im planning on getting my first sport quad as a 4th quad so our whole family can go atving. im 16 and have been riding atvs for about 2 years and never got around to sports cause its all utility and hunting around here and ive just recently gotten into serious trail riding for fun. parents dont want me to get anything big for now and i was looking into a raptor 350. im getting it used for sure and cheap, around $2000. just wondering if there is anything i need to know about this quad, like ups and downs? and whats the top speed? thanks for any help!

 

i would rather have a 400ex more power better suspension, more power potential, and just as durable if not more, a raptor 350 is the same as a warrior just a little lighter with diff plastics and exhaust pipe, there 6 speed clutches with reverse and the top speed is right around 55-58, all around nice quads, dependable good trail bikes with decent power.

 

well im looking for a fun sport quad, not trail. and i would have thought that the raptor 350 would go faster than that? and im just looking for what deals i can get. i have seen the honda 400 ex and it looks sick and i like hondas, but got a budget of around $2000-$2500, so whatever i can get.

 

well it is a sport quad but trails is where your gonna ride, these arent good on a race track or sand dunes so only thing left is trails lol, ive seen plenty of 400exs sell for 2k or less and if you find one that runs good and everything for around 2k i would look into that real good, and yea top speed isnt much but for only being a 350 thats not bad, alot of people like to lie about top speed when in reality the fastest sport quads on the market on hit around high 70s mph stock so 55-58 mph aint to shabby on a old designed 350 sport quad, where i ride i hardly ever get a chance to stretch it out anyway.

 

I agree with warrior357, I personally would go with a 400ex over the raptor 350. The 350 isnt a bad machine, but the 400ex is a better one. You should be able to find a 400ex in your price range there are a ton of them out there.

Not sure where you are looking for them at but you can look for them on www.atvtraderonline.com and your local craigslist

 

k, well what about a yfz 450? i just thought it would go faster because my utility quads, the biggest being the 350 rancher, hit around 55.

 

yfzs will do somewhere in the 70s mph, i doubt you will find one for 2k though cheapest i see is usually around 2.5k i have seen very few for 2k but they were one of the first few year models and looked a little rough, believe it or not alot of utility quads have pretty high top speeds, but the sport quads are usually quicker, better with jumping, carving turns and such, 400exs top speed however is in the low 60s i think, i wouldnt worry about top speed much, you can always change the sprockets later if your unhappy with the top speed anways.

 

k, well ill find either a 400ex or a yfz 450 to buy. what should i look for in a used sport quad? i know look at the exhaust for corrosion and general stuff like that, but is there anything else?

 

You said your parents are worried about you getting something "to big". I'm assuming you mean a too powerful machine. The yfz is a race bred machine. Don't pay attention the the displacemnt (450) here. It's got tons of power. Not the best on trails because it's real high geared. Stick with the 400ex. Plenty of power for you and a solid trail quad.

Just watch for oil leaks. See if you can spot any silicon sqeezed out between the 2 halves of the case or around the base of the head. That will let you know if they've tore the engine down. 400EX's are bad about the headlight electronic area going crazy. Start the quad and flip through the hi-low beams a few times to see if they work. (mine popped fuses every time you flipped hi-beams.)

 

I agree with those that say the 400ex is better than the Raptor 350, but the 350 is not bad and if the price is really that good and the machine is nice, it is worth the buy.

Worst case, you trade the 350 in if you get tired of it on a 400ex somewhere..... Dealers will still give you good value on the the Raptor 350 as they sell really well to beginners and women too.

I would totally NOT recommend a YFZ450, or any of the 450s for a beginner...... they are way to hot to handle for a newbie IMO and you are only inviting disaster.

The 400ex will give you more than enough fun for a lifetime.