I just bought my son a used but clean Yamaha Raptor 80. The little quad is a blast and I’m surprised how much fun I’ve had riding the tiny machine around our yard.

I’m looking at ATVs for myself now. What performance ATVs do you guys like? I’m looking at used Yamaha Raptors, Honda TRX 250s and 400s and Suzuki 400s. I’ve had good luck with Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki so I’m guessing any of their sporty ATVs should be pretty good right?

I think all the machines are pretty good. I have had several of the utility versions of all you listed. I've come to really like Polaris. But I don't race 'em.

I’ve also been thinking maybe I should track down a clean two stroke Banshee or Blaster. A two stroke ATV would be a hoot.

A friend used to have a Suzuki 250cc two stroke atv, probably in the late 80's early 90's.... it was a blast... Me personally, I would stay away from the two strokes and look for a Honda trx 400 four stroke in clean condition. My daughter has a Honda trx 250, while fun, it just isn't FUN enough...

If sheer performance is wanted, 2 chokes are fun but parts are getting harder to come by. Any of the 400 cc plus sport quads will have all the power one needs to have some fun but unless you have wide open spaces to ride, they are overkill. A good utility quad will seriously be all someone needs for most occasions and it can be used for more than just going fast.

If you’re stuck on speed, a Suzuki LT-R 450 or Honda TRX450-R will suit you just fine, parts are readily available and they are easy to work on. My preference goes to the Suzuki just because of how bad ass it was right off the showroom floor.

My other suggestion would be to find a nice Can-Am outlander 800. That V-twin sounds downright mean with a nice exhaust and it has all the power anyone needs to have fun.

My Brother in law has has a Suzuki ltz 400 and that thing hauls ass. If a fat dude like me can do a wheelie from a stand still on accident, it’s got plenty of power

quote:

Originally posted by stickman428:
I’ve also been thinking maybe I should track down a clean two stroke Banshee or Blaster. A two stroke ATV would be a hoot.

The Blaster is FAR from a performance machine, although a neat little quad for what it is. Mine is 29 years old and still going strong.

The Banshee is ALL performance and there are still a lot of hop-up options available.

Friend had a Yamaha Banshee. We nicknamed it the Devil because it always seemed to try and kill you. F A S T, is all I can say, but fun. I am an old 2-stroke rider from the 70s.

I have had a slew of ATV's (and bikes over the years) and can tell you, as someone else said that the Banshee's are ton of fun and fast but if you are looking to ride with your son you absolutely cannot go wrong with the Honda TRX 400....It is 110% reliable, pretty quick stock and infinitely up gradable with aftermarket parts and go fast stuff readily available....That was the last ATV I owned and bought it to ride with my son when he was younger...I was really happy with it after adding a better exhaust, airbox mod and rejetting.

I just sold a Honda trx 400. Going to replace them with a 2014 or newer Raptor 700. I kept a 2011 Raptor 250 because of its lighter weight it does well in tighter trails. The Honda EX 300 is also not a bad little ATV for tails.

The Honda and Suzuki 400 both seem to be good machines. With a slight nod toward the Suzuki 400 because the water cooled engine is kind of good well done all around engine. The Suzuki 400 or the Honda 400 would most likely work well for you.

Seems like all the 450s are racier than I like for suspension. They are to stiff for me to the point you feel every hole and rock in your spine after ridding them a little bit. The newer 450 fuel injected ones do have lots of power.

The ATV 450s are very popular at the Oregon sand dunes. So is the yamaha Banshee. The Raptor 700 is about 3 inches narrower than a Raptor 450 something to think about if you are ridding trails.

Had a Yamaha Banshee for the Oregon dunes years ago. It was very fast on sand with just pipes and jetting and a plus 2" swing arm but between the 2 cylinder 2 stroke engine and the sand it was a high maintenance machine. Yamaha Banshee's are at their best in very open areas, in trails not so much. One nice thing about the Yamaha Banshee there is huge aftermarket support for them.

Banshees are super fun.

I have a 400ex. Good for an all around fun machine, most of my time was spent on tight woods trails or gravel roads I had never been down before.
Will need some work if you want to do a lot of slow speed trails, as air cooled engine gets HOT after extended rides on close trails. Common upgrades are new oil cooler (Honda mini van parts oddly enough) with puller fan, oversize oil tank and aluminum air shrouds. Also benefits from better suspension. 450r front shocks is common and can be done relatively inexpensively.
Engine is torquey enough to lift the front from a stop without trying. Would benefit from being a 6 speed gear box. Also go 05 & up for factory reverse if riding with youngsters. My 04 is get off & push if you decide a trail is a no go.

I have a Raptor 700 and my 17 year old daughter rides a Honda 400ex. Both have reverse which is a must. The Raptor is fuel injected which is nice. The 400ex was mine before I gave it to my daughter. It's a solid all around quad, but I wanted more power and more suspension so I grabbed the 700. I chose it over a 450 based quad because the 450's are have a peaky powerband and require more frequent rebuilds since the motors are motocross based engines. The 700 has tons of torque which makes riding with slow or inexperienced riders a piece of cake. Most riders would likely be happy with the Honda 400, and in full disclosure I grew up riding dirt bikes and have considerable off road riding experience.

There are a few nice options locally. A clean Blaster, a TRX250 and a LTZ 400. I’m leaning towards the Suzuki.

How bad are those Raptor 700s on maintenance? Are they thirsty machines? I’m VERY tempted to pull the trigger on a LTZ400 but I’m wondering if it’s smarter to just get the Raptor.

If you asking about the Raptor 700 for maintenance, they are very minimal. I change the oil and service the air filter at the beginning of riding season(fall for me). Any of the high performance 450's will require more frequent maintenance. I don't ride far enough on my rides to judge the fuel economy so I can't answer that.

If your thinking a 400, I'd get the Honda. It's lighter, more compact, handles better. If your thinking LTZ 400 then step up and get the big dog. It'll do all you ever want and won't leave you wanting more power unless you become a serious dune rider. Get a Raptor with the adjustable front and rear shocks, then look up Jogaca suspension. He works wonders on the factory shocks, revalve and respring for your weight and riding style at a fraction of the price of the big suspension tuners.

I’m going to look at a Yamaha Blaster tomorrow. Yeah, it’s not the fastest thing out there but I have a thing for two strokes and small engines. There are big bore kits that get it close to 250cc. A Blaster with a big bore kit sounds like fun.

17 hp stock. it’s practically a rocket ship with for wheels.

How hard is it to do a top end on a two stroke? A big bore kit on a two stroke should be much easier than it would be on a four stroke right?

quote:

Originally posted by stickman428:
17 hp stock. it’s practically a rocket ship with for wheels.

How hard is it to do a top end on a two stroke? A big bore kit on a two stroke should be much easier than it would be on a four stroke right?

Two strokes are easy, especially something like the Blaster that has no power valve/variable exhaust valve.

Instead of hopping up a Blaster, I'd find something with suspension a bit more sport oriented.

What are the best new performance ATV’s now ? Just curious how fast these things go in stock form ?

If a guy is buying used, are there specific years and makes and models to look for ?

I am so out of the loop on this - I think the last ATV I road was a Honda 200SX in the 80’s - lol

Always wanted a 250R three wheeler - got a big “No !” from my parents - I was in 5th grade or so.

MDS