best 450 quad for rec riding

[TacicalRedneck]

Well- looking into the future i see a new quad. Sooner or probably later- so craigslist is a daily thing for me

What quad- and what years would you guys prefer for woods riding, a little mud, and recreational riding.

Width is not a problem fortunately we have trails made for sxs`s.

I have been leaning towards a newer yfz or a modded early trx.

What quad comes to mind with you guys, and why?

Id like to keep some of my parts when i do move on.So- anyone know if lsr a-arms, axle,and stem off of a 400ex are interchangeable on any other 450 quad?

[chronicsmoke]

Well if you want to use some of the same parts you have now, Can-Am,Kawi,Honda & 'zuki all use the same bolt pattern. And you could could use the entire swinger and axle on the 450r i think (it's been done many times the other way, I'm running an entire 05 450r front end on my 426ex)

Keep in mind this is a Honda site, I'll say Honda but I've trail ridden just about every sport quad there is and they all have their things I like and things I dislike.

[finsteratv]

I'd say Honda due to how common they are and reliability. Easy to get parts in a pinch too

[Baracudaaa]

get ready for 100 versions of 6 different responses, all claiming that what ever brand atv they ride is the best.

[TacicalRedneck]

I ride some nasty trails- i don't want anything that will bog at the sight of water of mud.

Any people to clue me in on yfz's?

[lonnie1977]

Any interest in a Raptor 700. More torque and reverse which is great for a trail quad. I personally have a YFZR and love it. It does require more revving and gear changes. I have also owned a 04 450R which I liked more the the YFZR. Not quite as rev happy as the YFZR and felt much lighter to me and easier to toss around. Its all really what you like. Ride some friends quads if ya can or sit on as many as you can.

[finsteratv]

I always thought a worked and modded raptor would be a fun big trail quad with the big bore torque...

[CJM]

Raptors kinda heavy and handles poorly on fast trails. More suited to be a dune/desert quad

I went from my worked EX to a mostly stock 04 450R and love it. Handles better to me and has plenty of power.

YFZ is pretty good too, I dont like how revvy they are vs the hondas but they have plety of power

[HondaRacing83]

kfx. reverse, fi, reliable, handles well. no question

[chronicsmoke]

Originally posted by finsteratv
I always thought a worked and modded raptor would be a fun big trail quad with the big bore torque...

I like my 660 for the trails too, once you start to dial in suspension it's a totally different ride.. I might even do some XC with it for fun :D

[blacknblue#2]

I ride MX and fast trails..Probably an equal amount of both anymore. If i was to buy a new quad today it would be a YFZR. One of my best friends has one and its best at all around riding. We go to the MX track and he can hit anything there. We go trail riding and he can go anywhere he wants to go. all on a stock setup other than nerf bars and a choice of tires depending on what kinda riding he is doing

[beastlywarrior]

Id pick the estart honda

[DVS_Freestyler]

Find someone that has a Can-am and test ride it, even if we weren't supported by them we would still be riding the DS. If you're looking to race and want to waste a bunch of money on building the chasiss/motor work, get a honda and it'll be bullet proof. If you want a fun handling 450 to ride look into a can-am, everyone I let ride mine is pleasantly surprised how good they are for being nearly stock machines.

[KKiowaTJ]

You can never go wrong with honda anything. You could get a decent one for cheap and as mentioned parts are a plenty and cheap.

But i also like the KFX 450r. Dont know why but have always liked them. Seem to hold up good and run just as hard as other 450's. Really come down to what you want. Good luck

[rf928]

Same boat, I want a new 450 and am looking towards the YFZR. I think I will have to quit racing so I'll never get to race a 450, but still planning on riding the track a lot. A question for people who have one, what is it like compared to the YFZ? Is it really that much wider?

[blaster99]

Originally posted by DVS_Freestyler
Find someone that has a Can-am and test ride it, even if we weren't supported by them we would still be riding the DS. If you're looking to race and want to waste a bunch of money on building the chasiss/motor work, get a honda and it'll be bullet proof. If you want a fun handling 450 to ride look into a can-am, everyone I let ride mine is pleasantly surprised how good they are for being nearly stock machines.

I second that. Can-ams are great bikes. Especially the newer models. They don't have anywhere near the problems that some of the 08s had. Keep the airbox lid on and you can go through anything. In mud races I never had an issue with my filter getting dirty as long as the lid was on.

[zyoung04]

Originally posted by rf928
Same boat, I want a new 450 and am looking towards the YFZR. I think I will have to quit racing so I'll never get to race a 450, but still planning on riding the track a lot. A question for people who have one, what is it like compared to the YFZ? Is it really that much wider?

Its just as wide as a race quad but its not as tight as u would think.I can beat around in the woods here at the house with no problems But I've ridden on widen stuff for years and know how to judge my distance pretty well. I got a set of 18s and 19s I have for the track and today I threw on the balloons and went stump jumping. The only thing that sux is where the bolt pattern are different and if u ride with a bunch of hondas u had better have ur own back up wheels and tars other than that I can't say a bad thing about my R. Mine is completely stock except for nerfs and I haven't bottomed out the stock shocks yet and im hitting 70'+ jumps with no problem. The only thing I would prob get rid of it for is the new can am

[TacicalRedneck]

I went riding day after thanksgiving- and ran into a ktm- well he was hotrodding around the place-
that thing looked pretty awesome... and fast...


I will have a budget of probably 3-4 grand.. so :ermm:



so ktm and can-am is probably out.

[blaster99]

You can find Can-ams that cheap. I know of one that just sold around here for like 3 grand. It was kinda beat but still wasn't too bad. I wouldn't suggest a KTM. I have never ridden one though, so my opinion of them really doesn't mean much.

[HondaRacing83]

Originally posted by chronicsmoke
I like my 660 for the trails too, once you start to dial in suspension it's a totally different ride.. I might even do some XC with it for fun :D i was riding with my cousins over the summer, ones got a 660 raptor and ones got a cr125. i got on the raptor thinking it was gonna be a power monster. i wasnt impressed, its stock but i expected more. short gears, and was just slow with bad power. i didnt get to grab 4th or 5th in a field but was ripping trails 3rd gear and it was so sluggish and top heavy. i can honestly say my 400ex ran much better. we dragged in a field but only got to 4th gear and i walked all over it. i think raptors are terrible trail quads imho, 660s atleast

[CJM]

The thing I dont like about yfzs, they have problems with a hanging idle it seems. Damn things wont rev down for whatever reason despite tinkering with them (least the ones I played with). Not all of them i mean, but its a very common problem.

I prefer the honda 450, thats why i got one. Kick start is the best, very easy to use and unlike all the e-start quads with the FCR carbs it ALWAYS fires right up.

[TacicalRedneck]

Originally posted by CJM
The thing I dont like about yfzs, they have problems with a hanging idle it seems. Damn things wont rev down for whatever reason despite tinkering with them (least the ones I played with). Not all of them i mean, but its a very common problem.

I prefer the honda 450, thats why i got one. Kick start is the best, very easy to use and unlike all the e-start quads with the FCR carbs it ALWAYS fires right up.


what all did you tinker with- my 400 takes a while to rev down- hate it!!

[CJM]

Originally posted by TacicalRedneck
what all did you tinker with- my 400 takes a while to rev down- hate it!!

One of them I played with had problems with the throttle cable binding, another the air/fuel screw needed to be adjusted. 2 others I gave up on.

[beastlywarrior]

Originally posted by HondaRacing83
i was riding with my cousins over the summer, ones got a 660 raptor and ones got a cr125. i got on the raptor thinking it was gonna be a power monster. i wasnt impressed, its stock but i expected more. short gears, and was just slow with bad power. i didnt get to grab 4th or 5th in a field but was ripping trails 3rd gear and it was so sluggish and top heavy. i can honestly say my 400ex ran much better. we dragged in a field but only got to 4th gear and i walked all over it. i think raptors are terrible trail quads imho, 660s atleast
ya id take my warrior any day over them but i got the thing runnin and handling so dang good

[Jigsaw]

If you can muster up the dough for a KTM I highly recommend going that route. Besides the power, you can lug it around anywhere, the suspension is great, and it feels so perfect. I can only compare it to a 700 raptor, KFX450, Polaris Outlaw 525, and a TRX450 though, and while all of those are awesome machines, nothing compares to the KTM.

[chronicsmoke]

Originally posted by HondaRacing83
i wasnt impressed, its stock

yah in stock form they are brutal.. When I first got it it had 22/23 tire setup and was stock width.. death trap. So tall and narrow.

I have mine sitting a bit lower and about 2" wider than stock.. It's not tippy at all and handles pretty good now, obviously not as good as my other quads but that's why it's my trail beater (also a Yamaha.. :blah: ) I'm doing some FMSQ (GNCC in Quebec) with my MX 450r this summer.. I'm just swapping rims/tires and running full skids.

I still may run the scraptor or 426 though.. depends how I'm feeling I guess.

[muddy400EX]

Originally posted by blaster99
I wouldn't suggest a KTM. I have never ridden one though, so my opinion of them really doesn't mean much.

why, KTM's are the shiz! i love my KTM bike.

ive got an LTR, have a set of mx tires/wheels and an xc set of tires/wheels and ride everything. the only thing that i could see me trading the LTR for is a KTM 450xc or 525xc. Or if zuki made a new LTR

but really there is no 450 that would not be good for you. alot of it is in how set it up anyway. the right tires for what you ride, the right handlbars for your riding style. take a few test rides and see what you like
:cool:

[Tommy Warren]

I rock a honda 450R one the trails and its fun

but I will go kawasaki next time to get the reverse

[mineralgrey01gt]

I ride my ltr450 on trails wide enough for it and its a blast on it. Now ive never ridden any other 450's on trails but did have a 250r and a 400ex i trail rode on. The 250r was a pain at times and the 400ex was a great trail bike just lacking power even though i had it bored over and cammed.

[dxcody]

I used to hate Yamaha's as much as any other die hard honda fan..

But I rode a bad as* YFZx at the ironman this year.. and it put a beating on me!

I liked it.. It was hard to control your speed on..

I have never rode a YFZ that liked to go slow.

I have rode 3 just here recently and they are so snappy in their power range that it will kick your butt until you get used to them.

I like riding my 400 more than anything though.. Which makes since because it is MINE! lol

[Tommy Warren]

Originally posted by HondaRacing83
i was riding with my cousins over the summer, ones got a 660 raptor and ones got a cr125. i got on the raptor thinking it was gonna be a power monster. i wasnt impressed, its stock but i expected more. short gears, and was just slow with bad power. i didnt get to grab 4th or 5th in a field but was ripping trails 3rd gear and it was so sluggish and top heavy. i can honestly say my 400ex ran much better. we dragged in a field but only got to 4th gear and i walked all over it. i think raptors are terrible trail quads imho, 660s atleast

stock 660's suck.. but I have mine pushing 76hp with a-arms, extended swingarm and elka shocks. Haven't lost to a 450 yet

[chronicsmoke]

Originally posted by Tommy Warren
stock 660's suck.. but I have mine pushing 76hp with a-arms, extended swingarm and elka shocks. Haven't lost to a 450 yet

And they are more comfortable for tall guys for trail rides.. I feel like a fox f@cking a football on the 400ex sometimes. (and especially when I had my 250r, I could practically lick my knees)

To compare a stock one to anything else is almost unfair.

[XCRacer236]

Originally posted by CJM
One of them I played with had problems with the throttle cable binding, another the air/fuel screw needed to be adjusted. 2 others I gave up on.

It means it's Lean. Mine did it when I first got it. Richened it up and it's been fine ever since.

[CJM]

Originally posted by XCRacer236
It means it's Lean. Mine did it when I first got it. Richened it up and it's been fine ever since.

But 2 of them were brand new..

Only happens to yfz's too might I add. I dont like blue...sorry.


Originally posted by chronicsmoke
And they are more comfortable for tall guys for trail rides.. I feel like a fox f@cking a football on the 400ex sometimes. (and especially when I had my 250r, I could practically lick my knees)



What are you like 6ft 5in?

[XCRacer236]

Originally posted by CJM
But 2 of them were brand new..

Only happens to yfz's too might I add. I dont like blue...sorry.

so was mine, it did when we brought it home from the dealer. nah man it's cool i understand. i was just throwin it out there for people to know. ;)

[fastredrider44]

Tactical, I would say Honda, but of course I'm partial. I have a Honda and a KTM forsale, both in your price range and I'm in your neck of the woods.

[TacicalRedneck]

Originally posted by fastredrider44
Tactical, I would say Honda, but of course I'm partial. I have a Honda and a KTM forsale, both in your price range and I'm in your neck of the woods.

pm'd ya

[chronicsmoke]

Originally posted by CJM


What are you like 6ft 5in?

6'3" 205lbs lol

+ size steering sticks are an absolute must. :D

[CJM]

Originally posted by chronicsmoke
6'3" 205lbs lol

+ size steering sticks are an absolute must. :D

Geez.

Not even higher bars work huh?

[chronicsmoke]

they def. help.. But even on my 450 I feel cramped if I take it on a leisure ride.. It's nice when your racing because I feel in control and on top of it (standing 95% of the time)

I could rest my elbows on my knees while I rode the 250r :p

If I'm going on a Looooonnng ride, I def. consider taking the Scraptor. Less power than my MX build, more power than my 426ex and more comfortable for a tall rider.

I've considered selling my Honda and getting a DS 450 as they are supposed to be better at accomidating a taller rider, but I have my 450r pretty well where I want it.

[CJM]

And see the 450 vs the 400ex to me is much roomier. I feel cramped to a degree on my 400 and Im only 200 and 6ft tall.

[TacicalRedneck]

Originally posted by fastredrider44
Tactical, I would say Honda, but of course I'm partial. I have a Honda and a KTM forsale, both in your price range and I'm in your neck of the woods.


so..... whats this about a ktm?


i checked craigslist everywhere but cant find hide nor hair of it!!
:D

[chronicsmoke]

I like the KTM XCs more than the SX engine wise.. I mean don't get me wrong, the SX has a beast engine, but I'm too po' to afford the maintenance on it. I'd take the XC and convert it to a MX model, so you don't end up like my buddy, leading in the second last lap, but finish a DNF