i am 15 and an experienced rider and i will be getting a 450 this august or september----i really like reverse cause i will be doing alot of trial riding so ive been thinking about the kfx450r but the quad i want so bad is the new yfz450r - what is your opinions on the 450s and do u really think i will need reverse to much? the trials are wide for the most part but some sections are tight - tell me what you have to say

 

If you're an aggressive rider i would lean towards the YFZ, suspension is great and the powerband is just insane from 1st to 5th! The KFX is somewhat similiar, but you will notice the power difference, even though their suspension is A+ as well. My neighbor has a kawi, and he fell in love with the YFZ I had. As for reverse, it's an advantage if you have it, but if you don't you can always muscle the bike backwards no biggie.. good luck.

 

These quads are light, and if you aren't strong enough to turn one around without reverse, you should get your a$$ to a gym!

None of the 450's make great trail quads! These engines are all rev, and they don't like to be lugged down. Riding in tight stuff requires a lot of clutch slipping, and believe me that gets old really fast! The great trail quads are the 400's, and maybe the Raptor 700.

 

I agree with the above statement. I came from a 2 stroke to the 450 4 stroke so i was use to slipping the clutch.

 

It really depends on the trails......... 450s all race GNCC and technically those are trails..... I have my own 4.5 mile XC track and I have lots of friends with 450s who ride the trails all day and never need to slip the clutch or anything..... the trails are fast enough where either 1st or 2nd gear are fine.....

If you are trail blazing, or riding technical very slow trails, yeah....the 450s are not the way to go....

It really all depends on what your definition of "trails" really is.......

 

I think he defined his "trails" pretty well. A 450 will do well in the wide sections, but poorly in the tight stuff. The 450 will excell in the wide stuff, but not in the tight stuff. A real "trail quad", will excell in both the tight and wide stuff....so a more "all-around" machine will be the better choice.

I ride my 450 in the desert. Mostly it is pretty wide open but there are lots of canyons and washes and even very technical waterfalls where you will find yourself doing "trail" riding, and yes the machine is workable for short sections (I am even running a 1 tooth smaller sprocket in front).

But....if I am headed for my local mountains which are mostly tight 50" wide woods trails, I would be a fool to show up on any 450. Here, the 400EX is the weapon of choice!

 

i was leaning towards the 400s in the beginning but then i was scared i was guna get bored with it or maybe it wouldnt have enough power and i would want something bigger the next year - and i thought about the raptor 700 but i ruled it out because i think it is just to big for me and i know it has alot of torque so now i am think about the 450s - i am an extremely aggressive rider so thats why i was leaning towards the 450s(also i sat on the new Z400 and it felt really big and tall and i didnt feel quite comfortable) and im not sure i like the 400ex cause i already have a honda and i worked it all out as good as i could and it has no power ---- i will NOT be racing though and i will try to occasionally bring it to the track though

 

I'm not sure what you mean by the Raptor being "too big" ?!? Because it is basically the same size as the z400 or any of the 450s.......

Do you mean the engine is too big? The Raptor 700 is not that much more powerful than a z400......It sit in the middle of the z400 and the 450s as far as power.

You said the z400 felt too big and tall? Again it is the same basic size of the 450s so I'm not sure what you mean.....

The 450s are all lower to the ground because most have 18" rear tires while the 400s and Raptor have 20" rear tires.......So perhaps this is the "big" feeling you are describing?

 

yeah i know it sounds confusing - i mean as regards to the raptor--its 700cc! and i know it has alot of torque and i just think its to much of a quad--i cant say for sure cause ive never rode any 700s - the Z400 just felt taller cause suzuki has made changes on the Z400 to make it bigger and then i sat on the KFX450r and it felt great - i felt comfortable and it didnt feel to small or to tall(or wide)----and then i sat on the new YFZ450R and that one was very very low(wider)--then i sat on the 400ex and it felt comfortable but the KFX felt a little bit better and i never sat on TRX450r or a LTR450r and i didnt see a YFZ450 but i think the new YFZ450R will unfortunately will not be for me - it is to low and will be hitting alot of rocks and also will be to wide - how is the power on the raptor700? it has more torque and hp than a 450 right (stock for stock)

 

The Raptor is powerful, but it is not a monster in stock form...... It is only a little faster than the z400 and the power on the 700 is quite mild and easy to manage. It is not too much for you at all if you are even thinking of a 450......

The Raptor comes with suspension that is on par with any 450, requires less maintenance, and will be just as happy in the woods as it will in the dunes.......I think it is probably were you should be looking.