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4x4 Sport Quad

The Yamaha wolverine went to 450 in like 2006, and went belt driven full auto at the same time.
The can-am renegade would be about the only other non utility 4x4 I know of. It's pretty much a sport quad.
If I bought a new one, that's what it'd be myself.
I had both versions of the wolverine and absolutely loved both. I rode with guys with a whole range of different types of quads and was never left wishing I had one of theirs.
 
A raptor has been a lust of mine since they first came out. I’d love to grab a 660 or 700 but those are out of the price range and honestly, I just don’t need that kinda quad. I just want something fun to toss around that’ll scare me every once in a while and get the adrenaline going.
 
Sounds like a good goal. Problem is the 6’ thing lol. The 400ex is affordable if you aren’t after a new one. Just after that might be a Suzuki/Kaw 400. The latter having reverse from the start.

Otherwise some of those “sport” 4x4s are affordable because they might not be highly sot after. Just don’t expect to grow and advance on it. (Like my warrior, become quickly apparent no mater the mods, it won’t be that “other” one)
 
My brother had one of those Suzuki LTZ450 with the EFI, was pretty fast, he liked it. He put nitrous on it for a short time and had a tuner module he plugged in than gave it more power with fuel/timing changes. Was a nice ride.

My BiL is in love with his Honda 450R, has it all hopped up on race gas but now that we are over 40 he rides his Turbo RZR and the quad just sits there all the time, he's keeping it for when his son gets a little older.

No one mentioned it yet, if you like Polaris, my neighbor had a Polaris Predator 500, was an interesting sport machine, manual trans, looked fast and fun but I never rode it.

The race gas 450 smoked it, but then again the 450 also smoked the Suzuki 500 Quadzilla (2 stroke), and the 660 raptor. I got on a stock 400 once, was a pig at the dunes, that's when I realized how much faster his souped up 450 was. The quadzilla was not slow, when it got on the pipe it would gradually pick the wheels in 3rd gear!

The 450R was lowered, lengthened swing arm, widened A arms, ported head, different cam, high compression piston, larger carb, etc. Was fun.
 
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The Polaris predator is on my list but it’s a rare bird to find. Had a line on one and it was gone before I got there. The ltz400 is also on my list. Found one in north Houston for $2300 the guy says is running and just needs aesthetics done to it. If it’s still there when I get back from my trip next week I may make a road trip.
 
Predators are crappy from what I've heard. The Suzuki is a good quad. The guy I work with used to race quads and said they were good. Only thing they had was the timing chain would get a little rattley. He said they are cheap and not bad to change.
 
He also said the Suzuki has more power than a 400ex and has reverse and liquid cooled. I guess there's a kawasaki and artic cat that are also the same as the Suzuki but they all just ran different plastics.
 
Yeah, they shared the platform. The Zuk is a good bike. The one with fuel injection is an LTZ450 I think it’s called. Came out during the late 2000 to battle all the rest. Badass bike from factory, first to have EFI.

And yes, we 450R owners love them. Mine is first year ‘04, kickstarts rule :D
 
What about the warriors? Everything I’ve read and seen on them says they are great bikes. Manual with electric start and reverse. Plenty of aftermarket love.
 
centexk5 said:
What about the warriors? Everything I’ve read and seen on them says they are great bikes. Manual with electric start and reverse. Plenty of aftermarket love.
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my buddy has 2 of the 350 warriors. he is hoping to replace them with Honda 250ex auto/shaft drive bikes. I'm not sure I would do that, but he seems to be looking into that change.

I get off my 400ex Honda, and the warrior 350 seems low to the ground and underpowered. it putts around fine, but runs out of top end very quickly in comparison to my 400. they DO have reverse, and that is nice... and both of his bikes seem to track much straighter and stay on course better when running down a dirt road. not sure why my Honda seems to be wandering / hunting for its own lines sometimes? but maaaan is that 400 a fun bike.

recently my buddy was following me on his XR650 -he tells me, "we don't always need to be riding flat out"... I was in final gear, but definitely not opened up all the way. I was like "if a 2 wheeler is behind me I always feel like I'm going to be holding up the train..."

I let him ride it, and he was like "what the hell, why is that so much more power than my wife's 350 banshee???" (because... HONDA. that's why)
 
I had to buy a cooler rack, and build a platform for the back that i could bolt a carrier to - holds three of the plastic 50 cal ammo cans. weighs nothing when they are empty, and gives me something to put extra goggles and water/ tools/ rocks into when i need some space.

My old 3 wheeler may have given this bike a run for its money, but this was probably a good move. Its a lot faster than any of the quads in my group of extended friends. really only gets used around Joshua tree in the desert. its not the best choice for some of the rocky trails, but you CAN throw these around. I have had it up and down trails where it had no business being, and been able to slip the clutch and bounce up and down rocks as needed so far - suprised myself on the last ride - up a nasty rocky single track that was trying to make me wheelie and throw me over backward and down the hill... somehow got up that on the first run and kept my spine intact - the xr650 with a better rider than I got stuck and had issues getting going again 1/2 way up that.

If i go for a ride for a couple hours, and especially when I go exploring, I will wish and want for a reverse gear at least once in that ride. Oh well, my pockets aren't deep enough to switch ponies any time soon.

It puts out a lot of light for what it is... after dusk, I end up riding behind and slightly off the side of my buddy's dirt bike so he can see the road. i had it on low beam while it was idling in the photo below- just thought the photo with the sky in the background looked cool.


the oil tank on the front of these bikes is a broken part waiting to happen really disappointed in Honda for trying to weld a bung for a 14mm drain bolt to coke can, and expecting it to hold up. when tried to remove the drain plug it ripped the bottom of the tank off instead. took 10 months to get an aftermarket replacement, but weak link fixed now and back to riding.

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Still looking around but I’m gonna check out a warrior on Sunday. See how I fit and feel on it. Missed a 400ex for $1500 a couple of days ago by about 30mins.
 
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Needs new tires and a tune up. To bad I fly out at 8am tomorrow and don’t come back until 9pm Friday. Oh well. Pay day is Thursday so I’ll be shopping at the airport.
 
Those tires are pretty nice for a cruiser if they aren’t dry rotted. Pliable, smooth riding and 22”. If you don’t mind losing the ground clearance, 20s are a better tire for getting aggressive.

That looks exactly like my first bike. Drop to 20s, gear up one tooth on trans side, throw a JE piston and cam, she wakes up for a warrior. Or leave it, kinda slow but good trail quads.
 
Those tires are garbage. The fronts are so flat they’ve split the sidewalls and the rears barely held air long enough to get it in the garage.

Tried to get it to start today but no go. Spins well and has good compression. Tank shut off was leaking pretty good. Tank was bone dry when I got it and I don’t know what shape the carb is in. The carb is missing the side cover on it. Clutch handle wouldn’t move at first but got it freed up. Gears seems to shift ok. Going to buy a carb kit, plug, oil, air filter, tank shut off, new fuel line and filter, battery, check the valves, and try to get her to start. Then it’s on to tires and greasing the fittings and cleaning and lubing the chain.
 
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Carb was dirty. Had to pull the needle out with pliers. Got a new carb, plug, oil filter, fuel filter, fuel line, throttle cable, clutch cable, seat cover, air filter, and fuel shutoff valve rebuild kit coming. May have it fired this weekend. Next payday I’m buying tires. Then all 3 quads will be ready for their first family outing.
 
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