I am having a problem deciding which atv to get the z400 or predator...I will be doing trail riding but also want to open her up down a rode. Im 17 and about 5'10" 140 lbs... Also what do you think 1st mod should be.

 

They are both great quads the only thing you have to ask yourself is how much money you can spend on mods. The Predator is better stock for stock than the Z but of course if you drop some $$$ than you can have alot of fun with any quad. I own a Rapor and a Predator and to make my raptor perform like me pred I spend about a lil over 1,000. First mod on either quad would be the airbox because you will get a good response out of either quad. The best advice anyone can give you is to ride both and see which you see yourself going all out in!....by the way I weight 160/ 21 yrs old.

 

All around, I would have to say that the Predator is a better quad, but it you are doing a lot of trail riding where you would want reverse, the Z is the way to go. Both have very good power and handling, where as the Predator is "modified" from factory, wider stance, steering, suspension, brake lines. It's also a first year quad, so there are a lot of ppl questioning the reliability of the quad. I choose the Predator because (a) it's a Polaris, (b) it's already set up with things that normal ppl would install at about a $1k cost (c) lot more power. If it had reverse, there would be nothing else I would want.

 

You didn't say what kind of riding you do (trails, dunes, desert, MX, etc.???). The Predator certainly has the edge on power, but at your weight, the Z should have plenty of power for you. Another thing to consider is that the Z has been out a while, and its shortcomings are well known. Where the Predator is new, and who knows what will happen in the long term??? And, the Predator is ~50 lbs. heavier than the Z, which is a big factor in my mind, especially for a guy who weighs 140 (but you will probably put some weight on later!!)..

I rode with a Predator this weekend. The owner is a ~160 lb woman, and an experienced rider. It was way to much bike for her!! She wheelied it out from under her on a steep technical climb, and broke the grab bar right off. She did rave at how nice the suspension was, but she is use to riding an old Warrior, so anything is an improvement over that. She offered me a ride, but with all the fuss about her crash, I never got the chance, so I can't comment on performance from first hand experience.

 

All I can say is that I saw one at a dealer and the guy said that its not good for trails or woods racing. It was made for motocross.

 

IOWA - Do yourself a favor though before you decide. There are several quads out there that have thier pluses and minuses, get on them all! Seriously, ride each one, either a friend or a dealer. If a dealer wants to sell a quad, he's gonna let you spin on it. Sometimes, just sitting on a quad can give you a good feel, if you are not comfortable sitting on it, you won't be while riding it. Good luck, and have a great time when you decide!

 

i just thought i'd say this.

the z will always beat a pred out of the gate but from 4th gear on the pred gets away from the z. if you do mostly trails and thinking about gncc racing id suggest the z. ride them both and let the best quad win. (which is the z)

 

You're in the Suzuki forum, so take it for what its worth on this side.
I Love my Z. Wouldn't trade it for any thing out right now. The Predator has a couple issues I would rather not deal with,
(1) First year run
(2) Heavy quad
(3) no reverse
(4) cluncky tranny
(5) Polaris reputation for quality control

The shocks and power would be great though. 45 HP at the rear wheels? think thats what I've heard.
The extra 45 pounds would not be so good though, and modded Z's are easilly getting 45 HP.

Ride um both and go from there. Have fun with whatever you get, can hardly go wrong with either one.

 

Thanks alot for all your posts...I have already gone and looked at two: raptor, and z400. I really like the z400 better, it had enough power for me and i also thought the ride was more comfortable...not to say i didn't like the raptor to, but the z just better fits me.

I am going to check out the predator this weekend and then i will make my decision.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Good luck either way I'm sure you will be thrilled. All the new sport quads are pretty darn nice!


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