Advice on a Yamaha Warrior?

[skypilot]

Looking to buy a decent quad, been riding for years, and looking for a good clean sport bike. I have been thinking about a 400ex, but recently came across a clean yamaha 350 warrior. What can ya'll tell me about these wheelers? Are they any good? What do I need to watch for? I sold my 250es big red, and I'm going back to 4 wheelers, mainly for the parts availability. I have owned utility quads, but most are boring unless you sink $$$$$ to play in the mud, and usually lose money. So asking the gurus on here for advice, what would be a good sport quad for me? Don't do motocross, just trailride mostly, like to go fast sometimes! I'm 6'2'' and 280lbs, so i'm no tiny tim! Don't care about going 80mph, just fun, fast, trailriding.

[UI Vandal]

Important part...budget. If you can afford a 400ex, go that route. The Warrior is a little closer to a 300ex in ability/size than a 400ex. Warrior has a bit more punch but is also a bit heavier compared to a 300ex. Since you can find 400ex's for around $2k they are a good buy. At 6'2" I'd would save up for a couple pays to afford a 400ex over a Warrior, it is more "Sky Pilot" sized.

Warriors are pretty reliable and easily found. It is considered to have a slightly "heavier" feeling when it comes to handling (again compared to the ultimate tight trail machine 300ex). The Warriors are an older design compared to the 400ex but similar to the 300ex. Some people consider them lacking in the suspension department. Either route you go you will probably have fun!

[skypilot]

Thanks, I appreciate the advice, I can find a 400ex around 2k in east texas, just didn't know about the warrior! I am on a budget, so i will keep my mind open to all possibilities, would prefer a honda(see avatar) but for the right quad i would switch. I do see warriors that are clean going for around $1000- to $1500.

[Mr_RPM]

IMHO Yamaha warriors are one of the worst quads ever built! I owned 2 and at the same time a neighbor owned one. They all had ALOT of electrical problems as many Yamahas do but they were much worse, starters, stators, CDIs, all very expensive parts that break randomly.

all these warriors were in good shape and we had plenty of fun on them, but it just seems they were always broken and needed 150-200 bucks each time.
I had a stator go out the day before a big dune trip. it was horrible.

either way your budget goes, either get a 400ex or 300ex. I also owned a 400ex and it was a night and day difference. ALL AROUND better quad, it just lacked reverse since it was a 2001. if your budget is low then get a 300ex. as good as a warrior without all the BS.

Some people have good luck with warriors id imagine but i have yet to see a decent one thats reliable.
I have one in my barn right now from a buddy/costumer and it is having an issue with a rod knock and the cylinoid is bad. again this is also a very clean bike and the owners baby all their stuff, the OEM tires still look new.

I owned a 1987 (1988?) and a 1999 (one in the picture) and my neighbor had a 2001.
all 3 had starter problems, the yellow one had MANY stator problems, and my buddies 2001 needed a CDI box just to list a few

[buster-717]

hes right about the problems,ive own two . the 400 are the way to go for a trail quad.ethier a honda or the suzuki/kawasaki z400 their both the same quad.

[skypilot]

Hey thanks, heard about yami's havin electrical problems on the warrior, just didn't want to come out and bash them to begin with, this is the kinda info i need! Do you think the 300ex would have enough power for me at my size? I don't want a quad that will squat bad with me on it, kinda embarrassing.... I had a 200x that was bad about that! Was really lookin for nothin smaller than a 350-400cc!

[Mr_RPM]

hmmm, well at 280 LBS and being a tall guy at 6'2" the 300ex will feel a bit small, nothing like a 200x but still.
I have a friend who is 300 and he makes his raptor 660 squat a little.

I think almost any sport quad will sit a little low with 280LBS, but some worse then others. If your really worried about it then try to find something with adjustable rear shocks.
But I dont think a 300ex will be much worse then a warrior or 400ex.
But i recommend waiting out for a 400ex, probably in the top 5 for good bang for your buck on my list.
the 400 will have much more power then the 300 or warrior and wont mind your weight so much. and out of the 3, it probably has the most adjustable shock, im not sure.

the z400 is a great quad too, just a bit pricier in general

[4cylinders]

hey, warriors look nice parked in the garage, just don't ride them. save your money, buy a 450r.

[tommerp]

Well, my '03 Warrior has never had an issue at all - Bought it from a grandpa that gave the grand kids rides around the cottage. I've ridden it very hard ( and I'm 6'1" and 300lbs) and it seems to pull my fat trailprotrailprotrailprotrailprotrailpro around without any troubles. I haven't been on said above machines, but this Warrior seems very solid. (Maybe I got lucky though :P )

Just my 2cts

[oldskool83]

Everyone i met who had a warrior when they saw my 300ex wanted to trade...whats they tell ya. a warrior is about 40lbs heaver then a 300ex, both have revirse but id neverbuy a yamaha cuz of their pain the the butt chain tensioner adjustment. its a junk design. more upgrades for a 300ex.

400ex is nice power. im 5'6" 135lbs an ride a 400ex now, it blows the 300ex outta the water. mines only got a slip on, k&n filter and open airbox for engine mods that i know of. i got my 02 400ex for $1600. people what for 15 year old warriors. my buddy for a 05 400ex with 2K with full lard pipe, nerfs, pro taper bars, hiper rear dual beadlocks, 450R shocks and full skid plates.....


get a 400ex and be done with it. my buddy and i both upgraded to them, even got same colors again.

and dont buy a 450r for a trail rider. 400ex motor is basicly same as a xr400 dirtbike. air cooled 4 stroke is as reaiable as u can ask for. trail riders dont want high performace money hungry machines.

kinda wished honda made a 500ex to have even little more grunt.

i want to add you said u had a 200x, my 300ex felt alot like my 1st gen 200x, high bars, low rear end. 400ex sits maybe 3-4 inches taller. has lighter steering up front then a 300ex, turns alot better and is at least an inch longer then a 300ex. i got some super tight spots on my woods track we built...46" between trees at some spots and i can really move better in the woods on the 400 then the 300 and my 300 was same width as the 400.

[spoon]

I had a 96 warrior and raced it GNCC for a year. Didnt ever win a trophy but it did finish every race. The warrior has a reverse that is easier to handle than the yoga move you have to do with the honda.
My warrior sat for over a year untouched and it fired up in 5 seconds when I got back on it.

THe chain tensionor is crap, hardly any aftermarket parts, and just not popular with the cool kids.

I like them though and would own again, if you cant find a Honda in your range, then go for a warrior.

I would also highly recommend the Yamaha Wolverine. Same motor but 4x4 and auto clutch.

My brother smoked me on a wolverine vs warrior drag race.

I dont think you could go wrong with either choice you make.

[Jerm1179]

i had a 01 warrior...beat the snot out of it...never let me down once...BUT if Honda would have put reverse in the 400ex back then i never would have bought the warrior to begin with.

[skypilot]

Hey. thanks for the comments, anybody else? Feel free to chime in! Sounds like it's split down the middle right now, i know their are more aftermarket accessories for the 400ex, so that's a plus! I just see warriors everywhere in east texas for sale, made me curious, as most are real clean...... and cheap..... guess that says something..... also considered a polaris scrambler 500, it's a two stroke, so don't know about trail riding, but it is a sport oriented 4x4, anybody owned one?

[oldskool83]

scramblers are big!!!!!! the newer ones are 4 stroke i belive. i was going to buy one for my g/f, she liked them but shes not picky too much. i dont like their suspension design and droopy rear end.

id look for something that can sell easy if you ever need to sell it

[skypilot]

Gotcha brother, will consider it...... you are a wise grasshoppa!

[Jerm1179]

im pretty sure the 400 Scramblers were 2strokes and the newer 500s are like oldskool said 4strokes
kinda clunky feeling to me...

[Mr_RPM]

im pretty sure the 400 Scramblers were 2strokes and the newer 500s are like oldskool said 4strokes
kinda clunky feeling to me...

yep, the 400s are 2-stroke and the 500s are 4-stroke.

about someone saying they wanted a 500ex, well honda does make a 700xx....pretty much one of the best trail rigs as far as fast and rear wheel drive.
with its tall tires and IRS it will go over anything and they are pretty damn quick. Id compare it to a 660r in a strait line. But also very heavy and still new so they are expensive still.

if your looking for a cheap, fun, trail rider that has a great bang for your buck, then how about a clean Blaster? super light, Very cheap, Just as fast as a warrior or 300ex (sometimes faster).

oh yeah I forgot your worried about size due to your hight and weight

[oldskool83]

that wsa me saying they should make a 500ex lol. 700xx dont apeal to me. blasters....oh god. unless they got upgraded suspension and get a +4 axle and +2 arms they are no good. we got a 2000 stocker. front brakes are ok, rears were junk, had HRE mod on YFZ450r stuff. blaster is just too tippy and tiny for me and im 5'6". i thiunk the guy wanting a dif quad was over 6ft tall. blaster is zippy ill give it that, but the motor would be much better in a 300ex chassis.

[Mr_RPM]

Im not as impressed with the 300ex chassis as you are, I like the fun small size of the blaster. once your at the close to full size of a 300ex, it needs more power.
like a 110 engine in a 200x...
But i agree blaster do suck, till you ride one and get passed the embarrassment of riding a blaster =P But I wouldn't buy one.

To the OP, my choice still stands, 400ex is the way to go for the $$$

[trikes4life]

In my area you can get an 00-04 warrior for 1200 ex same year 400ex 1700. the revers on the Yamaha the reliability of the Honda

[BigGreenMachine]

The Warrior is no 400ex. Not even comparable in performance. If you can get one for your price range in good shape then go that route and never look back.

[skypilot]

Thanks again guys, anyone else have any suggestions, want to buy one and be ready to ride before spring gets here!

[trikes4life]

Keep your eyes open, i seen a 450r in the paper in my area for 700 bucks but had a cracked piston. never no what your going to find. And my buddy also found a left over z400 from 04 left over he got it for 2100. Deals are around just have money in hand.

[oldskool83]

id say its those 3 like we all been saying. least 400ex as alum swingarm which isless parts to worry about paint and rusting. my only issues with the 400ex is the lack of a removable grab bar...so mine is going to get my wide baja bar from my 300ex welded in place...simple mod but. besides that no complaints...and it got good ground cleance. 7" of snow last nite i could climb any hill i tried.

there is a majove 250 but they kinda not popular, the z400 and kfx400 but they are more for some reason alot more then a nice modded 400ex.

[k00leo]

Look for an 2005+ 400ex.

in 05 i believe they added reverse to the 400ex

[z400guy28]

A few of my buddies had warriors one bought his with a bad starter.The other with a bad carb boot, and something wrong with the rear brake.They both fix them with new parts and the only real problems were the brakes went out on the other warrior and both had to replace carb boots every few months. Other than that they were great on the trails and would keep up no problem with my Z 400. But for your size i would go with the extra 50cc's and go with the 400ex. I'm a die hard yamaha fan but the 400ex in my opinion is a better quad. I've also heard the rear shocks on the warrior seem to go pretty quick and or need to be rebuilt more often than other sport quads.

[skypilot]

Wow, what a plethora of information, my head is spinning! Thanks for all the comments, never dreamed i'd get 2 pages so far of stuff! A 400ex is looking better everyday!

[Mr_RPM]

I see alot of cheap raptor 660s too, I like em. still have some Yamaha touches, my friend has one new from 2005 off the show room and its stock and has always been a beast even after we upgraded to 450s and banshees.

he did have a stator go bad....and they are known for one way clutch problems. also the 2001s had tranny problems and need a upgrade if it hasent been already.
but its always fun to ride and feel the low end wrath of a big bore quad.
I see them for 1800-2200 all the time. now that would be a great quad for pulling your weight. no replacement for displacement ;)

[oldskool83]

my buddy is not going thru this same issue. he wanted me 300ex, has a fe we bucks and now is dead set on a raptor 660...im not a fan of them but ill take him to go look at it. just not sure why he feels he needs that for his 1st quad....must be a testostrione thing cuz hes not that big lol.

[bansheekx]

The 400ex is one of the most reliable sport quads made and you can not go wrong if you buy one that is in good shape. That being said if you can find a good 660 or 700 raptor for a price you can afford they are one of the best trail quads for big guys. Lots of low end power, comfy suspension, reverse and alot of aftermarket support. As said before the Z400 is a real good option as well and are almost as reliable as the honda.

[swampthang]

Ive riden alot of warriors and I felt really cramped on them im 6'3'' 220lb. I think the weight limit on the warrior is like 230lb from what i remember about the sticker on the rear fenders. Seem down on power from there 2 valve head. Reverse is nice. 6 speed is nice for cruising prolly goes around 60mph depending on tire size. Nice trail bike for someone coming from a utility background. Ive seen really nice warriors sell for around $1000. Ive had 3 400ex's MUCH better quad more power then the warrior will ever have with all the bolt ons. Newer ones have reverse too but mine dont and it doesnt realy bother me but it would be nice to have. More room and much better suspension. Ive seen nice 400ex's go for around $1500. What most people dont think about is there are so many warriors and 400ex's out there that its hard to sell them fast because theres so many to shop around for and pick from so a over priced atv will not sell. Most people can be talked down on there price if there way out of line just walk away there many out there to pick from.

[mikeds03]

i have 4 warriors and not 1 problem at all with any well one needed a starter 38 dollar fix we ride hard for 5-6 hours at a time with 6 people and 4 quads they get used alot i was thinking about 400ex but iv had yamaha my whole life i love mine but every one has there opinion

[H95Shooter]

the only reason i got a warrior was it was only 750 bucks and its a 96

[skypilot]

Go guys, keep posting the info! I'm trying hard to to be brand biased!

[R-N-D]

I have an 02' Warrior and I beat the snot out of it. Other than having to replace or repair things due to my neglect of this machine, I've had zero issues with it. As someone posted earlier, I had it sit for months on end without a start and I'd come back to fire it up and No Issues at all. Yes, it is heavier but very reliable and my buddy has a Suzuki 400Z and I can keep up with him pretty well. Not like I'm going to ever beat him in a race but it can keep up. I've got some pretty good aftermarket parts on it as well. Great trail machine I might add.

[oldskool83]

why dont u just go look at a few dif ones, take it for a ride see what ya like.

[skypilot]

That's what I'll do!

[spoon]

Well what did you decide on if any?

[bugler30]

just picked up my 400ex for 1000 rode it around a little last night and the power blows even my 350x away. I've ridden a warrior and wasn't that impressed, I'm 6'0 and 270. If you are wanting something for you as a rider hold out for a 400ex deals come up from time to time especially if you have some mechanical ability. Just be patient and wait for the RIGHT deal.

[swifty]

warrior has decent power but is heavy and like riding a brick! the suzuki z400 would be the best choice id say, 300ex is not much more power full than a 200x so skip that all togeher, 400ex is decent good power but need to buy a 05 or newer for reverse .....heres the deal if you want to only spend $1,000 buy a warrior if you want to spend $2,000 buy a z400 or 400ex if you want to go 40 mph and look like a monkey fking a football buy a 300ex

[skypilot]

Well, I'm still looking for the right one, i'm gonna buy one with my tax return!! Seems like the 400ex is the way to go if i want a good sport quad that is easy to upgrade and add aftermarket parts. Plenty of parts availability and these quads seem to be reliable. I wish i could find one to ride before i buy though, i know i can test drive one at time of purchase, but that's not a real shakedown ride..... I'm looking to spend $1500.00-$2000.00 tops.....