We went riding down in the Kentucky mountains this weekend and a guy we rode with let me ride his bone stock 2002 400EX. I was very anxious after hearing all the hype about this bike. I am not biased one way or the other in fact I would've bought a used 400ex if there was one for sale when I bought my 99 sport. Here are the main differences I found between the two bikes:

The brakes are day and night difference. His stops on a DIME! That is using the front brakes only. It felt like God himself was stoping me. I have replaced the pads on my 99 Sport and put new fluid in it. The brakes are strong at times but at other times the brake pulls almost to the handle grip. They never feel as strong or as controlled as the 400ex. Of course the 100# weight difference doesnt help. Is there a brake upgrade kit for the Sport??

The engines. Other than the usual difference between the 2 and 4 stroke, I was surprised by the lack of grunt down low with the 400ex. With the multiple valve head Im sure the air velocity at low rpms isn't great with the runner volumes. The 400 really ripped once it was in the powerband but the vibration was much more noticeable. It was tough keeping the front wheels down while banging the gears. My sport has the RCR stage 1 and is slightly faster than his stock 400ex. The Sports engine is much smoother, probably due to the counterbalancer. The power is awesome but I cant take advantage of it because of the terrible wheelspin. Some better tires should help there. The thing I hate most about the Sports acceleration, is the fact that you know it would be much quicker if it wasn;t so da&n heavy. I refuse to ***** it out like I did my Mustang GT as I find myself kicking my butt for doing away with all the nice things it came with.

I thought the 400EX had the best suspension out there, until I rode it. I guess by that they mean that it will outhandle anything on the track. I dont know about that but I do know that you feel every little bump the is. My friend made a comment that my Sport feels like a Cadillac and I couldnt agree with him more. I thought the Sport was a bumpy ride on the rocks until I rode his. He can't come close to staying up with me going up a rocky trail that has a decent grade to it. The steering was also very stiff on the 400ex and you had to work at low speeds to turn, I'm sure this would help to make it more stable at speed though.

The 400 EX is a hands down winner in the looks department. The layout and ergonomics also work well on the 400ex. The lack of reverse gear alone is enough to keep me from the 400EX. If it had more power, reverse gear, and no vibration I would buy it. I wonder how the raptor compares here.

 

I had a 99 Sport with HPD mods on it, plus a few other mods. It ripped. In a straight line, that is. When it came to tight, twisting trails, it was a nightmare to ride.

I recently switched to a 400EX. The difference is amazing, to say the least. These two quads shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence. Spend one day on an EX, and you'll see why Honda sells so many of them.

 

No reverse? No thank you.

My 500 doesn't stop as well as I would like but it probably weighs a lot more, that's my guess.

 

If you like the ride of the 99 you would be really impressed with the 2000 and up. The long travel suspension really soaks up the bumps. As for the brakes, the 2001 Scramblers got an updated braking system, as far as I know all of those parts should be bolt on. They work much better. Quadfather is right the difference is amazing, nothing compares to the feel of a 2-stroke.

 

Very True, nothing compares to a two stroke.............until you surround it with 500 pounds of ill handling metal.

 

I went riding up in the snow a few weeks ago on my 400ex. I came across a group of guys on 400 sports/scramblers. They couldn't make it nearly as far up the trail as I did....I'm guessing that's due to the fact that they weigh a TON and sank like rocks in the snow. Anyway...from what I've felt, is that these quads (polaris) should be alot faster than they are. I mean....a two-stroke 400cc bike should flat out rip, and these bikes just kind of putter along unless they get a nice, long, smooth, straight stretch. With a 400ex, the power is always there. If you're buddies 400ex feels "slow" to you, maybe he should open up his intake/exhaust. You cant beat a 400ex in the woods.

 

Quadfather, i used to think you were a nice/pretty smart guy. This was a fair and impartial post and now reasding your reply, I don't value your opinion anymore.

Chad400, heavier vehicles work much better in snow. Mudder tires are fat to stay on top of the mud, snow tires are narrow to weight the patch down more and pack the snow to get through. More friction and a heavier vehicle to boot does help in the snow. I think the rider may need to be questioned here.

Anyway, I feel exactly how Rockey does about the 400ex. Same impressions I had of the 400ex. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]
Good quad, and I'm sure the next one will even be better. I may get one then, but not this rendition.

And you can greatly improve on the 99 brakes. My 01 will toss you over the handlebars it stops so good. Incredible what they've done to the brakes now, and they last 5 times longer.

 

I have read this same post many times 400 EX VS Scrambler or Sport. I ride at the little Sahara sand dunes her in Utah with my friends there is a 400EX, Banshee , DS 650, KX 500 ,YZ 250, 400 Sport, and my Scrambler in are group.
We ride once a month at the Sand Dunes we switch rides from time to time I have rode every one of the above quads and bikes I use to ride a CR 500 then switched to quads after a really bad wreck. Anyways the 400EX will only beat my Scrambler if he gets the jump off the line. Up Sand Mountain I always win on the Scrambler and when we switch quads it is the same results.
After riding the DS 650 there is no way I would buy a 400EX over the DS 650 if I was going to buy a true sport quad they are in 2 different leagues.
The Scrambler in my opinion is not a true sport quad I think it is more of a sport/utility quad and should not even be compared to a 400EX or any other true sport quads. I bought mine for my wife so she could follow me on my Sportsman in the snow and mud. Also so I have a quad I can use at the Sand dunes.
I my self wish Honda would come out with a 450EX using the CRF motor then that would be the sport quad to beat. The 400EX in my opinion is a joke compared to the Raptor DS 650 or the Cannondale all it can trully compare to is the Scrambler or the Sport and the Scrambler or Sport are so far off of the sport quad market if you compare them to the Raptor, DS 650 or Cannondale also soon the Suzuki Z400 and Kawasaki 400.

 

The two machines shouldent even be compared. its like comparing the sherman tank to a ferrari. I started off on a 99 5004x4 scrambler and my riding buddie had a warrior. He could go over top of the snow and i would just sink and be stuck. Heavier machines DO NOT do better in snow. I could not count the number of times he would have to turn around and come help push that tank out of the snow because it took two people to do it. Then that same winter i traded for a new 2001 400ex. I was in love. Anyone who claimes a polaris of any sort is faster or handles better needs to spend a little time on one and make an honest judgment. The 400ex has all the low end power you could ever ask for. I now own a 2001 ds 650 and love it. There are a few things that i wish where closer to the honda though, like the handling and low end power. After owning a 400ex and now a ds there is no way i could ever go back to a polaris of any sort. I was originaly trying to convince my wife that we would get her a 500 2x4 scrambler but now she has to much seat time on my ds and when we went to test drive them she said it dident have enough power, so hopefuly a 400 ex is in the near future again,for her.

 

Just for the record here guys. We spent the entire weekend in the mountains of Kentucky (98 miles). This was 90% trail riding. There were no trails that he could lose me on. Going up the hills in twisty, rocky terrain I almost pushed him up the hills. When I led he couldn't keep up. He is a pretty good driver and I'm impressed by his capabilities. I agree that the 400ex is more stable and not as nearly as tippy as the sport, but that suspension on the 400ex beats you up on the trails, you feel every little bump. I used to want nothing but a 400ex...until I rode one last weekend. If I was going to do nothing but race the 400ex would be the obvious choice because of the weight advantage but for trails, I'm happy with what I have.