Has anyone read the April issue of dirtwheels mag? The sport quad shootout between honda sportrax 250ex vs. Polaris trail blazer 250 vs. Kawasaki lakota sport 300. You got to be kidding me!!!
Under the paragraph hill climbs and woods, "The 250ex confidently scooted right up a fairly steep incline in second gear. We hade to downshift the kawasaki in first and even then it was kind of difficult to make it up." ARE THEY FOR REAL!!! My son has a 2001 lakota. Which I have ridden. I've taken this quad up VERY steep hills in second and third gear, and had power to spear. I have a hard time believing their article. He read this and started laughing. I like dirtwheels and Honda, but I find this unrealistic. Anyone else care to comment?

 

yea i know hard to believe a 250 beat a 300 in hillclimbing i would take a lakota over a 250ex any day.

 

I just got my new issue of 4-Wheel ATV Action, and guess what? They also did the shoot-out with just the Honda 250 and the Lakota. Bet you can guess which one they picked....

 

I have to agree, that sounds a little odd to me as well. Also, why on earth would honda make two very similar ATVs with almost the same diplacement - the 300ex is only 282cc, which is more like a 275 than a 300. Uless the 250ex is as big of a stretch. I really don't understand all of the Honda hype, I'd have to say the Lakota would be my choice over a 250 or 300EX any day.

 

I own a 99 Lakota, and i have riden the new honda 250. I was impressed at the way the honda 250 ran. But there is no way it is a better machine than the Lakota. The honda does have more snap off the bottom but quickly hits the rev limiter.The handle bars vibrated alot on the honda. The shocks are not adjustable on the honda. Only if the honda was 750.00 dollars less than a Lakota would i ever even consider buying one. I doubt that there is much hop-up potential in the honda. Just my thoughts.

 

Blackhawk, the new Honda 250 is an auto-clutch machine, so it is designed to target beginners and riders that don't like a manual clutch like the 300. Dirtwheels mentioned this in their shootout. It's also more maintenance friendly with a shaft drive.

 

This shootout didn't surprise me. Since Dirt Wheels first came out (1982?) Hondas win every shootout they are in unless the opposing machine is immensely better. If the opposing machine is the same or even slightly better in some areas the Honda will still win because of fit and finish. You can't read Dirt Wheels and 4-wheel Action to seriously because the articles don't hold up to critical thinking. An example is the ride test on the 250ex the month before the shootout. They said the 250ex tended to push. Now read the shoot out and they say the Lakota pushes but don't mention that they experienced the same thing with the 250ex. Another example they gave was that the Lakota's power was unexciting (yet still faster than the 250ex). Does that make any sense? I've owned all brands of four wheelers since I started riding in '84. Over that period of time I can say for sure that the Hi-torque ATV magazines favor Honda.

 

Sounds like a whining session to me. WHen they said the lakota had to down shift I think they were stopped at the bottom and started from there, all I have heard about the lakota is that, the brakes suck, auto shift sucks, power sucks, And all I have herd about the 250ex is IT is awesome and the power is awsome and it is so fun to ride, I think that you guys just can't stand that they like the honda over the kawie. I have ridden a lakota and it is boring, sure the top speed is higher than the 250ex but it has no punch no nothin so quit complaining and suck it up.

 

Ya know mabey if you kawasaki guys would stop and think for a change, hmmmmm.... why does hondas always win their shootouts. Maybe cause they are better...... did ya ever think about that..... My friend had to take his bayou to the shop 3 times in 2 weeks with trouble. his front brakes went out one of his headlight didn't work and he doesn't even ride it hard. My friends recon is 3 years old and hasn't have any probs with it, and he trashes it. My 300ex hasn't had any probs with it. Maybe if you guys all bought hondas and rode them maybe you would see that they are better.

 

Hondakid15, If you stopped and thought for a minute, you may realize it's called a PAYOFF. I'm assuming that the 15 in your name indicates your age. Brakes suck on a Lakota? Your nuts. Triple hydraulic disks. 250EX rear brake is drum!? Why are you selling your 300EX, did you race a Lakota?