Racing a 400ex?

[ryansblaster]

Has any body raced a 400ex with 416,426 or 440 kit against 450s on a track? I was thinking about racing one next season.

[ncsmash]

I race a 406 against 450s all the time and i keep up with them. The thing you have to remember is racing is 98 percent rider. You can have the worlds fastest 450 but if you cant ride worth a darn your not gonna win

[trx400EXtreme]

this has been discussed quite a few time on here and ive thought about it too. i guess it all come down to the rider in the end. ive you have a fully built 440, high comp. piston, cam, port, polish, jetted perfectly etc...... you can hang with the 450s all day if you a good rider. in a straight line they will prob still get ya.... but on the track, it is def. possible to beat them. it all comes down to who has there suspension dialed and who is the best rider. hope this helps.

[XXXRACER165]

I've beat 450's before, but like other people are gonna say.........It's the rider and how good ur suspension is set for the conditions.

[ryansblaster]

Thanks

[REPOMAN]

heck i have raced a stock 400 and beat 450's

[fastredrider44]

Good rider vs. good rider, the 450 will prevail. I have a 426 with a few goodies. I can beat stock 450s in a straight line all day long, but when I match a 450 with the same dollar amount of stuff in the motor as mine (still not too much) They can get me.

[tar]

I raced my buddy on his piped/filtered 450r at the track a couple weeks ago and beat him by half a lap. I do have a arms and axle though but yes it is all the rider.. btw he sucks at riding

[ryansblaster]

thats cool i thought a 400 would have to be modded to even have a chance.

[trx400EXtreme]

Originally posted by tar
I raced my buddy on his piped/filtered 450r at the track a couple weeks ago and beat him by half a lap. I do have a arms and axle though but yes it is all the rider.. btw he sucks at riding just wondering... if he sucks, why does he have a 450?

[Hondamaster5505]

Originally posted by trx400EXtreme
just wondering... if he sucks, why does he have a 450?

To some people, its just about the cool factor.

"Hey look at me, i ride a 450, im cool, blah blah blah"

I know a couple people like that, its kinda annoying:rolleyes:

lol.

[maxfior]

Originally posted by Hondamaster5505
To some people, its just about the cool factor.

"Hey look at me, i ride a 450, im cool, blah blah blah"

I know a couple people like that, its kinda annoying:rolleyes:

lol.

X2! I know so many people that think they are automatically bad *** if they have a dope new race quad. It was the same thing when I was younger, I had an older dirt bike compared to some of my friends but since I was a much better rider I whopped them hand over fist. It's all about the rider. Don't get me wrong, setup is VERY important too, but it's always going to come down to the rider. There is nothing more satisfying then schooling someone on an older quad and then when you're done racing, riding, whatever, they look at you... then they look at there shiny new race quad... then they make the WTF look on their face! Good times! (just my $0.02 of course)

Max

[hotrodhonda400]

Originally posted by trx400EXtreme
just wondering... if he sucks, why does he have a 450?

h'es hoping that the fast bike will make up for the slow/bad rider....:rolleyes: :D

A piped 450r and a rider that knows how to ride good will take on anything. Racing is more technique and skill along with good suspension and how quick the machine is but its mainly technique and skill. Put 1 of the top ATV riders on a stock 400ex and get some guy that races MX in C class or something idk and guess whose gonna win? The professional. No doubt 450's are really fast but if the riders arent fast then theres no sense in having all that power

[Barrymaxx]

Theres no replacement for power! Im a good rider and no matter how good you are you can only go so fast in a straight line. In tight sections i can hang with people on 450's, but as soon as the track opens up, they just pull away.

PLus their lighter, which makes jumping a little easier and beats you up less.

So dont mess around with the 400, and go strait to the 450. You wont regret it.

[flauge]

It depends on what racing youre doing.. I run xc and have passed faster bikes and have been passed by slower bikes.
It is more skill and size of your cojones instead of the size of your engine.:blah:

Originally posted by flauge
It depends on what racing youre doing.. I run xc and have passed faster bikes and have been passed by slower bikes.
It is more skill and size of your cojones instead of the size of your engine.:blah:

yeah XC the 400ex was built to be the "trail machine" but on the MX track i'm afraid theres no replacement for displacement goes into affect. I wish it was back in the day when all you saw as fast sport quads was the 250r and its updated ancestor the 400ex. Ever since the 450's came out everything to be the best is always 450's. Sad to say but I wish 450's didnt come out only because now 400ex owners are the inbetween. I love my 400ex and hope to always have it but everytime i go riding i see 450's soaking up jumps like its nothing and their power is amazing which makes me want 1 yet I dont.

[exrider49]

i say get a 450...i raced my 400 for 2 years now (mx) and yeah you will beat sum guys on 450's but then you get into a faster class when the guys on 450's kno how to ride then you are screwed and you cant keep up so just get the 450 to begin with

[my88r]

in the tight woods the 400ex is great. i ride a 250r to. the r tends to wear me out quicker. but i love riding both. if you ride in the wide open. the ex will be under power.

[tar]

Originally posted by trx400EXtreme
just wondering... if he sucks, why does he have a 450?

Good question...lol he broke his collar bone in 3 places about a year ago on it

[mxpimp2000]

i have a 2000 426ex with TC exhaust crf450 dirtbike carb. shaved fly wheel, hot cam, some port work, valve work, rev box, jetted air box lid off, and all my buddies have 450r's and yfz's with slight work done to the engine and exhaust and i drag race them all the time and i pull away from them so fast and once i hit 5th gear they are atleast 2 bikes behind me. it does depend on the rider sometimes but we pretty much are the same class riders cause we race the same classes and even off the line ive pulled holeshot 90% of every race in A class. bike is For Sale also and has roll design a-arms beadlocks steering stem tag t2's its mx race ready 3k

[LMiller]

Originally posted by ryansblaster
Thanks

x2. I've only raced twice, yet I beat about 10 guys on 450's with my mostly stock 400 just by riding hard in my second race. With more experience and better mods, I'd be able to be competitive with most of these guys below AA. A lot of it is rider, but you can't beat the 450's for killer stock setups.

Keep in mind that the 400 frame really won't hold up as well as the 450 frames though. I'll be giving my 400 to my GF once I have the dough to get a new LTR.

[mxpimp2000]

forgot to mention that mine has a reingforced frame powdercoated candy blue and axis shocks. im a good size rider myself and the frame seems to be in good shape and i race it all the time

[gcart2]

90% rider 10% machine. i am not bored over any but i do just fine with the 450's. i have a race next weekend somewhere just south of georgia. but yea i have ran the first two races of the ssqsa (sunshine state quad series association) and have done just fine,not to mention hours of racing off the track around my house. however i do have race built suspension and a good amount of motor work but have not bored anyhting. the frame has held up fine. however i cracked my lsr swinger on a nasty case. welded it up and its all good.

heres a few pics of me beating it up and my broken swinger.

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k181/gcart2/8.jpg

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k181/gcart2/4.jpg

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k181/gcart2/DCAM0054.jpg

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k181/gcart2/DCAM0055.jpg

[awesome450]

I got a overall at lightning raceway a few years ago on all stock 400ex!