ltz400 or predator

[Tri-valleyracin]

i race mx and im looking to get a good bike to race but not to expensive. i have a z400 but thats my dads and i ride a 300ex right now and i am moving up to the bigger class this june so i was wondering what would be a better choice for mx.i race all the time and trail ride alot to. i love the predators looks but i havnt riden one yet.i know the z400 inside and out and can ride it ok. but they all take getting use to cuse my 300ex is much smaller than then two. o ya im 6'1" and 265 lbs.

[wolffie]

yeah i am pretty similar to you in body size. i am about 6ft and 215. i rode something similiar to you before i got my pred, a raptor350. now, if you want to race mx and only mx, you are better off gettin either a 450r or 450yfz. the lz400 you mentioned is a GREAT all around quad. you can set it up for mx, but still keep it very trail friendly. alll my buddies have lz's, 450r's, yfz's, raptors, preddys, the list goes on....i really like the predator!!! it is a big machine, but it performs really well for me!!!! It has a very wide stance, 47in i believe, it has a peppy DOHC motor,and becomes a beast once you pipe it and scrap the intake. that brings me to the only problem, the intake sucks! it has a boot that goes from the carb that connects to the lid of the airbox. the filter is a crappy paper automotive style. if you do get a pred, you are gonna want to get a clamp on style!

i am not biased towards the pred, i just happen to really like it, lol. the LZ is a really great choice too, but sense you are like me and are good sized person, the pred might be better off for ya. i ride my friends lz all the time, and it is a bit stout for me. do some research. you cant really go wrong within anything. check and see what kind of a budget you got, and then go from there. hope this helps. PM me, or post back in this forum if you need anthing else!


heres my 2005 TLD pred with cut fenders!

[Tri-valleyracin]

nice pred. im not shure yet im looking around for good deals but i like the preds looks the most and i have only hear good things about it. ill just have to convince my dad to help my buy one used. i need to ride on soon though but i have till wen ever to buy something so im not in a big hurry to get something.

[XCpred]

For mx you could go either way, but with the Z you can race in a more competitive class. With the pred you would have to race an open class with larger displacement atvs which the pred can handle. All around though the pred is a better ride. After market wise the Z has more parts avalable. Hope this helps.

[Tri-valleyracin]

ya that helps alot . can i put a 450 kit in it and race in the smaller class? im looking for something different and i have like the predator sence i came out in 03. i currently race a 300ex and ride the z400 around but i dont fell like sharing a quad with my dad for the race season. i love the z400 but it isnt differnt and alot of people race them thats y i dont want a 450. i think the predator is the best looking quad i have seen. i have looked at other quads but im still iffy on the 450s and the 400s. im a big kid so any thing like a 450 is to small and im huge on my 300. the z400 is a nice size but ill have to take a pred for a ride to see wat i realy want.

ps. nice predator

[XCpred]

Thanks, and yeah you can do the 450 kit and race in a smaller class. I don't think you lose that much power with the kit either, but you would have to talk to some one who has some experience with it. I am 6' 3 and the pred fits me perfect.

[Tri-valleyracin]

ya im 6'1" and 265 and im only 15 1/2 so i think i might need a big quad to realy ride cuse my 300ex is so small for me. theres not place open today for me to go look at a predator but ill have to take a good look at one and talk to a few people that race them in neatv. thanks for all the help.

[KOG]

i have a z400 and i love it i have never rode a pred so i dont knwo anything bout them but i like how my z400 handles and go's over jumps and if u ad a 450kit that will realy wake the 400 up

[wolffie]

the pred is a really nice machine, but you are going to have spend extra money to make it a nice 450! then you are going to stuggle against the yfz and 450's. overall the pred is excellent, but it naturally isnt an mx quad. just being honest with ya! and like xc pred said, you would have to race a bigger open class which may or may not be a problem. i mean the pred with good mods and a good rider will take a 660 raptor. but a modified shee or like a ds650 i am not so sure about....i doubt anyone would race mx with a ds650, but anyways i would say you need to get some good seat time on a pred. i know for a fact, if you get that $500 kit on www.nicholascycle.com/predatorperformance.htm you will have one helluva machine. check out www.predatorowners.com for more information. those guys are great!!! like i said before, get some seat time on a pred and see what you wann do from there. if you can get a used price on a 660 raptor, you could fix that up pretty nice too! it all depends on what mods and how much money you want to put into your machine!

[Tri-valleyracin]

thanks fopr the help i think im goin to do some more looking and research on it and we will see what the turn out is.

[wolffie]

sounds good man! keep us posted!

[Tri-valleyracin]

if i get one ill deffinetly get pics up as soon as i get it but i dont think ill be getting one soon unless i can convince my mom and dad to help me get one.

[wolffie]

how much money do you have now? do you currently have a job, and how old are you?

[Tri-valleyracin]

i have pritty much no cash right now, in 15 1/2 and i dont realy have a job unless babysitting counts.

[XCpred]

I am 15 too, but I have a job. If you get a job, you can save up money real fast. If you wait till you are 16 it will be easier to get a job.

[wolffie]

yeah im 16 and i work during the summers because i play sports during the year. but getting a job will really help! i had to pay for my quad on my own, but you do get a better satisfaction for saving up for it by yourself. you oughta see if you can get a job. paper boy, babysitting, grocery store, sell your old video games or whatever. i sold alota stuff to buy my quad as well. see if you can save up like a grand or three and mabey you can finance the rest in your parents name? just a suggestion.

[Tri-valleyracin]

thanks that sounds like a good idea.

[wolffie]

yeah if you gotta get a quad now, put down 3g's or so, and then get your parents to help you finance the rest. just make sure you have a job so you arent leeching off of them:blah: . that is what i did with my pred! my parents were cool about it, but if i miss a payment, they will beat my *** sensless! :devil: j/k, but make sure you pay your parents!!!!!

[Tri-valleyracin]

ya im prolly not getting one (if i can ) untill this summer or even next year or i migh go with a use 400 and have that untill i can aford a pred. thanks for all ur advise guys

[wolffie]

sounds good. get yourself a cycletrader and check this site out:
www.nada.com

get some used prices on there, so you make sure you dont get ripped off! you should be able to find a NICE lz400 or 400ex for around 3-4 grand. good luck!