Is the 400EX still a viable platform for racing?

[Bender]

I love my 400EX, and I hope to compete with it soon. But I am always wondering if it's worth it to mod it so much, or hold out and trade it in on something newer, more advanced. Now I don't need the biggest or fastest machine, but don't want to have a huge disadvantage. Do you think the 400EX is soon to disappear? Or will there still be a place in racing (and hopefully placing) even if Honda does come out with a better sport/race quad. Opinions please.

[Martin Blair]

yes

[400ex Racer]

keep the 400
i have a stock o3 a couple months old....i think 3...
and i raced my first race 2night..i ran agaisnt bored 300's hyped out 400's banshees raptors and everything u can think of..and i beat on them a c-dale beat me but i think if i would have better tries i could have took him....but anyway keep the 400

and if u wanna re-cap of the race 2 go fayette county fair racin roll call


Cody
#7
400ex

[AtvMxRider]

Originally posted by HN400exracer
yes

:D

In my last MX race i was up against Z's, rapturds, piped banshee's, warriors and a LT 250 was even out there. I came in 2nd both moto's. The rider is normally the issue with loosing races not the quad. Once you get to a pro/pro am and even top A rider level then the quads power does matter...

[Glow Plug]

yes of course the 400ex will still win races. It just isn't a race ready as other quads out there but with mods it can be :D

[MOFO]

Originally posted by Rico
In my last MX race i was up against Z's, rapturds, piped banshee's, warriors and a LT 250 was even out there. I came in 2nd both moto's. The rider is normally the issue with loosing races not the quad. Once you get to a pro/pro am and even top A rider level then the quads power does matter...


Exactly.... as said before... its 90% ride and 10% machine. Only in the top 10% of riders does that really make a huge difference (machine).

The 400EX is still a very strong platform for just about anyone out there...

[quadguy711]

yes the 400s are a good bike to race i have two of them all modified and i hope to run 4 strok b class and production next year at natrinals o have beat kawi 450 mods suzkis and handa 250r stroked to 310s so the 400s are an exelent quad to race:devil:

[quadman21]

Before Shane Watts started his downward spiral of injuries, He won on every size KTM made. This was all in the same season! So i think it's safe to say that the 400 will still be out there and even winning races. It's mostly the rider. But like anything else new, people are going to flock to buy the latest and greatest things. Unfortuneatly, some people are tired of waiting for Honda so they have "settled" for the Zs, KXFs, and now the YFZ. Honda will come out with something but the 400 will still be around. When Honda makes something you can count on it being around for awhile. Just look at the 250R.

[whitebrothers]

I agree it is the rider not the quad and the 400 will always be a top racing quad, people said the 250r would die out it still is a top quad.:D
fix up the 400ex and race hard you race hard you will win
others make mstakes you must take advantage of them that is what real racing is.:cool:

[RIDER11X]

Originally posted by 400ex Racer
keep the 400
and if u wanna re-cap of the race 2 go fayette county fair racin roll call


Cody
#7
400ex

At this same race, our A class consisted of a hybrid YFZ, a CRF, and a 425ex (modded 400ex).

The 425EX won the moto and the main! You do the math!:D

[markeg192]

If you can't get it done on your EX, You just can't get it done!

[RIDER11X]

Originally posted by markeg192
If you can't get it done on your EX, You just can't get it done!

Yep! That is why I don't undersand all the hype for a new Honda CRF! If you can't do it on a modded 400ex, it ain't gonna happen. (unless you go pro class:rolleyes: )

[markeg192]

Yep! That is why I don't undersand all the hype for a new Honda CRF!

Well I love my 440 but water cooling and an aluminum framed ligter bike would be nice.

[whitebrothers]

Water cooler would be real nice on the ex, they have it aircooled because on an ex you should be going fast!:D lol
i will never have any other brand of quad its EX FOR LIFE race balls out or not at all on a track it dosent matter if you have a 660 or a 400 the better the rider the better the standings.:cool:

[Dunlap]

The 500ex water-cooled machine is for sale if any one really wants it,you can call Rusty Benson at 304 379 6509. The machine was in Dirt Wheels a few years ago.

[AiredOutEx]

I weigh about 285 and run my ex to the limit and Im smokin guys that are 150-175lbs on bigger displacement bikes and I dont have internal engine work ................I get around the track pretty good for a big guy!!!:confused2 I wouldn't trade my 400ex in for anything unless of course theres a 450ex coming:muscle:

[markeg192]

Hey Airedout.,Aren't you glad you didn't go buy a Z?

[toby400ex]

Originally posted by markeg192
If you can't get it done on your EX, You just can't get it done!

[UglyMotha™]

the ex still dominate's in my part of the woods:o

[G Rincon]

i have a 400ex 03 model and i love it ,, i am tired of all the hype in dirtwheels and atvsport and other magazines , about all these new quads and how big and fast they are ... kings of the dunes and all of that crap .. no matter what brand it may be yamaha , suzuki, kawasucki, cannonwhatever, bombwhatevr, its doesnt really matter until honda makes it. all that liquid cooled and aluminum frame and new stuff like that , that just makes for something else to tear up.. so i hope honda re realeases the 250r and makes a new ex that will smoke anything on btm and top end ,, and i hopes its air cooled just so they can prove everyone wrong once again.. i have seen so many ppl buy other brand of quads and theyh have switched once they found out how much better mine was, and that is the truth, i live in pike county kentucky and the nearest honda shop is 45 mins away and they are a kawasucki shop a suzuki shop and a yamaha shop , in my town,, but there are about 90 percent or better people riding hondas around here i hope pple other places realize it to how much better honda is. ,, the btm line is that 250rs and 400's are still winning the majority of the races... excluding the pro classes

[Bender]

Well I wouldn't bash all those other quads, they don't really suck. I'm glad other companies are making better sport quads. It's great for the scene, and I'm sure Honda will respond. Although I really doubt Honda will ever make a 2 stroke sport quad again. And I'm sure they won't go air cooled. Why would they make an air cooled 250R? Thats kinda dumb. And aluminum frames can be made stronger than the current ones. This thread isn't about bashing quads.
It's more about ..."Can the 400EX still compete with the newer quads in the next few years?" It seems to be yes.

[G Rincon]

dude this website is called exriders i am pretty sure everyone in here likes there ex's so why not talk about how much better they are cause u no its true.. and i wasnt talking about changing the 250r i was mearly talking aBOUT bringing it back out in production because there is such a demand for it... and the frames are fine.. i was just telling this member that yes yes yes his 400ex is a viable platform to start racing with.. that is all , an until honda comes out with a bigger sports quad i still think the 400ex is the best to modify and race.

[Bender]

I meant this as an intelligent disscussion about the future of racing the 400EX, even after(if) Honda decides to bring a newer sport/race quad out. I'm well aware this is an EXriders forum, so? I'm not putting down the 400EX. Did you even read the entire thread?
Yes everyone here probably owns an EX, so why not talk about how much better they are? Thats all realitive to your opinion, not fact at all. I like Honda, I've owned many in the past. My first was a 78 CR Elisnore 125. But i'm not brand loyal at all. As you seem to be. But then again you're probably, what 15? Did I say I was thinking about getting a YFZ or something? No. I'd probably get the new Honda EX if it ever happens. That is even if I decided to get rid of my 400EX, which I'm quite partial too.
Also punctuation oWnZ yOu DoOd!

[G Rincon]

i dont want to get anything started,, but i am a loyal brand owner, ur supposed to be, that is why honda makes these machines and i am glad they put more into there quads than any other brand. and that is the truth. and since when did my age make any difference on what i say,, i am 17 soon to be 18 yrs old and i go to college i am sorry but everyone makes mistakes on typing. It dont own me.

[Braff1]

I just ran my first race up at haspin acres. From my view, not trying to be prejudice, Honda won all the classes. Pro class was a 250 R, A-class was 250 R and 400, B clas was 400 ex, sport was 300 ex. I agree though it is the nut behind the handle bars and their overall condition that will determine who wins.

[whitebrothers]

I bash quads all the time but i only bash my friends quads because the go out and buy all the new advanced fuel injected c-dales and craptors (oops there i am bashing it) but the thing is the friend with the raptor sold it and told me he wants a 400, and the friend with the c-dale has a 400, the thing is with him is that his c-dale is a 8,000$ paper wait the piston seized up in it and c-dale is not going to fix it they say that they are out of business,
basicly what im saying is that insted of buying new and expensive quads just get a 400ex and mod it it will be better and probly cheeper.

[trx400ex]

I dont understand how you can say a modded 400ex is going to be better than the new bikes. It isnt, i dont care if you like 400exs or not, they are slow when compared to the new bikes, its not an opinion of mine, its just the way it is, yeah you can win on anything, everyone knows that, but you guys are taking this to far.

I had THE 400ex and now a yfz i love the yfz more....