well i was at the yamaha dealership yesterday helping my buddy pick up his raptor when i realized that there was a suzuki dealership across the street. i decided to check it out and ask about the z400 and the guy told me that he had 5 coming and that 3 were already spoken for. i've been around this forum asking about warriors since i was convinced that i was going to buy a used warrior. two minutes after talking to the guy and realizing that i'm really impressed with the specs on the quad, i decided to put a $200 deposit on the bike. he told me that the warehouse already has some but they're waiting for more to come (it's in the boat on it's way down here as i type this) so they can spread out the wealth. at the end of the month he said. anyway, do you guys think i made a good decision on putting a deposit on the bike, or for another 700 bones buy the raptor? i'm not a very big guy, 5'7" 150 lbs, and i think that from reading it's specs that it'll kill the 400ex and maybe give the raptor a run for it's money. should i buy the extended warranty since, in reality, it's an unproven bike and might have some quirks on the first shipment?

 

i'd keep the z-400. it looks as if it'll have the power and versatility and technology of the raptor, combined with the reliablilty and great suspension and handling of the 400ex.

 

I'm envious, I'd like to buy a new Z400 but my quad is only a year old. I think you made the right decision. If I was in the market again, the Z400 would be at the top of my list. Too bad it wasn't around last year! In my eyes the competition doesn't compare. The 400EX is too low tech and doesn't come with reverse. The Raptor is too expensive, has had tranny & axle problems and is too narrow of a chassis for its size. Everthing else is either too big (DS 400) too expensive and questionable (Cannondale) or too old and not changed; Banshee, Warrior, well every sport quad made including my little Mo.

Be sure to read the extended warrenty literature very closely. I learned the hard way with a snowmachine. The "warranty" was more of an insurence policy agaisnt things breaking. For instance if the oil injection pump went out the extended warrenty would only cover the replacement of the defective oil pump and not damage to the rest of the engine that resulted fro the faulty oil injection pump! I never did have a situation like that but that is how the service manager explained to me what the difference was between Ski-doo's B.E.S.T. extended warranty and the ITT warranty. Basically they both sucked. Look carefully into what you are buying. I have found that recreational vehicle extended warrantys are far different than automobile extended warrantys.

 

right on. i'm just worried about the warranty because, like i said, it might have some minor (hopefully not major) quirks since it is a first year bike. but i will make sure to read all the fine print. i hope i beat my friends raptor cuz he was being a jerk and asked the salesman if they can give my quad a free wash everytime we go out because he says that his raptors gonna be spittin' sand and mud on my z400. hehe, we'll see.

 

I'm sure the z400 will be a good reliable machine with more horse power than a 400ex, but your out of your mind if you think its raptor status as far as powers concerned. Just my 2 cents.

 

How do you know that the Z won't outperform the Raptor in power? Have you ridden one??????????? I'm not trying to sart a fight, but there is no way to tell unless you've ridden an LTZ400.

 

It really looks like the Raptor is going to have to take a seat when the Z400 shows up... But, it just looks too good... I remember when everyone thought the Raptor was going to be the new king of power but Yamaha held back all the power the engine could make...

It looks like the LTZ400 motor will be an exact duplicate performance wise of the DRZ400S. No detuning is evident but it's possible they did something in the exhaust and the air box like Yamaha, but the airbox has those intakes that look like eyes, so maybe not in the air box... And the exhaust looks like it's pretty good... But it's hard to tell from the outside... lol

This may be the first new 4 stroke quad engine from Japan that's not just a totally detuned version of a bike motor...

Let's cross our fingers!

 

once i get i'll definitely let you guys know. i talked to another dealership and the salesman told me that the yosh pipe gives it an incredible amount of power and he doesn't know if the stock exhaust was crappy or yosh just found somethin' good with the system. then again, he could be blowin' smoke up my a$$ like all of them do. one thing i'm concerned about it is that the radiator seems to be placed where rocks could fly and hit it, unlike the raptor where it's behind the snout of the plastic. either way, i think i'm going to be very happy with this bike.

 

I think you made a great choice.. With your size, i think the Z will fit you perfect.. I think the z400 is gonna run right with the raptor, stock for stock.

 

I think that it is going to be a great quad, I am a big Suzuki fan, I had a DRZ400E for 2 years and loved it, no problems with the motor ever! They did a good job with it. As far as I know so far the only de-tuning that was done from the DRZ400"S" motor is Lower the rev limiter to the 8000 range and maybe a different cam. Stock for stock, I would say no way could it beat the Raptor, but I'll bet you could buy all the DRZ400E parts to make the engine just like the faster drz and it will run awsome. The Yosh pipe adds alot of power for a few reasons, One the stock pipe is prolly restrictive like the DRZ pipe and 2 Yosh helped suzuki design that motor and they build all of suzukis race motors for the DRZ, they know that engine good...