trx250R,400ex,Z400,Lt250R

[smokinwrench]

I have been thinking about buying a used quad. It will be in the $3000 price range. I have noticed tons of 250R's on ebay, if everyone is selling them than I would think that something out there has to be better. Since most of them look like they have been on the track.

It will be used mainly for trail riding in the sand. I hope to start running a few harescrambles in the future.

What would you buy on this budget for a performance quad. I will not buy a banshee ( I don't want to mess with 2 carbs and cylinders).

Can someone please give me there experience with these quads I have listed it seems those are about my only choices in the price range I have.

Thanks
Josh

[ATC crazy]

400EX's are pretty much the best for Harescrambling and all around fun trail riding. They are dead reliable, and offer a ton of aftermarket products for when you need more power. But the 400EX's handling is what really stands out in the woods.

[Rod]

I agree with atc crazy. I have an 03 400ex & it works great in the woods & the sand. With the new 450's coming out you can find killer deals on the ex.

[200xer]

you can easily find a used 400ex for about or a lil over 3,000 now. The prices have dropped greatly with the newer quads out. Once I can get some money together I'm going to look into getting one.

[J.D.]

I will not buy a banshee ( I don't want to mess with 2 carbs and cylinders).


My vote is for the Banshee. You can buy a manifold for 295.00 that will convert the Banshee from a dual-carb setup to a single-carb setup.

[ATC crazy]

But you will still have 2 cyllinders (double the price for any internal parts/rebuilds) and 2 pipes (double the cost....I've seen some for $800 :shock: ), Not to mention the poor handling and suspension which are the key players in the woods.

[kfx400]

smokin, i have had my kfx 400 for a year now. no problems at all and i tend to abuse it at times, with the mods that are on it (with out going into the motor) its runs very well. i have a co-worker that has the bike version of this engine and he has 17,000 + miles on original internal components. he is not easy on things either. i can't say anything about a 400 ex but reverse is a nice thing to have. honda does have a nice reputation for reliability but from being on some drz (bike version) web groups, it seems that the 400 is bulletproof. my 2.5 cents worth. :)

[Manny55]

ATC-crazy the banshee has awesome handling

[SpeedBump]

ATC-crazy the banshee has awesome handling ??????????????????????????? After that statement you should look like this :oops:

[Manny55]

Look like what?? lol

[Wickedfinger]

... don't rule out the old LT250R. They make for truely great woods machines and handle as good as the R or 400EX.

[ATC crazy]

ATC-crazy the banshee has awesome handling

There is no way in the world that anyone is going to convince me that the Banshee handles "good"

[smokinwrench]

All I asked was an honest question about what quad handles good that I could purchase for around $3000. I wanted this info from people who have actually owned some of the quads listed. Not info from a bunch of guys who have never owned the listed quads.

Hey Wickedfinger is the LT250R easy to find parts for? Will it run with a TRX250R? The reason I ask is I know where on is at for sale it is an 89 model and he will put a brand new top end on it when it sells. The plastic is in good shape and the entire machine looks good.

Thanks
Josh

[ATC crazy]

Well, I havn't owned any of these, but I have had plenty of seat time on them. The 400EX, 300EX, and Warrior are all great for woods riding. They handle great and are small enough to squeez through the tighter trials. They are all easy to find in the $3k range too...

[YTZ250#1]

The 400 ex is great for any type of riding,and the Z OR KFX is rite with it
with a few extra features.I have to agree with Crazy about the banshee
they don't handle for crap in the woods.Also stay away from the lt250
everyone of my friends that had one had major problems with them.
The trx250r is good but can be finiky and has a tendancy to use more fuel
than the thumpers.If it were me I would get the EX (best handling and
least expensive)

[TimSr]

The 400EX is about the best bang for the buck right now. New quads, but yestredays news, and priced accordingly. 250R is great too, but way overpriced, and unless you find a real bargain on one, and are a die hard two stroke guy (like me). For woods riding, if you are setup right, youll be happy with either one, just a matter of preference, but of course with the 400EX being a newer model, chances of the parts you need being on the dealer shelf are better.
Ive got a lot of respect for the LT250R, and they are great running quads. A guy in my class races one. Only problem there is youre digging up a relic, and youll have to order and wait on virtually every part you need. This guy missed a lot of races waiting on parts.
My buddy had a Tecate4 too, and it had quite impressive low end for a two stroke, but I didnt think it handled as well as my R. It was dead when he got it, had to replace the stator (surprise, surprise). Also he had teh same parts problems as the LT250R guy.
Id consider the Warrior too, especially if you want some money left over.
Id take the Z400 over any in the title, but youre not going to find one for 3K. Even if I hated them, Id buy one for that price!

[smokinwrench]

Thanks for the info TimSr, that is the kindo info I have been wanting.

The Warrior is to low powered for sand. I should have mentioned the trails I ride are sand. I have rode with a few Warriors and they are always at the very back of the pack and we even find a few spots they just can't make it up.

I am leaning more towards a trx250r since I love the quick power of the 2 stroke. Our local dealer will have to order about every part any way so it won't matter what I buy. The 400ex and 250r seem to be priced about the same. Only problem is the 400 is 10 years newer

The Lt250R is alot cheaper than the rest of the quads I have seen.

Josh

[Rod]

My buddy had a lt250 & loved it. He didnt have to hard of a time finding parts at all. They keep up with a 250r pretty well. They aren't quite as fast but they do pretty good.

[NOS_350X]

you could also buy a blaster and modd the he11 outa it. a modded blaster could keep up with any of the ones listed

[bigred110]

Their's a company that makes a big bore kit for blaster. It makes into a 240cc blaster.

[smokinwrench]

you could also buy a blaster and modd the he11 outa it. a modded blaster could keep up with any of the ones listed

I never mentioned a Blaster! Maybe you should wake up and smell the flowers you stole. J/K ;)

Josh

[250rmanfmf]

thats another bike, the blaster, its cheap and you can mod it to get more power. TRX250r though has the best handling suspension of any quad stock. It is a nice suspension, also It is fast and has a lot of hp. The reason why you are seeing a lot of 250r's for sale, isn't because there not fast or good, it is just because people go in and out of the sport.

since you ride in the sand a 2-stroke will probably be best for you. from experience the TRX 250r, and Blaster would be your best bet. if you go with the blaster you can get a stock one or even a modified one for $2,000-2,500. and you can have some extra cash.

[NOS_350X]

Their's a company that makes a big bore kit for blaster. It makes into a 240cc blaster.

there are many companys that make bigbore kits for blasters.

"I never mentioned a Blaster! Maybe you should wake up and smell the flowers you stole. J/K "

i stole them from a cemtary ;) i know the blaster wasnt mentioned i was reminding you more so. dont rule out bikes like that. you can get killer deals on them and like i said modd the he11 outa them so they can keep up with all the ones mentioned

[smokinwrench]

If I wanted a Blaster I would have listed it. Maybe if I rode tight wooded trails it would be ok, not for wide open sand trails. End of story.

Josh

[250rmanfmf]

TRX 250R is what you need. End of story.

Trx will perform better in the sand than any of the bikes you list. I have a 250r and I drag them. best handling and best speed.