400ex vs 250r

[honda400-4-ever]

What is the overall best bike???

[HondaRaceReady]

The 250r handles better and is faster. The 400ex is a better trail bike. Depends on if youre racing or just casual riding.

250r and 400ex are close. 250r is faster but I cant stand 2 strokes just because I dont care to mix oil for every fillup.

[honda400-4-ever]

how well does the 250r do in trails compared to a banshee

[BamBam730]

Originally posted by honda400-4-ever
What is the overall best bike???
Since you used the word "overall" which encompasses everything. I would have to say the 400 Ex, since I had owned one and also rode the 250 my friend had quite often. The 400 ex is more well rounded.

[honda400ex2003]

agreed, the 250 is faster and handles about the same as a 400 stock for stock. they have jsut about the same susp. and everything, the 400 is probably a better all around machine but i am not sure since I have not actually ridden both. i am just going from years of reading posts about the 250 compared to the 400. my .02 steve

[bigredisb]

I would take the 250R over a banshee any day in a trail situation. After all before the 450R's were around the 250R was king in the desert, cross country, and mx. The banshee is all out power and gret in the dunes. Dirt wheels had a great blurb about this in the latest issue.
When my Dad and I had r's back in the day the thing I liked most about our machines was how light and nimble they were.
Comparing a 250R vs 400ex I like my EX better for tight woods and slow technical stuff better because it requires a lot less clutching. Dont get me wrong though, the 250R is a mean machine. I cant even imagine how hard they pull after these wild bore and stroke kits get put in them.

[honda400-4-ever]

if you were going to buy one of them for the same price and bone stock which one would you get

[bigbad400]

im not so sure about this faster thing. i ride alot with guys on 250rs and i stop the pants off em in drag or woods race, the one has curtis sparks pipe on it with alot into susp. and alot of custom dressup stuff(400ex plastics), the other is totaly done out, fmf gold, works on leagers, stabilizer, v force 3 reeds, 6 mm stroker, 310cc kit, it has over 10 gs into custom motor work and is completely setup for motocross, i also ride with a 400ex that has all susp. work done but no motor work, it is so true that susp. makes the machine faster, in a drag i smoked all 3 of em, flat dirt road and i beat em up till 4th gear they went on by. the 400 i stomped into the ground, woods racing from a-b there is no quad i have raced that would come close to me in the woods, ds650s are left behind, rapters gone, never raced a 450 in the woods but id smoke them too. its all in what you want it for, and as far as banshee vs 250r, hahaha get the banshee. for a couple hundred you could have an extremely fast machine

[honda400-4-ever]

then why is there so many banshee haters

[trx250rider]

Originally posted by bigbad400
im not so sure about this faster thing. i ride alot with guys on 250rs and i stop the pants off em in drag or woods race, the one has curtis sparks pipe on it with alot into susp. and alot of custom dressup stuff(400ex plastics), the other is totaly done out, fmf gold, works on leagers, stabilizer, v force 3 reeds, 6 mm stroker, 310cc kit, it has over 10 gs into custom motor work and is completely setup for motocross, i also ride with a 400ex that has all susp. work done but no motor work, it is so true that susp. makes the machine faster, in a drag i smoked all 3 of em, flat dirt road and i beat em up till 4th gear they went on by. the 400 i stomped into the ground, woods racing from a-b there is no quad i have raced that would come close to me in the woods, ds650s are left behind, rapters gone, never raced a 450 in the woods but id smoke them too. its all in what you want it for, and as far as banshee vs 250r, hahaha get the banshee. for a couple hundred you could have an extremely fast machine

lol...thanks for making me smile.its always funny to listen to somebody that tells unbelieveible stories and really thinks people pay him attention..especially when your running an almost stock 400ex and smoking everything that you line up against.

[honda400-4-ever]

bigbad400 how well do u like the sparks key??did u feel a lot in performance

[Duke Nukem]

Honda400-4-ever, judging from your sig. You already have a well balanced machine.:) If you want more juice, put a stroker kit in it. mine has a big bore 440, and it's got all the beans ya need.

[dynofox]

Originally posted by bigbad400
im not so sure about this faster thing. i ride alot with guys on 250rs and i stop the pants off em in drag or woods race, the one has curtis sparks pipe on it with alot into susp. and alot of custom dressup stuff(400ex plastics), the other is totaly done out, fmf gold, works on leagers, stabilizer, v force 3 reeds, 6 mm stroker, 310cc kit, it has over 10 gs into custom motor work and is completely setup for motocross, i also ride with a 400ex that has all susp. work done but no motor work, it is so true that susp. makes the machine faster, in a drag i smoked all 3 of em, flat dirt road and i beat em up till 4th gear they went on by. the 400 i stomped into the ground, woods racing from a-b there is no quad i have raced that would come close to me in the woods, ds650s are left behind, rapters gone, never raced a 450 in the woods but id smoke them too. its all in what you want it for, and as far as banshee vs 250r, hahaha get the banshee. for a couple hundred you could have an extremely fast machine

Sounds like you should be racing on the GNCC series. :eek2:

[bigbad400]

if i could afford to travel and get away from my 1 year old daughter i would race gncc and any other race thats not a track. to the guy that said i made him laugh, i didnt say i smoked all i lined up to i was saying that in the right place the right quad and the right rider your posabilities are endless, you could line up a 500ex with nitrous and all that and in the woods id smoke him too, having a fast quad doesnt mean your fast, i have a rather slow quad in my opinion. i just know how to ride it, id appreciate all the rude comments to stop untill you know what your talking about. at silver lake last summer i beat a single seat sandrail that had a 1300 hyabusa motor in it, unbelievable right? not possable with a mostly stock ex right? well if he would have had good tires on nothing would have beat that in a 1/8th mile drag, but i smoked him too, damn street tires anyways. you dont know me or my machine so please dont bash on us, its not much but its my pride and joy and 10-1 if you ride tracks id beat you in the woods too.

remember arguing on the internet is like running in the special Olympics... even if you win your still a retard!!!!

[trx250rider]

hypothetical speaking im sure he talking about a 250r and 400ex in the same condition and rider skill..your comparing apples to oranges..he dont care which one is better if the other has better tires...and you did say you smoked them all so apparently they dont know how to ride..

Originally posted by honda400-4-ever
then why is there so many banshee haters

Because this is a Honda biased site:)

I own a banshee and damn proud of it. They can be set up for woods with little work. A 12 tooth sprocket, and good all-around pipes like the FMF Fatties, that solves the issue of tractibility. As far as suspension, I am going to put raptor 350 shocks on the front of mine because they're much plusher.

But even after that, I still give the 400ex a slight nod in the trails. It's a trail machine, thats what it was built for. But man oh man, when you hit a straight, field, or hill on a banshee theres nothing else like it.:devil:

Originally posted by DMC-4OOEX
Because this is a Honda biased site:)


And they look like they've been beaten with an ugly stick...

[400man]

heres a fairly old (about 2 years ago) video of my 250r racing my brothers piped banshee.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyUfnzBIjQY

all the shee had was toomey T5's and a k@n and +4 timing and a slipping clutch. my R had a very well ported 86 cylinder and thin head gasket and race fuel with vforce3 valve and 38mm carb and esr trx5 pipe. its no where near as fast now since ive got a different cylinder and setup, but back then it was very fast for just a 68mm bore stock stroke motor.

when I get a good day I need to drag race my 400ex and 250r and see how bad the R beats the ex.

[MtnEX]

The 250R is better in every aspect except the really slow trail riding.... Like the kind you would do when riding with 4x4's and 400EX's... lol....

Oh god not this thread again lol.

[400ex18]

I have owned a couple 400exs now one that was a big bore...and a lot of fun to ride but i would have traded both of them for my old 250r back!!!!!:D

[IcutMetl]

I have ridden all three, owned a 400ex with the typical easy mods, and now a 250R.

For the best "all around" machine, I would say the 400ex. Bulletproof, handles great, plenty of power- but not too crazy, nearly impossible to stall at low speeds, and lots of tractability. Easy to work on. I wouldn't mind another one.

Would I trade it for my 250R? Personally, no...not a chance. Still super reliable, lighter, handles better, and responds rediculously well to cheap mods. It's like a 400ex on a heavy dose of 'roids. But, it's not for everyone- it is slightly more finicky, you do have to mix the gas and oil, and you do have to use the clutch more often. It's not quite a "press start button and forget about it" atv, and parts aren't as cheap as they used to be.

My best buddy has a Banshee in good shape; Razr tires, offset rims, Pro taper bars, stock motor, DMC916 exhaust. If you are interested in stupid power, the Banshee is definitely your animal! I love to ride it...it's a rush, but it wouldn't be the first atv on my personal list. Not here to bash, but it handles like a brick...a very fast brick. A F1 race-car sounding, tire shredding, adrenaline pumping brick. My 250R gives his Banshee alllll kinds of fits, but I don't brag...because all it takes for one of these is "cubic dollars." Much more finicky, especially if you're not familar with proper carb tuning, but very reliable when set up right. Crazy amounts of power from basic and relatively inexpensive mods. Definitely woods-rideable, but not as easily adaptable as the other 2, at least in my opinion.

Can you make a 250R/400EX crazy fast with major motor mods? Yes, but sink a roughly equal amount of money into a Banshee motor and you're in the dust again. Can you make a Banshee handle well with crazy suspension/chassis mods? Of course...but the same rule applies.

I like riding all three without a doubt. But I wouldn't trade my 250R for much of anything right now; it just feels like the best compromise of the 3 machines you mentioned.

[atv fan 28]

i agree with IcutMetl! ive owned all three. i traded my 400EX for a 250R and have not regretted it since! the R took some getting use to far as clutching and so forth but i love it!! my banshee was fun when i had it but i wouldnt trade it for a R! if you are new to riding then yes i would say the 400EX would be the best choice. but i wouldnt trade a well built 400EX for a stock 250R any day!

[chrisrzz1012]

I own 3 400ex's I like them they are very reliable, easy to work on , They are a great trail quad or cross country quad. But for MX , speed ,and etc. The 250r will blow it away. As for a Banshee, had a 04 put some money in it ( big mistake) the 250r is much better then a Banshee. My next project will be a 250r build