I am trying to decide what quad to trade my Brute for. I have pretty much narrowed it down to the Polaris Outlaw 525IRS, the Raptor 700, and the Kawasaki KFX450R. My concern is that the trails are real ruff and can have some very large rocks and rutts or washouts. If I go strait axle I will be putting 22 inch tires on it and good skid plates. I like the Raptor and Kawaski for the fuel Injection. I like the Outlaw for the IRS. I am not sure about the outlaw for Dune and fast desert riding. I also worry about jetting issues as I ride elevations from under 4000 feet to over 10,000 feet, sometimes on the same ride. What are your experiences with sport quads on mountain trails and which quad do you guys think performs the best over all terrains.

 

Raptor 700 no doubt....... if you can afford it get the 700SE with the upgraded suspension. With the right rider they can go anywhere an IRS sport machine will go. And with the elevation issues the EFI will be very nice....... the Raptor is great for the tight stuff with its torque and is a comfortable machine to ride all day.....

 

The best trail sport quad of all time is the Honda 400EX! It will lug down, and I can put mine in 1st gear and just idle through the rough technical stuff. This is where this machine is at its best! We ride in the Sierras up to 11,000', and the EX jetted for sea level does good enough at altitude.

The Z400 is a good trail quad (it gets fuel injection for 09!!!). It is more revy than the EX, but not as much as the 450's. But, don't make the mistake of trying to technical trail ride the 450's. They need to be ridden reved out and they don't lug down, so you have to do a lot of annoying clutch slipping in technical terrain...wrong tool for the job!

I find the Raptor 700 to be a little narrow and top heavy, plus the cockpit is uncomfortable for me, so I have passed it by.

 

My ultimate solution is to ride the 450R in the desert, the 400EX on semi-technical trails in the local (San Bernardino Mtns.), and the fuel injected Rancher 420 at very high altitude in the Sierras....and a dual-sport dirt bike for anywhere I can't legally go on a green sticker quad!

 

While the raptor 700 is taller than the 400/450s, it still will out handle your Brute Force by a mile, and they have great, comfy suspension plus torque by the boatloads. I know quite a few guys that prefer the 700R over the 400 class quads due to the power and power delivery. The 450's do like to be revved, but they are by far the predominate weapon of choice in XC racing at all skill levels. They may not be able to lug down as well as a 400EX, but can still do the job and are an absolute blast to ride. The new, fuel injected Z is worth a look, very solid all around quad.

On a side note, even with a carbed quad, it is easy to allow for jetting/elevation changes. All you really need to do is drill some 1" holes in the airbox lid, and keep them covered with duct tape. Uni even sells some filtered plugs to go in the holes if you wish. As you go up in elevation and begin noticing a loss of power/blubbering, uncover some of the holes to lean out the mixture a bit.
Also, I would recommend the PRM swingarm skid. I have a .250", it covers the shock linkage and the swingarm almost to the pivot point/engine. The benefit of this is when you inevitably hit a rock/rut/stump/ etc. the machine glides over it. I ran an AC swingarm skid for a while, it was a tough skid, but got hung up all the time because it only covers the rotor and rear sprocket. Sections where my AC would dig into the mud and I would get hung up on, I glide over with the longer PRM.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Scooter86On a side note, even with a carbed quad, it is easy to allow for jetting/elevation changes. All you really need to do is drill some 1" holes in the airbox lid, and keep them covered with duct tape. Uni even sells some filtered plugs to go in the holes if you wish. As you go up in elevation and begin noticing a loss of power/blubbering, uncover some of the holes to lean out the mixture a bit.</end quote></div>

A better solution is the Thunder TPI Valve. You slide it open/closed as you ascend/descend in altitude. It is a great system that works well (more convenient than the UNI vent/duct tape thing), but of course you have to have to be running an airbox lid. Do be careful during water crossings...same goes for the UNI vent/duct tape system as well.

http://www.thunderproducts.com/tpi_valve.htm

 

4X4Terror What part of the country you riding in???

 

I ride mostly Eastern Idaho and some in Utah. Scooter thanks for the first hand info on the Raptor. The suggestion about adjusting the airflow withe TPI or simular is good to know too. Anyone have good experience with the dial a jet set ups. I really like the idea of the IRS but wondered how the strait axle quads do on ruff trails and in the Rock. I like the straight axle for the sliding flat cornering, and Dune performance. I was looking at the PRM skids already, good to know they worked out best. I like their rear carrier grab bar combos too.
Thanks for the info guys keep it coming I will be deciding on one in the next couple of weeks.

 

You already have a couple of utes, and the 250EX is shaft drive and has high ground clearance, so time to try an SRA "real" sport quad!

 

Definately the Raptor 700 would be your best bet for the all around machine. The fuel injection can't be beat, no matter what the carb enthusiasts say. I have two with carbs and needless to say I envy the fuel injected buddies of mine. I'm in Utah myself and if you ride St. A's or Little Sahara very often you won't want the IRS. For the rough mountain trails the Outlaw would be awesome, but it just depends on what you like more, Mountains or Dunes. So like I say, if you like the mountains and the dunes the Raptor is best all around by far, and they can be lugged very well, even much better than a little 400ex. So good luck on your indeavor. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]