s7jstep1

possibly in the next year or so i would like to get another quad. i currently have a 1986 polaris trailboss. its nothing special but its still fun to ride. for the new quad id like to get something that does good on the trails but can also handle jumps. i thought of a trx450 but i dont know how well it would do on the jeep trails and logging roads pluseven the older onesare still pretty expensive. any suggestions?im partial to honda and polaris. i dont mind suzuki and kawasaki but the only yamaha i think i woud ever own is a banshee.</p>

ATVFMX

if u want a great trail quad try to find a used Suzuki LT-Z400......it will be cheaper than a trx and it  has reverse....make sure to get a 2005+.....if u have more $$ there are alot of options but would probably be overkill for jeep trails.....i have a Z400 and a R450 and the Z is alot more fun on trails...i even raced it in the last GNCC

hands without shadows

I love my 2005 TRX450R to death but............dont get one if you ride really rough trails. There is no reverse and first gear is somewhat high. It excels on maintained trails but it will suck on muddy deeply rutted jeep trails. All 2wd sport atvs suck at those but at least 400's have reverse. If you want one be prepared to do some maintenance too. Oil changes and valve adjustments should be done on time but they are easy to do and dont take long after the second or third time.</p>

My brother has a LT-Z400 and I like the TRX450R a lot better. The suspension and power is a world of difference. If you want to go really fast you should get a 450. If you want to go decently fast and be comfortable get a 400.</p>

mattykane

My Feedback: (10)

I owned an LTZ400 before. i have ridden a trx 450.. they are designed for a little different riding styles. the ltz 400 came out before the whole 4 stroke 450 craze came along. the suzuki ltz 400 and the kawasaki kfx400 are both the same maching (ones green ones yellow or white.) but they are liquid cooled and they have reverse which makes them very nice trail machines. and they have plenty of get up and go. the trx 450 is designed a little more with the racer in mind. for trail riding the ltz 400 would more than suit your needs. it still goes around 60-65 stock

s7jstep1

okay guys. thanks for the input. when the time comes, it looks like ill be getting either a ltz or kfx 400. i found a 2003kfx 400 on the local craigslist for $2700 OBO. it has aftermarket handlebars, 13 tooth front sproket, K&amp;N air filter, an extra set of tires and rims(sand tires), and a saddle bag that goes over the gas tank. i doubt ill get it but it still give me an idea of how much i can expect to pay.

hands without shadows

I would buy Suzuki over Kawasaki. I know its the same bike but people are brand loyal, and there are a lot more people loyal to Suzuki than Kawasaki. I know around here the resale value is drastically different.

s7jstep1

i dont know it doesnt matter really to me. i dont mind kawasaki. we just got a new kawi dealer in town so that may be a plus(we have no suzuki dealer) . i dont have enough money right now anyway so the one i found will probably sell before then. im just going to start saving my money and wait til i find a good deal at the dealer or on craigslist (dealer sells more than just kawi). i was watching videos on youtube and the kfx and ltz 400 both look like they will do just fine for me. at first i wanted something like a king quad or sportsman but i think i might get a little more enjoyment out of something a little more nimble.

ATVFMX

they did alot of changes to the Z400 for 2005 so get a 2005+ if u can......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWwMA8JRCWo
heres mine before a few mods to get ready for a gncc....</p>

madmax22

Kawasaki KFX400... get like an 05' i have one and its insane! K&amp;N aifilter is all you need and some new tires... the new 450's are sick though!

J.D.T

I am holding out for a 450, I like the yamaha's best of the honda, kawa and yamaha, I got a guy that wants to ride the banshee so I will get a chance to ride his suzuki in the next couple weeks. I would love to try a ds 450 from can am but not alot of them around here yet, and riding around in the grass at the dealer only shows you so much. </p>

ryansiki

Try and get some sort of Yamaha. I always heard great things about them.

madmax22

my friend has the Raptor 350 with a power core 4 pipe, jets and tires and it still cant touch my KFX... IMO i dont like 2 stroke quads they never seem to work when you want... The Raptor 660 looks nasty i want to ride one.

Mr. Mugen

4 stroke race quads are grea until they blow up....looking at about $2,000.00 to rebuild....esp the 5 valve engines. 2 of my close friends are learning that the hard way right now. The only thing about 2 strokes that people don't like (they won't admit it but it's true 99% of the time) is they require that you actually maintain them. That being said I clean my air filter each and every time I ride. I change the oil in the crankcase each 2 rides. Oil changes cost 2 bucks and oil filter clean and oil job runs about 15 minutes and 10 cents worth of filter oil. As long as you keep em clean...they will run forever. My 1988 250R has been rebuilt 3 times since 88.....it has been through about 15 sets of tires, 2 shock rebuilds....the list goes on. Take care of them and they will give you hours of REAL fun. Oh and when they do blow up....try about 100 bucks for a top end and 250 for a bottom end. Sure seems like a small price to pay compared to 2 grand for a thumper which is only meant to get 100 hours out of a rebuild.

Kevin

hands without shadows

Kevin, I'm hearing that more and more and it really is true. All my buddies that have been racing for awhile say their new "more reliable" 4 strokes require just as much teardown and rebuild as their old 2 strokes, at a higher cost because of the valvetrain.</p>

450 4 stroke can be kind of a gamble. Its got a higher chance of blowing up and it will be expensive when it goes. 400's seem to last forever if maintained.</p>

Mr. Mugen

When these "majic" thumpers came out everyone thought they were the sizzz. I didn't buy into it and now know why. I have rebuilt my 2 strokes in under an hour.......try that with any 4 stroke top end....not gonna happen. Oh and try it for under 100 bucks! Good luck with that too. If you look on craigslist you can find lots of blown up thumpers from 2000-present for under a thousand bucks. No kidding, a guy I know just bought a 2007 yzf450 for 500 bucks that is blown up. He thought man what a deal...all I have to do is......COME UP WITH 3 GRAND!!?????? It needs a new motor basically. So he will have 3500.00 plus tires, brakes, bars, bearings, seals,.......could buy a new one for just above what he'll have into this pit.

Kevin