why are atvs getting so BIG?!

[SYKO]

New atvs seem to be getting bigger and bigger at a frightening rate! I mean do you really need a 1000cc sport 4x4? wtf?! I went by a local riding park to run out my daughters 250ex today and couldnt do anything all the trails are 2 ft deep ruts left by monsters I packed up and left only after 20 mins. Everyone had 600cc+ machines out there just to ride! what happened to being happy on a 200? 250? etc etc? now you got to have 800 900 1000cc! this dosnt count 450 sport machines becouse they are very much the same as older 250 smokers but will there be soon a 1000cc raptor for a sport machine? The way things are headed I think so. Dont get me wrong I love a machine thats pure overkill....only if its custom made no fun in going and buying a new machine that will destroy everythign in its path I would have rather made it.

I think the market is going sour all these huge machines are just tearing everything up I see kids younger then my daughter on 600+ cc machines on 30's, and they wounder why atvs are getting a bad rap, you cant possibly enjoy riding trails on those all the time and the cost is unreal! I cringe to think that the guy with a thundercate on 32's paid for it and the mods done to it, hell I could buy a pretty damn nice truck for less hell im selling mine for less then a down payment on one of those! I know the manufactureres only see money signs so its like pissin into the wind but damn!

ok done ranting

:crazy:

[Vealmonkey]

Remember when Datsun and Toyota only made minitrucks? Look at them now. The makers go where the market is.

[84honda200s]

ill agree to all that you have said. the machines now are a beast of a diff. bread altogether. its just getting way out of hand too quick. soon they will be making them with sport bike (crotch rocket) power plants.

[fire1]

same thing with personal watercraft keep getting bigger and bigger almost like riding in a boat .I agree with you on the big cc machines seems like they cant concentrate on making it better quality or more innovative.....just make it bigger

[atc007]

Well,,,,I will say..While I am quite obviously a barbaric 3 wheeler fan,,,,owning all sorts of ATV's.. There is nothing on this EARTH like riding up and thru the woods on a Can AM Outlander,,Not a fan of the Renegades at all,,,Even had a 2011 XXCR.. But the ground clearance,horsepower,,ability to blow thru stumps,and logs,,that leave us feet down and rocking on a 3 heeler,or lesser quad,is an absolute rush!! Being a dealer,,Honda supporter,and a 3wheeler guy,,I have Fought the movement ALL thru the years,,While Polaris and Cat and Yammie had their 500's,600's,and 700's.. Honda was trying to stick to 400,and 450's.. And I would "sell",,Noone needs that much atv!! If you're gonna buy that ,,why not just go Buy a Jeep!.. Then ,,in 06,,one of my customers pulled in with a Outty with 261 miles on it,,,Take this for a ride,,it's cutting out on Top end! I said,,it's got warranty! He said,,no I want your opinion! ,,,The rest is history.. I still had cattle at the time,,Also had new Rincons and Rubicons,,,Well,,when the cows got out ,and I'm going XXC chasing cattle,,I TRIED going back to the hondas,,,WHat a joke!!! Like riding a 110,,compared to a 350X,,Literally.. I TOTALLY understand where you're coming from,especially if your riding areas are torn up. That is awful to here.. I know noone here wants to here this! But,,riding a wheelie in reverse is quite fun : ),,as is wheelying at will,,IN 4 wheel drive,,while already going 45 ! They are an insane rush... And again,,I'm riding on MY land,,ruts are NOT allowed! I would never go anyhwhere and tear stuff up. Except the racetrack.

[RIDE-RED 250r]

Although I have noticed the general hugeness of todays 4x4 quads and scoff at the idea of paying so much for a wheeler, it just comes down to different strokes for different folks. My in-laws have a couple of 660 Grizzlies. And while I would never sell any of my classics to get one, they are kind of fun to ride. They are very comfortable and have a good bit of gitty-up-n-go. Im sure there are alot of people who buy machines like that that dont understand why on earth a guy like me would ever want to sink 2 grand into my antiquated old trike to hop it up to the point no 450 could catch it. Quite a few of those folks look at people like us as crazy for riding those dangerous, sinister, evil trikes that killed so many unsuspecting people back in the '80s.

I do hear ya on the 4 foot deep ruts these machine make. I have noticed this in certain public riding areas where I ride. But, one good side effect of the way things are going is more and more people are getting into the sport. And the more we are, the more influence we can have in maintaining riding areas and opening new areas. I was just reading in my local newspaper today that Yamaha Corp just donated a $10,000 grant for trail development to an ATV club just 20 miles from my driveway.

There is a good side and a bad side to everything depending on your point of view.

[HuffieVA]

If I needed something that big I'd find an old Ford 8N... I'm sure they are great, but I've drug 12/14ft logs with an 84 Big Red (not that it enjoyed it) the size worries me because of the weight. Myself I would much rather have a 300 lb Tecate land on me than a 1000 lb quad, I think you have to know how you ride, I know for a fact if I had a 1000 lb ATV I would eventually kill myself on it because I like to play a little too much, but I guess for guys/girls that generally keep the wheels on the ground they are ok...

[cr480r]

Myself I would much rather have a 300 lb Tecate land on me than a 1000 lb quad, I think you have to know how you ride, I know for a fact if I had a 1000 lb ATV I would eventually kill myself on it because I like to play a little too much, but I guess for guys/girls that generally keep the wheels on the ground they are ok...

Thats exactly what keeps me on 2-strokes... In my area we have tons of hillclimbs, everything from the very easy to the impossible.. The new giant machines may make short work of most of the sane stuff, but I can hit sketchy lines with confidence on a 300lb machine knowing that I can manhandle the machine on a steep slope after a get off. I have seen many heavier machines disintegrate into confetti as they decent back to the bottom of a hill. If the rider is fortunate enough to get off and away from the machine safely on the hill, he most likely will not be able to save the machine when it weights 500+

[Jon Boy]

only complaints i have are the overall size of the machines. having to pull completely off a 5ft wide trail to let a 4x4 quad pass about the size of a suzuki samurai is a bit much IMO. i wouldn't want to have something that big on top off me.

[rjs89ia]

this is my first time ever replying to a post and it may be out of control let me know what you think , but imo i believe its all about the size of the check book now when it comes to performance. i dig the speed and being crazy but i dont have a lot of money to be that flexible in my bikes and actually like to learn from my hobbies, i would probably enjoy the thrill of jettin around on a 1000lb 1000cc gorilla of a machine like those of today but can anyone honestly feel proud to desimate every wheeler around and say they bought it new like that. having put no effort in that machine to make it fast and wanting to gain respect from diy people such as myself, "that spend many hours in dirt grease and sweat", after they stomp all over my 250. i dont think i could ever have respect for someone that (laughs in my face) "not saying that happens" after they beat me on something that engineers and designers put so much time and effort in to build, i'm speaking of factory stock machines that is and this is probably the same thing henry ford thought when someone built something faster than one of his cars, everything i've said probably makes no sense, and i do agree with the out of control rutting and bulkiness of these monster machines many times ive been stuck in a mess thats been left by one of those machines they should almost be restricted to jeep trails. sorry for the story

[Chazz of Blades]

Ever notice the pro racers of the Trike Era? 130 lbs, 5'7" on a 250 tinger, that's plenty!

People don't want to have to work for something, they think if they pay for a fast quad, they don't have to do anything to it. In the end, money will always win over pride, and these people with these 10 grand quads, and 13 grand and up side by sides will always rub it in the faces of those who don't.






But I'll be damned if we see much of this newer stuff around in 20+ years. That's why you can easily find a tractor from the 40s or 50s still out working in the fields, but repair shops are FULL of new stuff with everything but the cupholders and air conditioning vents broke.

[swampthang]

I have a 500 Honda Foreman with a 2" Highlifter lift kit and 28" Vampire tires and I still get stuck just riding the trails because guys in my area cut massive ruts on Can-ams with 32" Gorilla Silverbacks running enough ground clearance to clear a 5 gallon bucket. I know theres old Farmers around here that don't know anything about ATV's and just go into the dealer and ask to buy the biggest ATV they can get. Can you image a inexperienced rider cracking back on a 70+ hp atv?? Todays super atvs are very impressive but I think its massive overkill. If Honda could make a 250 Big Red that was a stump pulling torque monster then I think they just need to refine on there past machines instead of reinventing the wheel with Crotch rocket engines on 4x4s. But If someone was to donate me a 1000cc Can-Am just make sure it has a windsheild I wouldn't want my hat to blow off my head at 80 mph!:lol:

[fabiodriven]

But I'll be damned if we see much of this newer stuff around in 20+ years. That's why you can easily find a tractor from the 40s or 50s still out working in the fields, but repair shops are FULL of new stuff with everything but the cupholders and air conditioning vents broke.

Amen to that. Everything made these days is a disposable piece of sh!t. Most times you just toss the machine or a fairly good sized component instead of disassembling and repairing. Doesn't matter what brand name you buy anymore either. Everything's junk.

Although I do agree with all of the above statements about why people have these giant machines, there is one thing that nobody has touched on. The sheer size of American people these days is just plain off the charts. An average size man these days is probably at least 200 lbs. I'm 5'10" and about 150 and get called a skinny focker plenty. Truth is, most everyone else is fat. I really noticed it when I went to Germany. Most people are about my size there. America is like the land of the giants. It's gross if you ask me. I have more than one friend I wouldn't let ride my trikes just because of the abuse the trike would absorb from their sheer weight.

About 2 or 3 years ago a group of us were up in New Hampshire on a trike ride when a group of 4x4 (quad) guys rolled up and stopped to watch us rip around the pit. We ended up having a nice conversation with the guys, but they looked like a group of circus bears on their easy-chairs on wheels. They may as well have had a rotisserie going while they rode. Actually, I'm not 100% certain they didn't. I couldn't help but chuckle as the 800 lb machines rolled away with their 300 lb riders. This is what America is all about.

[Tri-Z 250]

I think from what I've read we all agree...Getting rolled over on, or flicked like a bugger off a machine that weighs 2-3X your weight is of no intrest. I've seen many novice riders +35 yrs of age get outta shape going downhill mostly. The rear tire slip from the trail sucks them and the beast toward the bottom of the valley. Yeah HP is King...IMO the weight becomes an issue when it has more control than you in normal trail conditions. Flatland crusing the Caddy apeal of a huge couch might make you feel real important....Sliding down a super steep washout with bowling ball bolders with all that weight...might make for a good Charmin comerical.

[Mosh]

Ever seen the movie Wall-E?

Where people became so fat and lazy, they floated around on self guided hovering machines tethered to the internet for the rest of their life?
Then when they crashed them and fell off, a automatic robot came over with sirens blazing and put them back on their machine...

That is where we honestly could be headed down the future road.

People want to ride, but they want every creature comfort and ease of use made available.
I have had 300-400 lb machines hit me, land one me, and roll over me..It friggin hurts with full gear on.
No way in hell would you get me on some 700# plus machine.
You may as roll a jeep down a hill with no roll bars or seatbelt on.

I think it is just a social subconscious addiction to size and excess. People build 4000 sq ft homes for a 3 person family, and drive a Escalade 5 miles to work and drop off one kid at school in a SUV that seats 10 people and gets 10 galllons to the mile. All in the sake of vanity...IMO
This country would not be in its current economic collapse if people just lived within their needs, instead of wants.

[pantera1975]

The trails are tore up here too from the new big 4x4s. It makes it impossible for older ma and pa's, young family's and people like me that dont feel like wiping out in mud to just ride. Some just want to cruse around younger people find a wet spot in the trails and back and forth thru it tearing it up. There should be patrolling for that IMO. some one has to foot the $ to fix the hole. Its not the hi HP atvs and loud pipes that get the trails closed only its how there used. People have no responsibility.

[SYKO]

Ever seen the movie Wall-E?

Where people became so fat and lazy, they floated around on self guided hovering machines tethered to the internet for the rest of their life?
Then when they crashed them and fell off, a automatic robot came over with sirens blazing and put them back on their machine...

That is where we honestly could be headed down the future road.

People want to ride, but they want every creature comfort and ease of use made available.
I have had 300-400 lb machines hit me, land one me, and roll over me..It friggin hurts with full gear on.
No way in hell would you get me on some 700# plus machine.
You may as roll a jeep down a hill with no roll bars or seatbelt on.

I think it is just a social subconscious addiction to size and excess. People build 4000 sq ft homes for a 3 person family, and drive a Escalade 5 miles to work and drop off one kid at school in a SUV that seats 10 people and gets 10 galllons to the mile. All in the sake of vanity...IMO
This country would not be in its current economic collapse if people just lived within their needs, instead of wants.




agreed 100%

[Jon Boy]

This country would not be in its current economic collapse if people just lived within their needs, instead of wants.

off subject here: just making a point and in a way i'm just as guilty too, not picking on you Mosh. i saw this and thought, "how many members on here have collections so big they rarely get ridden, if at all even?" i can understand wanting to have this one or that one, but come on, to have what seems like every year of every model just to say you have them? i say if your a collector like this, then open a museum or something. why have all that history just so they can sit there collecting dust?

sorry SYKO, just saw that statement and i had to say it. :beer

[250rAL]

The rear tire slip from the trail sucks them and the beast toward the bottom of the valley.
LOL I read that four times before I gave up.

[HuffieVA]

... i say if your a collector like this, then open a museum or something. why have all that history just so they can sit there collecting dust?

I'll be the "Devil's Advocate" on this one, as much as we would all like to think that there is a great world wide demand to see beautifully restored trikes, the amount of people that actually appreciate them is relatively small in number, and as society as a whole grows larger and lazier they tend to care less and less about the past and more and more about when the newest edition of the iPhone or when the new video game console is coming out...

Every body tends to want the newest, biggest, baddest of everything... what really drives me crazy is riding down to the local Harley Mall (oops, I meant shop) and seeing all the deep pocket posers bragging up their factory customs as they drop them off for an oil change because the dont even have the mechanical ability to loosen a drain plug... The only satisfaction I get there anymore is answering the question "Hey, what do you think of my new bike?" with "Did you build it, or buy it?" that usually shuts the majority of them up... A little off topic, but thats one of the reasons I'm somewhat addicted to this site... nearly everyone (I stress nearly) either has the ability, or at least the will to gain the knowledge to work on their own stuff and thats something you just don't see very often anymore

[200x350xtriz250]

The concern for me, I don't think it has been mentioned, is these big wheelers becoming the "family" bike. I remember when the rule was if you can start it you can ride it. Now a 2 year old can easily start these big quads and most 5 year olds - maybe younger - can figure out how to make them move. I hear of more and more "accidents" involving kids on 4 wheelers they have no business on for years. Bring back the old rope starters and kick starters, then for a kid to ride one of these monsters an adult would at least have to be present to start the bike for them.

[fabiodriven]

Bring back the old rope starters and kick starters,

But then starting the bike would involve work... :wondering

[swampthang]

I can't believe they haven't made one with cup holders,built in cooler,and built in marine radio systems. All the guys that ride in are area all have Polarix rzr's with systems in them and they all seem to be "cookie cutter machines" all are identicaly moded and seems like they always ride around listening to Nickelback and Buckcherry:wondering When you start to her the song Crazy B!tch and then a Polaris transmission start to whin you know there coming:lol:

[RIDE-RED 250r]

I can't believe they haven't made one with cup holders,built in cooler,and built in marine radio systems. All the guys that ride in are area all have Polarix rzr's with systems in them and they all seem to be "cookie cutter machines" all are identicaly moded and seems like they always ride around listening to Nickelback and Buckcherry:wondering When you start to her the song Crazy B!tch and then a Polaris transmission start to whin you know there coming:lol:

That reminds me of something slightly off this topic but related.....

I was in my favorite vacation spot in the Adirondacks out fishing with my wife and 2 kiddos in our modest little 18 foot Four Winns. There we are minding our own business and here comes a wakeboat full of punks blasting some crappy techno dance club music out of their stupid boombox stereo in the friggen boat! I mean seriously???? I engage in the outdoor activities I enjoy to get away from all that crap. Im not saying I own the lake or something, but really, if I can hear your crap music coming from your boat 1/4 to 1/2 mile away when the speakers are faced AWAY from me its a little much isnt it? SO we moved to another spot near a the mouth of a no wake zone channel because these idiots apparently have no clue about boating laws and kept constantly breaking the rule of no wake within 200' of an anchored vessel. Got sick of gettin slapped around by their waves as they repeatedly passed much too close to us. So, about sundown here they come. They proceed up the no wake channel (which is lined with camps and homes) blasting their techno garbage.

The last thing I want to hear when Im outdoors enjoying nature with my family is everybody else's crap music! Gimme a break..... I don't mind hearing a running engine, but the boomboxes are bad enough to put up with driving by my house on the highway. Lets keep em off the water and off the trails, shall we?

[Dirtcrasher]

I think the owners are impressed that they can climb a 45 degree incline in granny low gear, or cross a mud hole at 4mph......

I'm impressed with 25 y.o. trikes that can pull it up into another gear on the same incline and blast thru a mud hole starting in 2nd gear.

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r275/fabiodriven/Riding/026.jpg

I can pull a 250R as easy as they can pull a 200lb deer :D

http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv103/aldochina/new%20hampshire%20riding/100_4323.jpg

Any yes, too many live to excess!!

[GeoD]

One company I would like to commend is Honda. Way back in the day when they started mass producing quads they said they would never go over the 500lb mark with any of their ATVs. So far, they have kept their promise. These big quads may look impressive but ask a few unfortunate owners how impressive they are when their ride is laying on top of them after a rollover! Remember, its not a matter of if, it's WHEN you roll your bike. Just think what would have happened to Anthony Bourdain if he was riding one of those oversized quads this fateful day (see video below):

.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT5s8XeHVlk&feature=player_embedded


For all of you that have asked when will this madness end. Well, here it is...

.

[RIDE-RED 250r]

I have to take a little bit of issue with that GeoD, Honda has several machines well over 500lbs. Have for years...

[GeoD]

Nothing wrong with taking up issue with that statement since Honda is the one that said it. But how about listing those machines that broke the 500lb barrier?



UPDATE:
I was just on the Honda site and their largest quad is weighing in at 626lbs. I guess Honda went against their word. Tisk tisk!! LOL!!
Oh well. Their bikes are still lighter than some of the others on the market.

[RIDE-RED 250r]

Nothing wrong with taking up issue with that statement since Honda is the one that said it. But how about listing those machines that broke the 500lb barrier?


Well, every utility quad from this Rancher 420 all the way up to the Rincon.... The 420 Rancher is the 2nd smallest of the utility type atvs Honda makes.. http://powersports.honda.com/2012/fourtrax-rancher/specifications.aspx 547lbs with standard equipment and full of fuel and oil.

Heck the big bore sport quad 700xx is 505lbs fueled and oiled! http://powersports.honda.com/2009/trx700xx/specifications.aspx


Granted, you can take away about 25, maybe 30lbs for fuel oil and if applicable, coolant. But there it is....
Check it out....

[GeoD]

Yep Ride Red 250R. I posted an update before your last post. I was on the Honda site and I noticed most of their quads over 500cc is breaking the 500lb mark. Oh well. I guess promises are made to be broken. All in all it doesn't effect me because I ride on three!! I do have a quad 95 TRX300FW that weighs approx 485lbs. But I got that to tool around on every now and then and also for my dad to use. Im a born triker!!

[RIDE-RED 250r]

Well, I would guess they made that statement about the 500lb ceiling some years ago. If thats the case, clearly its a matter of it being much different times between then and now.

I recall (only from more seasoned sledders) that in the late 1970's the snowmobile industry had some big 600 and even nearly 800cc engines in the market. And after some scrutiny about why they would make the sleds engines so much more powerful than the chassis' of the time could handle, the industry manufacturers initiated a self imposed limit of no more than 440cc. A 440 was the biggest you could get for a few years there. I remember Rotax had a 775 twin back in the mid 1970's. Cat had a big 640 i think. Then they all disappeared and it wasnt ill early to mid 80's that they started getting bigger than a 440. I guess its a long way around the barn to suggest that maybe a similar situation was the case in the manufacture of utility oriented atvs for awhile..

But, I digress......

[GeoD]

I guess it comes down to fulfilling the need of the power hungry people. More power equals more weight. Unfortunately, that helps fuel the CPSC's fight against ATVs. I have always said "You can only go so fast on dirt". Especially with low pressure tires. I sure would like to see Yamaha make that Vmax Quad a reality! That would be totally bad azz!!! I'm sure it would cost a nice nut though! The new Vmax's go for $20k.

[Mr_RPM]

I agree with whoever said why not just get a jeep

at my dads work they sell can-am side by sides and polaris side by sides for 12-18 THOUSAND dollars. Then your gonna need a trailer to take em anywhere since they are to big for a pick up.
Then your running 700-1000cc engines with less then 100hp that might last 10k miles without a rebuild of some kind.

I got my jeep wrangler for 10 grand with 65k miles on it.
I can have the top and doors off, disconnect my front sway bar and air down my tires to 12 PSI and will be well ahead of a side-by-side on the trails. plus my rig will outlast them by years, i have almost twice the power and then i can drive it home on the road legally with a total of 4 people in the jeep.

if you like your side-by-sides for work thats cool, but i think id remove the rear seat of my jeep, bedline the interior and use that as a farm toy. idk, im not sold on the side-by-side thing. id rather have a jeep.

[swampthang]

My Foreman 500 tips the scales stock at 620 lbs then my swampers weight and extra 42lbs a peice:( If you get pinned under it you are 100% screwed there is no way you could ever get that thing off of you by yourself if you rolled it. Not to mention have you ever noticed how much mud will way your machine down?? On a good day I can tip my foreman up on the back rack to wash it by myself ( just barely and I dont think im too much of a wimp!) but after I took it to a local mud bog It took 2 guys to stand it up and in was a major PITA must of added a extra 200lbs of mud!

[oldskool83]

i thought a 400ex was heavy nuff lol, sportquads didnt get bigger just the stupid 4x4s have. might as well buy a crx and lift it cuz thats about the size of 4x4s now. funny how dirtbike cant get bigger lol.

[tecat-z]

i thought a 400ex was heavy nuff lol, sportquads didnt get bigger just the stupid 4x4s have. might as well buy a crx and lift it cuz thats about the size of 4x4s now. funny how dirtbike cant get bigger lol.

Actually, they have. The avarage displacement of dirtbikes have all gone up, and with that lots of extra weight. I recently sold my Yamaha WR450F due to the chassis being so tall, and being very heavy at 265 lbs. Basically it felt like a tank compared to my 250cc 2t's. Those big 450cc bikes while fast, are really a burdon on long term rides where nimbleness is welcomed carving in and out of tight tree lined single track and some multi use trails. The oem's have begun to fudge some #'s, for marketing reasons. But make no mistake, the new 450's are porkers. Off road dirt bikers have realized this, and KTM is selling out of their 2t' lineup every year before the new year is even here. The new ultra powerful 4x4 quads are very destructive to everything the come in contact with. They destroy woods, long time established trails because of their tremendous weight and ability to literally go anywhere. But, get them in the sand............. And that weight kills performance. They suck in deep sand.

[oldskool83]

them wr450s are nothing comparied to a yamahas old tt600 "1984 Yamaha TT600 Enduro Dry Weight LBS, 308.64" amd im only 5'6" and was riding one lol. i like them old xr200s best 200lbs of tiny fun. everything is always looked at bigger is better.

[fabiodriven]

them wr450s are nothing comparied to a yamahas old tt600 "1984 Yamaha TT600 Enduro Dry Weight LBS, 308.64" amd im only 5'6" and was riding one lol.

I realize we're getting off topic here, but my 84 TT600 was the best dirt bike I ever owned and would gladly get another one.

[SWIGIN]

Remember when Datsun and Toyota only made minitrucks? Look at them now. The makers go where the market is.


Perfectly said Veal!

This thread could of ended at post #2.

[jays375]

One thing nobody mentioned,wasn't the first atc only 90cc?

[SWIGIN]

One thing nobody mentioned,wasn't the first atc only 90cc?

Ah, I see someone gets it!....lol

[The Goat]

Very happy 2010 Polaris 800 owner. Winch, wheel spacers, bumpers... And I can go anywhere. Just ordered some 26in radials because bias tires at 70 are a little spooky.

I don't tear up the trails on our land, though I may admit to giving it a little extra gas in the ruts on our deer lease occasionally (mainly because our hunters don't get the idea of picking a new line and flattening out the ruts).

Why do I ride one? Got tired of always tinkering and working on stuff. Used to do a lot of mudriding and water riding on the Honda, this one rarely sees mud. It was 6300$... Well worth it when I hook on to logs that the tractor can't get to because of swamp. Torque is unreal, I've literally towed a shed across a yard. Not some plastic bs... A literal shed.

As for being around in 20 years... Ehh. It's an infinitely better design than the Honda was, and that's still around. Diffs and axles that are overbuilt. One of the most bulletproof motors built in the last 20 years.

Would I drop 10k on a grizzly or 14k on a canned ham? No. I wouldn't even piss on any of the new hondas.

But... This 760cc couch I ride is fast... Faster than it has a right to be. Towing capacity is perfect for what I used it for. It's comfortable to ride *gasp* two persons on.

Would I feel comfortable in the mountains on it? Negative, but I'm not comfortable on anything in the mountains. Would I rock climb it? Nope, stock SxS would destroy it.

Can I carry water, bug spray, matches, straps, flashlight, a gun, a toolkit (someone else might need it), a tent, chains, ammo, snacks, phones, chargers, knives, machete, and god knows what else... Without having anything strapped to a rack? Sure can.

They are very capable machines... More so than most trios brethren would like tO admit.

And Syko... I remember a post a while back in which you said you wanted to trike a bike like mine. Bigger isn't always better. But it can be a fun time.

After 1k miles... I really can't think of a reason I'd sell. Good fluids, good filters, and hit the one grease fitting and ride away.

[The Goat]

Also, when i had the Honda with it's three inches of suspension travel, I had the misfortune of it tipping over onto me because of a rut once. No big deal, my fault for not noticing its depth. Another time I was trying to pull up a bush in the yard and managed to tip it backward onto me. 450lb quad, 30 inch tires, it was heavy... But my feet stayed on the pegs and hands on the bars. Thankfully adrenaline launched it of and back onto its wheels. My popo is only marginally heavier really, I see no reason why I couldn't lift it in a similar situation? Not that I'd have to, suspension is a beautiful warning system for how much load you have on the bike.

If you're not strong enough to lift the machine, dont ride it. I see it being no more risky than a stock big red... And certainly less risky than the 125cc manual clutch 70

[Blown 331]

I've got a group of guys I do a lot of my off road riding with that ride 400EX Hondas, as do I. When we ride we ride about 50% off road and 50% on road. We on the 400EX's don't even like riding with the 4x4 guys (2006 to 2011 bikes) because they are so slow and don't go near the places off road that our 400's do. Maybe its just the riders, I don't know.
About a month ago a group of us went riding. I was on my Polaris 3-wheeler, we also had a Yamaha dirt bike, 2) ATC200s, 250SX, Honda 650 Rincon and a Yamaha Grizzly. We went through an old tractor creek crossing that was washed out pretty bad. The exit side was sand, fairly steep angle but only about 5 foot tall. We all we through no problem other than the Grizzly, he flipped over backwards and trashed his racks then went home. I know that was lack of riding skills though.
In my opinion the 400EX is the greatest 4-wheeler ever made. True you can never get one to run like a 450 but they are freaking indestrucible where a 450 is real high maint, I bought a new one and so did a bunch of my friends. My brother has changed about 8 Honda 450 crankshafts, junk. Plus I think the 400 handles better.

[oldskool83]

where i use to ride big 4x4 dug massive trenches but they were big hunting 4x4s. i think its just all the mfgs are constantly trying to out due one another so its natural progression in size. i did love my 400ex, had a 02. handled way nicer at least in stockish form then my buddies 450r. 400ex remind me of big 200x on an extra wheel lol. id deg buy another one if i ran into a deal.

[250rmanfmf]

Im a proud owner of a 05 polaris Sportsman 600 4x4. it does everything I want it to. I think we like to blame the machines first and forget about the operator. 9 times out of 10 you have incapable people operating these machines so you will get people that dig big ruts and let there 10 year old daughters ride them. I dont have any complaints about the machines. I also have a 06 canam Bombidier 250 quad and I am sorry but it wont do half the stuff the larger more powerful sportsman can do. I do agree that if you flip these machines and you get caught under them you are screwed but you have to be smart and careful, much like you need to be on a 3 wheeler too. Enough people complain and place lawsuits for people not being smart on these machines and next thing you know they will be banned like our 3 wheelers.

I can agree with most of you on the crowd or the general people that buy these machines and the arrogances they have because of them. ditto on the 400ex being a great all around quad.

[The Goat]

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i211/roundheya/e5e28937.jpg

52 inches wide of 50hp fury.

Imagine riding a sandbuggy on trails... oh so smooth.

[fabiodriven]

Not my cup o' tea. To each their own.

[The Goat]

agreed, personally I want a SxS with a 70 in the back... just in case.

[fabiodriven]

Escape pod!

[HuffieVA]

If your going to run a side by side, you might as well buy a CJ5... because your not riding it your simply driving...

[tri again]

For the big chunks in thousand dollar increments that the new quadsters cost,
, I think I'd almost rather have an old
4 cyl 'army' jeep or subaru 4wd brat.

Maybe even a bodywrecked subaru and smokewrench modifier convertible kit.

[Texaskev]

Here's something noone else has touched on. On trikes, going through the VERY thick East Texas woods, the quads can't get through the areas that we can. The turning radius of a trike vs a quad is not even close. We had a couple Polaris 700 guys riding with us, and eventually had to turn back due to those guys not being able to cut through the trees. As we went back around and waited for them to get out, it was kinda funny watching these two try to turn around in the trees......Long story short, there are advantages to everything.........