont know what your missing. What you dont know wont hurt you.

 

I have heard that it will be a TRX450R. No electric start or reverse and really light weight. Price to be around $6,000. May not even have a headlight. Can you say RACER. If this is true then they will need to either add reverse to the 400EX or come out with a 650EX with reverse for the trail riding bunch.

 

To all those who have asked about air versus water cooling. On the trails it won't make a bit of difference. On the track (MX) it will. As an air cooled motor gets hot it starts losing power. The watercooled motor will (is supposed to anyway) keep the tempature constant in the motor allowing it to maintain a constant level of horsepower. But when you start getting the radiator clogged up such as riding in the mud, the watercooled motor can overheat.

I myself wanted a nice reliable quad that I didn't have to do a lot to. Watercooling is just one more chore for me. Oh yes, I picked it up for $4699 and then saw the same model go for $4499 several months later. Ah well....

 

I love replying to threads like this......
I got an 03 Raptor a couple months ago and I am still kinda breaking it in as I have not had that much riding time on it.
I'm not biased at all towards the Yamaha cuz I have a brand new one. Credit will be given where its due.

My old 400EX technically belongs to my g/f now but it resides at my house.
I LOVE the Raptor I just got. The power versus my old 400EX is amazing and I am hooked.

BUT,I still find myself hopping back on the EX time and time again. I did not think that would happen.
I thought the Raptor would make me never want to touch the 400 again.....but I still LOVE the 400EX and I am glad its still at my house for me to use.

Getting the Raptor showed me just how amazing the 400EX really is.
The 400EX is SOOO "useable",so to speak.
I look at the 400EX as the "stunt quad"

Its VERY nimble,lightweight,agile.
Feels VERY sharp.
Once you get used to it,it handles almost telepathically. Its almost like you merely think of changing directions and it does.
The power delivery is so smooth and controllable and it never does anything unexpected.
This is a SUPERB machine to learn to do tricks on.
Wheelies,stoppies,riding on two side wheels like the Dukes of Freakin Hazzard.....etc.

It could use more power and reverse IMO,but other than that I say its perfect.
But honestly it turns in so sharp,and can bust out a super tight donut in the middle of a trail that the lack of reverse is not that much of a liability.

I'm still getting "the feel" of the 660,but as for right now,I can do many things(tricks,etc) on the EX that I can not do on the 660.
I would not say I wish I had a 400EX instead of the 660,cuz I don't.
But I am very glad I still am able to ride the 400EX when I desire....cuz it really is an awesome bike.

If I was buying new,I would SERIOUSLY look at the Z400. It seems to be just like the 400EX but with more power and reverse.
But if used,a 400EX is tough to beat.

Everyone wants to get a monster with five million hp. Including me.
But theres still so much to be said for that 400EX that does its job as well as it does.

I'm so long winded with this cuz I just came in from riding the 400EX....and I loved it.
In summary,Theres never going to be a time when you ride the 400EX(if you get one) that you will not have craploads of fun.

 

I too am in the market for a quad........really like the Z's and KFX's........BUT.....I ran across a buddy of mine in Korea (military) selling his 99 400EX ....He wants $2500. Does this sound about right?? here is a copy of what his email said it would include.

99 400EX about 30 hours on it. Oil changed roughly every 8 hours of run time. Orange Maier race cut plastic. Renthal 400ex bend bars. Web cam, don't remember the specs, but it's a torque monster. DG steel nerf bars. Lonestar +2 swingarm. K&N jet kit. Uni air filter. White Bros E-series Promeg silencer and header.
Shoei X-large VFX-R Pro Circuit helmet. Bieffe boots. MSR orange white and blue System X pants, jersey chest protector, and gloves. MSR Rage kidney belt. Scott 89 goggles.

The helmet and boots might not fit so I will just sell them and get something else........SO WHAT do you think? I have cash to put down on a new one....still will have to fianace a chunk of it. I am so lost. I went to another reputable site (forbidden word) and of course most everyone there loves the Z, but I went to the problem section and seems to be a fair amount of problems with it (frame, axles mainly) I LOVE the idea of reverse....( I had a Blaster years ago and hated no reverse even though it was easy to move) So if you guys could....PLEASE point me the right direction here. Don't plan to race it allthough may visit a few local practice tracks for fun. Will mostly be trails ect...I don't need to make a big mistake and buy something I shouldn't! I tried to upload a few pics to my homepage so I could post a link so people could see it but no luck.......so if anyone would like to see it then give a comment please feel free to email me at crjrwil@bellsouth.net and i will send pics! Thanks

 

ok..until I get my home page with pics on here approved...here is a link to the pics of EX I am looking at buying!

99' 400 EX

 

gah, i hate those plastics...but yea...other than those UGHLY plastics, sweet quad.

I'd say get it, with all those goodies and supposedly low hours.