I could use your help making a decision-

I purchased a 2001 400ex this past June and have had a great time on it! (other than going up a STEEP hill, killing it, and ending up getting 6 stitches in my hand the second day I owned it)
Haven't had any problems with it.

However a buddy of mine is looking to sell his barely used (probably less than 10 total hours on it) '06 YFZ450. I've read great things about these 450's and it's got me wondering if it would be a terrible idea to sell mine and buy his.

I'm a trail rider. I haven't taken my 400ex over any sweet jumps, but I wouldn't rule that out.
I'm addicted to watching GNCC races on Youtube and would love to race the quad someday, but even if I don't race it I'm usually riding as fast as I can wherever I am.

As far as money is concerned. He'd like to get $4K for his. I should be able to unload mine for ~2K. I don't have that extra 2K right now and would take me a while to save, so I'm not looking to make a split second decision.

Any thoughts (related to this post) you can give me would be appreciated!

 

4k sounds like a good deal even if its stock. like i said before in the other thread the yfz has better suspension,performance,stability and overall awsomeness! i have ridden my buddies yfz ever scince he got it. and if i wasn't so comfortable with my ltz on the track i would deffinatly get one myself.

 

4 k is way too much. go to craigslist classifieds: jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, events, forums you could probably get one for $3000

 

yeh easy solution, toss the honda. now thats kinda close minded huh... lol. those trx400exs are great machines. they may not be as powerful as a 450 but power to weight ratio is good on a 400ex, and because their not as high strung; maintanence is not as critical. now it's up to you, what kinda riding will you MAINLY be doing? the YFZ will please you every where, except some real tight trails. if your power hungry and realy wana go fast then buy the yamaha. both machines respond well to mods. and their is a ton out there for both machines. from a personal point of view i own an 09, YFZR and an 09' raptor 250 for my duaghter and son. they are both exceptionally modded and i can cruise on both, and play pretty hard in the sand or on the track with out any problems. i would recommend the YFZ if your just flat power hungry, and like everything else; if we want it to work we have to maintain them. the price you listed for the YFZ sounds good, but i don't know the going rate for the 400. if you have started it, and it feels right, and sounds right, go for it... hope your recovery is speedy because machines don't like to be just looked at...

 

the gentleman "Dupont" said 4k is to high, for a stock 06' YFZ with ten hours around here in wyoming sell between 3k up to 4k so maybe ck. that list he referred to for the best deal...

 

Go for it! 4K is probably a touch high, but then again, you KNOW the history of the machine.

 

I do still think it is a little high but it is really nice to know the history and not having to try to make deals with straingers.

 

I would base this decision soley on whether you are riding the EX to it's full potential on the trails now or not.
Don't fall for the "450 hype",..which is what most of this 450 revoultion has been all about.

300EXs,..yes I said 300EXs, whipp 450s butt every weekend at the GNCCs. What does this prove? Logic. A faster quad does not make for a faster rider.
I've seen MANY guys in the GNCC morning races go backwards with their racing results from switching to EX and Z400 based bikes to 450 bikes. If it's not an issue of handling the power itself, it's an issue of premature rider fatigue from trying to hang on because of the power.

None other than a displacement class racer or a B Class or up rider HAS to have a 450 to be competitive. I prefer my 05 YFZ on most any national track or a Mid South race. But it's always the '03 400EX for the local stuff because their copurses are tighter and doesnt have as many straightaways.

Both quads are good quads for racing cross country if you are an amateur. It comes down to your riding skill....if you can ride that 400EX like it was a mini quad and find yourself wanting more and more power and speed, then I say you are ready for a 450.
But not everyone needs a 450 and in fact a 450 can be too much for some,..and that's why it's important to be realistic with what you need and intend on doing.

The worse thing you can think about is feeling that you will be embarassed to show up for a race on a 400EX. I've seen alot of this in recent years and these guys would rather show up on a 450 and get their butt kicked rather than show up on what would have fit them better and take a trophy home. Don't fall for the "450 hype".

 

For the amount of hours the atv has on it and the condition it's in (looks brand new) I don't think 4K is too high. Don't care to look on craigslist because if I buy this it'll be as much a favor to my buddy as me upgrading to a faster quad. (I imagine he'll take 3-something for it though)

Knowsalot, I think you make a great point and I wish I knew if I was taking full advantage of the 400EX. I want to say yes but I have no idea.

I doubt that I'll ever get the chance to race it (I'm a high school teacher, coach 2 sports, and will be starting a family with my wife in the next year) but I would have NO embarrassment at showing up to a race with my 400.
I raced mountainbikes in high school and then for Mizzou and was the same way. The skill of the rider in many cases is just as important (or more so) than the ride they have.

You mention you prefer the 400ex on tighter courses. Is this because the 450 is wider? That would be a concern of mine. I love the trails I can ride on right now.

 

I know you want to buy from your buddy but still im just going to say that if you had a honda it may be a good idea to stay with honda. You are already familiar with a honda and know how they feel so maybe a trx450r