Ever Realized You Are On The
Oct 1, 2007 | 11:13 PM
#1
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Red Rider
Honda, accept nothing less!
Honda, accept nothing less!
Joined: Dec 2002
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Ever Realized You Are On The
OK, to start with, no quad could ever be prefect for every imaginable rider or riding condition! But, have you ever been out riding and realized that your quad was absolutely perfect for what you were doing at that moment????
My 400EX was originally my desert quad back in 99 when I bought it. When the 450R came along in 04, I geared the EX down a little and it is now my trail quad....and a superb trail quad it is! Torquey power, but every bit of power is tractable, and not a single bit gets wasted spinning the wheels uselesly.
Well anyway, I have not done any serious hillclimbing in the local hills for a very long time. (Reche Canyon....you have seen it many times in those freestyle jumping videos!) Was out there this weekend, and realized that the EX was absolutely perfect! I would hit the bottom of the hill in 3rd and climb until the engine began to lug just a little...then a quick shift to 2nd and rev it out...keeping enough momentum to fly up the steep face...then lug it down and pop it over the overhangs...stand up and lean a little forward when the front end got to light...absolute perfection at that moment! No machine could have handled it better!
If I had been on a 450, it would have been to revy and wouldn't lug well enough to pop over the overhangs (some serious rocky overhangs!). If I had been on a Raptor 700, I would have been fighting to keep the front end on the ground. If I had been on a Banshee, I would have been spinning my wheels uselessly. If I had been on a Warrior (what I had before the EX), I would have never make the climbs. Insert the name of any other machine on the planet here_________!
My 400EX was originally my desert quad back in 99 when I bought it. When the 450R came along in 04, I geared the EX down a little and it is now my trail quad....and a superb trail quad it is! Torquey power, but every bit of power is tractable, and not a single bit gets wasted spinning the wheels uselesly.
Well anyway, I have not done any serious hillclimbing in the local hills for a very long time. (Reche Canyon....you have seen it many times in those freestyle jumping videos!) Was out there this weekend, and realized that the EX was absolutely perfect! I would hit the bottom of the hill in 3rd and climb until the engine began to lug just a little...then a quick shift to 2nd and rev it out...keeping enough momentum to fly up the steep face...then lug it down and pop it over the overhangs...stand up and lean a little forward when the front end got to light...absolute perfection at that moment! No machine could have handled it better!
If I had been on a 450, it would have been to revy and wouldn't lug well enough to pop over the overhangs (some serious rocky overhangs!). If I had been on a Raptor 700, I would have been fighting to keep the front end on the ground. If I had been on a Banshee, I would have been spinning my wheels uselessly. If I had been on a Warrior (what I had before the EX), I would have never make the climbs. Insert the name of any other machine on the planet here_________!
Oct 2, 2007 | 10:08 AM
#4
Supersock
Hired Gun!
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Hired Gun!
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Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Land of the misfit toys
Ever Realized You Are On The
I'll agree that the 400ex is a very competent quad. But perfect? A bad rider can make a good quad look bad, and vice versa.
If someone had been there on a ltz that had been geared down as well, you could add passed to the list of things you would have been.
If someone had been there on a ltz that had been geared down as well, you could add passed to the list of things you would have been.
Oct 2, 2007 | 10:20 AM
#5
Shed Knocker Rider
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Ever Realized You Are On The
As much as I love the 400ex's, I still prefer the Z400 a tad on hill climbs, and that used to be all I ever did. And while I haven't ridden Rappy 700, I do have a lot of seat time on the 660's, and those will shoot up about any hill with the right rider. But my "personal" hill climbing machine was the Z400, right amount power and balance, with the 400ex my 2nd choice.
And Recon, when hill climbing, unless you aren't going to make it and need to try and stop it if possible, you shouldn't have to stand up and lean forward, you want your weight on the rear for traction and let your throttle control deal with the front end.
And Recon, when hill climbing, unless you aren't going to make it and need to try and stop it if possible, you shouldn't have to stand up and lean forward, you want your weight on the rear for traction and let your throttle control deal with the front end.
Oct 2, 2007 | 12:33 PM
#6
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Red Rider
Honda, accept nothing less!
Honda, accept nothing less!
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Ever Realized You Are On The
Don't presume to instruct me on hillclimbing...thanks!
If you had been around in the old days, you would recoginze the names of lots of motorcycle hillclimbers, who were all guys who grew up here in the neighborhood. Reche Canyon is on an earthquake fault, and the climbs are darn near vertical, and lots of them have ledges!
I've been busting out this stiff since I was old enough to throw a leg over a motorcycle...before you were born!
If you had been around in the old days, you would recoginze the names of lots of motorcycle hillclimbers, who were all guys who grew up here in the neighborhood. Reche Canyon is on an earthquake fault, and the climbs are darn near vertical, and lots of them have ledges!
I've been busting out this stiff since I was old enough to throw a leg over a motorcycle...before you were born!
Oct 2, 2007 | 12:35 PM
#7
Shed Knocker Rider
Harley Punk!
Harley Punk!
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 35,876
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Ever Realized You Are On The
Don't presume the young guy can't get it done.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]
And don't presume that a machine plays nearly as much of a role as the rider
...thanks![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
And don't presume that a machine plays nearly as much of a role as the rider
...thanks![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
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Oct 2, 2007 | 02:08 PM
#8
Got Milk!
Blaming Guns For Crime Is Like Blaming a Spoon for Rosie O'Donnell being Fat!
Blaming Guns For Crime Is Like Blaming a Spoon for Rosie O'Donnell being Fat!
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: East Grand Forks, MN
Ever Realized You Are On The
reconranger, when are you going to give up and realize that everyone needs an Arctic Cat ATV, they are the only quad that can be perfect for any rider. [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]
Oct 2, 2007 | 02:31 PM
#9
Elite Pro Rider
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Ever Realized You Are On The
The 400ex's 40-60 F-R weight bias makes it a horrilbe steep hill climber. Moto.....he had to lean over the bars to keep the machine from riding him back down the hill. Sure would'nt be nice seeing all that experience and the perfect machine (for the conditions of course) piled up at the bottom of the hill. Go big red [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img].
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