The Predator is rock solid and hauls a$$. Mid 70's with the stock gearing is what we have seen. In a drag race they wheelie less than the others so it is usually no contest. Not alot out there for engine mods yet, but they really don't need much IMHO.

I am curious to see if the new Yami handles any better than its big brother. If you want a pure bad ass Quad and dont care about reverse then buy a DS-650 those things are awesome, but they dont have reverse and they ar a bit pricey:(



OK, so who wants to buy my Z-400??:D

I have heard Honda had their new 450 out and it flies.


Finman

hp- What have you found to be the most reliable? I'm looking at getting a couple for use in Canada (one of them has to be a workhorse!). I can get Suzuki and Honda parts and service fairly close to our property up there; forget the rest since the nearest dealerships are over 2 hours away.
Jim

YFZ 450
 

I have had a Yamaha Raptor 660 for a couple of years and it's a great trail bike with electric start and reverse. I just bought a YFZ 450 from Yamaha and that thing rips! The YFZ only weighs 350 lbs!! Thats lighter than ANY other four wheeler and it has electric start! The new Honda looks awesome but it weighs the same as the YFZ and is kick start only. The suspension on the YFZ is amazing! Fully adjustable shocks all the way around which is also a first in a production bike! The Polaris is a nice bike but at over 420 pounds it is a bit heavy but if your looking for "made in America" it would be the best choice. I love two strokes and the YFZ is the first four stroke I have had that revs nearly as quickly as a two stroke. A pipe is needed to really let it run like it should. :D

Didn't Cannondale go out of business :confused: I thought I had heard that another company picked up the parts end.

banshee all the way They rip and if you do the right engine mods nothing will touch em.
I like the way honda 400 ex's ride too.

jafo, you will be hard pressed to find a more reliable machine than a HONDA. They are bulletproof!

If you are looking for a nice workhorse, look at the Honda Rubicon. It has ESP (electronic speed control, shifts so smooth you would think you were driving a Cadillac). It also allows you to shift manually via a handlebar mounted thumb shifter.

Smooth 500cc motor, 4 wheel drive, built in speedo, tough machine.

Another good machine is the Kawasaki Prairie. This machine is a 2-cylinder 700 and is also very nice. This machine uses a belt drive (shiftless) system but is much more dependable than the Polaris.

The Polaris's have their benefits (comfort, belt drive (no shifting) ) however their belt drive system is a weak link, along with their strut suspension. They stick the radiator way out front that ends up getting plugged and motor overheats. A lot of their machines are still two stroke oil injection and there has been multiple engine failures due to the oil pump failing without the rider knowing.

Good luck with you search :)