2013

[atver13]

has anyone heard if there doing an update to this machine for 2013

[BlasterEaten250]

I haven't heard but I highly doubt anything will be different.

[01boneless]

maybe some new updated GRAPHICS!!!!!!! yayaa :devil:

[05DodgeDakota]

I doubt it

[ish416]

Why would Honda ever update any machine they ever make?

Aren't bold new graphics and colors enough?

Has everyone here forgot that everything Honda does is perfect? There is not a lot of room for improvement.

Just look at their past achievements.

TRX90 - never mechanically updated since ever.

TRX300EX/250X - besides a larger bore and electric start, never mechanically updated.

TRX400EX - 1 mechanical update only so they could sell their 400 as a direct competitor to the Suzuki 400 and its clones while justifying the same price for a lesser machine.

TRX450R - 1 major overhaul. This was only because the original 450R couldn't compete with Yamaha's 450 stock for stock. So they decided to up their game with a real high performance 450 and got trounced again by every other manufacturers new or updated 450 (showroom stock). So now they just change the colors and up the MSRP or wait a few years while rumors spread around of a new 450 and the whole time they where busy trying to decide what color to paint the frame.

If history is a lesson, Honda will only mechanically update a quad when people stop buying them or everyone else is a generation or two ahead of them.

[B.C.#11TRX400EX]

It would be cool if Honda came out with a TRX450X (a XC version of the 450) with reverse and other XC ugrades but they'll never do that

[dxcody]

I dont care personally what they upgrade because im just going to take the stuff they do off and replace it with better, more advanced aftermarkets.

My quad now, is basically all aftermarket minus, frame, gas tank, steering stem, swingarm, shocks, airbox... thats about it..

And that is their mindset too,

my motto: If it aint broke, dont fix it.

[ish416]

I dont care personally what they upgrade because im just going to take the stuff they do off and replace it with better, more advanced aftermarkets. My quad now, is basically all aftermarket minus, frame, gas tank, steering stem, swingarm, shocks, airbox... thats about it.. And that is their mindset too, my motto: If it aint broke, dont fix it.

So if Honda made an EX that came with fuel injection, liquid cooling, reverse, competition capable suspension and more power than your personal EX you would upgrade everything just because it wasn't aftermarket even though it is better than what you currently have or would it be good enough stock?

Honda's mindset is all about money. If they can put $X amount into the R&D of a quad and make $XXXXXXZ over the next 10 years so long as their is no competition that is what they will do. Until something that does the same or better at that price point they have no reason to improve anything. Hence why competition is good for everyone.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it... There is always room for improvement. If everyone had that motto we would still be back in the stone age.

[dxcody]

That was my opinion, there was no need to try to change my opinion..
What your saying is true, im not disagreeing.

I have my opinion, you have yours.

Fuel injection - Nope dont want it, buy and aftermarket exhaust and you have to buy some $200 fuel tuner that cant get wet and FI also adds more risk of electrical failure, which i already have horrible luck with.

Liquid cooling - Not a bad idea at all. I would buy a new EX just due to liquid cooling.

Reverse - EX's have reverse from 05+

Competition capable suspension - Never going to happen on any quad. The only atv ever to have something close to competition "race ready" suspension is KTM and you see how far they made it before they shut down production of their atv's. ( i heard they shut down production of their atv's anyways, idk if its true or not.)

So anyways in my eyes, Honda is just laying back, playing it smart, you still see guys on here, at least 1 a month with a thread "Just bought a brand new 400ex"

So while all these other companies are changing, spending money, and flaming out in the process, honda is producing a fully functional, reliable atv with almost no recalls, that is still off the charts with sales.

I bet you everything i got that honda has a few more aces up their sleeves then you guys give them credit for.

I just hope that it doesnt get to the point where honda is the only alternative.

[CJM]

Hondas about reliability not about having the latest and greatest thing out of the box it seems. Fine by me tbh, if its worked this long its bound to work longer.

Ill say the other 400 and 450 sports are nice, but you cannot beat honda for outright simplicity and reliability. Ever worked on a yfz450-dual cams are a total pain in the ***-and truth be told stock for stock with all that insane junk such as EFI, tuned suspension, etc, etc the yfz is just BARELY faster in stock for than a 450R.

If I had to go out and buy a 450 class quad right now Id buy a honda, same goes for 400 class. Why? I cant kill my honda, majority of people I ride with-got hondas, alot of others I know-honda...all reliable.

The only thing honda could do to up the ante is to make the EX have 11:1 comp, better cam and better suspension from the get go. Liquid cooling would be nice but the block isnt designed for it. Honestly I want 650cc machine based on the XR650, would make an awesome quad.

[Drfat400ex]

The only thing that would really be nice is reverse on them 450r's. I mean us trail riders need alot of power too, sometimes it's needed more on the trails than on the track, but with no reverse a trail rider just can't buy a 450r. I was going to buy a 480r with almost everything upgraded, but I went out for a half an hour ride on the trails and decided not to use reverse the whole time to see what it would be like. That's when I decided I was more or less stuck with buying a 400ex.

[CJM]

^ I learned to live without it, if it means yanking it out of a spot so be it. But usually you can do a 180 very easy with alot of power so its a moot point for me.

[Stickman400]

Well some of us don't have the power and are just lazy bums CJM, lol.

[CJM]

Originally posted by Stickman400
Well some of us don't have the power and are just lazy bums CJM, lol.

You guys are spoil sports. Want to know how I turn around? Either I spin it or I just ride over other junk in the woods if I can-advantages of 22F and 20R tires.

[honda400ex2003]

id like to see fi and a nice suspension upgrade but i doubt it will happen. it just doesnt have a place in the 400 market any more imo. the 450s have taken over the sport area of high performance.

liquid would be nice too with a crf 250 based bottom end bored and stroked to 400.

everything just adds to the complexity of it though. it is nice to have something reliable that i know i can work on trail side for the most part. with fi and such it becomes a bigger issue to not only tune it yourself but work on it as well.

at least the 450 will be getting a bit of an update again this year with the new frame.

steve

[Rohr397]

I've noticed that with Honda they build a cheaper, more reliable machine and let the customer do the work. The 250r was certainly not legendary because it was an awesome quad stock. Same can be said for the 400ex and 450r. They make great platforms for racing, and they're fun to play on stock.

[crownandmonster]

Personally the only thing I would want them to change would be to add water cooling. The air cooled motor is just a thing of the past and water cooling needs to be added.

I could care less about the motor and suspension being up graded. Lets be honest for about $400 you can have a nice 416-426 and 450r carb and add another $350-$400 and you can have a nice re-worked 450 suspension ( you know if that came stock it would cost more than $800). Those mods would be plenty for what 95% of use use our ex for. It needs a radiator and water pump. Period.

[ish416]

I bet you everything i got that honda has a few more aces up their sleeves then you guys give them credit for.

That is the whole reason I am upset with Honda. They decide to sit back and let money talk and only update a particular model when they have absolutely no other choice. Unlike Yamaha which since the Raptor 660 (not a great start but, the beginning of their attack on the ATV industry) has decided to get aggressive with class leading models and mechanical updates to most models every year or at least every few years. Same goes for Suzuki and even !GASP! Polaris but not to the extent that Yamaha has went.

Honda could easily debore/destroke a 450R to 400cc or increase bore/stroke on a 250F to 400 with a beefier bottom end, add reverse and a decent suspension and have a class leading winner. This could easily be accomplished. Instead they rely on previous accomplishments, the only two recent ones are the 250R and 400EX and those aren't all that recent.

As far as reliability, seriously? The EX is a great platform, some may call it bulletproof. I haven't tried shooting my EX but I'm quite confident it isn't. I have personally broke 2 swing-arms and 3 frames, 2 of which had been gusseted by Bare Performance. I can't say the same for any of the Honda 450R's that I ride with which have suffered crank bearings failing, cams breaking and piston rings that fail prematurely (2004 - 2009 models) or the few people I know with newer EX's where the transmission has failed. Same for people I know with CRF's.

My engine has been reliable but no more reliable than my friends 05 YFZ450 (over 331 hours and doesn't burn a drop of oil), my 2008 KFX450 (235 hours), another friends Raptor 700, and an LTR450 with 490 Ice cube cylinder. All of these quads have had less issues than my EX in the same years of ownership. My KFX450 has been an extremely reliable quad and is in much better shape than my EX with the same amount of hours.

My EX needed a new clutch basket at only 3 months old, I blew out all of the shocks within the first month of ownership, had several electrical gremlins which required the wiring harness to be replaced, twice within the first year. Rear axle bearings failing within the first 5 months of purchase and the oil tank was replaced because of a leak in the first month. Most of these were covered by Honda under warranty. The suspension and bearings weren't on mine but where covered on my friends 300EX at the same dealership at the same time. Only because the 300EX was labeled "sport" and the 400EX was labeled "high-performance".

My KFX450 has required a (single) new 10 amp fuse, and the head pipe replaced within the first 2 years of ownership (even after my warranty had expired Kawasaki stepped up and fixed it). Hmm, Honda reliability? Seriously? Honda isn't the name of reliability and quality like it once was.

"at least the 450 will be getting a bit of an update again this year with the new frame."

You sure about that?? Wasn't this supposed to have happened a few years ago?

[B.C.#11TRX400EX]

Did u buy your 400ex new? And what kind of riding do u geez u must drop it off cliffs or somethin, I bought mine new last year and ride mx and xc and never had those bad of problems, but the only thing I will complain bout would be Hondas warrantys it seems like it dont cover anythin

[CJM]

ish, im not sure if you just got a lemon or something but I never busted anything like that nor do I know anyone else who has. Maybe if your running mx I could see blown shocks and swingers-the thing isnt designed for off the shelf mx riding at all.

Most everyone I ride with has a honda with no problems, the other half have YFZs and they are ok bikes but are a pain to work on and have various problems too.

[B.C.#11TRX400EX]

Yeah hes right they sure arnt mx ready from the factory but they are very reliable machines

[ish416]

Did u buy your 400ex new? And what kind of riding do u geez u must drop it off cliffs or somethin, I bought mine new last year and ride mx and xc and never had those bad of problems, but the only thing I will complain bout would be Hondas warrantys it seems like it dont cover anythin

I bought my 400EX brand new February 3 1999. The only reason I bought it was because it was the best all around new quad you could buy. I was on the Honda waiting list for 3 months until I got mine.

I bought it from Dryer Honda in Indianapolis as they were the only Honda dealership within 250 miles of my house that had access to any EX's before the summer of 99. Mine was supposedly the 5th 400EX that was sold in the state of Indiana as Dryer was the only dealership to receive any up to that point in Indiana.

After the initial issues I had and the warranty expiring, I haven't really had much trouble with it since.

I did everything on it. I raced MX (AMA District 15), XC, Drag (Dirt/Pavement), Flat Track, Arenacross (Quad Cross Outlaw series), Hill Climbs and TT. It was my primary mode of transportation for a few years before I had my license.

[honda400ex2003]

i bought mine new in 03, been a great machine for me.

steve

[dxcody]

ish, you sir, are HARD ON EQUIPMENT! lol

Racing mx on stock suspension, yea i see how you blew out the stock suspension, i ride a little MX but mostly woods and my front shocks are just about dead.

I can feel they are starting to lack travel and are riding rougher everyday.

Every quad has its flaws, and every has its plus's.

If you take care of your crap, every machine out there on the market (minus the redcat, Mall/gas station special's) are fully capable of lasting years, upon years of ridable life.

and what i just said above, im not saying you didnt take care of your stuff. Racing is a totally diff story, even though they are "made" to be raced, racing is sooo insanely hard on anything, it doesnt matter how well maintained your machine is, its going to get tore up. Them things take a beating while racing.. All i do is practice and ride hard (act like im an xc1 pro :D even though i am not even close to as good as them) and i break an insane amount of stuff.

[Rohr397]

Well that makes sense right there. I never buy a first year of a new model. Even if the 400ex is unchanged, there's always more bugs the first year. After that it doesn't matter how many changes they do the bugs usually go away. For dirtbikes they receive upgrades and changes but when a completely new quad is designed they rarely get it perfect the first year.

[Stickman400]

I had 2 problems with my '05 400 when I bought it the year it came out with reverse. One was that the rear sub-frame had a broken weld right at the lower left mounting bolt so the tube would slide up and down on the metal slug that is the actual mounting tab. That was about a joke when I finally realized it was a mistake from Honda. Awesome quality control right there. The next one was the recall they had on the reverse because it had a tendancy to pop into reverse while you were going forward at any given time. It never happened to me though. Those are the only problems I've had with my 400 (other than things that happened after I started modifying and jumping the hell out of it)

[powerbomb400]

Well I brought mine new in 05. Never had any problems other the regular problems that you are going to have out of something that you take out and beat the crap out of. As for air cooled verus water cooled. At the track if you get a hole in the radiator or the water pump fails push to the trailer. Were we ride it is nothing to be 20 miles from the trailer. With the air cooled and the oil cooler tucked away the way that Honda put it on the quad a water pump or radiator is something more to worry about. They have it on there utility quads and people have to stop and rinse there radiators out while I sit and waste my time watching so they don't overheat. I don't mind the slight power loss for the realiablity and simplicity.

[dxcody]

Originally posted by powerbomb400
Well I brought mine new in 05. Never had any problems other the regular problems that you are going to have out of something that you take out and beat the crap out of. As for air cooled verus water cooled. At the track if you get a hole in the radiator or the water pump fails push to the trailer. Were we ride it is nothing to be 20 miles from the trailer. With the air cooled and the oil cooler tucked away the way that Honda put it on the quad a water pump or radiator is something more to worry about. They have it on there utility quads and people have to stop and rinse there radiators out while I sit and waste my time watching so they don't overheat. I don't mind the slight power loss for the realiablity and simplicity.

Very good point. One puncture to the rad and your day is pretty much over.

I never really put much thought into that.
But then again, liquid cooled opens up alot of mods for me that i wouldnt do with my air cooled motor.

My setup would be 440, 12:5 compression AHHA :devil:

[powerbomb400]

If you ever get a chance watch the story behind Honda and the philosophy of Mr. Honda. It was on NGC or Discovery. One of those channels. It was interesting about their beginnings and how they excelled in the 60's in America. I've got this saying "Ye who goes fastest thru the woods might not get there quickest" Seems that tree's have tendency to jump out at fast moving quads in the woods.

[dxcody]

Originally posted by powerbomb400
"Ye who goes fastest thru the woods might not get there quickest" Seems that tree's have tendency to jump out at fast moving quads in the woods.

Boy aint that the truth!

It seems like the only trees i have ever hit were the ones where i was going decently fast and i thought i already had them cleared and then,,,, WHAM!

haha happens to everyone!

:cool:

[pbblaster2]

honda has a 450 efi quad but has never released it because they cant even move their 06 inventory