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COPYRIGHT 2005 Ehlert Publishing Group
The talk nowadays is all about the screaming MX quads (like the 450R and YFZ) and the really big guys (like the Raptor 660, DS650, KFX700, Scrambler 500 and Predator). But there's a class of four-stroke sport machines that are just a little smaller, a little less expensive, not quite as fast--but still a whole lot of fun. Because the 350 to 400cc quads are not as big, they're excellent for tighter trails and smaller or less experienced riders who lack the power to muscle around a bigger machine. It's true: A bigger motor and chassis can sometimes work against you! These quads should also be considered a step above the sub-250cc four-stroke entry-level machines.
Six years ago, Honda rekindled the sport revival with its 400EX. It was the first new performance quad from a major manufacturer in more than a decade. Next along was Suzuki's LT-Z400. Suzuki engineers didn't seem to mind copying the excellent chassis geometry of the 400EX, but they upped the ante with a more powerful engine, a little more suspension travel up front and the convenience of a reverse gear.
Kawasaki took copying one step further, and through some unusual corporate gyrations, released an exact clone of the Z400, its KFX400. Only the plastic color and nose cover are different. Arctic Cat's DVX is another Z400 clone, but the plastic design is different. For this shootout, we tried to include all the Suzuki clones, but Arctic Cat had trouble providing a loaner DVX for our test. Is there really a difference between the three models? Yes, the Arctic Cat didn't receive the 2005 updates that the other 400s received. [Read on for a surprising handling difference between the Z400 and KFX400.]
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Our fourth contender here is Yamaha's Raptor 350. The ancient motor is right out of Yamaha's Warrior sport quad. Why a 350 up against 400s? Like many Yamahas, the Raptor 350 is in a class by itself. It's too big to match up against the 250 and 300cc four-strokes, so Yamaha agreed to let us run it against the bigger machines.
INSIDE THE CONTENDERS
Before we begin torture testing these four quads, let's have a closer look at each one and see how they compare--on paper, at least. Among these electric-start four-strokes, the Raptor 350 is the only one with two valves. The others breathe easier and stronger with four valves. Hard to believe that at one time, the...
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