Please help!
I'm trying to decide on either a 400 EX or a Raptor 700.

I mostly trail ride in areas with some tight trails and hills. Rocks in some cases. Have the need for speed though!

What do you recommend?
What are the pros/cons?

Thanks!

 

Both are some of the best trail quads available.The raptor will be faster and have more power,the 400ex will be nimbler and lighter.i personaly would recomend the raptor,but either way you can't go wrong.

 

The EX is the untimate trail quad!

The Raptor carries its weight a little high in the frame and it is a little narrow, so it is a bit tippy (but not as bad as the old 660 was).

 

im going to have to agree with reconranger

 

I've found a 2007 400 EX for $3500 and a 2006 Raptor 700R for $4000. Both are in show room condition.

Everyone has been saying that the 400EX is a dog compared to the Raptor (speed/power wise). Is that the case? Can I still do cool jumps and ride wheelies on the 400EX?

 

The 400 is very capable for everything. A modded 700 is practically untouchable in the straights.

 

You can tell what my choice will be. I have never owned a 400 EX but do have my fair share of seat time on them.in the day the EX was the ultimate trail machine, it could out lug any trail bike out there and it came in a nice small easy handling pkg and was a great allaround quad. Suzuki came out with there Z400 and mached every bit of Hondas performance and then some in an even better chassis setup. Yamaha had the 350 blaster and was nowhere near the performance of the 400 class quads and was simply outmached even when they updated it to Raptor as the engine thoe being bulllit proof just didnt have the HP to keep up so Yamaha decided to not only come out with the ultimate trail machine in the 700 with a chassis to mach is not top heavy as much as it is just a bigger bike and that is how it needs to be rode like its a bigger bike. One thing that makes the Raptor a better choice is it is so versatile its at much at home in the sand as it is at 12000 ft in the snow. With EFI there is no re jetting reqired and it runs flawlessly troughout the powerband. I will even go out on a limb and say it will even match everybit of the longevity of 400EX in the long run!

With that said both bikes will handle anytghing you trow at them but from my experiance in riding both of them there is nothing better than a big bore thumper to pull you out of any situation. The Raptor stock is one of the fastest bikes made today but with a few mods it will be a bike no other bike will touch!

Another way to look at it is that there is a reason why the Raptor 700 is the current best selling sport bike! Good luck with your choice of bike and dont forget to check out the all new 09 Z400 as I think you might be quite impressed!

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: DODGE57HEMI

You can tell what my choice will be. I have never owned a 400 EX but do have my fair share of seat time on them.in the day the EX was the ultimate trail machine, it could out lug any trail bike out there and it came in a nice small easy handling pkg and was a great allaround quad. Suzuki came out with there Z400 and mached every bit of Hondas performance and then some in an even better chassis setup. Yamaha had the 350 blaster and was nowhere near the performance of the 400 class quads and was simply outmached even when they updated it to Raptor as the engine thoe being bulllit proof just didnt have the HP to keep up so Yamaha decided to not only come out with the ultimate trail machine in the 700 with a chassis to mach is not top heavy as much as it is just a bigger bike and that is how it needs to be rode like its a bigger bike. One thing that makes the Raptor a better choice is it is so versatile its at much at home in the sand as it is at 12000 ft in the snow. With EFI there is no re jetting reqired and it runs flawlessly troughout the powerband. I will even go out on a limb and say it will even match everybit of the longevity of 400EX in the long run!



With that said both bikes will handle anytghing you trow at them but from my experiance in riding both of them there is nothing better than a big bore thumper to pull you out of any situation. The Raptor stock is one of the fastest bikes made today but with a few mods it will be a bike no other bike will touch!



Another way to look at it is that there is a reason why the Raptor 700 is the current best selling sport bike! Good luck with your choice of bike and dont forget to check out the all new 09 Z400 as I think you might be quite impressed!</end quote></div>

I agree with everything you said except the Raptor being one of the fastest stock quads. A good rider on a 450 can take a stock 700 all day long. The 700 comes from the factory so bottled up that in hurts it's performance. Put the 3 big mods on and the story has a completely different ending.

 

That is why I said one of the fastest stock and no you have that backwards with a correct rider who knows how to short shift a Raptor will destroy any 450 in a strait line hands down. The only stock bike as of right now that can beat a 700 is the KTM 525 and Polaris SRA Predator with the same 525 motor! Just sayin! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Go for the Raptor all the way!!!! Don't even mess with the little EX. You'll always be wanting more if you get the EX. Trust me, go big from the start or you'll regret it. The EX is a good machine but wimpy. My $.02