4X4 ATV ????

[CWLONGSHOT]

We just concluded a Maine Vacation to the Jackman area. There is a huge ATV/Sno machine community there. ( I spied one VERY CLEAN white Comanche just outside of Jackman!!) My wife and I rode three different machines all week and had a blast. Now we are hooked and already planning the next excursion!! Been surfing a bit looking at used machines, something to start with. I had a Suzuki Quad Sport I bought new in 1985. Its long gone, but this trip rekindled my love affair with quads. I am going with a 4x4 something at least 400cc's, 500 would be better as it will be two of us to start. If the wife really takes to it, she will get her own machine. This is logging road riding, minor rock work. 4x4 rarely necessary.

 

My buddie has a 2005 Polaris Sportsman 500. We drove this most of the time. The power very good, ride excellent, CVT tranny not my favorite. But this isn't a strike against Polaris there was a a Can am 800 and a Yamaha 350 and all where near the same feeling and noises "slushiness". I also rode a Suzuki EIGER 400. This is a auto clutch but manual shift and I liked this MUCH better. Power also very good. the littlest machine was a Yamaha 350, my buddies wife's machine. Rode excellent, the RPMs where up for the same speeds telling me it was under powdered. But it felt good, I mean if you jabbed the throttle it went.

 

We are traveling logging roads and quad trails at 15-30MPH, nothing faster and the majority was under 20-25MPH. Racks and a back seat, weather I add it or it comes with the machine doesn't matter would be a necessity. I also measured and all but the widest WILL fit in my jeep trailer!!! :thumbsup:

 

What do you have and what would you recommend or have for advice, keeping with in the riding requirements. I am not looking for a machine to blast around the dunes, been there done that with the second machine I owned.. a Suzuki Quad racer 250 2stroke. :brows:

[oldrusty]

before you give up on an auto (cvt) tranny I would suggest riding a newer machine with a cvt. They have come a long way in the past couple years. I have a 2008 suzuki king quad 750 that I love. After riding the auto tranny I don't think I'd ever want to go back to shifting gears. All the major manufactures make very nice machines in the 400 to 500 cc machine range, but, the power of a big bore atv is very addictive.

[tazjeeper]

I have no advice for you wheeler question but I did want to ask did you say you went to the state of maine?

I ask becasue if you went to Jackman Maine I know that area... great place to wheel and take a wheeler like you did...

[freakjeep93]

i would look into honda quads as none of hem use cvt and your can shift your own gears on most

[ComancheKid45]

The Can Ams and Polaris Quads have many good reviews, I'm a Yamaha person @ heart so id go for a Grizzly 700 :cheers:

 

Just shop around but with most newer 4x4s they all have theyre advantages

[garyindiane]

I'm a Yamaha person @ heart so id go for a Grizzly 700

 

Yep what he said :agree:

 

-Gary

[freakjeep93]

I'm a Yamaha person @ heart so id go for a Grizzly 700

 

Yep what he said :agree:

 

-Gary

i run yamaha too

[dasbulliwagen]

I don't have much atv experience, but the one time I did ride, I wished it had power steering. That would be a must for me.

[87Warrior]

I learned to ride ATVs in 96 on my fathers new 95 Yamaha Wolverine. That machine is still running on the stock motor. I bought myself a 00 Wolverine in 02 and it is also still running the stock motor, with exeption of a replacement stator since the PO burned it up. These are a prehistoric 2 valve 350 with full time 4x4.

 

These are excellent machines. We used to take them out to CO for a week evey year, riding about 100 miles of trail per day. The smaller bore makes it struggle some at high elevations, but when jetted properly they will run up to 14,000 ft no problem. We since discovered Jeeps are far more comfortable out there.

 

I have ridden a Grizzly 700FI with the power steering and it was great. A little large for my personal taste though. Consider the Kodiak 450FI as well.

[freakjeep93]

I learned to ride ATVs in 96 on my fathers new 95 Yamaha Wolverine. That machine is still running on the stock motor. I bought myself a 00 Wolverine in 02 and it is also still running the stock motor, with exeption of a replacement stator since the PO burned it up. These are a prehistoric 2 valve 350 with full time 4x4.

 

These are excellent machines. We used to take them out to CO for a week evey year, riding about 100 miles of trail per day. The smaller bore makes it struggle some at high elevations, but when jetted properly they will run up to 14,000 ft no problem. We since discovered Jeeps are far more comfortable out there.

 

I have ridden a Grizzly 700FI with the power steering and it was great. A little large for my personal taste though. Consider the Kodiak 450FI as well.

the wolverine has the same drivetrain as the 350 big bear fyi thats what i own its an awsome machine

[KYMJ]

I like the CVT myself, won't hardly ride my Honda because I have to shift it. I can see going with 750cc's however. I believe the Eiger is no longer being made. I paid $3000 for this one after a tornado ravaged the dealer a 1/4 mile from my house. Came complete with an inch long tear on the seat(the only damage) and broken glass. That was a good reason to choose the Eiger to me. Could have bought a King Quad for a little more, but some more expensive damage. This is all I need for what I use it for.

The day I brought it home.

[87Warrior]

the wolverine has the same drivetrain as the 350 big bear fyi thats what i own its an awsome machine

Big Bear has deeper gearing and a milder cam. I have considered replacing the Wolvy 1st gear with the Big Bears for a little extra umph.

[terrawombat]

I believe the Wolverine has the cylinder head from one of Yamaha's 350cc sport quads.

 

I have a '97 Big Bear 350cc 2wd, two Honda Rancher 350cc ('01 and '02) 2wd and a '99 Honda TRX300 2wd. As far as longevity and reliability are concerned, the Honda's win by an enormous margin. The Big Bear, however, is better suited for trail use because of the low-range feature. I have heard some good things about the newer Yamaha 4wd systems too. Our ATVs are strictly for farm/work use and we would never consider anything else but a Honda for that purpose. For trail use, you're better off with a Yamaha or Polaris IMO.

[SW86]

my number one choice for a 4x4 four wheeler is the Honda Foreman. very good four wheeler. of course i prefer the older style to the newer looks but whatever. other then that the grizzly is pretty awsome. along with the honda rancher (aka honda 300), kodiak and big bear. i wouldnt go with a polaris, artic cat or suzuki. first two are (from what i remember) are heavy as hell and stupid looking and the suzuks just have always been $#!&ty in my book but i have no real experience riding them. just personal taste i guess.

[terrawombat]

honda rancher (aka honda 300)

 

False. The Honda Rancher was introduced in 2000 with a 350cc engine. 2000 was also the last year of the Honda Fourtrax TRX300 (aka Honda 300). The Rancher has never seen anything but a 350cc or larger engine. They are two entirely different machines with very few similarities - the only two I can think off of the top of my head are the starter brushes and the oil filter.

[comanche09]

I just bought my first quad, a '99 Polaris Magnum 500 4x4 (like the Sportsman 500, but with a solid rear axle) a few weeks ago for $800 off of CL. Needed a cooling fan and shift linkages. I actually wired up and mounted my spare MJ electric fan just so I could ride it around the weekend I bought it :rotf:

 

It is one ugly and tough SOB. Most parts are plentiful and cheap and the local Polaris dealer will actually service it if need be, unlike my buddies Yamaha... They only will service anything 3yrs old or newer. :fool:

 

I went out last weekend trail riding all day with two buddies. One has a Yahama Big Bear 400 4x4 and the other has a Bruin 250 4x2. The Big Bear got stuck and I ended up pulling him out. :rotf: We were all riding on mud tires.

 

One downside when riding with them is the Polaris should be run in 4LO under 10mph (to not overheat the belt), and shifted into high above 10 mph so it was kind of a PITA to keep shifting and then playing catch-up.

 

Everything on my Polaris has a grease fitting (u-joints, shafts, suspension, steering). Most of the foreign makes don't.

 

Downside it it is somewhat of a PITA changing fluids and you have to use Polaris Fluid at $8 a quart. Other than that I love it. :thumbsup:

[SW86]

honda rancher (aka honda 300)

 

False. The Honda Rancher was introduced in 2000 with a 350cc engine. 2000 was also the last year of the Honda Fourtrax TRX300 (aka Honda 300). The Rancher has never seen anything but a 350cc or larger engine. They are two entirely different machines with very few similarities - the only two I can think off of the top of my head are the starter brushes and the oil filter.

 

the rancher is the "new" fourtrax is what i meant by that. just like the Colorado is the new S10 and so on

[CWLONGSHOT]

I like the CVT myself, won't hardly ride my Honda because I have to shift it. I can see going with 750cc's however. I believe the Eiger is no longer being made. I paid $3000 for this one after a tornado ravaged the dealer a 1/4 mile from my house. Came complete with an inch long tear on the seat(the only damage) and broken glass. That was a good reason to choose the Eiger to me. Could have bought a King Quad for a little more, but some more expensive damage. This is all I need for what I use it for.

The day I brought it home.

 

One of the machines I liked best was a 400 Suzuki EIGER!!!

 

 

This one is a auto clutch manual shift 2007 model.

 

Pop came mighty close to dropping the hammer on a 2008 Kawasaki 750. It is used 2008 with 10 miles. YES 10!!! 6Grand nice machine. we are holding off till Thursday when we take a ride up to a big dealership north of us. they have over a hundred used machines some with very nice prices!!

 

We just missed out on a real steal.. 2009 Honda RINCON W plow and Winch AND two sets of tires couple hundred miles. . . . $6200!!!

 

CW

[JACKED88]

If I was in the market to buy another atv it would be a Suzuki King Quad. In my opinion its tha biggest bang for tha buck out there.

don't let anybody tell you Suzuki's are no good. I've got an 04 Arctic Cat 400i 2x4 that thanks to all my sons has been through nothing short of pure hell and the only thing I've had to replace had nothing to do with the engine. Had to replace the wheel bearing again thanks to my sons getting it confused with a boat and washed um out. :nuts:

In case you don't know, Arctic Cats and Kawasaki's run Suzuki engines. We've owned all three plus a couple of Honda's.

Again, in my opinion there's nothing wrong with Suzuki's. Even after everything my sons have put it through in tha past 6 years it still runs fine. Starts every time with no smoke and no noise.

 

Good luck in your search. I'm sure you'll be happy to be wheelin again on whatever you decide to buy.

[KYMJ]

Agreed. Every Suzuki I've owned has been tough as a rock. Starting with this one bought in 1972 and still own.

[JACKED88]

Agreed. Every Suzuki I've owned has been tough as a rock. Starting with this one bought in 1972 and still own.

I had one those. Does yours have tha high/low gears?

[KYMJ]

Mine's a TS, the TC had the dual range gearbox.

[CWLONGSHOT]

Well pop pulled the trigger on a 2010 Polaris Sportsman 550 efi. Really great buy all things considered . No pics yet, I'm on my phone. It's green with fullracks winch.

[comanche09]

Sweet... PICS!!! :yes:

[CWLONGSHOT]

Just a cell pic, we won't get it for a week or so, they have to assemble and check it out.

 

 

To say he is happy would be an understatement. . . . Said its been forty years since buying himself a brandy new present....

 

CW