I wanted to bounce this off you guys first before I make a rash decision. Seriously thinking about switching to LTZ/KFX 400. I have had my V-Force about 2 months now and have logged about 40 hours on it. The V has plenty of power but I am finding it very tiring wrestling all that weight around for the 3 hours I spend hanging on for dear life trying to keep up with my advanced riding partners. The deep, continuous whoops are a challange to say the least for the strong intermediate rider that I am on this big machine. It just beats me to death. I hate to say it, but I am beginning to wonder if I miss shifting also. I thought "gas & go" would be the hot ticket. It does allow me more concentration on riding instead of worrying about what gear to be in but it seems a bit boring to me. The CVT does however help me avoid being dropped by the more skilled riders.

I live in the high desert of central oregon. Rocky / sandy soils with exposed rock everywhere. The soil is so sandy it is pushed aside leaving embedded rocks/roots etc. Some Jeep "double track" roads but mainly 4'-5' wide ATV trails. Moderately twisty , narrowing at times through the forest with deep,sandy, rock strewn whoops for several miles at a time. 25 to 50 mph. Some crawling through rock fields but limited. This seems to be the majority of my riding. Occasional classic "wide open" desert riding out of the trees. Have not been there yet, but the Oregon dunes are only 5 hrs away so I am sure that is inevitable as my buddies already want me to go to dune fest with them.

Age 36; 6' 8" tall ( Yes, very tall) 250 lbs fairly aggressive style given my intermediate ablilities.

Would I be better off with a piped/ K&N Kawasaki/Suzuki KFX/LTZ 400?

Let me have it.....What do you think?

 

Which atv's have you owned in the past? At your size, my opinion is you will not like any sport quad if you don't like the V. Have you thought about the Prairie? It seems like a more fitting ride for that rough stuff. Those sport quads would have a hard time dealing with you on the Prairie in the rough.........just a thought[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] The prairie is more than adequate in the open also.

 

Hey Enigma...
The whole reason for riding in my opinion is to have fun. From the sound of it, you are not having a very good time. I also ride a V, and it is everything I could ask for from an atv. Life's too short man, go out and get something you enjoy! Just because the V-force is the perfect choice for me does not mean its the best for everyone. As big as you are, I think every other atv besides maybe a DS 650 is going to feel tiny. Good luck![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

 

Here's what I found and I hope it helps. After riding the v for a while I went back and took the 400ex for a spin and I couldn't believe how much better I can handle the 400 now. I know I am getting better at riding the V and with practice it is making me a better rider on smaller quads. Give it a chance. You'll probably end up losing money on it if you sell it, so why not practice for a while and if you do decide to switch you'll be a much better rider on a 400 or something.

 

Just from reading your post I would sell / trade for a Z/KFX400 , I have never been on a 700 so my .02 may only be worth .01

 

My two main riding partners have a Raptor and a DS 650. I have ridden both. The DS (bone stock) is very comfy, good ergonomics. Great suspension and pulls like mad. I could see why people say it is a dune king. For my type of riding I preferred the Raptor. Compliant suspension, a bit more narrow made it easier on the narrow'ish trails. A bit more agile in the twistys. You could gass it and kinda just skim the tops of the whoops.It has a Big Gun slip on & K&N but is jetted for the coast so it wasn't running well at 4500' elevation.

I was with out a doubt much faster on my V. I felt the DS and Raptor needed more rider input to go fast and my skills just aren't there yet. More practice and better fitness might get me there.

After a 20 hiatus from riding I am back at it again so my previous rides are very, very retro. Honda XL 125 trail bike, Yamaha 200 3-wheeler, Honda TRX-250 4 wheeler and now the V.

So far some really good "food for thought" in the posts. Appreciate you taking the time.

 

Just be happy with whatever quad you get, I have a V and i love it. Just have fun!

 

With the $ you would have lost by selling it you could buy a set of Elka's or PEP's to take care of the Whoops!!!

 

My first thought was Elka's for the front at least. I believe they will help when hitting bigger whoops as well as not so perfect front-end landings. I plan to order mine at the start of next season, but I might not be able to wait.

My second thought was a Raptor, I'm sure they handle the whoops well. I've only ever driven one in the parking lot and it seemed tippy, hard to tell though at slow speed. I sat on a Predator today at the dealers and it felt small compared to my V. I'd sure as hell like to take it for a rip on a motocross track, it felt well laid out and comfortable, and the V is definitely not the tops on a MX track.

 

This was what I was thinking once I started reading this post. But I will add Works Pro series to the list. A little cheaper, but not much.