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Posted by: RoostKing
Ok, how many of you guys that have replied OWN a Cannondale? I think he is looking for advice from Cannondale owners and previous (to Cannondale) owners...
RoostKing...
Posted by: cctman
I have just one comment for ya.... take a look at what the pro riders are riding in Nationals, TT, MX, and baja. OK yeah the cannondale hasn't been around that long yet, but you definately don't see everybody jumping the boat yet. The Cannondale is a nice bike, but Suzuki, Kawasaki, and possibly Honda already have something in the works which hopefully they will all give us word soon on there anticipated new sport quads. You guys see the new rendered drawing for the new Suzuki sport quad yet? Sweet!!
Posted by: rhino99
I say keep your R, if you really want a cannondale, save up for one and buy it. I would much rather have my 250r than a 4-stroke. The R is still the dominant machine out there, although otheres are getting close, its still the best, just dont know for how long.
Posted by: rhino99
I dont own a cannondale, and I didnt mean to sound like 250rs are the best and nothing else is worth a crap, cause thats not true at all. In fact, I would love to have a cannondale in 2 or 3 years, they are going to be awesome quads thats for sure, they are definately the most high tech thing out there right now, and probably will be for a good amount of time. I somehow doubt that any other company will relase anything more high tech than a suzuki DRZ motor in a quad, I just dont see anyone developing any technology for use in a quad like cannondale.
However, I LOVE my 250r, and most certainly wont trade it for the FX400. But...you said you trail ride a lot, and in that case, a 4-stroke is certainly the way to go. If you dont like the 2-stroke, then by all means, get a cannondale. Like I said, they are the future, and they are here right now!
Posted by: AdrenalinJunkie
My question to you cannondale owners (especially ones who have owned 250rs) is this should i sell my modded '89 250r and my modded '97 300ex in order to get a cannondale? Is the trade worth it? I have always been and always wil be a four stroke guy so just the thought of this bike gets me all warm inside. But i still love the rush of riding my r. Will i be dissapointed in the speed and power differences? handling? jumping? etc. All input is welcome.
Posted by: AdrenalinJunkie
Thank you Roostking. I am not trying to start a "250r's are the best thing since sliced bread and anything else sucks" debate. I just want some honest answers from people who own a cannondale that possibly have owned a 250r. I love mine dont get me wrong. but i really love the power going to the ground instead of spinning tires and shooting up a roost. And talking about look at the pro riders....??what about them?? They are slowly drowning out the 2-strokes with big bore 4-strokes. I just am looking at performance and durability. Whatever i decide it wont happen until a year or so in the future to let the fx400 or 450ex or whatever other bigbore comes out fix all the "little kinks" such as the raptors blown carbs...the fx400's flywheel/front end adj. If i lived near some dunes where all i could do was ride wideopen i would have 10 250rs and banshees for that matter. but like alot of people i live where trails and mud rules the land..and that doesnt suit well for an ill tempered 2 stroke fouling your spark plugs or slamming you into a tree when you hit the powerband to hard. Really the only time i ride my r is when we hit the fireroads or play in some fields or on mx track...other than that (trails) i am a whole lot faster on my 300ex and have more fun with it too.
Posted by: AdrenalinJunkie
I to LOVE my 250r....but like i said i love 4-strokes as well.. Who knows i might go ride a fx400 and laugh at its "superiority". Other than the FX i was thinking about getting a powervalve cylinder to widen that hard hitting power band and make it ride a little bit more like a 4-stroke. Oh well.....Where are all the FX owners who have 250rs?????
Posted by: LBZfreestyler
to me nothing is worth trading for a 250r! the 250r's are the best thing out YET!
Posted by: GaryManilow
Keep the R, It don't get any better!!
Posted by: juggalo
i'd also rather have the 250r.
Posted by: CdaleRacer
AdrenalinJunkie, go test ride a C-Dale. I beleive you will love the overall speed and performance,handling,ergos.ect. I am a Cannondale owner and here are my thoughts. Since you trail ride alot and have more fun and faster on a 300 EX than your R,(man I hate to say this but here it goes)I think you will like something like a 400EX or Raptor better than the C-Dale. Although the Cannondale is a 4-stroke the engine isnt like anyother 4-stroke I've ever ridden. Corners and trees ect. appear very quickly. The powerband isnt so much like a Banshee (little low end, arm pulling mid range and alot on top)but it is more like a 2-stroke (very high revving and in my oppinion if your not above like, 8000 RPMs you're not using the power of this engine). You have to keep the revs up in tight corners or you will stall it every time. It pulls hard in every gear,but in every gear if you just keep on it and not shift when you think you should (like a typical 4-stroke) watch out, that is where the real power shines through. It took me about 5 runs after I broke mine in to get up the nerve to hit the rev. limiter. I didnt think it had one or something was wrong,but the further I let it rev the harder it would pull. I finaly said the heck with it its under warranty and found it. The C-Dale wasnt made to be lugged around (I dont think so any way) It was made to be rode fast and hard. I dont agree with alot of what the mags say, but there are three things they have said that I do agree with. (1) The harder you ride it the better it works. (2) Its not for beginers. (3) Only professional riders can make full use of the quad (or something like that) I bought mine for MX only, and I havent looked back since. I dont ride mine in the woods or trails around my house. So I could be wrong about you liking another quad, but with the power characteristics of the engine I beleive Im probably right. Someone who does ride trails may have a different and better oppinion than me. As far as fire roads, play riding,MX,and SX you will love it and love it even more after you get used to it. You kind of have to learn to ride all over again and forget alot of things you have learned in the past.Its like no other quad. It jumps well and a mistake like a low front end or a high front end can be easily corrected. Most of the time I just use the gas (blip or hold open for low front, no gas or let off for high front). Ive only had to hit the rear brake a few times. The light weight chassis, high revving and high compression engine make mid air corrections easy. Landings are always smooth if you take the time to fine tune the suspension. Handling is good but could be better, with a steering damper and the front and rear could be wider. It handles alot like a 400 EX on the MX track but with way more power. The brakes work and feel very good. Holeshots are no problem with the quick throttle response. Ive only lost 3 holeshots out of like 10 and those three were when my clutch wasnt adjusted properly. Any way I hope I helped in some way and maybe cleared some things up. LOOK then RIDE (hard) then decide. Sory this is so long ,but for some reasons all of my replies are long.
Posted by: CdaleRacer
AdrenalinJunkie, I meant to say you may like an EX or Raptor for trails if you were just wanting something else to ride,or you may be just as happy with your modded 300 EX. I dont know what mods you have. Ive seen some realy tricked out ones. Also Ive never owned a 250R, but I have rode a few. Ive only owned a 300EX slighty modded,and a 250X that was heavily modded (CURTIS SPARKS). I never could find the rev. limiter on that thing but sure floated the valves like crazy HA! As far as the National Riders I know of three that are racing pretty much stock C-Dales. Although the two that race the GNC series were not racing theirs at Lorreta Lynns there were two others that were there racing in an other class and did well I think seeing what the comp. was riding . The one guy on the FX was jumping everything everyone else was and some things that some were not that was in his class. He had the power also (and I would have to beleive most of the guys in that class were running BUILT 440s) The only thing holding him back was while everyone else had wider axles and a-arms he was running stock. Also I think when the Moto 440 comes out and or more after market parts are avaliable for the other C-Dales alot more people will be running them. Everyone didnt jump on the 400EX to race it in the Nationals when it first arrived did they? I beleive that the after market companies are alot quicker at making things for the Hondas though.
