300 EX vs 400 EX

[oldyeller]

My son has outgrown the 2001 EX 300 that we had and I am looking to get him something bigger..We ride mainly open trails and cottage roads with a few tight rocky trails thrown in but not that often...His biggest complaint was that the 300 was always screaming in high gear...Will a 400 have significantly faster top speed and acceleration?..Also how do the two compare for ride and handling?

[sm00th026]

Originally posted by oldyeller
My son has outgrown the 2001 EX 300 that we had and I am looking to get him something bigger..We ride mainly open trails and cottage roads with a few tight rocky trails thrown in but not that often...His biggest complaint was that the 300 was always screaming in high gear...Will a 400 have significantly faster top speed and acceleration?..Also how do the two compare for ride and handling?
I say that 400ex will handle better. most upgrade's for 250x/300ex are 400ex suspension part's.
I don't know the 400ex will have more topend then the 300ex maybe close to the same. unless the 400ex run's at a higher RPM or different sprocket/tire setup. 400ex should have more acceleration because it's 100cc bigger.

[Y2daT420]

u could try some different gearing. you can pick up some ft sprockets for about 10.00 ea one tooth will make a large difference. .
.
In comparison the 400 defiantly has more power throughout the rpm's. A 6 speed gearbox vs the 300's 5 speed
so it should indeed be faster.
.
and will handle better due to the 2" wider stance and better shocks.
.
If he's always revving hard I'd assume the gearing may be lower than stock witch is 14 front and 39 rear with 20" rear tires.
.
my 250x used to have a 12t front and 41t rear and I kept it wound out as well.

[sm00th026]

Originally posted by Y2daT420
In comparison the 400 defiantly has more power throughout the rpm's. A 6 speed gearbox vs the 300's 5 speed
so it should indeed be faster.

Umm..
All 400ex's I have seen are only 5 speed's not a 6. Like the 300ex. The only honda 6 geared motor's I know are 200x/350x/250r.. Unless something new has came out.

[oldyeller]

I ended up getting a really clean Suzuki Z400....My boy really loves it compared to the old 300...I am sure a 400 EX would have worked well for us too but the reverse gear and liquid cooling are a nice bonus..

[sm00th026]

Originally posted by oldyeller
I ended up getting a really clean Suzuki Z400....My boy really loves it compared to the old 300...I am sure a 400 EX would have worked well for us too but the reverse gear and liquid cooling are a nice bonus..
The Z400 maybe a good fourwheeler. they look cool. I've seen three in my time and all three had valve problem's.

[smr]

Z400 is a good quad but don't let the liquad cooling fool you. The 400ex is still a better motor. Keep they vavles checked and listen for slack in the timing chain. The adjusters seem to wear out often.

With that said, the z400 will standup to upgrades better.....One I would do right away is find some 4ooex length shocks and swap them out. It will lower the quad just enough to make it handle better.