Everyone knows that the 2 quads that are going to fight in every race every trail and every dune is the 400ex and the z400 the z400 boast 1.5 more hps but lacks the ability to out handle the ex no one can argue about these specs because every mag says the same thing i just want some riders opinions on these 2. I think these are the 2 most competitive sport quads used on the markey today.

 

thats true a 400ex lacks certain items in dune riders case nessecity
watercooling which the z400 has but on the other hand esr makes a liquid cooled hear for a 400EX (trick have to buy 250r radiator and shrouds) but the zuke has 11:1 compression put the liquid cooled head and 11:1 on a ex. Thats what i think honda should do to make a 400ex more competitive it wouldnt waste all of their r&d money and it would pretty much work perfect thats just my opinion...the 2 quads are close but the zuke has more stuff if i were to uy one of the 2 now i would get the zuke but i have a pretty fast @$$ ex and it eats them for lunch so im happy

 

im not sure but as far as i know the Z will smoke the EX. the mags. are putting the Z against the raptor. i just got one today ATV ACTION which had a shoot out between the Z and the raptor and the Z won. Raptor only one 200 foot drags (i think) by .20 seconds. just my thoughs though i haven't seen it with my own eyes

 

last months atv action 400ex vs z 400 150 yard drag race zuke wins by 16/100ths of a second but the conditions favord the ex...so i havent seen 2 stock ones race yet..they need to race them on the road

 

200 ft drags??? that's so short.... neither bike could have even been able to get into top gear.....

that's not a race

 

yeah but 150 is zuke won by like half a tire length

 

I've ridden a piped 400ex, bone stock Z400 and piped/airbox Z400 and the Piped 400ex and stock Z400 felt about the same to me. The piped and opened airbox Z400 felst SOOOOOOO much faster... I couldbn't believe the difference. The Z apparently responds very well to mods. I can't even imagine why somebody would buy a 400ex over the Z400 - no comparison. The Z400 was the smoothest quad I have every ridded, especially the tranny.

 

yeah but when u mod them with full race kits from ct the 440ex produces 49.5 hps and the z453 does 48.3 reasons unknown its true the ex is legal and the z isntso thats why i would chose a ex but im a full blown racer so weekend warriors might want the z because it does respnd well to simple mods bette then the ex will...but if i did the weekend stuff a banshee would be the only bike for me cause they respond the most

 

As far as handling, they are pretty similar. I like the balance of the EX just a little better. As far as power, both bikes are pretty lame in stock form. The EX has low end grunt, but less top end. The Z has raging top end, but no low end torque. An aftermarket exhaust and a K&N are a must on either one!!

The EX wins on the low end, so that makes it the trail bike choice. The engine will begin to fade as it gets hot though. The Z wins on the high end, making it a better desert bike. I am going to go one tooth bigger on the rear in the Z, to get a little more low end for hill climbs and sand.

 

My z400 is bone stock. I had raced 3 400ex's in the same day. One ex had the fmf pipe, one had a pro circuit, and the other had a White bros. pipe. All were jetted and had K&N air filters. I beat all three with no problem. The only bike that day that gave me any problems was a done up 250r. He would start leaving me hard after the top of third gear. I also ran a raptor and he only beat me by about a bike & 1/2. I am going to pipe mine and put the nick nacs for performance, but over all I am very happy with mine.