Pages: 1
Posted by: scottd
VERY impressive thread here, guys! I must say I am more interested in Cannondale now than I was before reading it. Can't say enough GOOD about actually hearing from a factory rep in this forum. That's more than any of us could expect from the Japanese companies. Thank you, Mr. Montgomery!! I wish you guys all the best of luck. (Even if I do own every one of Yamaha's sport models) I like what I see on the Cannondales, but I just can't get over that UGLY plastic design! Mr. Montgomery, can't you guys do something about that as well? Yamaha DID the nail on the head with the Raptor's plastic design. Not saying that is the most important thing in the world, but styling DOES make a difference! Make the Cannondale look that good, and you've got me for sure!
Posted by: lonestarbanshee
Man, after reading this post.. I almost wanted to stand up and clap!
Posted by: lonestarbanshee
I will have to say, I am VERY impressed. Never ever EVER, have I seen a manufacturer come into the forums. My hats off to Cannondale. If I could, I would buy everyone you can put out!!!
Thanks NewzBoy, I am going through a step-by-step picture by picture front end rebuild of my Banshee. Its come a LONG way since I bought it! Great machine! By the way, is there any reason your name is NewzBoy.. Like, you heard of that band?
Posted by: lonestarbanshee
ScottMontgomery, Would you send me some free complimentary C-Dale stickers?? I feel it would be an HONOR to ride for a company like yours. I'd peel off all my Yamaha stickers and put Cannondale all over it!!! Great company. Hey, if you won't send me some stickers... wanna trade a 97 MX shee for a moto440?? lol Keep up the great work cannondale
Posted by: lonestarbanshee
C'mon CDaleRacer, I was kidding... although it would be greatly appreciated.. lol Newzboy is right, Mr. Montgomery, if you want straight up answers, from ATVers, right here is where you need to be! I have heard rumors that Yamaha, and Honda ask all the "pro" riders for tips, and build their bikes around that. Well I have a lil newsflash.. Not everyone races! On this forum, there are people that go in 4ft of mud, to 20ft or air. What more could you ask for?
P.S.-seriously, that was a joke..lol
Posted by: lonestarbanshee
I know what you mean CDaleRacer. We should hire a moderator to delete all posts of that nature. Every time I read this post, it gets better and better, and makes me want a C-Dale even more. Maybe someday!!
Posted by: lonestarbanshee
Isn't it a pity what people will make up to make theirselves feel better about their quads? AZRENEGADE, I don't own a Cannondale, and I don't really for-see one in my future anytime soon, but, I know a GREAT company and product when I see one. AZRENEGADE, you are entitled to your own opinion, but read your previous post, and think about what you said. "We cannot sell these because the factory is doing something that Yamaha, and Honda will never do. They are FIXING their screw ups." I would rather send my quad to the shop, and have the factory PAY for the fix, than have to dig into my pocket for a 12year old flaw in design.(Banshee axle etc etc) You can put down these quads all you want, but when one walks all over you, what are you going to say? Your arms and legs were tired?
When I read posts of this nature, one saying comes into mind
When the gate drops, the bull sh!t STOPS.
Posted by: lonestarbanshee
I understand Awesome, I knew you weren't. I kinda got fired up when I read that too... It just amazes me to see people put something down that they dont know about! People might think I'm "Jumping on the Bandwagon" but, you can do a search on my name.. I have been saying the C-Dale would stomp everything since the pictures were put in Dirt Wheels. Heck, even if the bikes WERE horrible, they would still get a 2 thumbs up from me, just because of the innovation.
Posted by: lonestarbanshee
By the way AZRENEGADE, have you ever walked into a Yamaha shop, and had a salesman refuse to sell you a product because the manufactuer is FIXING a problem? I think not. I ride Yamaha, and am VERY proud of my machine, but you have to admit, compared to what this new company is putting out, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, and Kawasaki SUCK!
Posted by: lonestarbanshee
CDaleRacer, You think that puny thing can keep up with ME? HAHAHAHAHA. Yeah right, just because you can go out and buy a quad that costs more than my TRUCK don't mean nothin. My $8,000 shee will stomp you. LOL. Maybe we can meet up sometime at the field of dreams in okmulgee or somewhere and ride!!
GREAT POST GUYS, KEEP IT COMING!
Posted by: AWSOME88250R
I've had a 250X, 300EX, 400EX, 250R, and a Bombardier DS650. I bought a FX400 3 weeks ago, and I'm never going to put those names in the same sentence as the Cannondale again. I'm sorry Dirt Wheels and ATV Action but your comparisons are wrong. I've never ridden anything that is as thrilling as the FX400 to ride AND look at!! It has more power than Honda ever dreamed about putting in a stock quad, and mine (with the free updates) handles just as good as my 400EX ever did. I can putt it through the peach orchard, or nail the throttle and take any quad made today. I'll never buy another quad without EFI either. Cannondale the FX is a wonderfull work of art, Thank you so much. Just put a little more foam in the seat
Posted by: AWSOME88250R
Mr. Scott Montgomery,
You have no idea how much confidence you just gave me in Cannondale. I've ridden and dealt with almost every manufacturer, and never felt like my opinion mattered to them. Now I have a company that cares about what I think and is willing to go that extra mile to make the comsumer happy. What a great thing. I've ridden and sold almost every type of sport ATV to put myself through college. I bought my Cannondale to ride, and sell just like the others. Since I'm finally going to finish college in May, I've decided this is the one ATV that I'm going to keep. I've been riding Honda quads since I was 9, but now the quad in my garage says Cannondale.
Posted by: AWSOME88250R
AZRENEGADE let me tell you about poor R&D and all you 400EX riders better listen up as well. I bought the first new 400EX to be sold in the state when they first came out. I got it ready to race and was out riding on my friends MX track. I cleared a double jump and the grab bar hit the ground, and instead of grab bar breaking or bending the whole subframe bent. The seat popped off and the bent grab bar and subframe speared me in the back when rear shock rebounded. My L2 vertebra was shattered. Later I read in ATV Action that the 400EX has a soft subframe and pro riders are modifing it to accept a TRX250R grab bar. To my knowledge Honda has not addressed this issue, and seems content not to. I was in the hospital for 1 month and it took me 2 years to get back to normal just because of Honda's poor R&D. At least Cannondale is fixing their mistakes and telling people not to ride until they are corrected. Oh ya, why don't you tell me how much you like your banshee's airbox set up. To bad it only took Yamaha 14 years and thousands riders ruining their motors to make them decide to correct it. The fact is no manufacturer is perfect, but some try harder than others to make things right.
Posted by: AWSOME88250R
Amen brother! By the way, I'm in no way ragging on the Banshee and 400EX. I just get a little fired up when someone has the nerve to call a quad I own and never had a problem with an embarrassment.
Posted by: AZRENEGADE
Well, I read all of the posts in this thread and I must say that I was stirred emotionally by all of the patriotic references. So, I donned my best American made T-shirt with unfurled star spangled banner front and back, grabbed my checkbook and headed for the nearest Yamaha/Suzuki/Cannondale dealership. I walk through the doors and what do I see? Two Cannondales, one red, one silver just waiting to be bought by this fortunate American! What luck! What a great day to be an American! Wait it, it gets better! As I am oogling my next ride, a salesman approaches. Too good to be true! It is an old aquaintenance of mine and I am sure to get a great deal! Just as I am ready to tell him to wrap one to go, he tells me that he is not allowed to sell either model. They both are awaiting new front spindles under recall. Apparently the spindles aren't up to the job and the front wheels have a tendency to depart from the quad at the most inconvenient times. And to make matters worse, as we begin to discuss the numerous pros and cons of the quad, two gents walk up to check out the bikes. My friend offers to show them the quads. With smirks on their faces, one of the gents comes back with, "Our friend has one. Can't keep it out of the shop." Having succeeded in shooting down my friend,they walked away. What a lousy day to be an American! The flags nearly fell off my T-shirt!
My fellow Americans, the bottom line is - POOR R&D! I don't care how many times the owner visits this forum or how much more padding he PROMISES to add to the seat, this quad is an embarrassment! The problems with this quad aren't typical first year/new model teething problems. Someone dropped the ball in the R&D area. This quad has all of the earmarks of a production schedule that had to be met,come hell or high water. Spindles have been around since the beginning of time, it is inconceivable that a super priced, super quad like the Cannondale should suffer from this problem. And if they can screw up spindles, what next!I suspect that the Cannondale folks studied at the Harley Davidson School of Business. If it doesn't sell on it's own, wrap it in a flag and slap an import tariff on the competition (probably their next move)! In the end, I bought a Banshee. It may be old but it works, by God! And I am confident that when I touch down from a 20' launch my wheels will still be on the quad. What good is a suspension if the wheels are in the weeds and your ass is headed for the hospital?
If you sense frustration, you are right. I don't necessarily want to bash Cannondale, I am just a frustrated American. We are the greatest country in the history of the world and we cannot build a superior motorcycle or quad, even when we try. Instead we resort to flag waving and denial. Well, my money went to Japan and will continue to until we build a motorcycle/quad worthy of the American label. Flag waving is for parades, I want/demand value from the items on which I spend my hard earned money.
Posted by: AZRENEGADE
I hear everyone talkin' but ain't no one buyin'. How come? Don't want to mortgage the farm for a quad with faulty spindles and God knows what else? At least I tried!
Posted by: AZRENEGADE
Not anymore! I have what I want! Power, reliability and NO surprises! Heres hopin' that your injectors stay clean and your valves never need adjustin'. I goin' out to finish breakin' in my BAD ASS BANSHEE! Adios!
Posted by: AZRENEGADE
Cdaleracer,
You overestimate the abilities of your quad. Don't ever think that a 4-stroke will match up with a fully developed 2-stroke. Banshees were conceived with one arm tied behind their backs due to the legal mood of the time. Once setup in a fashion comparable to and as efficient as the current trend in 4-strokes they are untouchable. Please don't turn this into a name calling post.
Posted by: AZRENEGADE
Since when is relating a true experience bashing? I merely conveyed my experience shopping for a Cannondale and stated my opinion. I didn't go on how I was going to run over Cannondales with my new Banshee or how I dreamed about covering a fellow rider with mud! Personally, if they mounted a 2-stroke in a Cannondale frame I would buy it in a heartbeat. In my estimation it would be the perfect quad. Suspension and arm ripping power! Awesome! Not likely to happen, though.
Frankly, the only thing that will stop the Banshee is the environmentalist. Then they will come after the 4-strokes. Don't kid yourself, they are never satisfied. Once the Banshees are legislated against, you boys better start figuring out where to retro fit the catalytic converters!
Posted by: 87r
This post is late in the game - I am not over on the C'dale side very often but I just want to add my personal experience with C'dale.
I have never ridden or seen the C'dale quad in person, but I have owned a $3,000+ C'dale mountain bike for almost ten years. I got the very first HeadShock mountain (Delta-V 1500) bike from C'dale that had the revolutionary front suspension that was in the head tube (still the best in mountain biking in my opinion). Well, within six months it quit working. I took it to my C'dale dealer and he replaced it immediately for free with no hassles and told me that he had been seeing many problems with this new setup. Six months later, it quit again. This time when I took it back he told me C'dale had totally redesigned the entire front headshock. The new version had more travel and was stronger. The dealer then installed the new and MUCH improved front suspension again for free. That was years ago and it is still going strong. What that tells me is that C'dale is a TOP NOTCH company who cares about the guy who already bought their product. In mountain biking their reputation is legendary. If you break your C'dale in any way you simply bring it in to the dealer and BANG it is fixed - more likely than not with a revised and improved version. If C'dale engineering finds a problem (EVERY NEW PRODUCT HAS PROBLEMS) they fix the problem and redesign to make sure it won't happen again. Then they replace the ones already in the field with the new version.
I see the same thing happening with the quads. The cool thing is they fix the ones that are already out the door. Seems like Yamaha fixed the problems on the Raptor as well - the difference is the guys who already own the defective ones are screwed.
In another year or two I am buying a C'dale. It is American made and is everything you could want in a quad. I love 2 strokes too - I have a totally modded 250R. But I also realize C'dale would have been crazy to make theirs a 2 stroke which is a dieing technology.
I think it took some major balls to come out and compete with the Japs in the ATV market. For a first try I think they kicked some serious ass! I can't wait to ride one!
Posted by: RideRed04
Damnit, now I feel all unpatriotic, and bad because I bought a 400ex. Oh well, it is fun to ride, and when she is too slow, I think my next quad will have a C on it.
Posted by: Newzboy
I've been a participant in these forums now for about a year or so and I think I finally know what I want to sya to sum up the whole Cannondale thing...
I am a 42 year old father of 3 who has loved off road stuff since my childhood. I have seen companies come and seen them go. I have seen businessmen who were enthusiasts sink their fortunes into ideas for new bikes and lose them after the marketplace rendered its cold, heartless decision that they werent up to par. It saddened me to see them not make it.
When new bikes came out like the honda cr 125 or the xr 600 or quads like the 250r's, I loved them but secretly wished we as Americans would rise to the challenge of building a better bike. After all, we put a guy on the freakin' moon for crimonie's sake! Why di we continue t o be the biggest off road market, yet offer no competitive product of our own? I have heard cry babies for YEARS say "Man, Wouldn't it be cool if WE could build a great bikle? I know I would support it!" WELL GUESS WHAT? IT'S HERE YOU KNUCKLEHEADS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you understand how long we have waited for this? WAKE UP! We have a company who isn't satisfied with just making a bike as good as the Japanese (or anyone else). They set out to beat it in every stinking catagory that you can say out loud! This thing was designed,and assembled right here! Not Japan , Not Germany, Not Italy... HERE! To all the Cdale bashers, read carefully...... Have you even been to the company web site? Do you know how to operate a computer? If you do , your favorite game HAS to be LEMMINGS because that's what you are acting like! Follow,follow, follow! I wLooked at the web page and took the factory ( I recomend it) and looked at the faces of the men and women who build this bike! There are just like some of us.. They take pride in there work, their product and what they do! Based on the factory support they are providing ( I will post next on Yamaha and the "CRAPTOR") for any fixes or updates needed and the fact that this bike offers so much more than anyone else, I just don't understand when I hear someone saying (insert whinney voice here) "Oh ,its just not really proven yet" Give me a break ...Why do you ride,anyway? Have you forgotten what got you into this sport?..I want a bike that excites me! That turns heads, That not everyone has...Hey wait, its starting to sound like a woman now! But seriously, you enthusiasts out there who are waiting to pull the trigger on a new Quad,ask yourself why you ride. Doesnt the Cdale fulfill everything you have always wanted in a quad? It does me! Right down to that little AMERICAN flag on the swingarm! Wake up you guys! Lets give this company the support they deserve for stepping up to the plate,staring down the pitcher and knocking one right over straight a way center field with the bases loaded! Sure they might have grounded out a few times at the plate while learning the pitches, but give them the credit they deserve! My only hesitation is that when you guys finaly wake up and start buying these in the knd of numbers that reflect the product, I will have to pay top dollar for one.... Because I will get one ...............
Posted by: Newzboy
Thanks for the input everybody. I wanted to add also that the folks I am talking about turning their back on Cannondale are not the riders who cant afford or dont have the means to buy a cannon. Everybody has their own budget to stay on. The ones I am speaking of are the ones who will think nothing of buying a new Raptor,Banshee,EX,or DS and proceed to add thousands of dollars of hop up goodies on it putting it beyond the price of the American unit. I have thought long and hard about why the Magazines are trashing or giving faint praise to the cdale. (bike and quad) Its not just the fact that the big manufacturors buy big color ads in the mags. Thats probably 15-20% of the ad revenue. Look at the other 80% of the ads.... See any Cdale hop ups? No.. Heck on the last shootout between the raptor and the FX400, they even said one of the testers was an owner of a business that sold a "ton of raptor mods" and graded the Raptor on the basis of what it might do with these supposed mods...What in the crap kind of objective outlook is that in a test? The old expression "RUN WHAT YOU BRUNG" comes to mind. I have seen other shootout results trash a bike because of the tires on it... What do these people do? Add decent tires to the Raptor to " make things more even" OK, then take the extra money for tires and put a steering stablizer on the FX!!Cmon guys! Do you really think we dont see what you are doing? These tests have all but destroyed my faith in any objectivity the magazines might have had... What the mags need to do (if they had the _____) is to check out the factory tour on the web site and talk with Harold, Kari, or John and ask them what its like to be a part of a company like cannondale....I have had several email correspondences from Scott Montgomery ( the son of the ceo Joe Montgomery) who is one of the company directors and he sigs his letters often with the phrase "We NEVER give up" Does that tell you anything? I am not a "buy American" strictly type of person...I dont even like that sticker..(Its usually on the back of a crappy American car,not a good one)but Jeeeze folks we have the real deal here. For those of you who can afford one, give the cannondale a look. Are you afraid that you will spend thousands of dollars on a quad, have it breakdown in countless ways and be stuck with a quad full of problems and no support from the factory? I have seen that happen very recently time and again, but guess what? The company was Japanese.
Posted by: Newzboy
A little background here... I do ride... currently I have a 95 Mojave that I am rebuilding along with an 84 ATC 200x(for sale),an 88 KLR250 (for sale), a 75 Yamaha mx 125 (for sale)... Past bikes from most recent to least..cr 500, xr 350,xr600. I started at the age of 10. I am a rabid enthusiast for all things quad or dirtbike.
It has really been eating at me ever since the mags have turned their back on the Cannondales... I really think that moto24 is right.. The mags are getting a major black eye. Part of their reluctance is due to the dressing down that dirt rider got for naming the mx 400 "bike of the year" based on paper only. The bike just wasnt ready for prime time yet. Now, they wont even go near any accolades for fear of the same thing. I spoke with Stephanie Parton (currently 2nd in GNCC womens with 2 wins) her husband and her both rode Honda 440 (built to the hilt)..She works at Southside Honda Yam,Suz (Also known as Yamaha of Troy)which is also a Cannondale dealer here in Dayton,He switched to a Cdale FX and at first said that although its faster than stink, it was a bit twitchy (his words) in the woods. He put on a Scotts stablizer and said it is magic now. Stephanie told me that his stock(not even remapped EFI yet) will eat her 440 alive. This is what I have been waiting for . I am not anti Japanese (look at my bike list,plus my Toyota Pickup) I am just pro excellance. Anyone who purposely stays away from this bike for any reason other than money or purpose needs his/her head examined....
Posted by: Newzboy
Man I cant believe I forgot about the 97 Banshee I had until 4 months ago.. It had a motofast 2 into 1 pipe and cool heads. Wow, would that thing scream... It just wasnt as much fun in the woods as it was in the wide open stuff. Anyway Thanks for all the great encouragement from all of you. BTW, lonestarbanshee, great pics of great bikes!
Posted by: Newzboy
Great Post Awesome88250r!!!!!!!You are who we have been looking for! Someone who has tried them all, has lots of experience, and isnt afraid to call it like it is! I hope you guys in the honda forums are reading this! I would love to have been there when the Honda engineers got their cannondale out of the truck at their secret test track (you know they did),took some hot laps and when the test rider took off his helmet said "we have a problem" in Japanese. I would have been doing that dance that Stuart the copyboy does in the commercial for etrade!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Newzboy
Man, This just keeps getting better and better. I am really impressed that Scott Montgomery, a director at Cannondale, would take the time to see what we as riders are thinking...I hope you naysayers are watching this forum. I dont think its ever happened. Did you catch what he said about always trying to make a better product? Im here to tell you that manufacturers dont ordinarily do that. If there is a problem, most manufacturers ride it out till the next model year/software upgrade. I would love to see sales of these bikes just take off, because they deserve it. For any of you investors out there, the stock is a bargain right now at around 3.50/share.... If you look at where its home used to be it is around 20-21....I know it will be there again.As they say on the Motley Fool investing "Dont just buy stock from a popular company, Know the company and what they make".........Heres to you Cannondale! I just wish I lived in Pa.
Posted by: Newzboy
Scott, I realize that you are probably too busy to camp out on this forum to hear every word we say, but I gotta be honest. I think we have stumbled onto a real find here. When has there ever been a better interface between customer and manufacturer? Forget focus groups. You have a pretty good group of hard core enthusiasts right here. Do you realize that over 400 people have read these posts? Not 400 Wal-Mart shoppers, or 400 people in line at the post office or at a Nascar event. 400 ATV loving,Cannondale interested,computer savy,"might buy one,maybe already did", hard core riders. Talk about communication! For any of you fence sitters out there, I think you have a lot more information than you had before. Granted, individual dealers will vary in their ability/desire to satisfy the customer, but thats a variable that honda and the rest have to put up with as well. For those of you out there that have good dealer experiences, post them here. Heck, if we keep an open mind maybe we can even post the bad ones in an attempt to rectify them or make every body better. I know if I were a cdale dealer, I would not want a call from Scott for the wrong reason... This is a real channel of communication! I want to see a lot of Cdales out there when I go riding...Like I said, I am saving my money because I WILL GET ONE!
Posted by: Newzboy
Let me make sure I have this correct...AZRENEGADE is so sure he wants a Cannondale That he takes his checkbook to a dealer and then when he finds that the Factory has a recall in place to show that they are responsible he loses faith? I know several people who have quads in and out of the shop because of :
A. The person is so incompetant that they can't change the air filter.
B. The person is such a knucklehead rider that they crash every ride.
This means NOTHING!
All that crap about the American Tee shirt was just there to break your heart... Nice try AZ! I will not alter my plans to buy one because of what SOME guy sez he walked in on...Gimmee a break! And another thing, If this quad is an embarrassment, Its to the people who bought quads from companies who were content to produce the same stuff (I'm being kind) every year with bold new graphics and nothing else. I'd be embarrassed too! Think how many time Yamaha could have and should have fixed the air box on the banshee!!!!!!! When they went to A-Arms from J-Arms, what prompted that? Are there any 88 models with some of each? NO! They waited until the next model year to fix the design..I have news for you pal, Get used to a company that fixes it now, not later, cuz if they want to hang with Cdale they better start thinking that way!
Posted by: Newzboy
You know what AZRENEGADE? It all comes down to whats important to you. Some guys would rather wave the flag than run it through someone's guts. Some people would like to invest in a Company, a product, an ideal. Some people get really tired of the same old crap every year..Some people can feel a literal KICK IN THE GUT when they see a company pull the wraps off of a "new" quad with just BNG (bold new graphics) at a dealer convention. No quad is perfect. We've established that. Its all in how the company handles the problems... I'll bet you would complain if you were seated on an airplane and they cancelled your flight after finding a crack in the wing!!!!Some would say "Good work guys!" You? "Shoulda flown Delta!" I would love to be there the first time someone pulls up on a Cannibal and smokes you like a cuban cigar! You wont admit it, but you will secretly study the back end of the Cannibal as you try and stay with it and say to yourself " Man,that's a cool quad!"
Posted by: Newzboy
You speak truth Awesome, in fact we may never know how many banshees seized prematurely because of the bogus airboxes Yamaha provided all those years.. We do know however, that ProFlow made a fortune on something that Yamaha should've fixed. Man, No wonder the aftermarket guys hate the Cannon...I can see a vendor out there who makes spindles thinking he was going to put his kids through college with these fixes, then Cdale steps up and says "that's our bad, we'll fix it.. the customer only needs to pay for a part once." I'll bet he was hatin that! Responsibility! Golly, what a concept!
Posted by: Newzboy
I'm getting a mental picture here: I'm seeing AZRENEGADE sitting there on his banshee (no disrespect for the shee,had a 97 myself)and as the Cannondale pulls away from him,he slows down,stops,pulls down his mud covered goggles leaving only his eyes not covered in mud,and says WHAT THE CRAP WAS THAT?.... Face it AZRENEGADE, you have been mentally roosted on. The Cdale owners (I want to be one VERY badly)have stepped up and spoken. I also doubt that you really "tried" to buy a cannondale. BTW, how do you "try" to buy a new quad? You read,research, calculate then you drive to the dealer and buy.
You know what AZRENEGADE? I'm sure you are a great guy when its all said and done..You love quads like the rest of us... we are all friends here..We welcome opposing opinions here so that we can Change their minds with the facts... Take a closer look at the Cdale,honestly look at it for what it is, take the factory tour at the web site (www.cannondalemotorcycle.com) and then speak to an owner.. Im sure you could talk to one offline, perhaps on the telephone. Ask all the questions you want till you get the answers you need. When you feel good about it, go back to your friend at the dealer,work your best deal and get out their and ROOST on the unsuspecting! COME OVER FROM THE DARK SIDE,AZRENEGADE!
Posted by: Newzboy
CANNONDALE.......You KNOW you want one.
Posted by: raptorfrog
Hmmm....this thread has really run the gamut but I have to say I am thoroughly impressed. Having been in manufacturing for the past 10 yrs I must say how impressed I am that Cannondale cares enough to come here seeking information on improving their quad(s). The lengths Cannondale has gone to in order to prove their number one goal is making a great product is commendable. If I were making my purchasing decision right now I would buy one of the Cannondales but as it stands I bought my Raptor in April and won't be making another ATV purchase for another year or so. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my Raptor and do not regret my purchase for a second but I have noticed the problems being reported with a few too many Raptors and the lack of an appropriate, or even interested, response from Yamaha. Nobody can get such a complicated piece of machinery completely right in the first production run. Honda didn't do it, the 400ex had it's share of growing pains. And now the Cannondale and Raptor have also had some early production run issues. The true difference between the two companies is how they responded to these issues. One hid them and has tried to fix them in a way that reduced their short term expense(Yamaha). The other openly admitted the problems and went above and beyond to fix them(Cannondale). I truly respect when someone stands behind their work, including admitting and remedying their mistakes. As I said I absolutely love my Raptor but come my next purchase you can be sure I will be going to the company that makes the best, stands behind their product, and has advanced the sport. At this point my money would clearly be going to Cannondale. Yamaha will really have to step up to the plate to get my money again.
This thread has incorporated brand bashing, flag waving, and patriotism. Cannondale may have tripped over themselves a bit getting started, but they learned from those mistakes and have become a better company for it. In my opinion there are few things more patriotic or American than that.
...now if only that FX weren't so freakin ugly! Really, I do find it rather difficult on the eyes.
Posted by: yamahagye
i just emailed cannondale. i copied and posted what you wrote. i couldn't agree more with what you said. we're americans(and canadians). we are bashing what america has to offer and praising what ever japan sends us. japanese atv makers just sit back and let sales drop until someone challenges them. then they do the bare minium to stay ahead of the compition. here is a mountain bike maker who jumps into the atv world,whose first quad is more sophisticated and probably better than all previous quads.
Posted by: hylton400ex
I'm not so sure a C-dale can beat a Piped, filter, jetted Banshee. And if the Shee rider actually knows what he is doing. That can make a lot of difference too. I have seen dynos of Shee pipes that can make 17 hp increases. It's some type of Drag Racing pipe that doesn't stick out the side.
Posted by: biglaws
Hey guys I have been watching andreading these forums for about 8 mnths now and I am glad to finnally comment. Let me tell you my story about the best damn quad ever built. About 7 mnths ago I purchased an fx400 #78, I did have some problems with the front end and Cdale replaced everything in the frontend but, we couldn't get it dialed in just right. I calld and called and all the techs were awsome but I couldn't get it right so Cdale is now shipping me a new cannabil this week with all the new mods,they sent me full riding gear, they are upgrading my fuel system and, just doing everything beyond the norm t makeme happy. I will never own any other product!!!!!!!! I have about 10 people to thank and Mr Montgomery if you read this thank you and go thank Don Gonzales, Chaz(tech), and give Mark Shloznagle a fat ass raise. I have been in sales for 9 yrs and I love it when I finally get treated the way I want to be treated it means so much. I a theonly person in my area (Lake Charles, LA.) and I will challenge anyone on the track,dragrace, or hill climd (dunes). That also includes Dirt Wheels and ATV action anytime!!!!!!!! Bring it on!!!!!. I would love t go visit the factoy and get sponsored(hint,hint)
In short this is an awsome machine and I amreally gad I purchased one and I will be buying a Moto 440. Thanx for listening, Brian Lawson
GOD BLESS THE USA ( I am working on some pics to send you guys)
If you havent jumped you Cdale yet I recommend a very naughty 40 ft table top pic o fthat comming soon!
Posted by: juggalo
i agree. cannondale seems to be making a lot of good decitions that make it look like their here to stay. i hope. i'd love to have a cannondale quad. i just can't afford one
Posted by: Moto24
I have said before that it was a bonus that my FX is designed and built in the U.S, but it's not what sold me. This is the machine however that really brought me into this sport, with its inovations and quality I couldn't resist it. I wouldn't ever take anything away from the Japanese because they were the ones who got me into motorcycling on a YZ when I was a kid. Since then I have been a sportbiker and roadracer and all I've ridden are Japanese bikes. I always said if an American company built a competetive sportbike I would be there with my greenbacks. Unfortunatley that time hasn't come yet, Buell is getting closer, and the Harley VR1000 is only a myth I believe
Then I got intrested in the last few years in ATV's but I just didn't see anything that I could get excited about, then the Raptor came out and it looked cool but it to me looked like it would roll easy, I may be wrong. Then I spotted the C-dale and I was intrigued by it's engine and chassis. I trusted C-dale based on the quality of bikes they built sure they aren't proven in this market but what bike or quad is proven till it's been out for awhile. When was the 400ex proven or the Raptor? Raptor still uses a weak axle doesn't it?
I don't care who builds it I just want hi-tech and quality, it's just nice to see an American company that can do it. Now only if C-dale would build that sportbike I've been waiting for, Buell took their 500 Blast motor and made it a twin and is comming out with a nice looking sportbike next year, frame has the gas tank intigrated and the swing arm doubles as the oil resivor for the dry sump engine, like the C-dale does with it's frame. But their engine is still air-cooled.
Moto24
'01 FX400
'98 Kawi ZX-9R
'90 Kawi ZX-7 (superbike)
'84 VF750R
'80 Kawi KZ650
Posted by: Moto24
Newzboy, I believe atleast some of the magazines got a backlash from their comparo's of the C-Dale. In the Aug. issue of Dirt Wheels in the Wide Open department, Steve Casper writes about how they do ATV testing. Well they didn't say anything about the C-dale but it sure reads like thats what it's about. Dirt Wheels probably did the best job, even though I still don't agree with the their
ratings, C-dale finished last in the dunes category, thats were I ride mine most and I guess I don't understand what they're looking for. And I put a point system to their ratings chart and the C-dale should have finished 2nd according to how they rate, even though I believe it's a better machine than the Raptor.
The mags have been a huge dissapointment everything from how they rate to saying its too narrowly focused to performance, uh it is a sport quad, right? Dirt Wheels says they don't take bribes, won't be coerced,etc. but they don't mention where most of there money does come from, in the form of ads.
Moto24
'01 FX400
'98 Kawi ZX-9R
'90 Kawi ZX-7 (superbike)
'84 VF750R
'80 Kawi KZ650
Posted by: Moto24
Well you don't know much about those weak axles on the Banshee that your going to have to replace with an aftermarket after a couple of those 20' jumps,yeah your wheels will still probably be attached but that axle might not And then they go and put that same axle on the Raptor, but I suppose thats ok for you AZRENEGADE, atleast Cannondale has made a commitment to fixing problems and not just let them slid for years.
Also I bought my FX400 back in May and the shop I got it at had just finished upgrading the spindles and I've had it in the shop once, to get the upgraded ball joints. Mine hasn't broke anything but I guess there were a few that broke ball joints so C-dale put out a safety recall on those. The thing is C-dale is new to motorsports and for them to make a few mistakes, I can understand, but they've taken it seriuosly and are fixing the problems, unlike most or all other manufactures.
R&D can only take you so far and that goes for even the more established manufactures, Kawasaki,Honda,Suzuki and Yamaha have all built bikes with inferior components on all their ATV's and motorcycles. I've been a big Kawi fan for years and raced their bikes and will continue to buy their bikes(well until C-dale builds a Sportbike that is,hint hint but they do make mistakes. C-dale has developed one of the most hi-tech engines in motorsports and a beautiful and strong frame to go with it. I'm not one to go out and buy something American just because it's American made, I want the best product for my money and I got it with the C-dale, it's lightyears ahead of anything out.
Moto24
'01 FX400
'98 Kawi ZX-9R
'90 Kawi ZX-7 (superbike)
'84 VF750R
'80 Kawi KZ650
Posted by: Moto24
AZRENEGADE, you obviously don't read the posts. There are people that own C-dales that post here,I have since I bought mine in mid May. And others have test ridden them and want them but finances have held them back, not the quad.
I find it a bit curious that you just went to a dealer and they still didn't have the spindles done yet, that was a service item from May. I probably got mine from a dealer farthest from the C-dale factory and it was done before I picked mine up. Are you sure it wasn't the ball-joints that hadn't been done?
Anyway some of the people talking here are owners, and well since you havn't ridden one or own one your opinion doesn't have much validity.
Moto24
'01 FX400
'98 Kawi ZX-9R
'90 Kawi ZX-7 (superbike)
'84 VF750R
'80 Kawi KZ650
Posted by: Moto24
"Please don't turn this into a name calling post" now thats rich AZRENEGADE!!! I think you started bashing the C-dale with your first post. You don't own one or have ridden one and you feel you have some right to bash the C-dale. Isn't there a Yamaha forum you can't take your righteous opinons?
Posted by: Moto24
AZRENEGADE you have to admit that when you tried to compare Cannondale with Harley that was meant as a bash, and I took it that way. I'm not a flag waiver, I do love my country don't get me wrong, but Harley is a corporation and they don't represent me as a motorcyclist. They tried to set back motorcycling with those tarriffs in the 80's and I can never fully get over that kind of cheapshot, they hurt the sportbike market something they weren't even in.
And I agree lets not start bashing each other, it doesn't do anything positive for the sport.
I just feel you havn't given the C-dale a chance and your making opinions based on limited information, you should have ridden one first and found out what other peoples experience was. You said you talked to a guy at a shop, and made up your mind. You didn't come to these boards to find out what owners experiences with the quad and the company were, you didn't ask questions like an intrested buyer. You came and made a statement about their poor R&D, I guess some would take that as a bash too. You say your only stating you experience, what experience? You didn't talk to any company reps, ride the quad, and you don't own one. You based it on talking to one guy at a shop, who said another guy couldn't keep his out of the shop, doesn't seem to be much to base a decision on. And if thats what you based it on how could you buy a Banshee based on the faults it has had?
And I'd like to point out something else based on your love of 2-strokes, to each his own and I think 2-strokes are fine but not for me. If you look at where 4 stroke technology is and is going
it is leapfrogging 2-strokes this is not meant to be a bash. Why do you think the 500GP bikes are going to 4-strokes? And I remind you this is the top of the food chain when it comes to motorycling of any kind. 500GP bikes have been stagnent for years and can't get anymore out of them, 2-strokes finally hit the wall, and now they've decided to go the route of Formula One and can produce high reving 4-stroke engines that can make huge hp in a small package. This can only help the sport with more efficent burning engines, more power and less emissions without cat converters and keeping EPA off the backs of manufactures.
Moto24
'01 FX400
'98 Kawi ZX-9R
'90 Kawi ZX-7 (superbike)
'84 VF750R
'80 Kawi KZ650
Posted by: madweazl
Ahh, makes me proud! I'm a Marine, though I wasnt very patriotic when I was younger I have become much more so now. I love American ideals. I drive an '88 Mustang GT, it has a cam, full exhaust, and a few other mods. It doesnt handle real well (been lowered and has good rubber and urethane bushings), is loud as hell, has terrible street manners, and gets 15mpg city on a good day. I love everything about that car. Sure, somebody might have a Civic thats quicker but it doesnt symbolize anything. Everything about my car screams American.
I want a quad that does the same thing! Cannondale made it even better though. Its got the 4 stroke balls (similar to the V8 compared to a 4 banger) rather than a 2 stroke, a brutally stiff aluminum chassis that was hand welded (love good welds), and handles too! I couldnt be happier with what they produced, I just saw one in person for the first time this weekend at Imperial Cycle in El Centro. Man was it beautiful. I sat on it and got the chilly willys. This quad was made for me, hopefully I can create enough money to purchase it, I'm about to sell myself on the street corner (dont tell my wife)
Posted by: CdaleRacer
Whew!
Newzboy, every thing you said in my opinion is so right. When I first heard about cannondale making an engine and putting it in a MX bike I kind of had a feeling that it would make it into a quad chassis. Then I heard that thats exactly what they were planning. I waited 1 1/2 years for it to come out. I wanted a Honda,but bit my lip and waited. Since my purchase I havent looked back and never will. Every quad has its problems and breaks something every once in a while,some just break more often than others and some break simple things that could have been built better. Cannondale is taking all the neccesary steps to make those simple things better and to make the other things more reliable. Who else does this ? NO ONE! I know Cannondale has not proven reliable yet, but might I also add that my C-Dale FX400 has not proven unreliable. I can go out put the key in connect the kill switch push the little green button and ride for as long as I want to. Thats why I wanted a new Quad and not a used one like the other 2 I had before. I didnt want to spend as much time wrenching on it as I did riding it. As far as the price goes hasnt everything thats been made is the US had a higher price than things that are made in other places? I cant stand to here people bash C-Dale when they havent ridden, or even saw one in person. The people that have and bash C-Dale, well thats fine but dont exagerate your experiance. Any one thats in the market for a new quad I think should go and check a C-DALE out dont just look RIDE and compare. If you think then and only then that the price is still to high ok dont buy it. Dont read what the mags say and decide not to even give the C-Dale a look at. Find out for your self. Even though the price may seem high to some Cannondale is doing and in my opinion will continue to do so much for us atvers. I mean they made the FX and then a few months latter made the Cannibal and now are coming out with new models for 02. They didnt just come out with the FX and leave the ATV thing at that for a couple years and come out with new motorcycles. They want us to be happy and have a choice on what to buy, it just so happens that what they are making is STATE OF THE ART products, which no company (especialy a new company) can produce and sell dirt cheap. Now even if Honda or Susuki ect. were going to come out with new sport/hi-proformance models (probably one a peace) I dont think that the original plans are the same. Maybe the same model + another HI TECH model to try to take away from C-Dale. Or maybe lose the OLD model plan and just come out with the HI-TECH one. WHY? Not because they just wanted to make us happy, but because cannondale put them way far behind in technology. Will the new models that the others come out with be better? who knows, but I think that by the time they come out C-Dale will still be ahead. What about the price of the others ,probably cheaper but I dont care because they are not made in the USA!
Posted by: CdaleRacer
Mr. Montgomery said it guys, Not me or anyone else that owns a Cannondale. Not everyone else that talks about the Cannondale and has never even seen one in person. My question is,who do you beleive now?
Cannondale CARES about us atvers,for Scoot Montgomery to come to this forum and take the time to type something says alot about him and alot about the GREAT COMPANY CANNONDALE. Has anyone from the other Manufactures ever said anything in these or anyother atv forum? I dont know because i'm new but I would have to say noway. The way Cannondale is going they may be the best and biggest USA company in the history of the US.in a few years. Thanks MR. Montgomery for giving us ATVers a product that we cant go wrong with, and for letting other atvers that dont have a Cannondale (yet) know that you do care.
Posted by: CdaleRacer
Does this mean you are going to be visiting with us in the forums often Mr. Montgomery? I sure hope so. We will try to keep it real,and not ask you to give us secret information or free MOTO 440s or anything. I cant beleive we now have a manufacture thats down to earth and cares about us and its products as much as Cannondale. Keep up the awsome work.
Posted by: CdaleRacer
Lonestarbanshee, I wasnt refering to you. You're cool. Free stickys are cool (being that my C-Dale didnt come with the big C on the radiator shrouds). I just figured that some one in a few days would say "MR. Montgomery could you please tell me how much cannondale pays ohlins for the shocks on the quads" ect. You know the people that im talking about.
Or "Mr. Montgomery could you please call my dealer and get him to cut me a realy good deal on an new Moto 440". I just feel lucky to have some one from ANY manufacture talking to us and dont want to make his experiance a bad one. I just want to say that I havnt heard from any one that owns or has owned a Cannondale say anything realy bad about them. The few things some complain about are in my opinion minnor, like needs a steering stabilizer, seat to firm, or I lost both contacts out of my eyes the first time I realy got on the gas (that was me). So far so good Cannondale. Keep rolling'em out and we will keep buying'em up.
Posted by: CdaleRacer
AZRENEGADE its people like you that make me wonder why they even want a quad. Your excuse for not getting the Cannondale is lame. Are you shure it wasnt because your pal wouldnt (couldnt) cut you a deal. The spindles should have been upgraded a long time ago. In my opinion you cant say anything bad about the C-Dale because you didnt even ride it to check out the power, suspension,handling,or ergos. I think if you could have ridden one you wouldnt even think about getting FREE UPDATES because the only thing you would have thought is MAN THIS THING IS AWSOME! Im not going to say you made the wrong decision by getting a banshee, maybe the C-Dale isnt for you, but its real sad that you didnt even give it a chance when thats what you put your shirt on for and headed to the dealer with the money for. If some one told me that they didnt get a banshee because they didnt feel comfortable on it ( handlebars, footpegs, seat, ect.),or I didnt get an EX because they have a weak connecting rod, those things I can understand ( because those things havent and never will be fixed by the manufactures) I just cant understand your reason!
Posted by: CdaleRacer
Dont know about my injectors, but my air filter stays clean. I guess the reason is,Im always taking the clean air away from all the other quads HA! I just hope that you can find air filter cleaner cheap, because your going to be cleaning them after everytime you pull up beside a C-Dale. Sorry guys but I couldnt resist.lol lonestarbanshee.AZRENEGADE did you take the money to buy a Cannondale and walk out with a stock Banshee? That seems even more crazy. Why not spend some of that left over money for a set of pipes, boost bottle, K&N, jets, tires, and a lot of filter cleaner because you would still need that.
Posted by: CdaleRacer
AZRENEGADE maybe I was out of line alittle,but I couldnt help it after seeing BAD A*# Banshee like its meaner than the C-Dale or something. Then the part about the injectors. C-Dale has had a few problems but as far as I know the injectors arent one of them. The Banshee is one of the most thrilling rides ive been on, but my C-Dale is the most. As a matter of fact I want a Banshee and have wanted one for a few years now. Ill never give up my C-Dale though and it will always be my main ride. Ever since I heard a Banshee with a Dyno Port two into one pipe a few years ago I cant get that sound out of my head. I didnt say anything bad about the banshee in my reply. I also didnt say anything about a fully developed two-stroke. No I dont over estimate the abilities of my quad, what I said was from experience not by what ive heard or read. If you like two-strokes then I think that you would have loved the Cannondale. Its more like a two stoke than it is a four-stroke. How can this be? I dont realy know except that It has a very high rev. limit. Maybe something to do with the EFI, porting,and cams. Every one that Ive let ride mine from Banshee owners,250R owners,CR 500 owners to 300ex owners ect. have all been VERY impressed with the power and handling. Like I said before Im not going to say you bought the wrong quad.Maybe the Cannondale isnt for you,but you should have took one for a spin before making up your mind I think.
Posted by: CdaleRacer
lonestarbanshee, You know what man? Its kind of funny, Im paying more for my FX than what I did for my TRUCK also, hehe! 3 1/2 years ago I bought a 1994 S10 for $7500.00. It looked and ran good then but now, Its a nice looking weather beaten almost see through purple (no this isnt a custom color what it is,is a very cheap paint job) The engine makes more noise than my C-Dale, but it isnt smoking YET. Any way I decided not to get another vehicle and just keep my old truck,so I could get a quad and have some fun. I missed not having a quad to ride and If I would have bought an other vehicle I wouldnt be able to afford a quad. I can get an engine for my S10 for $675.00 (used but with a warranty) and have another cheap paint job put on it for ? $1000.00 ? and have a decent truck and an awsome quad. Women wouldnt even look in my direction before ( because of my truck ) but now with the C-Dale in the back,oh man, I cant beleive the attention Im getting. Im starting to think its going to be like the good ol days when I use to have to fight em off of me! Well any way an $8000.00 BANSHEE! I shure hope that you could stomp me! But if it were stock or with just a few mods like what I was talking about before WELL YOU KNOW! Where is okmulgee? I looked but couldnt find it. And also lonstarbanshee have you ever heard a banshee with a two into one pipe,man I can still hear that sound and that was like three years ago.I want one so I can put one of those pipes on and enjoy the sound.
Posted by: ScottMontgomery
I would just like to thank all of you who have been so enthusiastic about our company. We work very hard at Cannondale to bring real innovation to all the products we produce. As Newsboy so passionately states it is easy to copy, but to expand the state of the art against excellent gigantic Japanese companies is honest to goodness good old hard work.
We are not always perfect but you can trust that we will never stop trying to make it better and that we have an awesome engine, with state of the art fuel injection (which
someday will be copied by every competitor - good luck not easy) and an aluminum frame
that quite frankly makes the steel structures used by others look like they are from
another ((older)) generation.
If you invest in us, we promise we will keep investing in you. Thank you very much
Scott Montgomery
Cannondale
Posted by: ScottMontgomery
Awesome88, Newzboy, others,
Thanks for the kudos and I have asked our production manager to post your comments
in the Cannondale factory lunch room so that our entire staff can see how much you appreciate the workmanship and efforts.
Awesome: Also we noted your comments on the seat hardness and we will see if we
can improve that in the future - our seat vendor is responsive.
To the future,
Scott Montgomery
Cannondale
