I also went to Rausch Creek for the FX400 Demo ride on Sunday. Got there at 8:30AM because the demo rides were to start at 9AM. They had 2 quads there - FX400 and a Cannibal sitting under a canopy, but Cannondale Reps were not present...At 10:30AM Cannondale finally showed up, but I was told that only the MX Bike was to be demoed today. We were realy disapointed about the wait, and the fact of not getting to ride.
Everything on the quads looked great. Yes - They should have grease fittings on all pivot points. Has anyone had any trouble with rubbing the your thumb from the throttle housing? It seems that the distance from the bottom of the thumb throttle housing is very close to the top of the thumb throttle lever. Just playing with the throttle my thumb was rubbing the housing.
The handlebars look goofy. I think that was a result of the mechanic that uncrated those models may have them positioned improperly. All of that georgous aluminum, and no aluminum handlebars? Cannondale should be able to make an aluminum handlebar with their eyes closed!!
Other than those little quirks that caught my eye, the quads looked great. Just wish I had a chance to rid one.

 

The only thing you need to know is dont buy it![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img] why buy a quad from a company that just starded making em you need to wait and see long term tests because if your gonna spen $8000 for something new and you dont knowaobut it that like giving away 8000 for a 50% chance of it being a good quad or a bad quad its like buying a kia

 

yel400exman- Don't bash Cannondale just because you can't have one.

 

Now with that kind of thinking I guess we'd all be riding around on 3-wheelers still or better yet why buy something mechanical at all, you would have to work on it and eventually have some sort of break down. Horses could still be pulling us around, all you have to do is feed them.

I feel very confident in C-dale, they have produced world class bikes for years and have an excellent motorcycle which the quad gets its engine from. But what has sold me most is their
willingness to take steps in diffrent directions and also how they have improved the quad since its release. I have recieved all the updates on my FX400, I don't know of any other company that would do this. If a quad or motorcycle from any other company has things that might not work as well you have to buy the next years or next version of that bike or quad to get an update. Sometimes I feel like a beta tester but atleast C-dale is one company that will fix things for the consumer.

Yeah nobody should buy a C-dale, that way another forward thinking company won't bring new life to the sport.

Moto24
'01 FX400
'98 Kawi ZX-9R
'90 Kawi ZX-7 (superbike)
'84 VF750R
'80 Kawi KZ650

p.s. Hey hylton400ex how do you like that 929? I've read they make noise from the valve in the exhaust system, have you had this? It does look like a nice bike. I'm putting a Muzzy piston and barrel kit on my ZX-9, hope it shows up today, it'll make it a 998cc and I got my full Muzzy Ti exhaust lastweek, a work of art that weighs around 7.5 lbs, thats header,mid pipe and Ti cannister [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] I'm haveing them press on adjustable cam sprockets too. Altogether this is suppose to produce 160 hp at the rear, look out GSXR-1000's <G>

 

Now if it would just handle like the gixxer...

 

Lol, well the Gixer 1000's handling isn't all that great,about the only reason the mags drool all over it is because of the hp it puts out. The R1 and 929 are much better and really the R1 is a handful it can be twitchy. I admit the ZX isn't in that catagory in stock trim, Kawasaki has never been good with their suspension set-ups, the ZX-7 though is one of the most stable chassis there is. I added a Fox TwinClicker and I'm going to have the forks revalved soon. It's funny, I've had this bike for 3 years and did nothing to it and now Kawi will have a new big bore in 2002 and rumors are that it will have fuel injection like the 12R.

Moto24
'01 FX400
'98 Kawi ZX-9R
'90 Kawi ZX-7 (superbike)
'84 VF750R
'80 Kawi KZ650

 

You think the R1 is more twitchy than the gixxer? I personally think the gixxers (600, 750, and 1000, hell even the old 1100) were a handful to ride but in the hands of the experienced they were awesome. I think the R's are very smooth predictable rides, especially the R6. I'm just a Suzuki kind of guy and love everything about the GSX-R's. Brutal horsepower and very good handling to me. To each his own I suppose.

 

I guess you miss read my post, first I had no plan to debate sportbikes here I was just asking hylton400ex about his 929. I never said the R1 was more twitchy than the 1000. I said the R1 and 929 are better in the handling department than the 1000, and the R1 is a bit twitchy to the 929 but both still are much better than the 1000 as in GSXR, not 750, not 600. And the R6 will run circles around an R1. I wasn't comparing handling with the R6, GSXR 750 or 600 anyway I was speaking of the big bores. I spent some limited time on a GSXR 750 in endurance races and I thought they handled fantastic, my old ZX-7 superbike cornered well and was very stable but it took more to change directions, which didn't bother me in sprint races. And I like Kawi's, suspension wise they have lacked but that is something that most racers change anyway. I like how Kawasaki can build a bullet proof motor and have fewer cc's and still be in the hp race with a R1 and 929. And Kawi still races that 6 year old ZX-7 and is in 2nd place in the AMA championship, and gaining ground [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

havnt you seen the power-to-weight-ratios at cannondale.com? it has almost 40hp. the 400ex is 32cc smaller than the speed 440's yet still the ex has 21hp and the 440 has almost 40. and the speed is only 375lbs. thats amazing.

 

I don't know about you all, but as soon as I hear of a local dealer stocking the C-dales, I am going to go drool..uh, I mean..check them out. I will have to leave my checkbook at home, though. I'm one of those impulsive people!

Corry
2001 400EX
2001 Raptor
2002 Quadmaster 50
2001 Sportsman 90