best 450 or quad to get under 3600 ish

[woodsracer144]

Ok so the topic says it all. I want to hear from the open minded people mainly. not the die hard yamaha, honda zuki. ext.

I would be spending at most 3600 not a penny more, i want something that has good all around power and I would also ice race it as well as run other races with it, mx's poss and xc too. With the honda and yamaha out for so long i see you can get them cheaper but whats the better all around stock or lighly mod. also how the quad is built, how hard is it to work on, cause we all know some people just made things super stupid when it came to working on things.

the main quads i've been looking at is the yfz and ltr.

i have a 250r and i love it i just want to try something else.

like i said i dont want the pro one brand or another but people that will admit to one is better here and one is better there and give their honest better over all.

I have rode the trx 450r and i wasnt very crazy over it, stock or modded.

[yellowzo3]

Everyone is going to come in here saying the same crap about why they don't like one brand over the other and it will just be an argument the entire time.

If you don't like the Honda then we can cross that off the list from the start.

As for the other brands, cross off KTM, and Cannondale.

Honestly, I would cross all 2 strokes off your list as well.

Not surprisingly, you're left with the main players in the 450 game. Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and the DS.

Now, we really don't have to go any further. There is no best 450 or best quad for that matter. All 450's are competitive against each other and you can win races on any one of them. You really just have to go check them out, sit on them, ride them, and see which one you like the feel of best. That's really all there is to it. You're buying used anyway so any preconceptions about reliability, longevity of parts, etc.. are thrown out the window. All the quads you'll be looking at are essentially on the same playing field. It's up to you to find the best deal and the quad you feel fits you best.

But that's just my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions... :p

Good luck on your search though! There are deals to be had, you just have to keep an eye out for 'em!

[beastlywarrior]

if your doing any xc then yfz

[mx Eli]

I was looking for a 450 at one point also and I was really serous about getting a yfz then I heard about the crank oiling problems so I got the trx instead, at first I was not crazy about it ( I was used to a 400ex) but i grew on me. and part of the reason I stuck with the yfz's and trx's is becuase the money I didn't spend on the quad I could egt a good amount of parts too put on it. and now my dad has bought my old 04 trx and I bought a 07 with mods In my sig

Also u told me where you are from once but I forgot But if you are going to Ice race go to SWIRA it's by far the best I've been to. the summer meeting is this weekend if you want to come too I'll be there. the people are very nice do not be afrad to ask ANY questions. if you talk to the top pro right now (his name is brday he ride's a true leager crf) he will give you all his tips. trust me I was a rookie last year and he helped A LOT

if you want more info about SWIRA just pm me

[Canadian144]

Originally posted by yellowzo3
Everyone is going to come in here saying the same crap about why they don't like one brand over the other and it will just be an argument the entire time.

If you don't like the Honda then we can cross that off the list from the start.

As for the other brands, cross off KTM, and Cannondale.

Honestly, I would cross all 2 strokes off your list as well.

Not surprisingly, you're left with the main players in the 450 game. Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and the DS.

Now, we really don't have to go any further. There is no best 450 or best quad for that matter. All 450's are competitive against each other and you can win races on any one of them. You really just have to go check them out, sit on them, ride them, and see which one you like the feel of best. That's really all there is to it. You're buying used anyway so any preconceptions about reliability, longevity of parts, etc.. are thrown out the window. All the quads you'll be looking at are essentially on the same playing field. It's up to you to find the best deal and the quad you feel fits you best.

But that's just my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions... :p

Good luck on your search though! There are deals to be had, you just have to keep an eye out for 'em!

+1 on this post!

I don't think you will find a DS under $3600 though. You will find a YFZ for that price, for sure, as well as an LTR. KFX... not sure.

[woodsracer144]

well i can find yfz's and 450rs for my limit all day long, i know where there is one DS 450 for 4500 at dealer thats got a motoworks exhaust on it and other then that its stock and they want 4500 for it, i think its a 08 though

The hardest part is testing them cause i dont have any buddys that own then, other then the hondas and im not crazy about them.. I know that it is harder to get a good quad that is reliable when you get used but at the same time i think there are a few good honest people left on the earth that did take care of their stuff and have good deals.

I would love to try that DS but its a bit more then i want to spend and im a little iffy on the quads chassis. I would love to try one but i dont really have a endless check book...

I've heard alot of good about the yfz's and I've also heard that they de tuned the motors in 05 and 06, 07 to new i know nothing about any of the quads...

[440racer66]

if i were you i would look for a lil older bike thats decked out with some long travels you can find em in your price range and ive had a 05 yfz if you have the oil mod done they run just fine.

[cannondale27]

If you are set on running Harescrambles then its almost mandatory that you keep it stock width.Most can be done with a wide quad but it really isnt as fun.So LTR which makes most sense for MX is out also.That leaves you with YFZ.Look for a 07 or newer.If you find one for that price it will be a good deal.Taller bars and lower footpegs/nerfs really transform YFZ for most size people.Would be first mods I would make.

[Hondamaster5505]

I agree with the person that said sit on all of them at the dealer.

As far as YFZ's being de-tuned, not true. If anything they got faster. 04 and 05 were only actually 439cc. In 06 they upped the stroke so it's a true 449cc.

And don't be afraid of the oil problems, the oil mod is easy to do and gets rid of any worries of poor oiling.

I personally love everything about the YFZ. I think it handles really stable, has a lot of power, (supposedly one of the faster of the pack) and great all-around.

I like the LTR's too, but would NEVER buy one. Suzuki uses the crappiest, lowest grade metal on their quads you will ever see.. I would know, we've owned two (one currently an 06 Vinson) and worked on numerous ones.

The Kawi is tied for the nicest 450 for me. The ergonomics/seat layout are AMAZING. You feel really connected to the bike and I love the way the front fenders come up. But they're one of the narrower 450's and least powerful. (Unless of course you throw a couple mods on it)

[DnB_racing]

if your going to be doing your own wrenching, the easyiest to work on is of course KTM then trx then yfz then both suzuki and kawi are LOT harder and much less usuer friendly, those are the only 450s I have done much work on,
as far as at the track qiuck maintaince and affordable I would first choose TRX and Then the yfz.
you will feel a little uncomfotable on any new quad unless your always driving different ones.

[Canadian144]

^ How is he going to afford a KTM?

How is the LTR "hard" to work on? The first two times I was doing work on it I'll agree, yeah I found some things a little trick, but after that I could practically do it with my eyes closed.

[DnB_racing]

if your Ice racing out in the pits I wouldnt want to have to take the gas tank off to put a different plug into it! and obvoisly he cant afford KTM I was just saying which is the most user friendly to work on for me, with the LTR you have no room to do anything in the winter with gloves on!!good luck

[Ruby Soho]

They're all good, you need to pick one that is most appealing to you. Not everyone on exrider's, where half of them haven't even put a good amount of seat time on all the machines to give you a valid answer. And not just an opinion based on pictures and other people riding them.

[woodsracer144]

well I think i narrowed it down to a few yfz's or a poss. race ready 250r I found last night. I dont really know all the mods on the 250r yet but the yfz's are mostly stock aside lite mods and are around 2k I had a buddy who bought a 04 yfz for 3200 and that baby was race ready but im having a hard time finding another like that one.

[quad2xtreme]

2 stroke for XC...those days are long gone. Way too hard to ride a 2 stroke in the woods for long durations of time. At least it is easy to redo the top end and the clutch. ;)

[woodsracer144]

thats all i've ever rode... 205r's...

[quad2xtreme]

Originally posted by woodsracer144
thats all i've ever rode... 205r's...
yep and you already own one. why buy another? Weren't you looking for a 450?

As long as you are just joy riding in the trails you will be fine...if you plan to get competitive...you won't.

[DnB_racing]

if you found a nice yfz then give it a try! I was impressed with the ones ive had and drove! if I were you Id get an +06 but I like the 08 the best !they wake up real nice with a few minor mods, and if your above 6' you will like the way it feels, and as far as wrenching they arent to bad, a few things could be enginered a little better but space is limited

[woodsracer144]

i 6'1 145-160lbs