450r vs z400

[450RKYDUDE]

IM GLAD TO SAY I JUST GOT A NEW 450R AND WOW ITS PROBALLY ONE OF THE MOST WICKED ATV'S I'VE EVER RIDEN AND IT IS SHOWROOM STOCK ANYWAY I TOOK IT OUT FOR A SPIN WHEN I BROUGHT IT HOME AND MET SOME GUYS ON SOME WARRIORS AND THEY WERE TELLING ME ABOUT THE Z400 OUTRUNNING ALMOST EVERYTHING IS THIS GUY FULL OF IT OR WHAT TELL ME YOUR OPINIONS ABOUT THIS MATCHUP.IN A 100 YARD DRAG OR 200 YARD DRAG WHO WOULD WIN AND HOW MUCH I'VE JUST NOT GOTTEN TO RIDE WITH ANYONE OTHER THAN A 300HONDA 2WD SO FAR.

[mattYFZ450]

You'll beat a Z400 in a drag race. If both riders are equally good on their quads, the 450R should pull away from a Z. They're not slow, but they do make less power and weigh more. Now go remove your baffle, rejet, and go wax him! :)

[nhyfzrider]

no way a piped and jetted z will touch a stock 450r. my bud just went from a piped z to a stock 450r and it's night and day.

[PICKLES]

Originally posted by nhyfzrider@Aug 9 2004, 05:02 PM
no way a piped and jetted z will touch a stock 450r.

but.....
if the race was in reverse the r couldn't touch the z.... lol :D

[Quads_are_Gnarly]

sorry but z's suck lol

[WhiteZee]

Originally posted by nhyfzrider@Aug 9 2004, 05:02 PM
no way a piped and jetted z will touch a stock 450r. my bud just went from a piped z to a stock 450r and it's night and day.

you are incorrect, my friend's lrd piped kfx would have my stock 450r with baffle removed by about 1.5 quads. im also a much better rider then he is. he had stock tires, i had holeshot mx's. he seems to be getting more traction then me, but he was still faster.

[nhyfzrider]

i'm not gonna play tag w/ this subject, the suzuki 400 does make nice power, i spent a year on a z400. i piped it, played w/ the jetting until it was right, and it was faster overall. but if any of you are getting beat in drags on your 450r's, then maybe the 400 guy is lieing about his displacement! i had a hi comp piston and hot cam(intake) along w/ full yoshi and my z would not touch a stock 450r/yfz. i have a yfz and the 450r and yfz are very close in performance, and never has a z400 got a jump on me. trail motor vs. race motor. no flames, just experience!

[tuffguy]

If I'd of read this post a month ago I would agree, noway would a piped and jetted z stick with a stock 450r, Butttttt. A buddy just recently purchased a race america timing system with a tree. For those unfamilar with this system it's a side by side timing system with a tree( a pro race system). This isn't a cheap system it was just under $4500. (he puts on several side by side mud drags each year). Anyhow we set it up on dirt to get used to setting it up and how it works. At 150feet or less it's alot more about cutting a good light than who has the fastest quad. I seen saw r's, yfz's, raptors, z's, ex's. In this short drag, lesser quads could win with a better start. Granted the quicker quads would really be reeling them in at 150feet, 200 feet I think they could catch them and beat them.
So my feelings on this is, how far is the race? Under 150feet if he gets a better start, you pull a wheelie and he does everthing good you could get beat. By the way I had a z with a few motor mods(internal and otherwise) they can be quick, I have a r now. Anybody who thinks I'm pulling your leg come on down. We have some drags Aug.21(although these will be mud) and are planning a dirt drag next month(?). The tree don't lie................

[TRX450rlude]

Originally posted by desert_450r+Aug 10 2004, 06:30 PM-->

trx450rlude on here has the same quads and he says basically the same thing ... [/b]

stock Z vs stock R.....R walks away from it....

Z with white bros slip on. K&N filter, and a jet kit......VS stock R......side by side..anybody's race.

and Of coure Im not stock anymore,,,and now its not even a race.....My R, with my mods now....a highly modded Z would not stand a chance....


And anyone who tells me that a Z/KFX is a piece of junk....I will have to let them know that they obviouly dont now Sh!t about atv's....and needs to re-think whats going on.....I still think the Z is the best bike you can buy unless you race MX.....think about it...it is light, cheap, has reverse, and is almost as fast as a stock 450r.....there is no way that equals a Piece of crap....also My Z, my R, and my brothers Z, have been very reliable.....so if you think a Z/KFX is junk then you are stupid.....sorry to sound so rude....but you dont realize how rude you are being when you are telling all the Z owners thier bike is a piece of crap, when before the YFZ, and R came out,.....it was the best.....and still is the best in many ways.....

But to answer everyones question.....the R is faster.....but you better be on your toes and not mis any gears...or the Z will pass you...

[Quads_are_Gnarly]

well a quad that rolls off the factory line and must have a gusset kit if you ride real tough trails or mx, is a piece in my opinion. They are nice when you have new plastics and a gusset kit. But almost all z owners i have talked to have broke frames when they didnt do it right when they got it. A 400ex with an air filter will keep up with a stock z400. I guess the suzukawicat isnt really a peice of crap machine, i just think suzuki should have spent more time on the frame. Suzuki has a history of tooth pick chassis though.

[tuffguy]

I had one of the first z's and never had a frame problem. I know several others who have/had z's and didn't have any problems either. The frame issue on the z/kfx/dvx has been blown alot out of proportion. I have seen used bikes around here and always look for the frame defects. I have only seen one kfx and that was at silverlake last year that was cracked above the fr. shock mounts. Maybe the midwest gets better frames or maybe it isn't as big a problem as the net and dirtwheels makes it out to be.

[KBR]

Here is the honest truth:
When people start talking about what beats what, and my buddy beat this or that, its nonesense, because jetting, gearing, and other factors are so varied that its insane to compare and make claims, unless you have some equalization, or at least some knowledge for sure about both machines.
I own both, both are modded. The Z has both Hot Cams, 400ex carb, LRD pipe, and a DRZ gasket (12:1 comp). THe 450R has HRD and a LRD pipe.

Now, my wife, is 90#, its her Z. That thing will pull the hill about 1/2 mph faster up the big hill than my 450R, with me on the 450R, weighing 230#. On the flats, she can pull me. Z's do VERY well on the flats. They are not as good up hill.
Piped filter Z would do pretty well against an out of the box 450R. Not HRC 450R.
Don't make comments you cannot back up, gnarly......
I have the firts Z that came out, and it supposedly has the weak axle, frame and the rest. No problems at all, granted my wife rides it mostly, but there was 6 months that I was quadless (waitng for Honda), and I rode the piss out of it, flat landed, jumped BIG, oh yeah I have wheel spacers on the back, nothing wrong with it at all. Its not what everybody says. Take care of your stuff, don't beat it, don't run into trees, and it will be fine.

[WINGNUT450R]

i have a 02 426ex and a 05 black 450r.my 426 is fully worked and it will kill my 450r.with my 426 i have raced z's,craptor's,450r's,yzf's and predator's.the predator is the only one that has a chance stock in a 150 ft.none of the quad's are crap,honda just rules.dependability goes along way.Thanks

[killerquad]

My quad .... R with Sparks filter and HMF pipe .... would get my buddy on a KFX (K&N w/ baffle punched out) everytime i ran against him.... HE IS THE SAME QUALITY RIDER I AM..... now that he put a 440 (434) kit with 12.5-1 piston and DRZ gasket in and hot cams stage 2 in and a HMF pipe i beleive that the Z motor is one of the Strongest motors out there... i have the ****'est time trying to catch him or pull on him..... i couldnt imagine if he ported it and had a FCR 40mm carb on it.... i dont think the R nor the YFZ could touch him..... i have 2 buddies with YFZs (im the only one i ride with that has an R <_< ) and the KFX hangs right with them just as easy as it did with my Piped 400EX .......

As for the Frames.... he and my other buddy with a Z have had no Probs... the KFX is a full out racer and he did have a crack on his upper left front Shock mount and he welded it up (no Gussets) and have never had a prob with it yet..... he has taken some big hits with it as well... As have i with my R.... Head ons at 30mph in the middle of a race suck..... .... **** course markers...... i think it is just a chance you get a bad frame .... reach in the bag and pull out a number.....

I cant wait to see the new Z when it comes out ... i also think that if Suzukasakicat decide to ever build a Full out factory race 450 (like honda and Yammi) then Honda and Yammi better look around real quick cause there will be a SEA of YELLOW and GREEN around them.....

Just my 0.02.......

[TRX450rlude]

Originally posted by Quads_are_Gnarly@Aug 11 2004, 04:50 PM
well a quad that rolls off the factory line and must have a gusset kit if you ride real tough trails or mx, is a piece in my opinion.* They are nice when you have new plastics and a gusset kit. But almost all z owners i have talked to have broke frames when they didnt do it right when they got it. A 400ex with an air filter will keep up with a stock z400.* I guess the suzukawicat isnt really a peice of crap machine, i just think suzuki should have spent more time on the frame. Suzuki has a history of tooth pick chassis though.

I have 2 z's and the only problem I have ever had with either of them, is a broken swing arm bolt......and thats from jumping about 20 ft in the air at the dunes.....frams are rock solid...and so is the rear axles....these are both 03 models.