What to get for trail riding

[foxr]

i use to have a XR80 then a CR80 for trail riding about 4 yrs ago and i want to get another bike or a quad. i will be trail riding and it is really hilly and pretty muddy at times.

im thinking
2stroke 125
2stroke 250
or a honda 400EX

how do they all compare? as in Power, maint, etc

ive only riden the xr80 and cr80 before and a quad once for about 5 mins.

i just picked up a hitch and got a trailer on order, now its just to find the right bike or quad :devil:

[400Rider022]

uhh id stay away from 250 2 stroke just yet...either 125 or 400ex would be great for the trails

[foxr]

Thanks for the reply 400rider

when i had my cr80 i always had it pinned all the time and craved more power, and im now 4yrs older, turning 18 in the spring. what kind of a differnce is the 125 from 80? and 250 differnce between the 125? i know the hieghts of the 125 and 250 are the same if not very close. the 250 is double the bore and or stroke but it wouldnt give off double the power would it

if i get a dirtbike i dont want to get a 125 and then 1 year later want to go get a 250 you know. but i also dont want to kill myself

and Also what kind of power does the 400ex have compared to a dirtbike?

Thank you!

[400exrules]

trust me, a 125 has plenty of power to keep you scared for a while

[miller821]

Go with the 400ex is my opinion, good power for trails, especially if you modify it, and its easy maintenance. And if you say its muddy, its pretty fun to go muddin on a 400. JMO

[foxr]

yah i been thinking and i really want a quad, just sat on one at the dealership yesterday and i was hooked! :eek2:

how would the 350 warrior compare to the 400ex? i see a couple of them for sale that dont look to bad. Thanks!

[BlasterEaten250]

The 400ex would spank the warrior in every category.. You can find some pretty nice used ones for around $2200- $2500.

[6arett]

A good desert bike in genral for trails and stuff is a WR by yamaha or a CRF450/250X by honda. They come with lights and are setup for the desert, and if you drop some money into those bikes to get setup the way you want it and the way you ride, it will be even better. But with what you have said you wanted if your 5'8ish or above (able to touch the ground with your feet on the bike, get a YZ250F if your into track/desert and want a low matenance bike, 2 strokes are alot of matenance

[miller821]

Don't go warrior, if your goin quad get 400 or a 450.

[Wandell]

Another vote for the 400ex!:D

[Toadz400]

I wouldn't shy completely away from the CR250. A friend of mine who is half the size of me (about 5'4/5" and 130lbs) use to ride a CR80 for years. The next bike he went to was a 250 and he can ride this bike like no other. He's 16 and made that huge jump and he's a little guy, so I'm assuming if you know how to ride a bike (been on them for years) then you should be able to handle the 250. But for the kind of riding you're talking about, I'd go with a 4-stroke. Either a 250/450f or one of the 400cc quads.

I rode a 1986 yz80 for 2 months, I rode straight quads before that, and i liked motorcycles so much, after two months of riding them, I traded my 400ex for a ktm 250sx. Im sure you will be fine with a 250, If i can get on one after two months of motorcycle experince, you should be fine with four years.

[foxr]

Thanks everyone, i bought a 01 440ex :D

[400EXtreme]

congrats there so much fun. Wheelie machines :)

[deathman53]

I wonder why do you guys say 2 strokes are alot of maintence???? let see, clean air filter- you do that on a 4 stroke, change oil-you do that alot more often on a 4 stroke, adjust chain-you do that on a 4 stroke, adjust/replace cluth-you do that in a 4 stroke too, rebuild the top end- you do that in a 4 stroke, but you do that about every 2 years(if you ride alot and it costs 3 times more than the amount to do in a 2 stroke). I rebuild my top end about every 6 months, WOW a grand total of about $150 and I usually replace my reeds at the same time. WOW thats alot of maintence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Toadz400]

Originally posted by deathman53
I wonder why do you guys say 2 strokes are alot of maintence????

Some people are just ignorant when it comes to that, they hear that 2-strokes are more maintenence so they just believe it and spread it on. In fact, I think 2-strokes are less maintenence than these new technology 4-strokes. As long as you take care of a 2-stroke (do everything you do with a 4-stroke) then it will last you just as long. I know some people who go a decade without rebuilding the top-end on a 2-stroke, and it's got just as much compression as the day they bought it.

[foxr]

the CR80 i use to own bought brand new i put probaly 150ish hours on it. all the maint ever done to it was oil and filter after every 1 long ride or 2 shorter ones. changed the spark plug out maybe 3-4 times, adjusted the chain when needed, and did the top end near 120ish hours and it didnt even need it. the bike was only trail ridn but most of the time full out trying to keep up with a friend with his 125.

All i know is it was Very low maint and it was a 2stroke

[440racer66]

get a 400ex buy mine haha but they are great quads

400ex it got reverse a 125 wouldnt work in the woods
the 2 stroke wouldnt work but a 4stroke 125 would

Originally posted by deathman53
I wonder why do you guys say 2 strokes are alot of maintence???? let see, clean air filter- you do that on a 4 stroke, change oil-you do that alot more often on a 4 stroke, adjust chain-you do that on a 4 stroke, adjust/replace cluth-you do that in a 4 stroke too, rebuild the top end- you do that in a 4 stroke, but you do that about every 2 years(if you ride alot and it costs 3 times more than the amount to do in a 2 stroke). I rebuild my top end about every 6 months, WOW a grand total of about $150 and I usually replace my reeds at the same time. WOW thats alot of maintence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


haha i agree, i got a honda cr250 (dirtbike) and i work on it a little more than my 450r (quad) but it costs way less money to keep it running. I still wish they made 250r's... they were great quads.

[deathman53]

weird, but nothing still compares to a 250r in how they handle, honda stopped selling them for many reasons, declining sales, lawsuits, fear of a 2 stroke atv ban, but I think alot had to do with consent degree and something about how honda agreed not a make a powerfull sport atv for 10 years, notice the year of the 400ex, first one was in 99 and the consent degree was finallized in late 88, even though the 3 wheeled atv's it mainly targeted were gone by 88. Sport atv's during the 90's was pretty dead and I don't think honda would have continued anyway. Kawi stopped the tecates, susuki stopped the 500 in 90, 250 is 92, and , the only sport quads were mojave, banshee, warrior, 250x/300ex, polaris had some, but the pickings were pretty slim, you basically had to pick hopping up a 250x, buying a used 250r, or buying a new banshee if you wanted anything that was raceable.

[Toadz400]

Originally posted by 400exXx
400ex it got reverse a 125 wouldnt work in the woods
the 2 stroke wouldnt work but a 4stroke 125 would

You need to work on your English. But why wouldn't a 2-stroke work in the woods? Are they allergic to pine or something? I don't get why people keep saying that 2-strokes are not good in the woods, please stop saying that...it's getting annoying. It just shows how ignorant some people really are, many people raced woods on 2-strokes and I don't think any of them had a problem. To this day I still prefer my Banshee for riding woods than my old 400ex.

the kind of woods i ride in the 2 stroke would be pointless

you cant use enough power for a 2 stroke in the woods...theres not enough room for it, get on a small narrow path and floor it and smack a tree.

But a 4 stroke but its pretty much ment for the woods (some of them)

[Toadz400]

Originally posted by 400exXx
you cant use enough power for a 2 stroke in the woods...theres not enough room for it, get on a small narrow path and floor it and smack a tree.

But a 4 stroke but its pretty much ment for the woods (some of them)

Sounds like the 2-stroke you're riding has some problems with it. Gear it down and it should be fine for tight woods, just as good as a 4-stroke.

The 2stroke i was riding was fine, its just im not using as much power as i want to, but when im using a 4 stroke i can. A 2stroke has too much power to be in the wood, but if you have this big open trail in the woods then get it. I ride in small narrow trails, which is perfect for 4-strokes. It just doesnt feel right using a 2-stroke because your barely using any of its power

[Toadz400]

Originally posted by 400exXx
The 2stroke i was riding was fine, its just im not using as much power as i want to, but when im using a 4 stroke i can. A 2stroke has too much power to be in the wood, but if you have this big open trail in the woods then get it. I ride in small narrow trails, which is perfect for 4-strokes. It just doesnt feel right using a 2-stroke because your barely using any of its power

If you are riding extremely tight trails, you won't be using all of the power of your 4-stroke either. If the gearing is set up right, anything will work good for anything. It's mostly just preference.

[Z-Rider86]

If you want a quad a 400ex or Z-400 will be fin in the woods and will get you through mud and up hills plenty fine.

[Toadz400]

If you want the ultimate all-around quad, I'd say go with the Z400. It's extremely comfortable to ride and has good low end power while being a bit snappy like a YFZ. In my own opinion it is the best all around quad and if I wanted one to just take it easy and race around with friends on the trails I'd definately go with the Z.

[XCRacer]

I have ridden a 125 through the woods. It worked fine, but if you want a two stroke I would get a 200. The 125 is very pipey and isn't very tractible. It is hard to stay on the pipe going up rocky hills or through the slop. A KDX 200, no matter what anyone says, will compete against anything in the woods. I ride a KTM 200E/XC now and it is very easy to ride. It has the power down low and screams on top. I can't ask for more. A 250 two-stroke would be a big jump from a CR80, and would prove to be a lot more work than fun. I can't help much on the 400EX since I've never ridden one, but I really liked the Z's I have ridden.

[Sleeper]

I have to agree with those saying 400ex or Z400. I think both are great trail quads. I have an 400ex and love it. If I was going to get a Z I think I would go new enough to get the new style rear swing arm like the Honda has my self.

Sleeper

[jordan_400ex]

dont get a 125 there gutless there like 2 inches smaller than a 250 and about the same weight but with a 125 motor go with the 250 or the 400 ex and since you rode a cr 80 u know wat the powerband is so you could handle the ex.

[foxr]

Originally posted by jordan_400ex
dont get a 125 there gutless there like 2 inches smaller than a 250 and about the same weight but with a 125 motor go with the 250 or the 400 ex and since you rode a cr 80 u know wat the powerband is so you could handle the ex.

kind of a old thread, i bought a 400 EX 5 months ago :p

[trx400EXtreme]

400ex all the way.

[chris642]

Originally posted by jordan_400ex
dont get a 125 there gutless there like 2 inches smaller than a 250 and about the same weight but with a 125 motor go with the 250 or the 400 ex and since you rode a cr 80 u know wat the powerband is so you could handle the ex.

125's make more HP than a 400ex, buddy

[400exrules]

Originally posted by chris642
125's make more HP than a 400ex, buddy

umm no they dont, buddy...they do weigh 200lbs lighter though

[Vertical Smile]

Predator! :)
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c4/aqua86//my_predator.jpg

[idontknowwhoiam]

im pretty much in your shoes.... i rode dirtbikes growin up..hadda 95cr80 and a 97 125..and then stopped riding fer a few years...i just recently picked up a 400ex. i ride with Alot of dirt bikes mostly 250s(2 strokes) and a few new 4 strokes...the 125 in the woods i feal like your using your clutch alot more then when i ride a 250..somtimes i wish i was still ridin a bike but i like my 400 alot and IMO go with the quad
...BUT on the road er in fields the 250s eat me up all day long and i hate it.......haha

[chris642]

Originally posted by 400exrules
umm no they dont, buddy...they do weigh 200lbs lighter though
KX 125
http://www.fmfracing.com/dynocharts/kawasaki/kx125sst.jpg

400ex
http://www.fmfracing.com/dynocharts/honda/TRX400EX_MEGAMAX_DYNO.jpg

both have FMF pipes and the charts are from the FMF website, they make more power and are lighter