A honda 400ex will run with a raptor, they are not as fast, they are not as powerful. But come on, yamaha make a 660 that doesn't really beat a 400ex all that much. If yamaha made a 400 cc four stroke (like the warrior) they would lose terribly. A 660cc only beats a 400 by a little. Now if (and unfortunatley "If&quot honda made a 660 cc bike it would be hands down the absolute winner. I say again if a 400 comes close to the raptor, Just imagine what a 660 is going to do. think about it. No wonder the raptor is faster. But it won't last.

Trust honda.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

In acceleration and speed, Banshees, Raptors, and DS 650's all smoke a 400ex easily. The thing the EX has going for is is a good tuned in frame and suspension that gives it handling superb to the rest. Though not far off is the Raptor. Yes Honda would probably be able to top the rest if they used that chassis with a larger more powerfull engine, but they haven't got that through their thick heads yet. Same reason they put disc brakes and a full time 4wd system on the Rubicon.

 

what do u mean hondas EX is almost as fast as a raptor. The only way that 400 can wven stay with a raptor is on the track. If you are talking in a drag race the raptor will smoke it. I have race about six different guys with 400s and they all tried to tell me that they were faster so i said put them on that line. My raptor and all the 400s that i have raced were stock. when we raced i smoked tham out of the hole and kept on going without looking back. The 400s even started in second gear and i still spanked them. So dont even try to say an 400EX is as fast or even close to a raptor in spead. The 400EX's top spead is 65mph and the raptors top spead is 75 mph and i have been clocked buy three different vehicals.

 

The thing is Yamaha and Bombardier both have had to make big bore 600cc range sport quads to compete with a little 400. Its the truth. Slap some Pep shocks on the ex then stroke it and bore it to a 500 and it would blow the raptor away.Just imagine a 650ex. Or give the ex 5 valves and 2 carbs, then we would have a fast ex.

 

<< The only way that 400 can wven stay with a raptor is on the track. >>



I think that is what he was talking about in the original post. Maybe I'm wrong.

Also, ANY of the company's could build a 400cc quad that is capable of what the Raptor and DS are. With todays technology it would be that hard. The latest craze is to stick these insanly large engines in them.

Otherwise I am staying out of it since I have never ridden either quad.

-Josh

 

Unless you own and ride both of these quads, it's kind of silly to start making statements about which one is better. I own a '99 Honda 400EX with Laeger's A-arms, subframe, steering stem, Durablue axle, PEP shocks, full Big Gun exhaust, K&amp;N filter, etc... I also own a Raptor with nothing but a Lonestar axle. The Honda sits in the garage over 90% of the time I ride since I spend most of that time on wooded trails and not on a tight MX track with huge jumps. In the trails, the Raptor's huge power advantage makes it much more fun to ride, even without the fancy suspension.

 

Speaking from experience; when I had my 98 Warrrior I would be just a little slower than my friends on their Banshees/400exs in the trails. I wanted something faster, looked at the 400exs/Banshees; couldn't make a choice between the two. Raptor came out and I was overwhelmed by the pure high-performance in this thing. Stock for stock a Raptor will put something on the 400ex that will make him think twice about beating a Raptor. A Banshee is a Yamaha, so it's part of the family.... Also, about if, would of, could of, and what if kinds of things lets be realistic towards the quads that are on the market and not some dreamed up fantasy someone is wishing upon a star for... Yamaha has taken what Honda had for many years...the #1 spot and their are people out there who doesn't like that. The 400ex is a nice bike, but Yamaha doubled the ante when they made the Raptor!!!![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

j/t
01 Raptor[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

How about they use a WR250F motor in a quad, that bike WILL stomp a XR400.

A YZ426F power'd Quad would be nice.

But wait the big bad Dirt Bike superhype unbeatable CR450F(or whatever it is
called) has more power.

Yeah Right, Tim F(who is rated lower outdoors that his Honda mounted
4-stroke counterpart)and his YZ, sure gave Ryan H and Honda all they could
handle and the some at Glen Helen, both riders neck and neck at the bottom
of the Hill Honda on the outside(with a momentum advantage) Yamaha on the in
(with less speed built up), Up they Go, Yamaha catches and Passes.

Sorry that was the only race I saw.

But looking at the ratings, it appears Tim and his YZ have sunk the unsinkable.

Looking at Quads, the Raptor has less bump steer that any production Quad
ever made, that indicates a good foundation.

Great Day

Y2K

 

You guys are missing the point. Ok the 400ex is a single overhead cam with valves air cooled 400cc single carb. The raptor is a single overhead cam with 5 valves liquid cooled 660cc double carbs. See the difference? Even tho the 400ex has one less carb, valve,liquid cooling, and 260cc's it can still hang with it. Make these quads equal in engine sizes and designs and the ex will be king. No doubt.

 

I have thought about it. The raptor has a 9,000 RPM redline and a 6,500 RPM power peak. The 400EX and DS650 both have their horsepower peak within 500 rpm of redline. What is the cheapest and easiest way to increase horsepower on a four stroke? Cam it! What do you need to cam a 400EX or DS650? Cam, jets, and ignition with a higher rev limit. What do you need to cam a raptor? A cam and jets.
The pipe on a two stroke works like the cam on a four stroke, camming a Raptor would be like piping a Banshee. What is the trade off? A loss of low end tourque. So I cam a raptor I get more horsepower at a higher RPM, wich means faster top speed I also get less low end tourque which means I may only wheelie in first instead of first and second and if I am small enough also third.
What I am really getting at is any time you have that large a discrepancy between redline and horsepower peak you usually have a very detuned engine. Right now it is fast enough to be the best in the shootouts and keep most lawyers at bay because its not that much faster, and if something faster comes along there is room to improve.
For those of you who say the Banshee never improved, from 93 when it was five years old, and about due for its first redesign until 98, 400EX the second fastest quad in production was their own Warrior followed by the 300EX. You don't have to improve if you already have the best, and before you start screaming 250R or Quadzilla I am talking in production.
By the way I don't think yamaha quads are the holy grail I actually was debating between a 400EX and a Warrior, and leaning toward the 400EX when the Raptor came out. I only posted because I get so sick of the die hard Honda guys who think no other quads exist.