Utility ATV N00b Question

[Frankencelery]

I posted in Trikesylvania that I was thinking about going to the dark side. Surprisingly, nobody threw rotten tomatoes at me, and several people admitted to owning quads too. I rode my friend's Honda Foreman yesterday, and I was impressed how it handles the snow, unlike my trikes which really struggle.

So I'm thinking about adding a utility quad to my lineup. I want something that can both work and play. My buddy's 475CC Foreman is very nice, and fun to ride, so that's in the list. I also like the Rancher, which is a tiny bit smaller but seems to be a more technologically advanced ATV.

I've always known there was going to be a quad in the fleet someday, but I haven't known what to get. My "feel" for trikes make all the utility ATV's seem like big wallowing pigs to me. My first thought was to go with a Honda Recon, because it's relatively small and manueverable. Oh, and the price is right too. I'm thinking about buying new, but there's no way I'm paying 6-7K for an ATV. I know I can get one of the above in the 5K range on sale. What other options should I consider? What about Polaris? Being an Iowan originally from Minnesota, I can't avoid considering Polaris. I think they're the only American made ATV anymore.

[smokinwrench]

Polaris makes soem great machines. We have owned a 500 scrambler for years and it has been by far the most reliable machien we have ever owned. It has very smooth ride crap loads of power. It can do some work but much better as a play machine.

Don't forget about the sportsman they are pretty much work machien but still fun to play on.

I would aslo check out the Yamaha Grizzly, I rode a 660 and it was very impressive, you could wheelie it so that adds more fun factor. I bet the 700 Grizzly is a real beast, never rode one of them.

[jays375]

The prices on machines are really high these days.What stinks the price differences isn't alot from the little to bigger ones.It all depends on what you are going to do with it.I am on my third utility quad and love them.Current machine is a Can-Am 800 Outlander Max XT and it is a animal.I sold a sled,streetbike,and my Grizzly 660 to buy it.I loved my 660 and was a great machine,had it for 7 years.Bought it the minute it was in the magazines.I am fourtunate that alot of friends by new machines all the time and I get to try all the new ones.The Polaris 500 sportsman is a great machine.You don't see alot of used ones for sale,people keep them since they are that good.The bigger Polaris Sportsmans aren't that great.I would stay clear of the Kawasaki machines.Suzuki would be next then Honda.Honda is kinda of behind in this market.Haven't had any experience with the Arctic Cats.This is my opinion from personal experience not what he magazines say.Yamaha makes a pretty good machine these days I think,rate them pretty high.The automatic machines are great and love them.Plus the independent rear suspension is also very nice to have.Just get the most machine you can get for your money.

[Frankencelery]

I've been looking at some reviews, and the older Polaris machines seem to do poorly. Not so much with the last couple years, but maybe that's just because they're new. I saw several complaints about poor cold weather starting, which is odd for a company that makes snowmobiles!

I noticed that the Polaris machines are always 50-100lbs heavier than a similar Honda model. I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I used to be an audiophile, and you could always tell a good piece of equipment because it was much heavier. Dunno if that applies to ATV's!

Funny you would put the Honda last. Most people would put them first, but that's why I'm asking, to get people's opinions.

[jays375]

Can't remember what year the 500 Sportsman came out 96-97.Earilier Polaris machines were pretty problamatic and got a bad name.When ever it was up till now probally there best machines they make.Like I said you don't see alot of used ones for sale.I didn't put Honda last meant Kawasaki last then Suzuki then Honda.Only reason Honda was that far down was they were outdated equipment for a while.Now they are catching up.They were selling machines off of there name and reputation of being bullet-proof.The Rubicon wasn't a great attempt of catching up and the Rincon is still behind.Everybody else was making improvements and more advanced machines.Next in line would be Polaris then a toss up between Yamaha and Can-Am.This is only my opinion since I have rode alot of machines and seen how they have held up.I got into utility machinces in 99 with a Grizzly 600,that had alot to be desired.Everybody has there own opinons I am going from experiences.

[AutoXer]

alot of the honda's don't use a cvt trans with a belt wich I think is awsome. CVT with a belt will get wet slip and shred. Try not to get tied up in the bigger is better mentality I had a brute force 650 because i liked the price for a v-twin and it was a animal but if i ever buy another ????? I really can't say what I would get. you put on some good tires and you are going to be happy with what ever it is

[jays375]

Iv'e seen alot of belt drives put through alot,wet or dry.Plus I have done some things I shouldn't.Never have seen one break.Maybe after prolonged drowning with muddy water and never cleaning out things would one break.My last Grizzly after 7 years of use was only worn down 1/8" and I plow alot of snow and pulled alot of stuff.

[daniel_250r]

if i were in your spot i would try to find a good condition trx 300 four trax 4x4 they are tanks and run forever no problems. they have a back up kickstart too

[Mr_RPM]

when it comes to utility quads, u cant go wrong with a honda, my buddy's rancher 350 was one of the hardest working longest lasting quads, ever still goes today. and stay away from polaris, my dad works at the dealer and they just come in all day, piles of junk.

[posty2100]

i love Honda's and that why i have a 03 350 rancher, the newer Honda's are a little behind in all the new upgrades such as not many have IRS(independent rear suspension), power steering, and other stuff like that. I like honda for their reliability and tougher than nails. I have been looking at the Rincon's but they only have something like 3 different gears are have no low gear for pulling, so they are mainly built for more speed than other utility 4x4s. From what i hear the Rubicons seem to have it all but not really sure. I would most likely buy another Honda but if i didn't I think I would go with a Can-Am. Those new outlander 800 xt are pretty bad ass. I have rode the outlander 400 and 600 and liked them alot but never rode the 800 but have watched them on youtube. I don't know the reliability of these since they are fairly new models but they run good thats for sure. I never really liked yamahas or polaris's.

[JohnR.]

I've had a 1999 Arctic Cat 500 4x4 for just over 2 years now and its been very good to me. It starts every time I go out and push the button, even after it has been sitting for a couple of months. Its a little down on power but its manual shift with an auto clutch so that helps make the most of the power it has. I have a 5 foot Tusk plow set up on it and use it for plowing the driveway and plowing a track out on the ice for us to ride our trikes on. It does everything I ask of it without a problem. Its basically a re-badged Suzuki so there is no problem with reliability. I still prefer riding my 350X in the woods but there is something to be said for a newer machine with electric start, 4 wheel drive, and reverse. The AC's like mine can be had relatively cheap and they are simple to work on. I picked mine up from the local AC dealer for about $1200, it needed ball joints and shock bushings but other than that it was ready to ride. If you're looking for a 4x4 on a budget I don't think you can go wrong with a machine like mine.

John

[Frankencelery]

The research continues. Here's a trike rider's review of another quad:

Today I got to drive another friend's brand new 2010 Rancher ES. It wasn't just a quick test, we took it out in the snow and really rode the hell out of it. The few little loop trails on my 8 acres are in pretty rough shape with all the snow, and about half of them are completely impassible. Having his 4WD quad out here to blaze through helped pack the snow down, and I was very grateful for it. We've got over a foot of snow on the ground.

For the first few laps, I rode my 250SX, and he rode the quad. It was obvious that he was way more sure-footed. Then we switched, and I rode the quad. In 2WD, the Rancher was not all that different than my SX, and I could throw the back end around a lot more than I expected, considering it weighs almost twice as much as my trike. In 4WD, the thing goes with a purpose, and no sliding around at all. This is *better*, but somehow not as fun. If my purpose was to get some work done or to get someplace, I would prefer the sure-footedness. But for recreational riding, I like being able to throw the back end around. This Rancher also has power steering, which seemed like a completely unnecessary luxury to me, but it's really hard to tell without riding side-by-side with and without PS. I thought that the power steering might feel 'fake' somehow, like disconnected or delayed, but I sensed nothing but easy steering. It was way better in the deep snow than my SX, but not so much that i didn't manage to get it stuck twice. Once it was stuck, the 600lb quad was a heck of a lot harder to get unstuck than my SX, and lifting it by the grab bar was out of the question. Also, periodically hearing the COOLING FAN coming on struck me as something odd to be hearing in a utility trike. What's wrong with air cooling?

Going back to my 250SX, with the trails packed down, I had an absolutely great time, and ultimately enjoyed the ride better than my friend's shiny new 4WD quad. That doesn't mean I'm not going to buy one, just that in my heart I guess I'm a trike guy after all.

[JohnR.]

IMHO the Honda utility quads are bulletproof but are focused mainly at the utility aspect of the ride. Take something like a Suzuki King Quad 750 AXi w/ power steering for a ride and you'll be blown away at the fun you can have on it. My buddy has one that even when it was stock, it would rip wheelies without a problem from a stop or at low speeds (nice for hopping logs) and it even did that with a set of big aftermarket 27" tires and wheels on it! All of these 4x4's are heavy and I couldn't see owning one without a winch (even my cheap ebay one works great) and a set of good "arch" type ramps for loading and unloading. I have no intention of ever pulling or pushing my behemoth by hand, hopefully the winch will make sure I never have to. I also thought that power steering on an ATV was just a big gimmick but after I rode mine in the woods a few times I was wishing I had it. Even plowing the driveway would be much more enjoyable without having to muscle the bars around with the weight of the heavy quad plus the 5 foot plow dangling off the front. I think if I buy a 4x4 in the near future it'll probably be a 750 King Quad. Of course, I'd test drive a few but I think that one is my benchmark to measure them against.

John

[jays375]

If you are going to use a utility for plowing I wouldn't suggest a electric shift model.Stick to a manual shift one.The electric shift is kinda of slow switching between gears.Like going between foward and reverse gets old quick.

[Frankencelery]

Yeah, I forgot to mention the electric shift. It worked both better and not as well as I expected. It never failed to shift smoothly, but introduced a delay you don't get with manual shifting. I don't know how to describe it. My wife loved it though, and any quad I end up purchasing has to meet with her approval. When we ride, she'll be on the quad. She doesn't share my love for trikes, I'm afraid.