450R VS an EX?

[joker11]

Hey guys,
I am new to this and have been reading the heck out of this forum. Currently I have never ridden a quad. My kids bugged me for a couple years to get one. Well, I went and bought 4 for the family for Christmas. So nobody knows yet. What I WANTED was a water cooled engine. But looks like the only choice was a 450R type of ATV. Out of my price range for buying all 4. What I got was two TRX250EX's and two TRX90EX's for the kids. My buddy told me that the R series quads were for racing and required more maintenance and that they were not really good for what we intend to do: Explore the desert southwest here in Yuma, AZ. I have ZERO intentions of ever letting my family into the dunes here. I live 20 minutes away from the Imperial Sand Dunes in California. Think Glamis.
I know this is a long thread for a first time post. Sorry.
So would a 450R have been a good choice or am I really set with a 250ex? Is water cooled really the best bet? Are there aftermarket kits to water cool an EX?

[deathman53]

get a 400ex, you will be more than set. You can get one used for about 3g's very well setup. The liquid cooling isn't too important, when racing every little edge you get can make the difference, but most riders will never notice it. A 400ex will feel alot faster and better handling than your 250ex. Don't buy into the hype, most won't notice much of a difference between a 400ex and 450r, they will notice the large increase in maintence cost.

[EXtreme-]

by reading your post, you've already bought the 250ex for yourself...right? Nothing wrong with that choice for family fun and exploration. The 450r is an arm ripper, so you may have been over your head with that purchase. The 250 has the Recon chassis and motor which are bullet proof.....with newly added new supension and plastic from Honda. If you descide you want something "more", then look into the 400ex or 450r. The 400 (aircooled) will be plenty of race machine for your needs and still keep the budget in spec.

Most of all....enjoy priceless times with the family!

[joker11]

EXtreme-,
Right, I already bought it. And you hit the nail on the head. I bought all 4 for the family because we don't have a winter activity to do together. We have a Party Barge pontoon boat that was the best thing ever for family time. No tv, no phones, no distractions. Some of my best memories are watching my babies catch fish, kneeboard and just smiling. So this should be our winter funtime.
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I am just curious how my 250EX will do if I ride it in the summer and it is air cooled. Mine is the only one getting set up to be street legal and insured so I can take it out for milk and cigarettes.
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Do these engines have a duty cycle?
Sorry guys, I am the Newbiest of Newbies here.

[TheFontMaster]

Peronaly I think your crazy if you live 20 minutes from Galmis and aren't planning on going there. Dune riding is some of the most fun riding you will ever get the chance to do.

The quads should be fine for riding in the summer, and you won't have to worry about overheating unless your just crusin along reving out a low gear.

Even though you already bought the quads, I would look into ether trading one up for a 400ex, or just buying one. The 250ex's are nice, and will last forever, but as a quad for you, you might be lookin for a little more power than those 250's can give. And you know how kids are, they will always be wanting more power:)

Good luck with your new purchases, and welcome to the site, and the sport:macho

[joker11]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by TheFontMaster
[B]Peronaly I think your crazy if you live 20 minutes from Galmis and aren't planning on going there. Dune riding is some of the most fun riding you will ever get the chance to do.


I didn't really want to get into that because I know I will get flamed for having and opinion on something that I have NEVER done. But, living here I get to see all the carnage from drunk, stupid, careless, inexperienced riders getting hurt. Since I fall under inexperienced category....I think it's smart to not go there. All my friends go there and have a great time. They tell me all about it. If I were single, young, dumb and full of ... I would go. But I have an 8 year old boy and a 7 year old girl. Not happening. Also....California is really silly about charging to ride the dunes and having to take rider safety courses and I hear that my kids will get busted for riding out there on a 90, and not 50cc bike....ugh...Not ready to deal with the hassle.

[esr250r86]

That is your choice. I also live in Yuma about 20 minutes from the imperial sand dunes and I go there every chance I get. My 5 year old brother rides out there and so do my 9 yr old sister and 13 yr old sister. I am 17 and have been riding out there with my family forever and It is a really cool place to ride and is not as crazy as everybody thinks, It all depends on where you go to ride. Buttercup is more of a family oriented camp and is very calm with not alot of sand rails. The charges to ride in the dunes are a little ridiculous but worth it if you go all the time like me. Gordons Wells and Glamis are were it gets pretty crazy and I dont reccommend going out there your first time. But Just go to buttercup and you will get used to it. California also will not bust you if youre child is riding a bigger quad than his/her age permits as long as someone is there watching them or supervising them. You should just go and drive out there to see whats going on. You dont even have to ride ,but you probably will after you see all those bowls and hills.:D . And on your choice of bike. Like everyone else said the 250ex's are good bikes but a 400ex would probably suit you better. They are comfortable family quads but yet have power when you need it. Good luck.:)

[joker11]

Hey,
That was about the best reply I ever could have gotten. Thanks for the information. I tell you what.....since these are Christmas presents, how about after Christmas I get ahold of you. If you live here in Yuma with me, maybe we can go out there and you can show me where you think would be a good family spot. I would feel a lot more comfy if someone with a lot of experience took me there rather than just wandering out and hoping for the best.
You can email me or PM me if you are cool with that. I live behind Cibola High School right now, but am moving to Barkley Ranch in a few months or so. IF MY WIFE GETS HER WAY.

Thanks for the intelligent post and not flaming me.

[esr250r86]

Okay, cool. Ill pm you later on when we will probably head out there.:)

[04exking]

I live right behind cibola too man. I live right in Falls Ranch, Me and esr250r86 (Michael) go riding all the time. So just pm us and we will all go out there together sometime if you want to. I see that you were asking about the 400ex and that is what I ride. it has great power throughtout all the gear with some minor upgrades.

[joker11]

So we have our own little Quad City right here behind Cibola? That's freaking cool. Ok. Let's do that.
I can't do anything until after Christmas though.....shhhhhhh!
Falls Ranch is nice. My wife and I looked there and are kicking ourselves in the butt for not buying in a while ago. So much cheaper then than now. I live in the ghetto here on 17th street. We are moving to Barkley Ranch so my kids can stay at Valley Horizon Elementary and we will be out of this place. Someone stole my gas jugs and my floor jack this summer. I had my gear in my truck with my boat hooked up ready to go in the morning and they just helped themselves. No big loss, but it bugs me enough to move, I guess.
Anyhow, that's really cool to learn I have some friends close by!
Take it light.

[joker11]

My Trx250ex will be street legal, so if you see some dumb@$$ riding up and down the street on Christmas morning....you'll know it's me!
I got the red ones instead of black. It's hot enough out here without a black ride.

[wilkin250r]

You'll hear many people say that "riding" is dangerous, but it can't possibly be dangerous unless YOU make it dangerous, correct? The quad isn't going to jump up and hurt you all by itself.

Same theory with dunes.

Yes, there are many stupid and drunk people out there. But they tend to collect in certain areas, so as long as you stay out of those areas, you avoid that particular aspect. There are always LOTS of safe, calm, yet still entertaining areas to ride at the dunes.

I've got an 8-yr old daughter, and I have no problems at all taking her to the dunes (although I admit, she hasn't been to Glamis yet). We simply avoid the busy problem areas, and ride off in the outskirts. She is definitely not an experienced rider, even for an 8-yr old girl. And I'm still perfectly at ease with the areas and type of riding we do.

Dunes definitely have their own characteristics and dangers you need to be aware of. Many of the smaller hills often have a soft roll on one side, and a sharp drop-off on the other that can catch you unaware. I HIGHLY suggest you take your first trip with somebody that can show you what to look out for.

But with some simple precautions, dune riding is a lot of fun, and there's no reason why you can't enjoy it with the whole family. You should certainly give it a shot to find out what you're missing. My bet is you'll be hooked.

[E-ATV-Racing]

As far as your bike choise are you set on Honda? How much do you weight, how tall are you? You may feel cramped in a smaller quad. The Z400's are good bikes and water cooled for about the same price as a 400EX new, and with a little more power. They have also been out for a while and you can find used one at a reasonable price.

If you decided to hit the sand you may be wanting a litle more bike than the 250ex.

[joker11]

Originally posted by E-ATV-Racing
As far as your bike choise are you set on Honda? How much do you weight, how tall are you? You may feel cramped in a smaller quad. The Z400's are good bikes and water cooled for about the same price as a 400EX new, and with a little more power. They have also been out for a while and you can find used one at a reasonable price.

If you decided to hit the sand you may be wanting a litle more bike than the 250ex.
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I am 5foot6inch on a good day, my weight fluctuates a lot between 150 to 180. My wife gets me on a diet and then I cheat.

Yeah, I bought the TRX90ex's for the kids and so I wanted to have all matching quads, so I stuck with the Hondas. Plus everyone I knew told me that the Honda's were very reliable and tend to hold their value. Since it is my first and they are entry levels, I feel ok with it. But it wouldn't make much sense for me to get a 400 and my wife to have a 250...so I would have to buy two 400s. And on top of that....what good does it do me to be able to go really fast when my kids wouldn't be able to keep up on their 90s. This is a family thing for me, so it's not about getting speed and suspension. Just wanna cruise around and explore the desert. I don't see anything in the dunes to explore but sand. I think maybe my (preconceived) idea of riding is different than what a lot of people want to do. I am not in the GoFast crowd. To be honest....I would have preferred a utility quad, but cost was a major factor.

Thanks!