I have about $3000 to spend and i'm willing to finance. Originally I was going to buy a Blaster outright and then I started thinking about maybe financing a 400EX and then I went to the dealer today and he tried to talk me into a Warrior or a 300EX. I started reading about all of them on here in the archives and there is always someone who makes a good case for every quad...even the Mojave. I'm so confused now...I don't know what to get. I'll probably be doing a fair amount of trail riding, but there is a small private MX track nearby that i'll be riding on occasionly...probably no formal racing though. I'm about 5'10" and 170lbs. Now I guess i'm leaning towards the 300EX but it would be nice to not have to finanace (Blaster). Should I look into getting something used instead? Regardless, I don't think anything I get is going to match with my riding clothes (orange/black)...hehe. Any advice?

 

I'm not trying to talk you out of the quads you have picked out, but if you ever thought about getting a Banshee, it's not out of the question. I can understand why you wouldn't want one.. so I'm not going to be like most of these guys and try to talk you into what I ride. A friend of mine (5'9&quot had a 97 300EX, and he bought it for $2500. Well, actually, he STOLE it for that much.. but, he still paid for it. I know most people aren't into top end, and drag racing, but if you want to kick your friends 300EX's butt, get a Warrior. 1st-5th, the EX will slightly out accelerate, and 5th gear pinned, both quads are exactly alike. But when you shift the Warrior up into 6th, it slowly walks away. For trail riding, I would have to recommend the 300EX, just because it handles so much better than the Warrior. I spent equal time on the 300EX, and a 98 Warrior, and I LOVED the Warrior, but still recommend the EX. On an MX track, the 300EX will leave the Warrior.. Pretty much hands down. If I were in your position, I(read that.. I) would buy a 300EX. Now I know these guys are going to tell you the Warriors better, but, it's YOUR opinion that matters, not ours!!!

 

It all depends on your taste. I personally think that with your size, a blaster or a 300ex might seem a little cramped. I wouldn't pay too much attention to the dealer. He's probably just trying to get rid of whatever ATVs he has left over from last model year. My personal feelings are as follows:

Blaster: ok bike. Good bang for the buck. This bike doesn't excel in any area, but doesn't do too bad either. As my friends call it, it's a "throw away bike."

300EX: This is a good all around bike. Depending on your riding style, it might leave you wanting some more power.

400EX: Excellent bike. Handles very well. My only problem with it is it doesn't have reverse (which is very handy on tight trails).

Warrior: Another good bike. It's not as fast as a 400EX, and it doesn't handle quite as well either. It feels kinda heavy in comparison. One thing a Warrior does excel at is hill climbing tho. This is a good trail bike.

And I can understand the decesion you are going through. I went through the same process... So a bought a Raptor <grin>

My best suggestion is to try and find someone near to you that owns one of these quads and take it for a spin and see what you like best.

2001 Yamaha Raptor (GYT-R bumper, DG skid plates, Pro design kill switch)
1988 Yamaha Warrior (Too many mods to list. FOR SALE.)

 

I ride with a guy that has a Warrior, and one that has a 300ex, and I owned a Blaster at one time.

The Blaster is a good bike and it never let me down, however with it's lack of reverse, and lack of stock power I think that I would pick both the Warrior and the 300ex over it if price wasn't an issue. It was a good bike for me 7 years ago when I owned one, but now I have different tastes.

Anyway, for me it would be a toss up between the 300ex and the Warrior. I don't know if I could pick which one I like better. I'm the type of person that enjoys flat out speed, even though it's rare that we are riding somewhere that comes down to that. The Warrior is faster top end, and in my opinion, whoever is the better driver will win in a drag race it's that close. However, if you were to take 6th gear off of the Warrior I would pick the 300ex for sure. It looks like a very well built bike, and it seems to handle very nicely. Don't get me wrong, the Warriors design has been around a long time, which means that it's been time tested, but some people would consider it outdated.

Now let me see if I can think of the bads and the goods for each quad...I personally like how the EX sits. The riding position is very nice. It does feel a little bit small, even compared to the Warrior, but it's not a problem when you get it out on the trail. Suspension wise it is superior if you ask me, and if you are into wheelies, this is the quad for you. A couple bad things that I noticed with it though...It SEEMS to have less ground clearance than the Warrior, as I felt it bottoming out over a lot of small rocks, but maybe it was just me. Also when you get it into any water, it skips and sputters quite a bit. I had also seen some posts on the Honda forum, and this is a sealent problem somewhere. One place was around the spark plug, but I can't remember the other...maybe the carb?

Getting on the Warrior felt okay too. The seating position wasn't nearly as comfortable FOR ME as the EX's, but it still wasn't what I would call akward. Honestly, the Warrior felt like it had more tourque to me, but maybe it was just gearing. I first rode the Warrior the day that my friend bought it, and obviously everything was tight, the gearbox shifted nicely, and all of that jazz. I rode it again about a week ago, and the thing felt like rattle trap, and there were squeeks and squawks all over on it. I have to add that my friend does jump in and ride it harder than the guy on the 300ex, so I don't know if this is common. To my knowledge they both maintain there quads...washing and greasing them after every ride...you know, all the basics.

Let me add, that neither of these guys have had any problems with there quads, and we all have a great time no matter where we are going. On the trails we all stick together, and everybody gets stuck eventually. To call one quad better than another is totally personal preference. Like I said, even after riding both quads, I honestly don't know which one I would choose.

I left a lot of little things out, but I could go on all day about the things that I noticed between the two quads, but I think that I got all the important parts. Important to me anyway.

Good luck, you'll have fun no matter what you choose.

-Josh

 

If you buy used save a little cash for repairs. Most used quads you get need a little something fixed. Did you sit on all the above mentioned quads? Which one fits you good. The Blaster and 300EX might be a little small for you. I wouldn't get a Banshee for trail riding. That's not what they were designed for. That leaves a Warrior or a 400EX or something even more money. I might have bought a 400EX if it wasn't for no reverse. I love my reverse for out on the trails, backing off the trailer and doing yard work. The 400EX has a softer and better suspension than the Warrior which is better for that MX track you mentioned. The 400EX is also more money than the Warrior. The Warrior and the 400EX have tons of aftermarket stuff for them too. Go sit on the quads and take it from there. Whatever you do don't rush into anything. Take your time and go shopping!