I recently got a chance to ride a demo model Cannondale FX400. For some reason, this quad seems to be getting bashed from a lot of people on this board, mostly because of the (Japanese biased) magazines reviews. I think some of you might want to know what a regular sport rider thinks of the new quad. You should know that I ride and race my 1986 250R in the woods. I am not a motocrosser. I've spent a lot of time on 400EXs, but I've never had a chance to ride a Raptor. My thoguths on the Cannondale:

First of all, I've got to say the motor rocks. Power is awesome. It revs as quick as a Banshee, and pulls really hard. It has significantly more power than my near stock 250R, and it makes a 400EX feel pretty weak. I think the Cannondale would take most hopped up 440EXs. Throttle response, not surprisingly is quicker than any quad I've ever ridden. Cluth pull is very light (but it acts like an on/off switch), and the gears seem spaced well. First gear is a bit high, and it takes some revs to pull out cleanly. Shifting is very smooth, and neutral is pretty easy to find. The motor does make quite a bit of mechanical noise, which does seem to bother a lot of people. The exhaust is a bit loud (louder than any stock quad, but not as loud as 99% or aftermarket pipes), not surprising considering it's made by FMF. Overall, I'd rate the motor an A.

Handling: The quad is tall compared to my 250R. It's not anything like a Raptor, but it's about half an inch taller than a 400EX at the seat. Still, it feels more stable than the EX. Adjusting the suspension preload could probably drop the machine down 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Why are all the new sport quads tall? Width is similar to a 400EX or 250R. The Holeshots hook up great, but the quad still slides well, better than a 400EX. Power wheelies are very easy. Brakes are good, but the 250Rs twin pistons are by far the best brakes ever put on a quad. The Cannondale's brakes have good power, but the front brake lacks feel. The C-dale feels a little lighter than a 400EX. Overall the chassis gets a B. The machine handles almost exactly like a 400EX.

Suspension: The Ohlins shocks are great. This quad has better suspension than any quad I've ridden. On a rough trail this would be a big advantage. I didn't get a chance to do any jumps, but I'd bet the suspension can take some pretty hard landings. Suspension gets an A+.

Construction/Design: Cannondale did a great job designing and building this quad. It's obviously ready to take some abuse. Take a good look at one and you'll see why. The start/stop buttons seem a bit crude, however. Everyone seems to think the Cannondale is ugly, and I agree. Hopefully Cannondale will change the plastic design next year.

Overall, it's a great first attempt. I preforms like a hopped up 440EX with good aftermarket suspension. I don't know why the magazines picked the 400EX over the FX400. Money is the ONLY reason. If the Cannondale sold for $6000 there would be a lot of 400EXs and Raptors for sale. But at $8000, there may not be quite as many buyers. I'm not selling my 250R just yet.

BTW: My dealer says Cannondale is coming out with 3 new models. One is a cheaper quad without the Ohlins shocks. One is a XC/Hair Scrambles mode, and the last is a lowered flattrack type quad.

 

Thanks for the un-biased report on the Cannondale. I'm itching to get a ride on one myself. I really want to see how the power compares to my Raptor. I agree that the price is high, but if the suspension is really up to par as you've stated, that is a big plus, and it'll help save some money in the long run. I think everyone else will agree that no other quad comes from the factory with adequate suspension, especially if you motocross. Oh, and how about the VOR 530....that thing is sweet!!

 

Thanks for the ride report. It seems a lot of people who have never ridden one like to put them down (with no evidence to back it up). And the biased magazines also give mixed reports. One magazine says that it pulls fifth gear so hard that they kept looking to shift into a 6th gear that doesn't exist. Another mag said that 5th gear is too tall and they could not pull it?

The only consistency I have seen is from people like yourself who have thrown a leg over it and actually ridden it. And the majority of those are very impressed. I can't wait to ride one myself.

 

Thanks for the post it was most informative.

 

Although I did not get to ride it, I saw one in the dunes near Walden and was pretty impressed. Climbed some pretty good hills and sounded sweet..

RoostKing...

 

Great post Thank You.

I will love to drive one of them soon!!!

 

Great Post,
That just makes me want to ride one that much more. Would love to see those new C-Dales also. and LIke BadChad said, how bout that VOR 530, if that thing sells for $8000 or less, i may have to lean towards it, instead of a C-Dale. Will have to see though.

 

If I remember correctly, the magazine that I saw the VOR 530 in said that if they produced a few of them to sell, they would probably go for around 20 to 30 grand!!!

WOW!!! It must be one heck of an ATV!!!

hey you magazine test riders, when are we going to see that monster in action?

 

I spoke with one of the test riders in 4 wheel ATV Action about the Cannon only tying the Raptor on the motocross track. My question was how did the Cannon only tie the Raptor? His answer was two parted. 1) They intentionally changed the tires on the Raptor to holeshots because the stock Raptor tires aren't that good for motocross. 2)The suspension on the Cannon they were testing was not set up for the riders weight. (it seems the riders were a bit on the heavy side).With the Cannon constantly bottoming out the riders weren't able to take the jumps at a very high speed. He, (Alan Knowles), said the Cannon would have easily taken the Raptor if the suspension had been set up right. You have to wonder about the magazines printing what they do. Why don't they tell the whole story?????????hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

 

Hey, Badchad, how is your Raptor compared to your LT250R. The reason I want to know is becasue I love my friends LT250R and want to know if the Raptor is alot better and faster than an LT250R. If you could answer which is
1.Faster
2.Handles beter
3.Handles Jumps better
4.What would you rather race MX on?

Thank you for any questions you can answer