[flyingfinn]

Need some help on deciding which quad to buy. I will be riding mainly on mx-track. I would probably be riding more on trails if it was not forbidden almost everywhere. I would say 70/30 mx/trail.. In winter I will be riding on snow alot. Which one is better for cold conditions?

Prices here in Finland/Europe are bit higher than in US. The best offers i could get:
Suzuki LT-Z400 8500$ (1 years warranty)
Polaris Predator 9900$ (2 years warranty)

The question is, do you think Predator is that much better? Is it worth 1400$ more?

Thanks for answers!

 

[03polarispredator]

For all of the extra stuff you get on the Predator, hell yes! Especially if you are mostly riding MX. z400 is better suited for the trails. This is all based on the fact that both quads are STOCK. You could get either machine to work best in any given enviornment provided that you want to spend some money.

 

[noob]

Considering the extra cost to send the Z400 frame out and have it welded $650.
And to buy a aftermarket axl $350. I would go with the predator. Plus havin to mod the shiz out of it to even hang with a predator.

 

[robg]

Actually... I race a guy with a fully built Yosh 453cc motor in his LTZ400 last weekend at Sand Mountain. We raved at least six or seven times. On the first run, we tied because I was sucking bad through the whoops. Once I got the whoops down, I was beating him by about three lengths consistently.

So... the best, fastest motor you can get for the LTZ400 ($2000 worth of mods he says) still can't beat or even tie a Predator.

I love it.

Rob

 

[predator03]

I'm curious as to what makes people say that the Z400 is better suited for the trails. I spent an entire day a couple of weeks ago with a Z400 behind me, and a 400EX behind him. It was all they could do to keep up with me. I didn't see anything on either machine that gave them any advantage. If anything, I think the Predator is better than either of them on the trails. Besides, at the end of the day, this old guy completely wore out two guys around 30 yo. They were whupped, and I was ready for more.

So, what makes a Z400 more suitable for the trails????

 

[2mininstigating]

I have both a predator and a Z-400. The Z is from Alba with pipe and silencer, K&N, jetted, Tag bars, etc. The pred is stock as a rock except for the 13 tooth counter sprocket. They are both great bikes, but the pred is quite a bit faster. For trails and mx, I would take my pred any day. The only advantage to the Z as I see it is the ride is softer. While the pred ride is harsher, it is much more stable in the rough stuff, and at high speeds it kicks the Z all over the place.

 

[darren]

robg look at how much money that who ever had to put in that z400 and it still wont hang with you why not buy the predator and get it over whith. predator rocks.

 

[robg]

I'll give some credit to that Z400 for having a ton of low and midrange power (I wish I coulda ridden it more than once). But just like the Raptor, it's top-end can't even come close to the Predator or a 2-stroke. That's what makes the Predator so strong in the dunes. I tried to get him to ride my machine, but he politely declined, eventually saying if he did, he'd probably end up buying one.

Rob

 

[red121572]

I say, if your a really talented rider and able to push the limits of the machine, the Predator might be your choice. Youll have the pwr, along with the suspension. Although, the Z is nothing to sneeze at when it comes to a stock suspended bike.

Ive only ridden a Z for a short amount of time, but compared to my EX, I was overly impressed.....I wish my EX handled as well as the Z.

Good luck on your choice and let us know what you decide!!

 

[noob]

The only thing the z has going for it, is the reverse gear.

 

[flyingfinn]

Thanks for the answers!

It seems that Pred is preferred.. $1400 price difference does not matter if it suits better for my needs. By the end of the summer there is going to be one more Predator in woods of Finland! Before i can buy one i have to get over with my studies. Otherwise i couldn´t concentrate to my final thesis.. Cant wait... but i must!

It is possible to register some ATV-models as a "motorized vehicle" for public traffic in Finland. I am looking for info if it´s possible with sportquads as well. That would rock! I know that Z400´s and Predators are riding on the highways of Germany which is an European Union-state just like Finland. I think the rules for public traffic should be similar..

See some photos of street-legal Z400:
http://www.ebertundjochum.com/suzuki.htm

Cant wait to race some VW´s and Toyotas at traffic lights..