Quadpilot,
I too went thru the same thing that you are experiencing right now. I started out by lurking in this forum and spent the summer researching for the best new quad out there for me. I am 37 and have three kids currently racing quads. I raced consistently from 85-91 with 86-88 being my biggest efforts. I have not owned a quad since 91 do to the fact that I felt the quad industry went stale. I also used to laugh and joke about the four stroke powered quads that have been available since then,until the release of the raptor in 2000, this raised some interest once again for me. However I did not purchase any quad for myself until just recently, I did buy new quads for the 3 of my four children (2-sons & a daughter) this summer and we started to do some MX-ing. While going to the races I started to look into what was winning and what the riders/racers thought about each of them along with the opportunity to test ride what is currently available. I then on a whim one day stopped by my local Cannodale dealer, lucky for me ...only 15 minutes away and checked them out. My first impression was "Wow" looks like a nice quad and after receiving the sales pitch was offered to test ride the Cannibal, Speed and Motto. "Holy...-" lets just say, I was "not laughing" at 4-stroke technology any longer. I immediately canceled my 03 Raptor order and shortly thereafter I received my shiny new 03 cannibal (Flag) 26 days ago. I would also like to say...(plug) that the dealer next to me is Valley ATV located in Danville, Ohio and if anyone is in this area or within a couple hours drive these guys are worth checking out and are truly remarkable...they are so good and helpful it's almost scary.

Like you I was concerned of the possible large amount of maintenance required for such a high performance quad, heck with 3 kids racing quads its all I can do to keep their stuff up and going....you quad Dads know what I'm talking here. However to my delight my Cannibal up to this point has been basically trouble free. I only had to take it back in to have the injectors offset reset and to remove my tranny drain plug that was excessively tight to the point that I stripped the head from the plug. The dealer fixed this for me and they wasn't sure why it was so tight but did agree that it took them about three tries with a big pair of vise grips to remove the drain plug. I also fouled a plug the first day but have not fouled any since...I have read this to be common for us Cannondale rookies. I have noticed that my RH side flag decal is turning a dirty yellowish color. Any other Flag owners have this problem?? Other than this I have not had any dead battery, electrical problems or any problem at all so far. I now have 35 hrs ride time accumulated thus far.

This quad is extremely powerful and fast for a 4-stroke and handles great. Light both on the ground and in the air and also has very responsive steering. I am 5' 9" and average about 150lbs and have no problems handling the quad. It did take me a good solid week of riding it though to become comfortable with the extreme power...specially in the woods. My only real complaint is the wimpy .125 rims and those danged square edges on the fuel tank sides. Man if you happen to land a little crooked of the jumps those tank edges are knee killers...ouch

Heck after only owning this quad for about a month and not having raced in 10+ years I managed to pull a first place moto win a little over a week ago at Wayne County Speedway. Admittedly there was a low quad turnout for this race, but there was some Z'z and 400Ex's that were pretty fast and with much younger pilots than me. If nothing else it was a great confidence builder for myself and my kids thought it was really cool to watch dad race & win. They just thought I was full of war stories from my quad racing past. "Note" I'm not trying to sound or come off like the Captain in any way. I do realize my age and know that I am not cocky enough to take on you younger MX'ers. I plan on focusing mainly on Hare Scrambles in 03 and will leave the MXing to my kids and you younger quad-pilots.

This week I rented a Dozer and began building us a practice track in our back lot and just could not wait to try out our new double jump. I was able to clear it easily...however shortly after this I opened and read a letter from Cannondale informing me of a possible shock recall regarding the front Arvin's. "EEEEEK"... I think I will get the scoop on this before jumping any more big jumps. What ever the problem I feel confident that C-dale will take care of me promptly. That was also one of the reasons for deciding on the C-dale for me was the excellent support that most owners seem to be receiving from the factory that I have read about and that has been reported many times from other Dale owners in this forum. I would like to say that you guys, the active members really helped me, "while lurking in your forum" with my decision on purchasing my Cannibal...Thanks

Sorry for the long post and life story thing, but I am so proud and very happy with my new Cannodale along with my local C-dale Dealer that I just felt compelled to finally post my extreme satisfaction with my new quad.

So there you have it Quadpilot, I hope my ramblings help a little and wish you the best on your next quad purchase. I do feel very confident in saying that if you do choose the Cannondale you will be very satisfied....I know it, I'm not impressed easily, but this hotrod has "GOTTS" my full attention.

"Barely Hang'n on and Lov'n every minute of it!!!!!"[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]:[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Hey Tarrat
I bought my Speed from Valley back in April. Doug has helped me out a good bit on updates and small problems here and there.
Maybe I'll run into you at one of the local Harescrambles. I mostly race D-11 (Southern Ohio) and the GNCC's.

Good to hear your happy with the C-dale and I agree with what you said, it does take a little getting used to all that power in the woods. If your having problems with those junk rims Doug has some sets of Carbon Fibers that will look good on the machine. I know cause I have 2 sets of them.

Congrads on your win.

Goodluck to you and your kids racing. Keep us posted on how all of you are doing.

 

Hey tarrat, Great post! Thanks for stepping up, sharing your experience
and waving the Cannondale flag for all to see.
Good luck with the racing. It sounds like you don't need it!

 

Great post! Another happy Cannondale customer.....next!

Good luck to you in your racing. Harescrambles are a blast. I still get in a scuffle every now an then with my MX buds over racing Harescrambles. They think I'M NUTS! They would never ride that fast through the woods. Well, I don't have the ***** to do 60 foot doubles and I've seen too many MX wrecks. I'll stick to Harescrambles.

 

Terrat, I enjoyed reading what you had to say. I also liked seeing you are 37 years old. At 32 I sometimes think I'm to old to be doing this stuff. I have a 2 year old son and I think I should stop acting like I'm 21, but I still have the desire to ride hard and even race mx. As far as the Speed goes I'm probably going to get one. I got alot of positive feedback from you guys and most said they would buy another one. Besides this way I know if I'm getting beat its because of my ability holding me back and not the machine. thank you for your reply. See Ya Bud,

 

MADE IN AMERICA
I have been working in a bike shop for three years and was ridding 86 250ex at glamis. At my shop we sell the human powered cannondales and i loved them with all there help. I had my money together, $8000 of it and was ready. I wanted a raptor and rode one for a while but then i was sold on the dale when i saw the '02 and got my baby on may 22/02! I would have paid 20,000 for this thing. And the best part is blowing guys away on a AMERICAN made quad that was paid in cash by a 17 year old! Get one you will not think twice!

 

Thanks guys,
Glad you liked the post....

Great lt250r91 We would very much enjoy bumping into you along the way. We are planning on putting in a consistent effort towards the up coming 03 season. I usually run 12 as this is what I am most familiar with(tracks). However maybe I will venture a little further south next season. I do plan on possibly running a few of the GNCC races next season also. Heck we may even bump into you at Valley Atv sometime. Doug also had told me of you when I was inquiring about other C-Dale owners in the area and that he thought you were out for awhile from an injury. We will be easy to spot as we will look like the Brady Bunch on Quads... Also if you had happened to of raced at the Uhrichsville GNCC this past June I was high above watching the race.I had flown my Aerolite-103 Ultralight down and made several low passes in attempt to land there. I was flying a neon green and yellow plane. Maybe you saw me?? I did not land as the race was running and I thought it might be distracting if I were to land in the infield on the lower MX section. I flew to a nearby airport and bummed a ride over to spectate. Hey maybe we will have to hit Doug and Paul up for a hog roast and ride for all of their customers to attend. That way everyone could meet each other...that would be cool

Kudos jcv400ex, my buddies, also ex-motocross racers basically say the same thing. Even back then 85-91 they thought I was crazy for running my exp$$$ quad through all that mud, water and banging off the occasional tree that would jump out in front of me. I really like running thru the woods and besides you get much more race time for your dollars $$$ spent. There also seems to be a much more relaxed atmosphere at the Hare scrambles rather than the high pressure and stress of running the motocross scene. I agree with you ...60-foot doubles and triples are for back in my no-fear days, I have tamed a bit since then. Plus these new 4-strokes are a bit heavier than what my Quadracer 250 and Honda 250R were. I am also hooking up a practice H-scramble track onto the MX practice track that we are currently building. I am hoping to have a looping scramble track of about 1.5 miles to practice on when it is finished later this fall.

Hey Quadpilot, never stop acting young at heart. Getting old is only a numbers game, granted our bodies may at time tell us of our limits and we may even become a little wiser, but staying and acting young is what keeps it all going. Just because you have a 2-year old does not mean that life has to end or that you have to grow up, you just have to be more responsible that all....it is just the beginning, I've been there 4 times now and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Yea kids are a pain in the butt at times but man I love every minute of it. I also promised myself after my first son was born that I would never get old on him and would enjoy being right there sporting with him just like one of his buddies....3 more kids later and I still feel the same. I have done about everything in an attempt to keep up with my kids, everything from stick and ball to rollerblading, playstation and skateboards. They usually kick my butt in these areas, but since we all have quads now....they are on my turf now and with me returning the favor, and we are having blast. At 32 you are plenty ready to go and you should as it is quite obvious that you still desire the need for SPEED. (subliminal suggestion) Remember the old cliché you are only has old as you let yourself be and that there is never "no such thing as growing up" So buy your wife some flowers and dinner, hug your 2-year old and GO BUY that SPEED! then teach him/her to ride it. Of course they have to wait their turn until Dads finished.

I feel that both the Speed and Cannibal are probably the better buys. The Blaze & Moto are great quads but I feel they seem to increase in price rather sharply for the extras, maybe not though. I like the idea of buying either the Speed or Cannibal and tailoring them to your riding style and rider weight. This will allow you to become more in tune with your quad. I do not plan on doing any engine mods at all other than some mapping changes possibly. My goal is to finally race an off the showroom quad and hopefully be competitive much like the dirt bikers can. This has been one of my biggest complaints of the past, is that while the D-bikers can purchase a race ready set up off the floor that we quads racers never really could....until now "thanks Cannondale" I only plan on wheel and tire mods along with the suspension (if needed) and minors accessories to better suit my riding weight, style and comfort levels. I will also have to adjust my riding style in the woods from what I am used to, mainly do to the large amount of power and I have also noticed the Cannondales seem to turn a little wider and flatter around corners. WOW does this thing climb hills or what... I feel very confident on the big woods hills with this quad. The front stays planted much better than the Raptors and Z400s that I have road while doing the hills. I have to admit the Hondas feel good in the woods also but they just lack the power that I like to feel with the Cannondales, but I guess you can only so fast in the woods anyway. So maybe the Dale extreme power is really not needed.....yea right, sure it is " the holeshot".

Here I go again rambling...sorry if I'm pushing your tolerance levels, just tell me I'll cut my post shorter. I am just on that Cannondale high right now...you know!

Thanks Ryanstone for the response, most of my family resides in the Sarasota area and I look forward to bring my Cannibal down there this winter for some riding.

I will try to keep ya all posted on our happenings as long as you guys keep me. I usually pretty busy on the weekends with boys playing football, dance classes for the girls and riding/racing our quads so I will probably try to keep up with you guys thru the mid week. I am sure I will have plenty of ??? for you C-Dale veterans as time goes on.

about right now you are probably waiting to see the little pink bunny go by beating is drum...still going and going.....

the ultralight thing, this is what I do for a living and my business. Myself and my brother designed our own utralight aircraft the AEROLITE-103 in the mid nineties and I have been manufacturing the design since 97. I have over 250 plus units flying and very happy owners. However I turned my hobby into a business (in which I love) it feels good to get back to riding quads as a sort of a get a way. You can check them out at www.aerolite103.com if you want, hope I don't get into trouble for the link, Mr. moderator I am not trying to solicit business I am just letting the folks to better know me. "Oh" BTW I have yet to find a set of doubles or triples that I can not clear with my Aerolite-103...LOL
done!! finally ......later

"Barely Hang'n on and Lov'n every minute of it!!!!!"[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Way to go ABA,
you should be very proud...I'm sure you are.

See the world aint so bad...a seventeen year old working hard and buying his on quad

"Barely Hang'n on and Lov'n every minute of it!!!!!"

 

Tarrat
Doug's right about the injury thing. I broke my collar bone 8 weeks ago. Still not suppose to be riding.
I raced in the morning at Uhrichsville (4 stroke Stock).
I didn't see any planes, I was too busy racing and helping follow racers during the afternoon race.
BTW, If you didn't know there is a GNCC Oct 5-6 in St. Clairsville, OH.
I like the hog roast idea. Next thing you get a chance ask Doug about the hog roast at John Pellan (round 10 of the GNCC) this year. I'm sure he's got a story or 2 for you on it. That is if he can remember anything about it.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
I'll see you on the trails.

 

Yea, lt250r91
We are planning on going to the race (spectator) and I would like to pick up some pointers and checkout the hot setups. We do have a AM football game but should show up there around noon sometime. We are only going on Saturday and will leave for home in the eve after the afternoon race.

"Barely Hang'n on and Lov'n every minute of it!!!!!"[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]