My buddies predator is a factory freak...

[700bRad]

Im gonna pull this out of the air here. I am a Yamaha/Honda man and I hate it when people bash Pred's, but I see it everywhere, its not very bad on this site, but other atv sites its ridiculous. I know the true wicked nature of the Predator, I put it in caps because I greatly respect the machine and its characteristics. The predator outhandles any machine I have ever owned or riddin. It turns on a dime. I have raced my buddy with all the machines ive ever owned and I consistently get beat. His Predator has baffle out, rev box, and filter, thats it. He beats my stock YFZ450, Raptor 700r, and 450r. We are equal riders and same goes for when we switch it up. Another buddy I ride with has a 450r exactly like mine and hes a better dragger then the both of us, but still the pred comes out on top. Either this machine is a factory freak or the people that bash Predators need to stop bumping there gums. Predators are gnarly machines, get over it (directed towards all Pred bashers.) Yes they weigh a little more but damnit, im gonna own one someday.

[NC_700R]

I'm one of those people you say you hate but oh well. Basically where I"m from, nobody really rides predators. If the predator was as fast as there owners say they are, alot more people would own/race them. I'm not really bashing them, more like sharing my opinion with you. Everytime I hear the word predator, the words junk or always breaking comes shortly after. What mods do you have on your quads? As i type this reply, I wonder are you serious or just trying to stir the pot a little bit. Not calling you a liar or anything.I'm just curious as to why a quad thats has the lowest power to weight ratio out of all the quads you listed, beats them everytime. After reading your post, I came to the conclusion that you are joking. Good one buddy! :D :D :cool:

[700bRad]

Im dead serious, and I didnt say I hate Pred bashers, I was saying I hate it when people bash Pred's. Im not stirring the pot because there is no pot to stir, not inless you create one and I see that may be your intentions. Im just stating simple experiences I have had with the Predator, I am also here to compliment the Predator owners on this forum for the choice they made to purchase one. There are many more Polaris haters out there then Predator haters. Yes the Predator is a Polaris but dont judge a book by its cover. Most of the people that bash on Pred's probably havnt even ridden one. The fact is, with little mod's the Predator is a wicked asss handful of a machine that will eat anything you throw at it.....

[CHADHIX]

Thanks for giving Predators some love!! They trully do deserve it!! I feel you are correct about people bashing it and never even have thrown a leg over one. I have bought a new one every year since they come out in '03. Every year they have got better and better. Wait untill the new Predator will be like when it comes out late this year!:D

[Evasiveone]

Come on Chadhix. Spill what you know. *cough* 525 *cough*

Keeping all those secrets causes high blood pressure. Have you seen it yet or is it still in design?

[bear dad]

i think as a newbe to the quad world my problem with polaris and the predator has been that they dont have a dirtbike, and without a bike to do all the r@d work it is a long road to get to the top. peoples problem are that they are so used to hearing the names of bikes in raceing that there counterparts in quads must be just as great as the bikes they love. when polaris got ktm engins this will help bost the racing edge they need, this is just my point of view

[eerhard09]

I understand the "factory freak" type of quad you are talking about with the Pred. My brother has a KFX400 (completely stock) and I used to have a Z400 with filter and slip on, jetted, and open lid. A lot of my buddies had a similar set up as mine and in a drag, my brother's stock 400 would kill all of us. I weigh more than my brother by about 80 lbs but I could beat him when we would switch. It makes no sense but sometimes, some of these machines just run exceptionally well from the factory. I would say it is completely possible that your buddy got one that just happens to run this way and he is lucky for having it! Dont mess with it thought, you may screw up the quad!!:D

[tldPREDATORboy]

here we go again.......my predator is on of the best quads i have ever owned.its quick,handles great,and is good in the air.now im not a small boy to be riding a sport quad.and when i ride my pred my extrta weight is not a factor when i nail the gas.it is a great quad and i wouldn't have bought any thing other then a predator.its just right for me.so all u 700r and 450 riders can go to ur "respected"forum and talk ****.

[PolarisRider06]

Originally posted by NC_700R
I'm one of those people you say you hate but oh well. Basically where I"m from, nobody really rides predators. If the predator was as fast as there owners say they are, alot more people would own/race them. I'm not really bashing them, more like sharing my opinion with you. Everytime I hear the word predator, the words junk or always breaking comes shortly after. What mods do you have on your quads? As i type this reply, I wonder are you serious or just trying to stir the pot a little bit. Not calling you a liar or anything.I'm just curious as to why a quad thats has the lowest power to weight ratio out of all the quads you listed, beats them everytime. After reading your post, I came to the conclusion that you are joking. Good one buddy! :D :D :cool:


normally the reason for junk or always breaking comes in is because people think of polaris as a sled company not an atv company so they think that their atvs are junk... at least thats what i've run across a lot... and the first year of the predators had an issue with the trannies and having shift forks break/bend and messing up the trannies... the power to weight ratio is made up for in torque they actually have as much HP if not maybe one or 2 horse more than 450's they just weigh a little more and once you figure in all the little extras and all that crap everyone puts on their machines theres not as big of a difference but theres still quite the difference. most of the weight is actually from the motor, then the frames could be lightened a bit too. but like i said the torque more than makes up for it, in corners or muddy races or anything where 450's have to be screaming in 2nd or third to keep the engine from bogging in can be lugging it in 3rd or 4th to do the same thing, i can actually run a lot of smaller tracks and only have to shift a few times the entire race and thats from 2nd off the start into 3rd and maybe back into second once in a while if theres a hairpin corner and i'm going inside of someone, other than that i can just lug third around the corner and can it on the way out and it takes off like a bat out of hell... if not just slip the clutch quick and it will, i can actually do third gear starts with it if i wanted just takes a second or two longer to get up to speed with the taller gear.


oh and i'll really agree with what bear dad had to say about the name thing... maybe not the part about having dirtbikes for R&D cause they always seem to detune so much for quads that its almost like its the other way around but i definately agree with the whole name and racing thing.

[theTman]

i rode my buddys predator..



and i hated it...wicked tipped(yes i know how to lean when i turn), feels like your sitting on the front end...

overall i dont like it

its all personal opinion!

[rancid]

i have ridden a few preds, and they dont seem all bad. but i have also noticed the goofy sitting on the tank feel. the only qauds that feel right to me are the yfz450, lt450r and atk 450,s. and preds seem to do well on flats, but put on a hill and the 450,s just walk all over them. i think the oversize bulky 500 engine is its major factor to it being to heavy, and making it slow on the hills. but if they dump a ktm into a pred and give the seating a makeover, that will be a hell of a qaud.

[PolarisRider06]

rancid youre exactly right about the seating issue....

supposedly (sp?) polaris added foam to the dip in the seat between 04 and 05 but i cant tell the difference between my buddies 03 and my 05. a lot of guys took 1/2 to 1 inch out of the bottom rails of the subframe to lower the @$$ end of the seat and i guess it makes a sorld of difference in hadling too because its so much easier to move around on the seat.

[DOHC]

I love predators no one gives them respect but dam there fast my 440ex (mods in sig) will get killed by a stock one and i will admid it. Predators r just alittle heavy other wise there awsome machines they got great suspenion and power stock

[MXin700R]

Ive sat on a few but never ridden one or raced against one....hell Ive only heard one running lol. I respect the machine because its no slouch by any means by what Ive seen on posts and by friends that have raced against em. I would love to be able to run against one myself but there are so few of em in my area(I know of 3 in my county and only know one personally and she sayed she would race me but hadnt seen her in 6 months). I will say its odd the way you sit on em but thats easily gotten used to. I believe that there are 2 reasons for the unpopularity of these beasts:
Polaris' are expensive to work on and are believed to need constant mechanical attention.
They are either butt ugly or sharp as a tack depending on who you ask.
People will not buy a "ugly", believed to be undependable quad and I wouldnt want to either. I think they are ugly but its a love/hate thing like I sayed.

[GlamisPredator]

I recently bought a used Predator from my friend (he treats his stuff well too). Before that I rode a yamaha blaster and suzuki lt250. I rode jumped both those quads hard and they did all right. But the Predator is by far the best. The power is all you'll ever need and the suspension is ready for anything (whoops, jumps, hard turns, etc.) And as for the "extra weight" the engine and suspension more than make the extra poundage disappear. And actually I belive the Predator has a better power to weight ration than the yfz450. Also, I'm no fortune teller but if i was a betting man I'd say that Polaris will start to make some sick dirtbikes in the next 5-10 years. But anyway the Predator is one of the best quads out there. Don't take my word just give it a ride.

[quadman08]

I love my pred. I think polaris did a great job with the pred. It was there first sport quad, give them a break. As stated in earlier posts the predator keeps improving every year.

[katch26]

I gotta respect you for writing this thread and posting your unbiased opinion. I owned a 660 before the pred (got stolen) and bought the pred to replace it. Much better, (for me) also rode about every other bike and, again, FOR ME there wasnt a better fit.

[wolffie]

personal prefference. thats all it is. its just like ford/chevy/toyota/dodge etc. etc. with trucks. as mentioned numerous times, people typically go by what they hear (polaris's rep, the maintence of the machine, the weight. etc. etc.)

no matter what type of high performance sport quad you get it is going to need maintenence. depending on how you ride it will also dictate on maintenence intervals;)

i like my pred. i ride with a fast group of guys, mostly all of whom either race MX or XC on bikes AND quads. i will admit that for MX the 450s are a bit more nimble to toss around in the air and drive through the corners, but hey im a pretty big guy myself so the pred doesnt bother me much.

[firebug]

my buddy has one and its pretty quick, IMO I'd never own one. there too heavy for me and my style of riding.

its got an intake, piped and jetted and with me on it (130lbs) I out run my buddies yfz and banshee both with the same mods as the preddy. I don't know what it is about the pred but it sure does move. everyone does out weigh me and i can usually out ride them in a drag anyways but I would never expect it from a predator.

[Vertical Smile]

I love mine and have never had a problem with it. I never could understand all the bashing this Quad gets, it handles well, it's very fast & it jumps good. I'm a pretty big guy so the extra weight has never been an issue with me.
Polaris is still pretty new to the Sport Quad scene and have done pretty well, over time they will gain the respect they deserve.

[450rJam]

it has a diff. look (I can respect going aginst the grain)
power is not bad (not on level with the 450's)

its not just the seat, the footpegs seem off also.

I would say the pred is on par with the 660/ds650/vforce
(a little heavy but enough power to compensate)

the rest of the polaris atv's are lacking vs the competition

the one I rode seemed to make alot of noise and not just exhaust, it rattled alot.

[PolarisRider06]

the noise was probably from some type of lack of maintainance or not paying attention to some stuff like maybe a bolt came loose on the heatshield on the headpipe or if it had a PP pipe the heatshield in front of the muffler had a mount crack on mine and that cause some rattling. also with all the extra crap in the steering system every once in a while you can hear all the cotter pins rattle at the right rpms (i used to be able to before i switched them for hitch pins)....

[Predatorguy88]

Originally posted by theTman
i rode my buddys predator..



and i hated it...wicked tipped(yes i know how to lean when i turn), feels like your sitting on the front end...

overall i dont like it

its all personal opinion!

This is my Pred he is talking about. I haven't noticed it being tippy, but as far as reliablility goes, I want a Honda. I'm not trying to start anything, but I've had my Pred ('03, got it used) for about 7 months now, and have put more than $1000 just to keep it running. It has spent more time in my garage, apart, than in my shed waiting to ride. I don't know if it's just my machine, but this is not something I look for in a machine. When it runs, it's a great machine as far as I'm concerned, but when it's down-time far exceeds it up-time, I think I'll pass.

[Evasiveone]

These engines in these 450's and 500's are performance engines. They have extremely high redlines and are quick reving engines. They are not a ride em put em away ride em again bikes. Just look at the maintenance schedule on some of the 450's Valve adjustments every 10-20 hours.

It is unfair to blame the brand when having problems with a used quad you just bought. You have no way of knowing for sure how this machine was maintained or if it was at all. You can go to any brand forum and find problems people are having with used machines. Where I do not think it is a brand problem rather a maintenance problem or lack of before people dump their quad on someone else.

[katch26]

not only that but you bought a USED first year quad...2 problems right there and the 03 pred was a first attempt at the sport market for Polaris. All and all the 03 pred is a great quad, to go along with evasiveones post the new 450r are suggesting piston changes after 20 hours......whether you NEED to or not thats what is suggested.

[MAaudioX10]

What about all these 450R machines that are having starter problems and crank bearing issues? Of course, you ask ANY Honda rider these questions and, you'll get the same answer...Honda's the best...despite all the problems.

This is the same "bashing" we hear about the Pred. I've ridden plenty of 450's, in fact, I have a YFZ sitting in my garage that I could ride any time. The difference is most the the bashers have never thrown a leg over a Pred. It's always.."I heard this or, I saw this guy ..this..." Never considering that maybe the rider isn't the best rider.

You know what, no matter how much sense you make, you can't talk reason into ignorant people.

It's sad really because, we're all on the same team.

[450rJam]

I dont hate your or your choice of atv.

Im glad not everyone has the same quad, that would suck.
Honda has largest following by a large margin but I like
out running other brands better than just beating another 450r

its just fun to raz everyone.
Honda/suzuki/yamaha it dont mater because its alot more rider
than atv.

[04predyoshi]

All the quads 450r, yfz, z450 and all the others all have there own riding style they are all great bikes but if it ant what yu like dont bash it cause i could bash on alote of other bikes but i dont.

[MEOHMY]

This thread made me laugh. I have always thought I had one of those bikes as well. i used to have a Toyota pickup the same way. This little 4 banger would blow the doors off my brothers identical truck?? I have raced MX for most of my life and was used to speed and I could not believe how fast my Pred was from day one. I own both a pred and YFZ. Although I have not done a complete comparison I can tell you they are nearly identical in speed and power with the Pred being alittle ahead right now. They are different in the way they use it and the way it comes on but there is no way any of the 450's are just faster then a Pred just because guys that have never ridden both talk S. Anyone who wins a race is either a better rider, gets the jump or has a few mods or pounds that might make the difference. If 450rjam is "outrunning" other bikes it's either due to the riders he is against or he is a higher level rider himself. I have personally raced agaisnt 450R's on my Pred and have actually been surprised at how I was able to beat them consistently. Now before you start coming back with anything understand this is my point. The riders were above avg riders so it was a good test however If I raced John N or Chris B on that bike i'm sure I would lose most if not all the time. I can just state it like this and I know this for sure. All the 450's, the Pred and the new 700 Raptors are damn near equal in a straight line. It makes for fun banter but anything else stated is just BS and I now have enough bikes to prove it and compare. I also have a Z400 and Raptor. I do beleive Honda has great reliability as thier customers attest to however I have not had a single Pred problem yet. Also, check some of the results around the racing circuits and Honda usually has 7 out of 10 bikes in the top 10 of the results. They are certainly the bike of choice amoungst racers. I believe it's the reliability factor. JMHO

[Puzzled]

As a first time Predator owner I must say it is different. My first observation was how wheelie happy it is. With that said the forward seating position has been beneficial to me in trying to keep the front end down.

I was at our local play track this weekend for the first time with this bike and I was impressed. There were three of us running the track and I was purposely starting behind the other two (first time side by side running with the bike). I would start out in second gear and this bike wants to run on the back grab bar. By the first turn I was ready to pass. I would wait until the wide sweeping turn and go on around.

Is it the best bike since quads came to life. Probably not. But it is one hell of a production bike. As stated above it is the best bike for me (and my wallet at the time).

[MAaudioX10]

Even being a Predator owner, I do have to admit...Predators are just too inconsistent when it comes to stock power output.

I've seen plenty of dyno charts where 5 different Predator where pulled. All completely stock...and not a one of them were identical.
They were ranging from 32 to 37 rwhp.

[davedirt]

I have two 05 preds. one of mine is way faster. Both have the same mods.Could it be timing, jets, fuel, ect? maybe, but one is way faster. Yes my buddy with the 700 rapter loves the power, as well as another with the honda. I let some buddies take it to pismo and they where taking turns jumping it. They loved it.
I have rode almost all the sport Quads. The only one I liked better was a honda with +2 A arms extended swing arms custom built shocks cams pipe ect.

[soonerlightning]

I have ridden both honda's 450r and yamaha's yfz450. They are too small in size and ride like tanks. My pred is a caddy compared to them. Power is close to the same on all 3 though.

[450rJam]

pred and 700 rappy feel pretty close to me in power and handleing and larger size.

[tldPREDATORboy]

well when i bought my 03 i got it used.on the invoice or whatever it said it was never raced and had a fresh rebuild.well it didn't.and it was raced alot.so it just depends on what the person before u did to the machine.so ur basically cleaning up the past owners mess.