Anyone here ride 4wheelers?

[Pats-GN]

I've got an old 300 Fourtrax and thinking about upgrading to something faster. Torn between a 2 stroke or a 4 stroke. I've been looking at everything from Banshee's to 660 Raptors, which is what i'm leaning towards. Just thought someone could throw some info my way.

thanks

 

[ghall]

I have actually been thinking alot about this lately--i want to get my son something.I am a HUGE polaris fan(660)----but i keep coming back to the honda's--the 300's and really the 400's-maybe give them a look on ebay---but don't bid on something i am bidding on---hahaha


Geoff

 

[AZ Vic]

I hate banshees - if you upgrade or repair - everything is twice as much (two cylinders) Thier suspension sucks too. It is a shame they are the only new two strokes availible

I would say it depends on what you want to use it for, how much you ride, and what your experience level is. My friend is 6' 2" and about 280 and really liked his 400ex, he ended up going to a bombardier 650 because he dwarfed the Honda.

If you ever go to the dunes - you will want a two stroke. Try to find a Honda TRX250R 1988-89, EXCELLENT all around bike. It would STILL rate at the top of the lists in the magazines as the #1 bike ever made - even though it had not been produced in 12 years (at least it still did two years ago)

But only get a two stroke if you can do your own maintainence and can learn how to jet it for different elevations and temperatures - this is imparitive to a good engine life. Properly maintained, a two stroke can last for years.

I think you would be surprised how much power the new four strokes do have. Check some reviews in the online archives @ fourwheeler magazine. You might be able to get a better feel for what would suit your needs.

Good luck!

Vic

 

[Audiowizard]

Banshees flat rule!!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by AZ Vic
I hate banshees - if you upgrade or repair - everything is twice as much (two cylinders) Thier suspension sucks too. It is a shame they are the only new two strokes availible

I Love Banshees! I own a '01 Yamaha Banshee with a few mods and it will pull the front wheels in the air in all 6 gears. The power in these ATVs are incredible! It cost almost as much as a used TR new but are worth it IMHO! Parts arent that bad if you shop around and arent that much more expensive than some 4 stroke parts. Suspension is debatable and there are different upgrades if you want to change the ride characteristics. Nothing against 4 stroke ATVs, just my .03 cents from a hardcore Banshee owner!

 

[KevinBroadwater]

I ride a Kawasaki 700 and love it.But if I was not riding it I would be on a 600 Polaris.let use know what you get.Buy the way I can out run 400 EX's all day longand its stock.

 

[Pats-GN]

I have ridden the new Raptors and also the new honda 450R, both have plenty of power, but the electric start and reverse make me lean towards the Raptor.

 

[denn454]

i used to ride a lot. I would never buy a 4 stroke, its just not the same as a 2 stroke. they can have all the power in the world but not be as fun.

I'd go with a honda or suzuki 250. good bikes, run good, lots of go fast stuff. a banshee is cool, untill you want to make it faster.
a blaster is a god option too, there cheap and easy to make fast, i just sold a nice pipe i had on mine. it doesnt' take much and there running with a banshee.

I would get a polaris scrambler 400 4x4 if i had my choice. its the best of both worlds, lots of power and speed, easy to ride, very smooth suspension. and 4wd. the only problem is its an automatic, that takes away from the fun but you can get a high stall clutch and they run very good. they do weigh a lot too, but they have the power to make up for it.

 

[broke1]

Ive been riding since I was 5 and ill say that the Banshee is my all time favorite 4 wheeler. My brother has an 01. Ive ridden all years of Banshees and they are steadily improving IMO. Who needs reverse when you can do 100mph???

Polaris are nice 4x4s but theyre heavy and they roll very easy,probably from the pusbutton 4wd right there where your hand can hit it,knocking it out of 4wd, at the worst time ie climbing a steep hill. My mom has a old 425 4x4. Its faster than a Warrior by a long shot(raced several modded and stock) and itll top out at about 75mph.

 

[Taffy]

The good thing about the Banshee is that the aftermarket it HUGE! Kinda like the Mustangs. If you wanted to, you could build a Banshee just from aftermarket parts.

Having to pay for 2 of everything on the Banshee gets old after a while, but as I am pulling away from everyone else, I forget about the cost. The Banshee has basically been uncahnged from the factory since 1989. Same engine, and same chassis. Dood thing for the aftermarket.

Supposedly the new Yamaha 450 is pretty damn good. I raced a few at Glamis Sand dunes. They have some darn good suspension and lots of power. My Banshee is still a 350, but put a smacking down on just about all the "other" brand bikes out there.

The Honda 450 should be pretty good too. I have yet to see one though.

 

[84GNPILE]

I am a parts mngr for a Kaw/Yam/Pol/Cannondale(ATK now) dealership and I'd say what kind of riding you want to do will make the decision much easier than trying to pick wich is best overall.

Personal opinion: I'd go 4 stroke if I was buying new.I hate 2stroke maintenance.

I'd buy anything BUT a Polaris.JMO

 

[NeXuS1]

I was looking at some of the new "sport" quads a not too long ago, but i came to see that they are nice and all, but i still love my LT500, have a lot of money tied up in it and its still crazy fast. So instead of dropping 6-7k on a new toy i've decided to stick with what i have now. Which is why its apart. I felt it deserved some freshly powder coated parts.

But like everything else i do, i could get finished with it and still decide to sell it, never know how things go.

 

[denn454]

how did i forget to mention the quadzilla lt500?

If you want to go fast, thats what you want.

 

[broke1]

Originally posted by denn454
how did i forget to mention the quadzilla lt500?

If you want to go fast, thats what you want.

Ive had one and all I have to say is dont beleive the hype

 

[Pats-GN]

Originally posted by broke1
Who needs reverse when you can do 100mph???

Good point!

 

[ponch]

I just purchased my first 4-wheeler today, will be bringing it home Tuesday. It is a 2003 Cannondale Cannibal stars and stripes addition. Here is a link to what one looks like. This one isn't mine though Click here

They are going for really good prices since Cannondale is no longer making them, But all the parts are still available from aftermarket or ATK. I bought mine for less than 3500 and it has about 40 hours on it. It is 440 cc, fuel injected, and electric start. Check out www.cannondaleriders.com for more info.

 

[darb]

If you haven't yet, take a look at the Yamaha 450. Will lay the smack down on the Raptor easily. My brother has one and just did a front sprocket change and intake/K&N mod and let me tell you...nothing on the market will feel like this thing. The thing revs to 10-11k rpms and pulls like train all the way there. When you hit the throttle on this thing, you better be ready for a violent reaction because this thing is scary! My brother races his and has since done suspension mods and so forth also. Stay away from the 2 strokes, they are on the way out, a thing of the past, unless you are just old school. The technology that today's 4 strokes have make them just as fast if not faster than a 2 stroke, but with superior reliability. Check what all the pros are riding. One of the last big races here in the east, 4 of the top 5 finshers were on the Yamaha 450. What else needs to be said? The pros pick what they ride, and it looks like they love the Yamaha 450. From my experience, and I have owned/ridden Honda 400 EX, Bombardier DS 650, Suzuki LT 500, Raptor, and on and on....
Nothing even comes close to the Yamaha 450. Test ride it and find out for yourself.

 

[mygrain]

I used to race an 88 honda 250R. I quit racing 2 years ago due to a few broken bones and started strictly trail riding. I sold my quad to buy a YZ426 dirtbike and fell in love with the engine. I just rode a yamaha 450 quad and they are awesome. The new honda 450R look pretty good too.

 

[murphster]

I just bought a Suzuki LZ400 Quadsport, same as the Kawasaki KFX 400. I looked at all the quads and wanted a good compromise between trail riding and jumping, etc. Reverse was a must.

I didn't need an all out race quad like the new 450 from Yamaha or the new 450 from Honda. These are about a $1,000 or more expensive and aren't needed if you aren't racing. I don't think the Honda has reverse either.

I looked at the Hondas such as the 300EX and 400EX but most people said they are outdated and not as fast without mods. Also, the 400EX doesn't have reverse and the 300EX is much slower and has poorer suspension.

The Banshees are fast, but are high maintenance from what I've heard. Banshee's are better suited for wide open spaces, from what I understand. The Raptors are good quads too, but are known for being top heavy in stock form, which in the end turned me away from them.

The Polaris Predator is nice, but Polaris is new to the sport quad scene so I stayed away from them based on some recomendations from friends. Not sure if it has reverse though, but I would consider it if there was a Polaris dealer closer to me.

The Bombardier is more of a dune quad and is very expensive and huge.

The Kawasaki V Force KFX 700 is fast and also automatic, but is very big. This quad is most similar to the Fourtrax of all the above and is one of the faster quads because of its huge engine. I thought it was too big for tight trails, but if that is not an issue this should be a consideration. Has a driveshaft, no chain, and easy to put in reverse from the handlegrip. Think of it as a fast Kawasaki Prairie with a sport suspension, which is basically what it is. The lighter body and tuned engine give it lots of speed. I wanted a lighter and more nimble quad more suited to racing, so thats why I went with the smaller 400 over this one.

The Suzuki LZ400 Quadsport/Kawasaki KFX 400 are known for their all-around handling (they are like a Honda 400EX, but faster and with reverse). They are not the fastest, but fast enough for me and have none of the issues of the other quads listed above. I could always put some mods on it to make faster down the road if need be.

I think I covered just about all the newer sport quads from the big 5 manufacturers. All of the other quads won't be much faster than your current quad. Hope this helps.

 

[REDS HOT AIR]

I hear lots of negatives about Raptors from people who havent owned one

as far as the 450 being faster ...lol easy fix

take a 450 and I'll take my rappy and after a few hours of trail riding lets see who's still comfy

the reverse is almost a must on a 400# bike but stock the rappy has a rev limiter in reverse but easy to bypass so you can spin your way out if you get stuck

2001 rators are known to have tranny problems all years are known for the starter clutch going out but there is an aftermarket one way for the starters now that fix that problem

the yamaha 450 is a bad azz bike and 50# lighter than a raptor which makes it slightly quicker off the showroom floor but thats easy to fix ..

and dont believe the top heavy part about rappys ...they may feel alil top heavy but are very stable... the only way they flip real easy is over backwards when you nail the throttle

 

[Audiowizard]

Originally posted by murphster

The Banshees are fast, but are high maintenance from what I've heard.

Not sure where you heard that about high maintenance but that is not really true! I have not had any problems with mine and it is modded. I re-jetted my carbs/syncronized them after the mods and that is it other than keeping it clean and new plugs every season. I have also talked to other local Banshee owners that have not had any bad issues with them other than traction problems! LOL

Now 2 strokes may require a little more maintenance than 4 strokes but the Banshees are no worse or better than any other ATV/motorcycle out on the market. It also depends on how hard you are on them which will require maintenance if you break something!