trade or not?

[Mattman88]

Few questions. I just picked up an 05 450r and i love it but I am looking for more of a trail quad. Normally I would keep the 450r but I got this quad to ride around with my gf at times (but not all the time). I have a guy that is willing to trade me his 07 z400 and he will let me swap out the tires and rims because my 450 has brand new holeshots. Should I do the trade and also would my 450 nerfs fit on the z400?

[blaster12s]

no?
the nerfs wont swap why would you down grade?
I say keep the 450

[TheLane]

I agree, what in the world are you going to gain with a z400 that you dont have with the 450r??

[01boneless]

that would be dumb....

[250x_kyle]

i fyou dont think its trail friendly just change the gearing. id never trade for the z.

[Mattman88]

I understand where you guys are coming from but I will be hauling my girlfriend a lot and teaching her how to ride so I think the electric start might be easier for her and also not having reverse while riding with a passenger could be a pain in the butt. If I wasn't hauling her around not having reverse wouldn't bother me at all.

[Honda5]

You would have reverse and electric start and depending what the Z400 looks like it might not be a bad deal.
And for all the guys saying it is a bad deal I have a couple old 450r that I don't ride if someone wants to swap for a real nice 400ex or Z400

[quadrcr161]

if you like the z400 and its in good shape trade, you will be able to lug the 400 around easier and have less maintenance then the 450. it would be more user friendly overall.

[Mattman88]

I think I ruined my chance. I asked for an extra 200 cash so that I could buy nerf bars, which I thought was fair, he countered with 100 so I said let's meet in the middle at 150 and he got pissed and said I was playing games. Guess I'm keeping the r.

[HondaRacing83]

trade it for a 05+ 400ex

[Mattman88]

I've always liked the 400ex but on paper it just doesn't stack up. I had an 02 and it was ok but the z just has newer technology, a little more power, adjustable front shocks, and almost as good handling. I can't see myself picking a 400ex over a z400.

[TheLane]

Originally posted by quadrcr161
if you like the z400 and its in good shape trade, you will be able to lug the 400 around easier and have less maintenance then the 450. it would be more user friendly overall.


wait wait wait......Please do explain this less maintinence thing to me?

how would a z400 require less maintenence than a 450r?

[quadrcr161]

Originally posted by TheLane
wait wait wait......Please do explain this less maintinence thing to me?

how would a z400 require less maintenence than a 450r?

whats the suggested top end rebuild on a 450r? and what about a z400? what about valve adjustment interval?

[exrider12]

Originally posted by quadrcr161
whats the suggested top end rebuild on a 450r? and what about a z400? what about valve adjustment interval?

If Im not mistaken.. they are about the same on both machines.

They both have the same basic engine design, just the Z is a little smaller.

[HondaRacing83]

wait wait wait, explain this to me!
not all z400s have piggyback shocks.
a z400 is a liquid cooled DOHC quad. Its more "racey" in a way. a 400ex is a simple air cooled SOHC engine. a 400ex would be the machine your looking for to chug around the trails. its maintenance is far less than a z400 or 450. its not that i dont respect the z, but the simplicity of the 400ex far surpasses it in excellance. a 400ex is borderline bulletproof. for like $200 you can get some used aftermarket shocks or stock 450 shocks. a 400ex truely would be the better choice

[TheLane]

Originally posted by HondaRacing83
wait wait wait, explain this to me!
not all z400s have piggyback shocks.
a z400 is a liquid cooled DOHC quad. Its more "racey" in a way. a 400ex is a simple air cooled SOHC engine. a 400ex would be the machine your looking for to chug around the trails. its maintenance is far less than a z400 or 450. its not that i dont respect the z, but the simplicity of the 400ex far surpasses it in excellance. a 400ex is borderline bulletproof. for like $200 you can get some used aftermarket shocks or stock 450 shocks. a 400ex truely would be the better choice

That is EXACTLY where i was going to with that lol.


I still dont get what you would gain by going with a 400ex?

Your getting a narrower machine with shocks that are less adjustable than your 450. If your concerned about comfort for your girlfriend, the 450 is going to be less tippy in the corners with 2 riders and the shocks will absorb all the bumps better..

and reverse...... is that REALLY worth it?

[HondaRacing83]

By going to a 400ex you gain a hell of a lot mote reliability and less maintenance. You cannalways add wider arms or different shocks :p modding is half the fun

[Mattman88]

Modding isn't so fun when you have a single family home with only one income paying the mortgage. I don't see why it is so hard to understand why I want a z400. I want something a little less "racey" then a 450. I never said I wanted the most simple trail quad out there (in my eyes that would be a 400ex). I want a z because it is still fairly new technology but not quite as top tier as a race bred 450.

[TheLane]

Originally posted by HondaRacing83
By going to a 400ex you gain a hell of a lot mote reliability and less maintenance. You cannalways add wider arms or different shocks :p modding is half the fun


I STILL dont get where a 400ex has more reliablility and less maintenence then a 450r.

Im going to go on a limb here and say you probably dont have many concrete reasons.


Originally posted by Mattman88
Modding isn't so fun when you have a single family home with only one income paying the mortgage. I don't see why it is so hard to understand why I want a z400. I want something a little less "racey" then a 450. I never said I wanted the most simple trail quad out there (in my eyes that would be a 400ex). I want a z because it is still fairly new technology but not quite as top tier as a race bred 450.

So long story short you want less power and reverse....that is the only thing that makes the 400 less racey.

[HondaRacing83]

i dont think you can award the 400ex the most simple trail quad, a warrior gets that ;)
but yes, a 400ex is more simple and reliable than a 450. its not rocket science, a simple air cooled motor requires less maintanace than a liquid cooled race engine.

[b0rn c0nfused]

You could always trade for a utility! It would be a heck of alot better for 2 people thats for sure.

[quadrcr161]

Originally posted by TheLane
I STILL dont get where a 400ex has more reliablility and less maintenence then a 450r.

Im going to go on a limb here and say you probably dont have many concrete reasons.



So long story short you want less power and reverse....that is the only thing that makes the 400 less racey.

wow.

a 400ex requires no real upkeep, as long as you have a liquid that resembles oil and fuel it will run. theres 1999 exs out there thats never had the oil changed still chugging along, try that with a 450, on top of that the 400ex and 450 are totally different motor designs with different power output and rpm.

[Mattman88]

Of course I don't want less power but in order to get a better trail oriented quad I'm going to have to sacrifice a bit of power. That's why I want a z because I know for sure that they have a bit more power then an ex, and I would like e start and reverse.

[TheLane]

Originally posted by HondaRacing83
i dont think you can award the 400ex the most simple trail quad, a warrior gets that ;)
but yes, a 400ex is more simple and reliable than a 450. its not rocket science, a simple air cooled motor requires less maintanace than a liquid cooled race engine.


So... your arguement is because one is air cooled( even though you would assume that liquid cooling would keep the motor cool and increase the lifespan of the motor but that cant be true right? :rolleyes: but your logic is the assumtion that by the added radiator and cooling hoses the motor is more complex?......... Right...

I still dont get this race motor logic either, the compression isnt much higher then the 400ex ( 11.1 vs 9.1 ) and they both have steel valves....soooo im still not seeing any facts or specifics here.

[HondaRacing83]

Originally posted by quadrcr161
wow.

a 400ex requires no real upkeep, as long as you have a liquid that resembles oil and fuel it will run. theres 1999 exs out there thats never had the oil changed still chugging along, try that with a 450, on top of that the 400ex and 450 are totally different motor designs with different power output and rpm. TheLane, read.

[TheLane]

Originally posted by HondaRacing83
TheLane, read.

What is there to read, all he said was....

"this will run forever" with no facts on what makes them such a reliable quad/ what makes the 450 any less reliable.

So until you can prove me wrong ( with facts ) im going to stick with my theory that the 450r is JUST as reliable as a 400ex ( assuming they are both ridden the same).

It seems like on forums nowadays kids are just willing to take what anyone says as fact without any factual data to back it up....well from now on im going to say that the raptor 250 is the most reliable quad EVER......well just because it is and i have a friend that has 400 hours on his..

[chronicsmoke]

I have a 450 and an EX, there is no comparison.

I agree with you to a point, Lane, but the 450r can't handle the abuse like a 400ex can (dirty oil, dirty filter, valves out of spec ect.) Totally different engine designs..

So if you're anal about your $hit, (pun intended) the maintenance is about the same, but if you're someone who neglects their bike and doesnt maintain it, the 450r wouldn't last as long. There is no argument beyond that..

OP: You'll be happy with a Z, I used to like mine. (with a pipe & filter it beat my 426ex everytime in a straight line)

[quadrcr161]

actually skippy i could waste my time to search for the valve adjustment schedule for the 400 and 450, which i believe is around 10 hours on the 450 and replace the valves after every 3rd adjustment and replace the piston after every x hours, and on the 400ex the initial valve adjustment after 20 hours, but it wouldnt get through your skull. if you havent been around enough motors and understand the general design and wear on a motor then you couldnt comprehend the information anyway.

[blacknblue#2]

Ive seen 400EXs around have socks wrapped around the air filter cage, the oil filter bolts never broke loose, the oil look like chocolate milk cause its half water and the valves sound worse than a 1940 Farmall and still start and the slight touch of the button and run all day......A 400ex is proof that all a motor truly needs is fuel and air and it will run. It dont need to have compression or be in time hahah

[TheLane]

Originally posted by quadrcr161
actually skippy i could waste my time to search for the valve adjustment schedule for the 400 and 450, which i believe is around 10 hours on the 450 and replace the valves after every 3rd adjustment and replace the piston after every x hours, and on the 400ex the initial valve adjustment after 20 hours, but it wouldnt get through your skull. if you havent been around enough motors and understand the general design and wear on a motor then you couldnt comprehend the information anyway.

*looked back through, didnt see anyone named skippy, still not sure what hes talking about*