quad question

I've got an old (1990 or so) Honda Fourtrax 4x4 300 that I bought new. It was made before they had names. I like it 'cause it always starts, and it's not so heavy that I can't do some serious sidehilling with it. It's got enough power to get me into trouble and usually back out, but not so much that I have to worry about it killing me if I goose the throttle accidently. I've had it long enough that it's comfortable, like my old hunting boots...
 
I have a 04 Yamaha 350 Bruin. I liked the 2wd or pushbutton 4wd.

It makes quick work of shoveling the sidewalks.

Brad
 
I have Kawasaki Prairie 650 and the 700. Both have plenty of power and handle great, just don't care much for the belt whine. If I did it again I would just by a manuel transmission model and be done with it because they don't whine.

I also have a Suzuki DRZ400 and a KTM 525MXC dualsport motorcycles.
 
I used to ride a big wheel but I took way too many spills when I hit ice. Had a Honda foreman which worked, but the Kodiak I've got now is much more machine. It has a diff lock which works well in snow, no belt whine (almost bought the kawasaki), plenty of power, and the IRS makes for a much smoother ride. They say the IRS is tippier, but I had no problem rolling my foreman down the mountain. BTW, buy insurance.
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I have the Yamaha Big Bear 5 speed....Love the 2x / 4x shift capability and I really like the 5 speed over my wifes Kodiak with the "automatic". I can use the gears quicker to my advantage as terrain changes and as I want to be quiter. Gets a lot better fuel mileage too.
 
Polaris Sportsman 500. Automatic high/low & reverse. It has push button 4WD & 4 wheel independant suspension. Plenty of power and fast. I think it will do over 50 mph. There is also a lower geared version sold at implement dealers that tops out around 25 mph for ranch chores. We like the ride this suspension gives and it has been extremely reliable. My wife and I can ride this together for a couple hours at a time with our gear on the racks. This was only one of two that was designed so we could. The others allow one rider seating partly for liability.
 
here is my 2006 Yamaha Kodiak, I don't really know much about quads but I know I like this one. It has the Auto Trans I have driven up on coyotes that didn't know I was there until I was right on top of them so I don't think it is to noisy.

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I'm with Tripod on the Polaris 500, I'm on my second one. Had a buddy who was headed home on his 500 on the highway one evening, in a hurry and had 'er wide open. Passed a deputy who radared him at 66 mph. Needless to say that was an expensive(and dumb) mistake. Their suspension really evens out the rough spots, I hit a small ditch one day running pretty fast, didn't see it in time. I'd been used to my old '85 Honda 250, and was expecting to roll it when I saw it coming, but that Polaris took it in stride smoothly, much to my relief and amazement. I've had Hondas, too, far as I'm concerned that's the only two out there. If you've got a well- established local dealer for support and service, that can be worth a lot.
 
I ride quads all summer long for work. Go with the polaris. They have outlasted the others. We put a ton of hard miles on the machines spraying weeds and bugs. The polaris is the way to go...
 
I have owned Kawasakis, Yamahas and a Polaris Sportsman 500 and if I were to buy another quad right now it would be one of the Bombardier Outlanders. They really did their homework one these. IMO the 400 will be big enough for 95 percent of the things you do and you won't have to worry about running out of gas after 50 miles. But if you need power, their 800 H.O will give you power to spare.

Honda has the most reliable quads, especially the motors. Polaris has great suspension but their reliability sucks. Yamahas are darn good all around, Very light steering.But The Bombs have just about nailed the perfect balance between durability, weight, power and handling. Plus they have a great warranty if you do encounter a problem.
 
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I drive a '98 Yamaha Grizzly 600. I built a church pew on the back for hauling the dog, friends, and gear. I drive like an old woman, so I try and avoid trouble. This machine has literally pulled 4 deer with 4 guys riding, up a PA powerline during one deer season. I kept looking back to make sure the deer were there? Because the machine never slowed, or gave a shudder of protest. A friend (more experienced rider) told me; "That machine don't even know them deer are back there!" Best money I ever spent!
HuntnCarve
 
I recently bought an '06 Bombardier Outlander 400HO XT. I like it. Liquid cooled, 4 wheel independent suspension, Hi/Low range, automatic. 2 or 4 wheel electric shift. But most of all it came with a special free 5 year warranty which anybody can get but the offer expires 12/31/05. Their standard warranty is 3 years. When I bought mine, nobody was offering anything close.
 
Mine is an '05 Arctic Cat 500 with standard transmission. It has Indipendent rear, front diff lock, Hi-Lo and I have not found anything I dislike about it.
Tim
 
I just traded an '03 Honda Rincon 650cc 4x4 for an '04 Honda Rubicon 500cc 4x4. I liked the ride of the Rincon beacause it had IRS, but the transmission sucked for any type of riding that involved steep downhill (NO ENGINE BRAKING BELOW 8mph!). The Rincon also lacked the mud and water protection the Rubicon offers.

I had an '02 Rubicon before getting the Rincon and never should've sold it. IMHO, the Rubicon has the best auto tranny in the industry. No belts to slip or get wet and it also offers the ability to shift manually if you want.

My '04 Rubicon is equipped with a Warn 424 that allows you to switch between 2wd/4wd so it handles better than the '02 did. The '05's and newer come equipped with selectable 2wd/4wd from the factory.

I'm a die-hard Honda fan because I've had such good luck with their machines, but I think there's lots of good products out there right now. Arctic Cat offers the best warranty in the business and I'd have to give them a real hard look if I were in the market...
 
I have an 04 Honda foreman 450 and really like it alot. Had an 85 fourtrax before that for quite a while. The 4x4 is a big step up, but I really liked the older one too. The foreman is the manual shift, which I prefer. used both for alot of snow plowing also. My only fault with either is the type of throttle they all have. Having been a motorcycle rider for over 40 years, cannot understand why the atv's have that thumb throttle instead of the twist.
I am expecting the 450 foreman to last me as long as the 85 fourtrax did.
Barry
 
I have an 05 Yamaha Kodiak 450. So far I can find nothing negative about it. It starts easily and seems to go wherever I want ride it. It has plenty of power and I've climbed ridges and hills that I never thought possible. If I can keep the front wheels on the ground I believe my Kodiak will climb it. I think it handles very well and with its IRS it gives a smooth ride.

Good hunting y'all..Coyote 6974
 


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