Blodg
10-23-2012, 10:43 AM
I have done searches and read through many of the old posts to get some ideas but also thought I would describe my situation and ask for some advice.
I am trying to decide if I should put money into the motor on my 400EX or just bite the bullet and get a 450R. I have owned ATV's for 20+ years and now that I am in my 40's I only trail ride. Some guys my age are moving on to utilities or UTV's but with my MX background it is just more fun for me to be on a sport quad. I own a Prairie 650 and love the sporty feel for a utility with the V-twin and solid rear axle but it is for work on my property and would never choose to take it on a trail ride with my buddies. The 400EX motor is stock but on the trails I push the pace with most buddies due to riding ability. But the group that goes riding from work has a couple new guys with two KFX450R's and another on a dirt bike. I have not ridden with them yet and I would probably be fine with a 11:1 piston/stage 2 cam/450R carb on the 400EX as long as I can keep up on the trails. But then I wonder if instead of spending $1,000 on the motor should I just get an older 450? I have never ridden a 450 but have been told the power band is more like a 2-stroke. Over the years I have owned a few 250R quads and a 250R trike but never liked the 2-stroke power band and I am probably just as fast in the woods on my stock 400EX.
This is turning into a book but I wanted to give some background and wondered if anyone else had any advice. If money was no object I would just go buy one of everything but with 4 kids and one in college I am trying to keep within a budget and keep the wife happy. I still have my old full race 500RX quad even though I only ride it about once a year around the yard. I kept it because I have over $10,000 in it when I built it in the mid 90's and would have to sell it for next to nothing. I thought about taming the suspension down and maybe going more narrow to use it for trail rides but the bored and stroked 350X is always leaking oil and the 250R frame is always cracking because everything is 25 years old. It is an absolute torque monster and should be fun for the trails but to be honest it vibrates so much, runs so hot, is very hard to kick start, no reverse, and then with the extra maintenance I prefer riding the 400EX. Of course if I was going to a track and doing a few 10 minute moto's instead of trail riding all day I would choose the 500RX. I keep thinking it would still be fun to take to the Silver Lake sand dunes one of these days but have never made a trip yet so I may just part it out if I did get a 450R.
CJM, have you ridden the 450R enough to judge it against your 426EX as a trail quad (fast trail riding)? Of course I know a 450R is faster in a drag but what about on the trail and which is more fun to ride?
I am sure you guys can tell that even though I am older and don't ride much I still have the itch!
I am trying to decide if I should put money into the motor on my 400EX or just bite the bullet and get a 450R. I have owned ATV's for 20+ years and now that I am in my 40's I only trail ride. Some guys my age are moving on to utilities or UTV's but with my MX background it is just more fun for me to be on a sport quad. I own a Prairie 650 and love the sporty feel for a utility with the V-twin and solid rear axle but it is for work on my property and would never choose to take it on a trail ride with my buddies. The 400EX motor is stock but on the trails I push the pace with most buddies due to riding ability. But the group that goes riding from work has a couple new guys with two KFX450R's and another on a dirt bike. I have not ridden with them yet and I would probably be fine with a 11:1 piston/stage 2 cam/450R carb on the 400EX as long as I can keep up on the trails. But then I wonder if instead of spending $1,000 on the motor should I just get an older 450? I have never ridden a 450 but have been told the power band is more like a 2-stroke. Over the years I have owned a few 250R quads and a 250R trike but never liked the 2-stroke power band and I am probably just as fast in the woods on my stock 400EX.
This is turning into a book but I wanted to give some background and wondered if anyone else had any advice. If money was no object I would just go buy one of everything but with 4 kids and one in college I am trying to keep within a budget and keep the wife happy. I still have my old full race 500RX quad even though I only ride it about once a year around the yard. I kept it because I have over $10,000 in it when I built it in the mid 90's and would have to sell it for next to nothing. I thought about taming the suspension down and maybe going more narrow to use it for trail rides but the bored and stroked 350X is always leaking oil and the 250R frame is always cracking because everything is 25 years old. It is an absolute torque monster and should be fun for the trails but to be honest it vibrates so much, runs so hot, is very hard to kick start, no reverse, and then with the extra maintenance I prefer riding the 400EX. Of course if I was going to a track and doing a few 10 minute moto's instead of trail riding all day I would choose the 500RX. I keep thinking it would still be fun to take to the Silver Lake sand dunes one of these days but have never made a trip yet so I may just part it out if I did get a 450R.
CJM, have you ridden the 450R enough to judge it against your 426EX as a trail quad (fast trail riding)? Of course I know a 450R is faster in a drag but what about on the trail and which is more fun to ride?
I am sure you guys can tell that even though I am older and don't ride much I still have the itch!