I just got back from the dealer in Decatur IL. He let me take it for a ride around the parking lot and over some curbs and in some dry grass. I know everyone is curious and I will try to be objective.

Fit and Finish-Very good. All the plastic fits up very well. The electical connections are exposed but seem to be to be well waterproofed. The frame and controls look excellent. Not quite as good as a Honda or Yamaha but not far behind.

Ergonomics-Man the seat is hard! Other than that it fits me very well. A 400ex and Raptor also fit me very well and the Cannondale is very similar.

Structural integrity-The frame, a-arms, swingarm, controls, suspension, and stem has that very sturdy look that a DS650 has. The Raptor and 400ex look flimsy and weak in comparision.

Overall the quad impressed me very much. I was able to compare it directly to a 400ex, Raptor and DS650 and it seems sturdy, well engineered and ready to race a hare scramble with very few changes.

THE RIDE-A bit cold blooded at first with a fast idle till it warms up. Being a new quad I let it warm up very well and then did not ride it very hard. It has more vibration than a 400ex but less than a Raptor. It is pretty loud also. Like a 400ex with the spark arrestor out of the stock exhaust. INSTANT THROTTLE RESPONSE. IDLE TO REDLINE IN THE BLINK OF A EYE. I think a could have let out the clutch without any throttle and it still would have pulled away cleanly. Have any of you ridden a modern sportbike with fuel injection, especially early Suzukis? You will understand better what I am going to say next. The cdale is snatchy and jerky at low rpm. It is something you get used to on the sportbikes and eventually don't notice except in stop and go traffic or parking lots. I started to get used to it on my limited ride and liked it when it came time to lift the front wheels over a large curb.
The suspension is stiff or is it that the aluminum frame is so rigid that more bumps come through to the rider? The steering is quick and the turning radius is very good. I was able to transfer my weight front to back and side to side easily.

This thing is much more hard core than the 400ex or Raptor. You can read in the Honda forum about my thoughts about going from a highly modded Polaris Scrambler 400 4x4 to a 400ex. I feel that this is the next step up from the 400ex. I am very impressed and now want one.

I know you all must have more questions and since I don't go back to work until Monday at 1900(7p.m.) I will try to answer all questions.

Paul

 

Thanks for the post ,it was most informative.

 

Paul I am currious as to how tall you are, did you feel cramped, thanks for posting

 

I am 5' 11" with a 32" inseam. Just to let you know a DS650 is on the borderline of having me feel too stretched out.

Paul

 

1) You can mod a 400ex to be the same with the amount of money you would have left over. 2) try getting one servest. Its like go out getting a camaro a name sports car that you know if buiness goes bad you can count on them being open, but you trade it in on a new jap company its faster and more expensive one day you break something and you take it in to get it fixed but you cant find a dealer. finnaly you find one and you found out they went out of buisness, well your stuck with a quad that has bugs and you have to pay good money to get it fixed.
I thing it was a good idea, before they looked like a frog (a year ago!!)
Not say that it will happen, but it will be hard to find a server

 

Hey 426ex47,
If it ain't Japanese, I don't want it.

 

426,
So in effect you are saying we should stop accepting all new technology and just be happy with the estalished norm?

Imagine what would've happened if the Wright Brothers had been defeated by that philosophy.

 

I sort of agree and disagree.

I have a high dollar Cannondale mountain bike that broke twice (front suspension cartridge) and the dealer fixed it both times real fast and free without giving me any crap about it - he even upgraded it the second time to a much better more expensive cartridge for free. What I am saying is that C'dale is (used to be anyway) a reputable company and they take care of their customers.

HOWEVER, you are probably right in a way since I don't think they have a very big dealer network out there yet. It is also alot of new technology that is prone to break till they get the bugs out of it.

I personally hope this thing works out since it would be nice to see a competitive non-Jap quad on the market.

I do however, agree that it looks like a frog.

 

I'm just saying that they are new and inexperenced. Honda has been at this for years and they know how to build a atv, Cannondale is going to have problems with dealers and producing enough to meet demand

Also you can mod a 400ex to be the same if not better.

 

I dont care what it looks like as long as it is American. Seriously just the fact that it is a home grown quad makes me very happy. I hope it kicks every single jap crap out there.