Yamaha 700 or Honda 500

[hilux]

Was it the 650 had the twin carb?..

Never hear/see much of Kawasaki (Bikes) anymore, considering through the 90's they'd be Honda's biggest rival. We had a Bayou 300 and a KLF 300 - Bayou was the better bike. I wouldn't go back to them now but at the time they were good

I know they were v-twin, had 3 650's never looked at the carb. They stopped making them 3-4 years ago and can now only get a 750. Not sure if they make the smaller bikes anymore or not. I find the Kawasaki pretty bomb proof to be fair, and the suspension on them now is much better.

 

[Finn farmer]

Now then. All the main brands will be ok, skip the Cf-Moto, Keeway, Linhai etc. "Cheap" brands (which aren't that cheap in a long run). Out of Honda and Yamaha, i'd take the Yamaha. If money wasn't an object, i'd have one now over my Polaris (which was 2k€ cheaper with better extras). Nothing wrong with the Polaris yet, but having had a Yamaha i do think that Japanese manufacturers in general make their quads out of bit better materials and the finishing touches in general are done better. USA for example isn't that well known for their superior build quality, but time will tell.

And definitely buy new.

 

[hagar]

Now then. All the main brands will be ok, skip the Cf-Moto, Keeway, Linhai etc. "Cheap" brands (which aren't that cheap in a long run). Out of Honda and Yamaha, i'd take the Yamaha. If money wasn't an object, i'd have one now over my Polaris (which was 2k€ cheaper with better extras). Nothing wrong with the Polaris yet, but having had a Yamaha i do think that Japanese manufacturers in general make their quads out of bit better materials and the finishing touches in general are done better. USA for example isn't that well known for their superior build quality, but time will tell.

And definitely buy new.

Got a pal that bought a CF Moto 400-450 6 months ago, seems happy with it.
He used to run the 400 artic cats and again no real issues.
He claims if they come with 2 year warranty then why spend 000s more for a brand name with the same?!!!

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

Quite surprised Honda 420 £1000 cheaper than a Yamaha 450.

 

[dave mountain]

Got a pal that bought a CF Moto 400-450 6 months ago, seems happy with it.
He used to run the 400 artic cats and again no real issues.
He claims if they come with 2 year warranty then why spend 000s more for a brand name with the same?!!!

Well the answer is fairly obvious, a Honda will last much longer. If you are only expecting a bike to last the warranty period then you aren't expecting much.

 

[dave mountain]

Quite surprised Honda 420 £1000 cheaper than a Yamaha 450.

No brainer, get it bought. I think if you compare with the same gearbox the Yamaha is cheaper but I prefer manual anyway so irrelevant to me.

 

[Finn farmer]

Well the answer is fairly obvious, a Honda will last much longer. If you are only expecting a bike to last the warranty period then you aren't expecting much.

And selling quality makers bike used will probably even out the difference. Or atleast here the "small" makers bikes lose value way faster.

 

[335d]

Quite surprised Honda 420 £1000 cheaper than a Yamaha 450.

Why are you surprised ? The Honda is a lighter bike with only half the rated towing capacity and rack carrying capacity compared to the yamaha 450. A Honda 420 was the replacement for the 350, and is comparable to the yamaha 350, which they have stopped making.
They may have changed, but I would check a few specs first

 

[dave mountain]

I know they were v-twin, had 3 650's never looked at the carb. They stopped making them 3-4 years ago and can now only get a 750. Not sure if they make the smaller bikes anymore or not. I find the Kawasaki pretty bomb proof to be fair, and the suspension on them now is much better.

I think if I was going auto i would go Kawasaki, seem better built than the yammies and a big chunk cheaper than an auto honda

 

[335d]

Just checked out of curiosity, to see if anything has changed in the latest models.
Honda 420, front rack 30kg rear 60kg, towing 385kg
Yamaha 450, front rack 40kg, rear 80kg, towing 600kg.
look at the two bikes, the yamaha 450 is a heavier bike, more comparable to the Honda 520.

 

[dave mountain]

Just checked out of curiosity, to see if anything has changed in the latest models.
Honda 420, front rack 30kg rear 60kg, towing 385kg
Yamaha 450, front rack 40kg, rear 80kg, towing 600kg.
look at the two bikes, the yamaha 450 is a heavier bike, more comparable to the Honda 520.

in my experience quad specs are irrelevant in the real world as they don't translate into actual ability, the 420 and 450 are equally sized and equally capable bikes and both 420cc. 500/520 is a much bigger and more capable bike, though not any faster. My 500 has had more than the actual capacity on it most times it has been used and it is standing up to it much better than my last Yamaha (550) which was supposedly bigger and more capable.

 

[Nithsdale]

Quite surprised Honda 420 £1000 cheaper than a Yamaha 450.

The Honda is grossly over priced for what it is.

As said the Yammy 450 is punching in the 500 class

 

[dave mountain]

The Honda is grossly over priced for what it is.

As said the Yammy 450 is punching in the 500 class

We will agree to disagree on that. The recent Yamaha's aren't a patch on the old manual ones. Honda gone downhill slightly as well but not near as much as Yamaha. Honda build quality far superior nowadays, tbh I'm not that interested in whether a Yamaha is 3mph faster or can carry an extra 20kg without VOSA putting you on a weighbridge reliability, longevity, fuel economy and resale honda wins every time.

 

[hally]

We will agree to disagree on that. The recent Yamaha's aren't a patch on the old manual ones. Honda gone downhill slightly as well but not near as much as Yamaha. Honda build quality far superior nowadays, tbh I'm not that interested in whether a Yamaha is 3mph faster or can carry an extra 20kg without VOSA putting you on a weighbridge reliability, longevity, fuel economy and resale honda wins every time.

I would agree with Yamaha reliability, mine is getting returned to the dealer to sort our problem and one way or another it won’t be back unless the fault can be found. Never had this level of hassle in 25 years of Honda ownership

 

[dave mountain]

I would agree with Yamaha reliability, mine is getting returned to the dealer to sort our problem and one way or another it won’t be back unless the fault can be found. Never had this level of hassle in 25 years of Honda ownership

Only bike problems I've ever had on bikes under 15 years old have been Yamaha ultramatic gearboxes that start giving trouble around 5 years old and continue forever seemingly. Never had a single problem with a honda under 15 yo.

 

[Nithsdale]

We will agree to disagree on that. The recent Yamaha's aren't a patch on the old manual ones. Honda gone downhill slightly as well but not near as much as Yamaha. Honda build quality far superior nowadays, tbh I'm not that interested in whether a Yamaha is 3mph faster or can carry an extra 20kg without VOSA putting you on a weighbridge reliability, longevity, fuel economy and resale honda wins every time.

Aye, you're right. Vosa are always pulling me for a weigh in when I'm up the hill

 

[dave mountain]

Aye, that's my point. the ratings are meaningless and irrelevant.

 

[Nithsdale]

So why do you have a 500, why didn't you buy the 420?

 

[The Seeker]

HONDA 420 will do most jobs 500 or 520 is handy but always buy honda in my opinion

 

[hagar]

Well the answer is fairly obvious, a Honda will last much longer. If you are only expecting a bike to last the warranty period then you aren't expecting much.

Out o interest Dave, how many miles are on your 15 year old Honda thats well outa warranty?