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dieseltwodoor

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hey all
just getting interested in the sport quad world. I am looking to get into a good sport quad. I have ridden a ltr450 and really liked it. I dont know much about the other sport quads by yam, kaw, honda. Wondering if you could help me out with how they compare.

ps
I ride sleds and street bikes and I am not an idiot, so please don't recommend that I start out with a 250 and work my way up:)
 

sledneck48

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Where would you ride, have you ridden quads much before, would you be looking into racing, etc. other than that the LTR is a great quad but pretty high maitnence and wasn't really made for trail riding, hondas 450 seems to be pretty bulletproof. my 2cents
 

chopshop

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hey all
just getting interested in the sport quad world. I am looking to get into a good sport quad. I have ridden a ltr450 and really liked it. I dont know much about the other sport quads by yam, kaw, honda. Wondering if you could help me out with how they compare.

ps
I ride sleds and street bikes and I am not an idiot, so please don't recommend that I start out with a 250 and work my way up:)

I have a YFZ 450 and love it. for years they have been untouched. In the last year only the KTM 450 has been able to keep up (STOCK X STOCK). In all the mags published all shootouts in the 450 class the YFZ 450 is very well rounded, And im not being biassed because I own one I think all people that ride one or have a buddy that rides one would agree with me. Good luck
 

ZEDNECK

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hey all
just getting interested in the sport quad world. I am looking to get into a good sport quad. I have ridden a ltr450 and really liked it. I dont know much about the other sport quads by yam, kaw, honda. Wondering if you could help me out with how they compare.

ps
I ride sleds and street bikes and I am not an idiot, so please don't recommend that I start out with a 250 and work my way up:)

i would go with a Can Am ds 450 or the ktm 450 or 525 (95 mph or something like that) the honda has kind of fell behind performance wise in the last couple years but the reliability you get out of a honda is second to none and the mods that are available are unbelievable. the ltr is mostly for the track. the kawi is bottom of the pack for 450s. the new yfz450r is supposed to be one crazy quad but is pricey. the polaris is just a polaris with a ktm motor and the 525 has IRS. all these quads have there downfalls but the one with the least amount of flaws is the DS 450 plus there is 3 different packages you can get the quad in. the frame has no weak spots because there are no welds in it. plus you get the rotax motor. the ktm would be a close second for me mostly because the ktm is a very well built motor that is built in austria and ktm really stands behind their products and the 525 is stupid fast and the kind of quad that has enough power and would not need to be modded up and the ktm 450 took top spot in the 2009 dirt wheels 450 shootout. so for me it would go:
1. Can Am DS 450
2. KTM XC 525/Polaris Outlaw 525
3. Honda Trx450R
4. Yamaha Yfz450R
5. Suzuki Ltr 450
6. Kawasaki Kfx450R
 

scoobienorth

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personally i would not recommend a honda 450 they are not reliable, dont start well, even in warmer climates and dont perform well, i have a yfz 450, i like it, more bottom end power than the honda the kawi's are slugs on power.the ltr's are good, they are low slung and wide which is both good and bad, doesnt do well in narrower terrain and rougher stuff like sticks and rocks. if it were me buying a new one i would prob buy a can-am, way cheaper than the ktm, but best performance, not sure on their reliability though i only ever seen one and i had to tow him out of the bush with my rhino.the new yfz 450 R's and X's look pretty sweet as well, i would only buy a fuel injected quad as well, unless you enjoy playing with jets when you start modding.
 

ZEDNECK

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personally i would not recommend a honda 450 they are not reliable, dont start well, even in warmer climates and dont perform well, i have a yfz 450, i like it, more bottom end power than the honda the kawi's are slugs on power.the ltr's are good, they are low slung and wide which is both good and bad, doesnt do well in narrower terrain and rougher stuff like sticks and rocks. if it were me buying a new one i would prob buy a can-am, way cheaper than the ktm, but best performance, not sure on their reliability though i only ever seen one and i had to tow him out of the bush with my rhino.the new yfz 450 R's and X's look pretty sweet as well, i would only buy a fuel injected quad as well, unless you enjoy playing with jets when you start modding.

well to be completely honest i wouldnt buy any 450, i would buy a 86 honda 250r and supe the living hell out of it, or i will just stick with my 400 which im gonna bore to a 500 stroker and it will still be more reliable than any 450. and the honda trx 450 as stated in dirtwheels june 2009 450 shootout: " Honda is probably the most refined, reliable and well made performance atv in the world. it costs less the than the others and has great low end power and can obviously be made into a race winner with little work and money". That contradicts what you just said which makes me think you have a biast opinion
 

chopshop

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scoobienorth didnt say he was being biassed I did, Hondas are crap I ride with 2 of them and pound for pound most sport quads are better than the honda. Sure you could be natalie Jr and be sponsored out the *** but any body around here isnt going to put 15G into a weekend warrior.
 

ZEDNECK

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really cuz i have one friend with a yfz 450 with a jet kit and a pipe and it blew up in the first month he had it, he took it to yamaha a month ago and its still there, really good to see that yamaha stands behind their products and really want to keep you as a customer. every one of my friends who has a yamaha has troubles with it yet i can beat the living hell out of my honda and she still keeps going hard. if you want a reliable quad go and buy a honda or a ktm or a can am, if you want something thats needs hourly maintenance go and buy a yamaha
 

scoobienorth

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really cuz i have one friend with a yfz 450 with a jet kit and a pipe and it blew up in the first month he had it, he took it to yamaha a month ago and its still there, really good to see that yamaha stands behind their products and really want to keep you as a customer. every one of my friends who has a yamaha has troubles with it yet i can beat the living hell out of my honda and she still keeps going hard. if you want a reliable quad go and buy a honda or a ktm or a can am, if you want something thats needs hourly maintenance go and buy a yamaha

now you want warranty on something that could have been jetted wrong? if you are gonna mess with stuff dont cry that the dealer wont cover it. If they put it all in then that is different, BTW jet kit just means you bought a whole bunch of jets you dont need.Yamaha and can-am are both notorious for having bad dealer, i like both of their products but had issues with both dealers. It does bring up a good point, i would buy a quad from a better dealer, not the better quad, if you spend a little money in the right spots they are all fast and they all take work/maintenance the 450's are race quads not trail quads.
 

chopshop

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haha, your really upset with yamaha but you dont own one?? I guess we all have our own opinions and and mine stands as yammy is the shiznit. I also own a 400EX and its a good quad. the only thing I dont like about honda is the power issue. You have to spend $1300 on it to even stand up to a yfz or a 525 KTM. hot cams, pipe, more compression , and intake. Do those mods to a honda and you will be able to keep up. plain and simple.
 

scoobienorth

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haha, your really upset with yamaha but you dont own one?? I guess we all have our own opinions and and mine stands as yammy is the shiznit. I also own a 400EX and its a good quad. the only thing I dont like about honda is the power issue. You have to spend $1300 on it to even stand up to a yfz or a 525 KTM. hot cams, pipe, more compression , and intake. Do those mods to a honda and you will be able to keep up. plain and simple.

actually all the honda needs is an hrc kit, and it is fast, just wont last long, honda says with the kit, rings and valves every 15 hours, it took cams and a +3 stroker to beat it with my yfz
 

ZEDNECK

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haha, your really upset with yamaha but you dont own one?? I guess we all have our own opinions and and mine stands as yammy is the shiznit. I also own a 400EX and its a good quad. the only thing I dont like about honda is the power issue. You have to spend $1300 on it to even stand up to a yfz or a 525 KTM. hot cams, pipe, more compression , and intake. Do those mods to a honda and you will be able to keep up. plain and simple.

i do own a yamaha look at my sig, its has a pathetic amount of performance for what it is, honestly a 350 twin two stroke that gets beat by a 440 single cylinder 4 stroke plus the rider on the other quad was 100 pounds or more lighter, thats pretty pathetic if you ask me. i dont think that yamaha builds a good ride
 

ZEDNECK

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now you want warranty on something that could have been jetted wrong? if you are gonna mess with stuff dont cry that the dealer wont cover it. If they put it all in then that is different, BTW jet kit just means you bought a whole bunch of jets you dont need.Yamaha and can-am are both notorious for having bad dealer, i like both of their products but had issues with both dealers. It does bring up a good point, i would buy a quad from a better dealer, not the better quad, if you spend a little money in the right spots they are all fast and they all take work/maintenance the 450's are race quads not trail quads.

im not talking about warranty im saying that its been sitting there for a month and it still isnt done, the quad is a 06 and doesnt have warranty
 

scoobienorth

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that sucks, plain and simple, i went through this, i wound up buying a manual and recruiting a friend and did my motor work myself. i had a little luck and it worked out. wont go back to any dealer near me
 

ZEDNECK

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for sure, when i took my quad in to a small engine shop to get the sleeve pressed and the new one put in so i could get it bored last year they warped the cylinder and it needed a new one so they had my quad all summer waiting for the the new cylinder that was already a 440 to come in, i dont like taking my stuff in either but sometimes you got to
 

chopshop

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i do own a yamaha look at my sig, its has a pathetic amount of performance for what it is, honestly a 350 twin two stroke that gets beat by a 440 single cylinder 4 stroke plus the rider on the other quad was 100 pounds or more lighter, thats pretty pathetic if you ask me. i dont think that yamaha builds a good ride

I would love to see u at a hill climb and send you home with your tail between your legs, ;)
 

ZEDNECK

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I would love to see u at a hill climb and send you home with your tail between your legs, ;)

lol obviously u dont know that 90% of the riding I do is hill climbing in sand with itp holeshots. good try though
 

chopshop

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lol obviously u dont know that 90% of the riding I do is hill climbing in sand with itp holeshots. good try though

I built a quad strictly for hill climbing and not many people can pull on me unless its a YFZ with a Ice cube.And friends and I go to various locations all over the united states several timeas a year like idaho. and brule alberta. i run itp hole shots too. well atleast we have something in common, just wondering if you run in the sand box lots why dont you invest in a good set of sand paddles? climbin hills with track tires is a waste of time. I made the mistake of buying sand geckos, dont waste your money on them. they are CRAP, The only way to settle this argument is to invite you out on a trip south to oregon or idaho during may long. You havent seen nothing in comparrison to a HILL until you have been there.
 

ZEDNECK

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I built a quad strictly for hill climbing and not many people can pull on me unless its a YFZ with a Ice cube.And friends and I go to various locations all over the united states several timeas a year like idaho. and brule alberta. i run itp hole shots too. well atleast we have something in common, just wondering if you run in the sand box lots why dont you invest in a good set of sand paddles? climbin hills with track tires is a waste of time. I made the mistake of buying sand geckos, dont waste your money on them. they are CRAP, The only way to settle this argument is to invite you out on a trip south to oregon or idaho during may long. You havent seen nothing in comparrison to a HILL until you have been there.

tires are the last thing on my list right now, im worrying more about getting my quad built the way i want it, but ya the holeshots definitely suck in the sand and all around. my bald iRazrs worked better. dont really plan on going to any of the dunes in the states for at least a couple years. probly go in 2012 when my little brothers graduate. maybe by that time i will have the 250r i want and my quad will be complete. definitely want to go to glamis though
 

chopshop

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tires are the last thing on my list right now, im worrying more about getting my quad built the way i want it, but ya the holeshots definitely suck in the sand and all around. my bald iRazrs worked better. dont really plan on going to any of the dunes in the states for at least a couple years. probly go in 2012 when my little brothers graduate. maybe by that time i will have the 250r i want and my quad will be complete. definitely want to go to glamis though

My family lives in bakersfield Ca and ive been to glamis when I was younger and rented a 400ex it was allot of fun. I would go there on like the first of July thats the best time to go as far as seeing sick 4 wheelers. You can find 250r's all over the place like kijiji

Honda 250R Fourtrax - Edmonton ATV For Sale - Kijiji Edmonton

keep your eyes open and peeled people are selling them lots. my best friend has a 310 R and it pulls pretty good.
 
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