Advice On a Used Quad

I have been looking around for a used Quad for a while now. Still not sure what and when I'm going to pull the trigger. Lately, I've been leaning towards a used Honda 300EX or maybe a 400EX.

Looking for a clean one that doesn't need any work. Look's like the clean 300EX's are going for around $2,000 or so.

Something like this one would be nice.....

What do you experts think? Any advice, good or bad?

 

What say you, DexterDay ?

I'm a full size 4x4 quad guy. Polaris 550 xp here.

 

Definitely get the 400 vs 300.
Its like mostly anything else you will never regret getting more motor/power.

Resale pricing shows demand and usually quality, between brands and products.

2 k seems steep to me. 2k you can find a faster better machine (cough raptor cough 660)I'd be in the 1k to 1500 range for a used 400ex that's in nice shape. For 2 k I'd look for older nicer clean machines.

Sport quads definitely don't hold value like a utility quad does.

 

Thanks guys... Keep it coming.

Looking for a sport quad for a while now for everyone to mess around with including the kids.

Just wanted your opinion on the Honda 300ex and the 400ex. I heard they are pretty decent and reliable.

 

I think you'll find any Honda machine to be decent and reliable.

 

Take a look at the 400 Suzuki's too. Z400, ltz, etc... Those are great sport quads. Kawi and Arctic cat had the same quad with different colored plastic too.

Another option are the polaris predator and outlaw quads. The outlaw had a KTM 525 and was a great quad.


Honda's are good, but I feel that are being propped up by their brand name.

 

My buddy has a 300ex and it's been nothing short of great. It's lived through his abuse plus his 2 teenage sons. When I used to ride dirt bikes I rode Hondas, they always seemed to be super reliable and held resale better than the others.

Watch out this could turn into a Chevy vs Ford type thing.

 

Honda's brand name is propped up by their goodness.

 

400ex definitely has a good bit more power than the 300, both are very reliable. About the only thing I can think of to look at specifically on those models is the rear axle bearings. Other than that just look 'em over just like you would any other used quad. Look at the oil, take a screwdriver to remove the air filter, see if the intake tube looks dirty inside. I like to turn the fuel petcock off, set the parking brake (or just put it in 1st gear) then stand the quad up on the grab bar, that will allow you to look over the front suspension (while its unloaded) and look for play in the swingarm pivot. Stand back and look at it from a distance while its up, check to see if the front A arms and frame look to be straight with the world, I've found more than one bent frame that way.

I agree, I was working on them before everybody else caught up...in other words, Honda has always made good quads, everybody else figured it out eventually.

 

As far as price, I haven't been watching them, but I would think a real nice one would set you back $2k in this area of OH...$1k-$1.5k would be a pretty good deal IMO.
Also, if you go to look at one, hopefully you can ride it, couple things to check is to run the trans through all the gears to make sure it shifts smoothly and doesn't jump out of gear...when in 6th gear hold the throttle wide open and give the clutch lever a quick nudge to see if it re-engages 100% as soon as you release it. Obviously the engine needs to "sound" right and not smoke either...

 

I don't know much about the 300EX's, but I'm familiar with the 400EX. They are extremely reliable quads with great power for woods/trail riding. Unless you're racing, I'd pick a 400EX any day over a more modern water cooled 450 of any brand. They are simple air cooled engines and pretty easy to work on. I had it's cousin, an XR 250, which I sometimes wish I still had for it's simplicity.

It was common to put big bore kits on them, any of them done right should still be reliable but the largest "440" kit was could sometimes cause reliability issues.

 

The 400 didn't have reverse from 99 to 05 so if you want reverse gear look at an 06 or newer.

Both machines are reliable. The 400 will absolutely smoke the 300.

The 450r factory shocks are a direct bolt on replacement on the 400 which is an awesome upgrade!

 

Good point!

 

Thanks for all the tips... Very helpful. How do you determine if the rear axle bearings are bad when inspecting the quad?

I've found many of the 300ex and 400ex have been modded. Some just bolt on stuff and others with big bore kits etc....
At first this was a negative to me, but I'm coming around to the thought that it's ok if the mods were done correctly and the owner has not abused them. There some nice ones out there that have been well cared for.

As far as the 300ex versus the 400ex, those that know me would be shocked that I wouldn't consider only the biggest/fastest of anything. But in this case my daughters and other kids will be using it and I prefer it to be a little less power. Besides there is a 300ex with a big bore kit out there that's caught my eye.

 

Put it up on a milk crate or something, get it off the ground, see if the axle is loose at all in its carrier

 

I have a 300ex, I bought it smoking real bad. Slapped in a new piston, went through the head and it's dead reliable now. Power isn't the greatest, but serviceable. I've ridden quite a few 400ex, they are good bikes, good power. The 440 kit on one of them used oil like crazy. Actually, most of the 400ex I've ridden used some oil.

 

Eh, they are good, but sometimes not as good as everyone expects, compared to the competition.

In 04 when we got our sportsman 500 ho, we looked at the foreman and Rincon. The foreman was overpriced and underpowered compared to the competition, and the Rincon sounded great but I'm glad we didn't buy that model as the tranny seems to be problematic on them. " Automotive style tranny". Maybe from a Yugo.

Some are great, but you can't say that every Honda is the best vehicle in their class. That's certainly not the case in motorcycles, where the only good Hondas are touring bikes.

 

I agree. But Polaris generally makes the poopiest quads ever to grace the earth. But they make good sleds imo. Yamaha is the opposite, they build pretty much a kick butt anything on wheels bikes quads etc. but their sleds lack in alota ways.

Honda quads are all underpowered comparatively in their class. Their build quality has taken a major dump as well.
ANYONE who thinks Honda is the bees knees hasn't taken a good look at them in the past decade.

 

I really think we all agree here. They all make "good" machines.
I believe Honda makes a good machine. But, they are not cutting edge. (my st1300 may have been cutting edge, but they forgot to update them over the past 14 years)
Polaris likes to be on top of the suspension travel wars and all wheel drive. Yamaha makes awesome motors and their wet clutch on the quads are probably the best you can get. Can Am likes to have big smooth power and light machines, but may be too light in the wrong places ie; frame.
They all have there place. You just have to figure out which machine is right for you.