Ex vs. TRX450 or YFZ

[dirtriderex]

I'ev had my 400 for awhile and started racing harescrambles this year. I been waiting for Honda 2 years now and know everyone I know tells me it's a waste of money and I should build my ex up. What do you guys think I should do? and how much should I ask for a 2001 400ex with nerfs and pipe etc. Thanks

[MxDale71]

I would go w/ a Yamaha or new Honda if you are willing to buy first year model bikes/quads. You can build up that 400ex, but the motor isn't made to handle a lot of power. Most of the time when you get a 440 kit or something like that for a 400ex, the clutch won't last long, and the stock bottom end will start to give. They basically turn into maintanance nightmares. If you go w/ the Yamaha or the new Honda when it comes out, you'll have a good strong motor to start with. Although it may be detuned, you know it's a good motor that can handle high horse power unlike the 400ex. It may take a while to get your hands on a new Honda at first, so if you want something soon, you may want to look at the Yamaha. Either way, IMO, you should go w/ a new ride.

[ESR250R]

i know alot of people with 440's and 416's in 400ex's and noone is having trouble with there bottom ends failing.:confused:

[dirtriderex]

Thats excactly what I was thinking, if you build your engine up the other parts are going to have alot more stress and pressure on them. Thanks for the opinion:)

[Striker49]

Ive had no problems with my 416. Plus, there is only so much motor you can use in the woods anyways. :ermm:

a 416 pipe cam and all that stand ups fine as long as you dont have some crazy compression, i say the ex is still competitive in the woods on a tight sx course with alot of turns and jumps its not

[dirtriderex]

STRIKER, FREERIDE are you getting the new quad if it's any good?

[toby400ex]

The ex is still gonna be a great quad for the woods, good suspension mods are gonna be the most help, make it low and plush and just slam those berms and carve the ruts
:blah:

[trx400ex]

Get the new. I bought a YFZ but i will imagine honda will be great too especially with an aluminum frame, Honda will be ALOT harder to get ahold of this year and you are looking at full retail probably more at some dealers, 400exs just wont keep up I know alot fo people will be mad at that statement, but its the truth, i had a 400ex with all the goodies and my stock yfz was better, im not talking about a mildy done 400 either...

You can ride as hard as it can possibly ridden and take advantage of everything on the EX during a race but if the YFZ/450R rider is too then your done, put it this way, you cant beat the best on the best, if your not on the best....Sure alot of guys on YFZs will be beaten by 400exs but not the true hardcore racers....

[dirtriderex]

yeah, I hear you. I think it's time to get a new quad. Everyone says they will be hard to get, but in the suburbs not to many people ride quads exspecially race them. I think I will get one in Jan. at the dealer show and get a deal:D

[quadman21]

TRX400EX, hmmmn:confused: I'm not sure If i would go along with that. At least not all the way. You make a good point but the rider is still the most important tool. I agree with you if you are a pro rider, but as for us average/amatuer racers I would disagree. Chad Duvall beat all the top machinery last year with the air cooled out dated 400EX. That's just an example. The majority of us on the site are woods riders and I believe the 400 will still be a contender for the B and C classes. Especially a 416 or 440 which when done right, is just as reliable as stock.

[dirtriderex]

But the new quad will have better acceleration like coming out of corners and I wont have to get $1000 shocks.

[lil400exman]

Originally posted by dirtriderex
But the new quad will have better acceleration like coming out of corners and I wont have to get $1000 shocks.
from who i have been talking to (honda of troy) the stock shocks are good but for racing they need to be put upto snuff ;)

[MxDale71]

Originally posted by dirtriderex
But the new quad will have better acceleration like coming out of corners and I wont have to get $1000 shocks.

It's obvious that you want a new quad. So do what you want to do and not what others say you should do.

[trx400ex]

Originally posted by quadman21
TRX400EX, hmmmn:confused: I'm not sure If i would go along with that. At least not all the way. You make a good point but the rider is still the most important tool. I agree with you if you are a pro rider, but as for us average/amatuer racers I would disagree. Chad Duvall beat all the top machinery last year with the air cooled out dated 400EX. That's just an example. The majority of us on the site are woods riders and I believe the 400 will still be a contender for the B and C classes. Especially a 416 or 440 which when done right, is just as reliable as stock.

Yeah you right, i dont know about woods, but on an MX track, lets say you have 2 riders that are equal, put one on the ex and one on the yfz and the yfz will pull ahead in the straights, assuming you are equal riders you will go the same speed through all corners and over jumps....the yfz will win everytime... let say you are a little better rider on the ex and the guy on the yfz isnt as good but not bad... you can shave off time in the corners and whoops maybe, but everytime you come to a long straight you are going to get passed, i had it happen to me all year. They would pass me in the straights and then go through the corners like they were on 4x4s in the mud, if id have had the power to stay in front, i wouldnt have been slowed down and lost ground to the fast guys up front that i could have catched....I dont know if that makes since, alls i know is that you can win on anything but it will be EASIER to win on a YFZ and thats what everybodys looking for.

[dirtriderex]

MXDale71, yeah it's obvious I want one, who wouldn't. I'm just seeing what you guys think, because I have saved up all this cash and it's a big deal for me. Sure it's the rider but come on, your quad helps a great deal.

[Chef]

Originally posted by trx400ex
Get the new. I bought a YFZ

Are your tie rods holding up good?

[dannyboy20]

all i can say is that the 400ex is bulletproof in my eyes. I ride mine in the pits all day hammering on the thing against kfx's, banshee's, raptors and Z's and it keeps up no problem. These new quads have too many gadgets and buttons to break. One kid had a new raptor that wouldnt start half the time. :macho

[MxDale71]

Originally posted by Chef
Are your tie rods holding up good?

Interesting that you mention that. Is that a problem among the YFZ's? There was one at one of our local races that just stopped right in the middle of a whoop section and had to get towed off the track. When I got a closer look, I saw that both wheels were pointing outside. Turns out he bent the crap out of both of his tie rods just simply goin through a whoop section. I assumed that since it happened to both, that he just hit it just right so that it would do that... in other words, *****ty luck, but since you said something about the tie rods I was wondering if there has been a problem w/ them?

[Derno24]

Originally posted by MxDale71
I would go w/ a Yamaha or new Honda if you are willing to buy first year model bikes/quads. You can build up that 400ex, but the motor isn't made to handle a lot of power. Most of the time when you get a 440 kit or something like that for a 400ex, the clutch won't last long, and the stock bottom end will start to give. They basically turn into maintanance nightmares. If you go w/ the Yamaha or the new Honda when it comes out, you'll have a good strong motor to start with. Although it may be detuned, you know it's a good motor that can handle high horse power unlike the 400ex. It may take a while to get your hands on a new Honda at first, so if you want something soon, you may want to look at the Yamaha. Either way, IMO, you should go w/ a new ride.

Yawn... Dude are you commenting about bikes you have no clue about??? You owned a Dale spanked it and sold it to someone who should have KNOWN BETTER ....CDALECHICK....Sit back and let people who know talk about things.

[quadman21]

TRX, I'm the opposite. I really don't know about mx, I was only talking XC but I can see where the newer YFZ would have an advantage in mx. Maybe even on some long straight field crossings in XC. I'll certainly be jealous of the new honda but I'll just wait a few more days to see what it's really going to be. maybe now I'll be able to get an R at an affordable price?...lol And Dirtrider, the suspension maybe better than what we have ever seen in the past on quads, but you will still spend about $1000 to get the fronts and rears valved and springed for you. On a positive note, maybe the price of axis shocks will come down when they see everyone going to people Like Santo Derisi to have the stock shocks turned into top notch suspension for half the price. Then again...maybe not.

[Chef]

Originally posted by MxDale71
Interesting that you mention that. Is that a problem among the YFZ's? There was one at one of our local races that just stopped right in the middle of a whoop section and had to get towed off the track. When I got a closer look, I saw that both wheels were pointing outside. Turns out he bent the crap out of both of his tie rods just simply goin through a whoop section. I assumed that since it happened to both, that he just hit it just right so that it would do that... in other words, *****ty luck, but since you said something about the tie rods I was wondering if there has been a problem w/ them?

As far as I can see, the tie rods on these things suck huge nuts. On Monday, I think it was, I was riding with one that had an HMF pipe on it, and yes, it was fast as all hell for just having a pipe, but he was just side hilling, slow enough for my sister to be next to him in first gear on the raptor, and then all of a sudden his right front tire just pointed straight and shoved sand to the bottom of the hill. The tie rod felt like plastic in my hands, actually. It was soft enough that the kid that was riding it put it in the Roll foot peg of one of their R's and bent it back somewhat straight enough to get it back to camp. As far as I am concerned, thats a problem.

[dirtriderex]

Holy cow thats crazy, the tie rods bend that easily. I think I will just wait for next year, cause I might just stick with the old ex:D . The one problem with my ex is that in tight corners I don't have enough power to rip out, the gear is to high or to low:confused:

[quadman21]

Explain tight? do you mean suspension wise? did you change the gearing? Is the motor stock?

[dirtriderex]

I mean like going around a tree or a 180degree turn. my engine is stock eith stock suspension, and a fmf pipe and k&n performance kit (jet and airfilter). other wise it's mainly powered stock.

[TheRedRebel17]

Originally posted by Derno24
Yawn... Dude are you commenting about bikes you have no clue about??? You owned a Dale spanked it and sold it to someone who should have KNOWN BETTER ....CDALECHICK....Sit back and let people who know talk about things.
:huh :huh

I can guara damn tee it that he knows more about bikes in his sleep than you will know in yoru life. Anytime you mod something out, it creates extra stress and its just a matter of time before it breaks....:confused2

[MxDale71]

Originally posted by Derno24
Yawn... Dude are you commenting about bikes you have no clue about??? You owned a Dale spanked it and sold it to someone who should have KNOWN BETTER ....CDALECHICK....Sit back and let people who know talk about things.

Well dude, I'm sorry that you have a problem with me, but I think I do know what I'm talkin about. I have yet to see a 400ex that got built up to a 440 that didn't need a LOT of motor work done to keep it running. Thats the case w/ a lot of motors... if you build them up to have a lot more power than stock, they are less reliable... you don't really have to know about quads to know that, and considering the 400ex has no power stock, it doesn't take a whole lot of an increase in HP to put to much strain on some of those stock parts.

Also, I'm not saying there is anything wrong w/ the new Yammy or that there will be anything wrong w/ the Honda. I'm simply saying that lookin back into the many years of 1st year models (whether it be cars, trucks, quads, bikes, ect.) the 1st year models sometimes tend to have some problems that need to be worked out.

Again, I don't know what your problem w/ me is, and if it's about what happened to the Dale after I sold it... there is no way in he11 I could have known that was going to happen unless I tore down the motor completely and checked every little bolt (because it was one single bolt that broke and nothing else). That was also the first time that quad had any problem at all.

Sorry if you were lookin to make me mad and get something started, but I like to think I'm a little more mature than that. :)

Originally posted by dirtriderex
STRIKER, FREERIDE are you getting the new quad if it's any good?

naw i considered them and until production quads are as good as the worked ones i wont buy one, maybe eventuallly ill go crf using all my parts

if u have a stock 400ex id sell it and buy a yfz because the yfz is a better base to work off but i got 5 grand in mods on mine and its not worth me losing money on it by selling it for 4 grand then paying 6400 for a yfz and putting 3-4 grand in mods on it to race it , be competitive and not break stuff constantly, i mean if u race xc or hare scrambles youll be more than happy with it stock, get a pipe, skids, wheels and your ready to go , for mx its a whole nother story your looking at modding it no different than a r or ex, your gonan break alot of the stock parts on a yfz mxing it

Originally posted by Chef
As far as I can see, the tie rods on these things suck huge nuts. On Monday, I think it was, I was riding with one that had an HMF pipe on it, and yes, it was fast as all hell for just having a pipe, but he was just side hilling, slow enough for my sister to be next to him in first gear on the raptor, and then all of a sudden his right front tire just pointed straight and shoved sand to the bottom of the hill. The tie rod felt like plastic in my hands, actually. It was soft enough that the kid that was riding it put it in the Roll foot peg of one of their R's and bent it back somewhat straight enough to get it back to camp. As far as I am concerned, thats a problem.


of course, why do you think its so light, yamaha cut corners to get the weight down, put a fast motor in it, made it handle decent so everyone would want them, everyone gets them and relize that they need alot more than they thought


you can mod a ex motor get some decent hp out of it and it will be just as reliable, buy a outerwears airbox lid cover, get a drop in cam, 11:1 416 piston and a pipe, get it jetted right and you have enough power to go fast on a mx track, just think of everywhere u back off on a track if ur good enough to stay on the gas there youll beat guys regardless of what motor they have, but the place they still have a advantage is in a situation where maybe u slide out in a corner coming up to a jump, u case it and the guy with more power can clear it he will start to pull away,i think if your race top b or a or pro the ex will not cut it , i have a 416 piston and fmf slip on right now and yfzs cant pass me on up hill straights and they dont pull on me so im not anxious to go out and buy one, im gonan put a cam and full system and remove the lid and ill be happy i think

[dirtriderex]

I see your point, I only have a pipe and nerfs and basic stuff.

well then if u dotn have a whole lot invested in it id sell it and get a yfz, ull be more than happy with it, i have so much in mods its not worth it

[dirtriderex]

thanks for the suggestion:)

[FourFiftyFour]

Originally posted by Derno24
Yawn... Dude are you commenting about bikes you have no clue about??? You owned a Dale spanked it and sold it to someone who should have KNOWN BETTER ....CDALECHICK....Sit back and let people who know talk about things.

too bad.....the Dale is runnin awesome.. hmm i should have known better eh?? well for your info if i would have gotten lets see a 400ex..... i would have had the 2nd slowest quad in my class (and i dont have the money to mod one out to make it fast like some ppl).... but no i have one of the fastest, the Dale has ended up bein one of the best buys I could have gotten.. so it broke once.. it was a freak accident that it happened right when i bought it. Pete did not have a clue that it was going to happen or he wouldnt have sold it to me like that.

[anywhereEx]

Every company cuts corners. It is profit to cost margin. But the one thing the YFZ has is alot of special attention area's that well surpass anything out there. So what if you have 1 or 2 nickle dime things that could be improved as long as it is not a huge list. I have not seen anyone that races leave the bike stock. The new honda and the YFZ are a nice concept but face it, you WILL mod it reguardless.

Sit down and figure total cost to get the 400ex up to snuff for what you would like it to be and then compair cost. That is the best option you can take.