Whatever, I guess Ill just have to keep my eyes open. I bet those modded Z's cost $6000. So if you want to go and spend $4000 more to be faster, go for it. I was also racing a piped raptor at the same instance I was racing the z400s, and the raptor got off the line first but iwas even with it the rest of the hill. I was a bout two bikes lengths back. Who knows what mods these quads actually had, I could only see the pipes. I didn't look at them closely.

 

I could see an unexperienced rider being beat on an 85-86 lt because of the lack of low end but their is no way that an 87 and up is gonna get beat by any z400 unless its doug gust's. My powervalve LT with vforce reeds has so much low end you feel like your riding a 4 stroke off the bottom.... and to think I have 22 inch tires on the back... with 20's id probably be wheelying in 5th gear. Oh yeah and LT's have 6 gears which can be short shifted due to the tremendous amount of low end torque the powervalve provides.

LT's have way more performance upgrades available.
you can buy more used stuff for an lt on ebay no problem.
You can rebuild the entire motor top and bottom for cheap plus you don't have to be a mechanic or good with motors to fix it.
You don't have to buy expensive 4 stroke oil and change it all the time to keep your motor nice.
there is more suspension travel on the LT 250r..... 8.7" as apposed to 8.1 on ltz400
z400's will get ignored once the new z450 comes out.
lt's don't tip as easy and are much lighter.
Stock for stock an lt is faster (more acceleration and more top speed.) 327 lbs. 32 or 31 hp can't remember

For like 8 grand you can make a z400 blazing fast as well as a superb handler. According to dirt wheels that is.
400's use less gas.
A wuss can ride a 400 as well as an experienced rider. I would not let my girl ride my lt but id let her ride a z400 very user friendly.
Motor will last a long time as long as it is well maintained.
A bad point is that even though the motor is long lasting when a 4 stroke breaks they really brake and are a very expensive fix that requires most often a lot of machine work, replacement parts (very expensive) and labor. the lt can be repaired by the average baffoon.... a z should be worked on my a professional. Hence why I saw a raptor in the paper for 1000 dollars once (needed motor work.)
4 strokes tend to turn to junk evenly if they are old or not maintained a two stoke will usually just burn top ends. An abused 2 stroke motor can be make like new for about 300 dollars. If someone didn't change the oil in the z400 and abused it the fix could be thousands being that the dirty oil has seen every internal part of that engine (their are way more moving parts on a four stroke that can be damaged.)

I'd go with the LT cause you can get a real nice one for like 2 grand to 2500

 

Stock for stock I don't think so. When those things came out I watched a friend with a bone stock 89 Lt 250R shut down a 400. The went at it four times in a row and the 250 whooped every time. That was enough times to get traction issues or whatever squared away. So no I'm not on that boat. As far as hadling yes the new 400 has a pretty nice ride, but soon as you put some aftermarket shocks on the 250 that advantage goes away. My set up is super plush. As far as working on a two stroke all of the time where does that come from.? About the only thing I work on is when I burn out a piston and that's not very often. Only had three in there since 94. The stock one lasted till 99. Second one I was just stupid and going full bore in 5 degree weather without the propper jetting. You really don't think in 4-5 years that you won't be working on those timing chains,cams, and rocker arms do you? Anyway it's really like comparing apples to oranges. Four stroke machines are a different concept and require a different kind of riding style, some like it and some don't.

 

Stock For StocK? Who has a stock LT250R please tell me.. I dont think their is a stock LT left. And since you can gett a MODDED LT250R in running condition for like 1,500-2,000$, thats less then Half the price of a 400. Imagine what you could do with all that extra money to further modd the lt. Plus dont say the lt is slower stock, because NOONE has ever raced them! and the 250 has more power, it takes approx. dubble the 4-stroke cc's to make up for 2 stroke cc's. CC's dont = power. the YZF prob. has more power then the raPTER!a plus i think if you did comeacross a stock LT, powervalve or not, they'dd probobly be the same.

My $.02

 

You can fight about this all day long, I have an 87 LT and my friend has an 04 Z. I think it's a great bike, it handle just as good if not better than the Lt it's easier to ride and WAY more user friendly. There is always somthing on my Lt that I'm jacking with. Not that it's unreliable but it's old so stuff breaks or is worn. With the basic mods I have I just beat him in a Drag race at olds in glamis just about everytime. He has a pipe and filter just like me. Which is better? Bah! You decide... they are both great bikes

 

I've been debating this same question. My Quadracer had its clutch go out recently so I have not been able to compare both my machines on dirt in the summer. My KFX surprised me with the amount of power and acceleration it produced. If anything, I think it would be a close race. In the past, I've ridden two other Quadracers numerous times and can predict that the LT250R will more easily spin its tires than the Z400. It's not that the Quadracer is uncontrolable, just the difference between two and four stroke power. A stock Quadracer has a really nice powerband with lots of low end, but it still spins its tires when it gets on pipe while a four stroke tends to hook up.

As for the better machine it all boils down to what you are going to do. The new 400 Quadsport is definitly more versitle than the Quadracer. I routinely take my 18 month old daughter out on 1st, 2nd gear rides with my KFX while I would not use the Quadracer for the same thing. The great thing about the 400 Quadsport is that it will putt along sedately for miles on end but then, when you choose to wick it up, it's there for you. The Quadracer, on the other hand, likes to be run at a faster pace. It will putt, but nothing like a four stroke. Too much low RPM time will give you a fouled plug.

Basically I think of my Quadracer as my hot rod and my KFX as my everyday machine. Though for handling I still prefer my Quadracer over the KFX. Probably just an old school thing in that my Quadracer likes my help in cornering while the KXF seems more stable and planted and doesn't require me to lean so much. I guess I feel more disconnected from the KFX than I do my Quadracer..

 

I watched my friend with an 03 Z400 drag an LT250. At the end the Z could get to fourth gear. He had an FMF Powerbomb header, Yoshi Carbon Fiber Muffler, and the White Brothers CDI. The LT had a full DG exhaust and the Z took him by a good bit, maybe three of four legnths. Then another guy came out on a Quadzilla with an exhaust and it was all over for the Z!

 

The DG exhaust isn't much better than stock. I have an FMF which is decent but def. better than the DG. An LRD pipe on the LT would make it comparable to the Yosh pipe on the Z in all fairness, but it is probably as expensive as the Yosh pipe. Plus if it was an 85-86 quadracer those weren't nearly as fast as the late models. With all my mods my LT is comparable to a Toomey piped banshee. It will definitely hang with one.... I have ridden a 2000 with the tr-6 pipe kit so I am not just making this stuff up. Plus my LT has way more low end... the banshee has none. One would have to have a heavily modded Z to take my LT. I'd probably be side by side with a stock yfz450 if we raced.... of course with mods he'd smoke me. But for a little over two grand what more could I ask for.... Just look at all my mods and accessories... it adds up to over 2000 grand alone just for that!!

 

Now my friend has a 450 kit on his Z with a 41 FCR. He claims he also beat a Toomey Banshee, and also calims to have dusted YFZ's i'm not sure if they were stock or not. I've ridden it and it is incredibly fast but I wasn't there to see him beat those machines. LTRider4Life, you've got a nice looking ride.

 

Thank you... I think its pretty nice too except for the back wheels and tires they are atrocious!!!! I bet a modded Z with the 450 kit could smoke a yfz... Just look at doug gust!!!! I don't mean to sound like an idiot but what is a DVX... is it just like a Z400 or is it the same. I'm not that up to date with the new stuff since I'm a big old schooler!!! Put up some pics of your quad it sounds nice since it is stock and I like stock cause stock doesn't break a lot!!!

JUST GOT AN 87 QUADZILLA... GONNA RIDE IT TOMMOROW MORNING!!!