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Who owns a quad? Recommendations on purchase?

I'm torn between doing the utility one for me, or going with the sport style with the kids. I have to weigh how often I will be on it, and where I'll be when I ride it. I have a feeling I'd be pissed if I got the utility one only to find myself riding with the kids 90% of the time and only getting out in the boonies riding with my buds 10% of the time. Then again, the sport ones can't haul gear, have a winch, and are usually 2 wheel drive.......
 
I have 2, 2002 Polaris 700s. Neither one has much plastic left, or fenders to speak of. I have bashed the floor boards into non-existence. This is not a criticism of Polaris, its a compliment. My buddy and I have literally tried to destroy these things (both sunk on multiple occassions-while running). Each time all we do is change the oil, lube the joints, and go. They are very, very dependable, durable machines. Another buddy of mine has the Honda 650 Rincon. Its expensive, the tranny dont shift into reverse when its hot, and its not as good in mud or loose dirt. Good luck with your choice, I vote Polaris.
 
yfz 450 for all 3. Once you go yfz you wont go back. God I love the yfz
 
Desert Rat said:
I'm torn between doing the utility one for me, or going with the sport style with the kids.
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SOunds like the Scrambler would be perfect for you. I just bought mine in AZ and am waiting for it to get out here to CA on the truck. :D

Here's a pic of mine. You can run with the Sport quads in the sand, where ever, just as well as they can and on the next weekend you can run through the woods with Utility models too since it's also 4x4 and has racks (racks are an option). Not to mention it's got a hitch for towing too!
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You should have no problem keeping up with the kids on their 90s with you on a 500(or larger) sportsman. We trail ride with a buddy who has a '01 350 Honda rancher and we just wait a little at the stop signs for him, he actually goes quite fast and the polaris has a much better suspension.

I looked into a polaris scambler for a sport machine. Handled heavier than I cared for, physically heavier. Know a few people who like theirs but they weight 250lbs+, maybe better for a heavier person, I'm in the 175 range. Test ride as much as possible!
We have one honda dealer that won't allow test rides, I wouldn't deal with them. About 20 miles up the road there is another honda/polaris dealership. They have a test track out back and will even pull one off the showroom for a ride if they don't have extra in the barn.

The down side of both 450s is no reverse. On the dunes it's not an issue but it is in the woods. My buddies have older 400ex's it shows in the woods.

I do wish polaris made the new sport quad in the states but unfortunately it's another import.
 
My buddy got two Yamaha Raptor 350's for his sons. They were 9 and 14 at the time he bought them. I asked him if it was a problem having them that big and he said he would've seriously regretted getting a smaller one for his 9 yr. old. He said his 9 yr. old would've outgrown anything smaller within a year or so. I was looking at the 700 Raptor for me but maybe I should look at the Wolverine (shades of Red Dawn) since it is a sport style in 4WD. The Scrambler would be another possibility. Around here though, nobody lets you do a test ride at all.
 
I think you should buy a few atv magazines. It seems like what your looking for yourself is a sport utility quad, so i would look at the Kawasaki Prairie 700, Yamaha Grizzly 660, and the Sportsmans. They actually have an 800 EFI twin cylinder now, i havnt read anything about it but thats a big motor. They also have a 700 EFI, carbed and a 600. I dont really think you could go wrong with any of them. I would stay away from the little Raptor 80s, compared to the Hondas, they have less power, only 3speeds and the front end is acient technology. I would go out to a dealer and have your kids sit on quads, if they can reach the pegs and shifter/brake its all good. The 13 year old should have no problem on a Honda or Suzuki 250, they're like small sport quads and they have auto clutches. The 9year old can deal with the 90 for a long time, i rode my 90 till i was 16 and i was about 5'6 175lbs.


Later
 
Desert Rat said:
Around here though, nobody lets you do a test ride at all.
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Because of that is why we returned a brand new Prarie 700 that we had bought. One ride around the block and we relized how much of a pile it was and emmediately tore up the check. It's pretty stupid, they say it's because of the liability risks.....get insurance like the rest of us that have business's.
 
zeroz400 said:
I think you should buy a few atv magazines. It seems like what your looking for yourself is a sport utility quad, so i would look at the Kawasaki Prairie 700, Yamaha Grizzly 660, and the Sportsmans. They actually have an 800 EFI twin cylinder now, i havnt read anything about it but thats a big motor. They also have a 700 EFI, carbed and a 600.
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I've ridden the 2005 carbed 700 Sportsman, 700EFI, 800EFI model and the 700 Prarie.The Sportsmans are very nice ATV's but are very heavy. Honestly, I think they are better ranch/farm ATV's than anything else, since they can haul and tow so much weight. The Prarie has an inferior ride vs. the Grizzly and is VERY loud. We use our 700 Sportsman mainly around the ranch, I am scared to get it stuck playing because it's so heavy.
 
stallion85 said:
My dad owns 2 Polaris'. He and everyone I know swears by them. They are like the Caddilac's of quads.

I will be buying a Polaris 700 sportsman most likely when I take the plunge :o
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From my experince polaris' are great unless you are going to stay in a very wet or moist climate. The starters tend to rust......a .... lot on that type of envoirnment
 
Desert Rat said:
Anybody own the Yamaha Wolverine? Looks kind of like the Polaris Scrambler setup.
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WOW! This machine is new to me since it's not in my '05 ATV buyers guide, had to go to Yami's web site.

This Wolverine is a very interesting model. Until now, the Scrambler was the ONLY model that bridged Sporty and Utility 4x4 ATV's.

A few things I see about it vs. the Scrambler.....

Pro: Bigger rear tires than the Scrambler, 23" all the way around over the 22" rear and 23" front combo size that the Scrambler uses.

Pro: It has an 1,100lbs towing capacity. I'm not sure what the towing ont he Scrambler but I don't think it's higher than that.

Pro: It's 55lbs lighter than the Scrambler, that could make up for the smaller power plant vs. the Scrammy.

Con, it has a 421cc engine, probably not near as torquey with the pickup of the 500HO Polaris motor.

Con: The rear "rack" looks pretty much useless, the Scrammy has optional front and rear racks that are useable.

Con: THis is purely personall opinion, but I think the body styling and color sucks vs. the Scrammy with a black body, flame graphics, and a yellow undercarriage. :D
Scrambler link
Wolverine link
05Scrambler500_studio.jpg

06_WOLVERINE_blue_3.jpg
 
I have had 3 wheelers/ 4 wheelers since my dad bought my first one in 1981. It was a 1981 Honda 200 3 wheeler. I have been through many since then and now I have a Polaris Xplorer 500. I agree with an earlier statement that Polaris seems to be the "Cadillac", however I have to admit that probably the toughest most bullet proof machine I ever owned was a Kawasaki. If I were to buy another one I would definitely take a look at the Twin Kawasaki. I love my Polaris but sometimes I just wish it was a little "tighter".
 
Boy, everywhere I go I get a different opinion. Looks like quads are pretty much like 4x4's, opinons are just as varied. I went into a shop today that specializes in accessories for motocross bikes and quads. They also have a mechanics shop. I spoke to one guy who said stick with the big four, Yamaha, Honda, Polaris, and Kawasaki (Supposedly they are combining with Suzuki?). Then I go back and talk to the mechanic. There is a Polaris sitting there. I tell him that I am thinking either Yamaha or Polaris. He goes on a tear about Polaris and says they are in their shop constantly. He claims that they are poorly made with cheap parts and to stay way away from them. The mechanic says Yamaha or Honda.

Then I run into a guy at another motorcycle shop who says Polaris or Yamaha, stay away from Honda. Ya just can't win..............
 
I typed up a great big page full of info and opinions on each and my dam computer locked up and I lost it all
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So I will just do a little recap..

I have read this whole thread and not one person has mentioned that any belt drive ATV is not good when it gets wet.. Once they get wet they will slip to the point of you not going any where.. Then when they do gain some traction they will actually spin themselves dry.. But the trouble is when this happens the centrifugal clutch will actually burn the belt dry so to speak.. After a few cycles of this the belt will sorta get a dry rottted affect and come apart from the stress and then your out almost $400 bucks for a new one.. I have seen this happen on more then one occasion on Polaris and Kawasaki..

Another thing I haven't seen mentioned is most if not all of these Polaris models are 2 stroke.. Like the Scrambler being mentioned for towing and utility.. A 2 stroke wheeler is the last thing you would want for utility because it lacks the power or for hunting due to the noise..Now a 2 stroke quad is fine for a play bike but it lacks the torque for any pulling power.. A buddy of mine has a 400 Scrambler that has a button to push on the right side handle bar to make it be 4wd.. It is a good for when your playing and get a little stuck then the 4wd button does provide some added traction.. But even in 4wd it dont have the torque to pull much weight.. To give you and example I still have my old Honda Big Red 250 3 wheeler and when we hook them back to back with a strap I can pull him backwards even though he is in 4wd.. The 2 strokes motors are not designed to pull weight because of the lack of torque they have.. His Scrambler has held up pretty good for a Polaris but there again it is belt driven that has slippage issues..

I like the Kawasaki Prarie all except the belt drive for the reasons I stated above.. But if it had shaft drive that would probably be my choice.. I have alot of hours on the 650 model and I'm impressed with the V-twin motor and the amount of power and torque that it makes. I like the lever on the the handle bar that enguages the front locking differential to make it a true 4wd.. It is has about a top speed of 60 MPH and plenty of power to pull a trailer or your truck around the yard.. It has enough off the line tourque to pull the front wheels off the ground and ride wheelies all day long.. It is great for utility use but still makes for a fun play bike..

Suzuki has always been a good choice over the years.. I don't have much seat time on some of the newer bikes but if they are anything the the older models I have owned they should be pretty good.. There are a couple fellows in my hunting club that have a couple of the new models and seam to be pleased with there performance.. One thing I do know for sure they are shaft drive which make it a better choice for pulling power and going in the mud.. I don't think they have the front locking differential though but I might be wrong.. If they do then that would be a plus..

Yamaha used to be the worst bike you could ever own years ago ''before Polaris came out :D ''.. They were known to break down and be made with out much quality control.. I have rode the Grizzley and a couple other models and from what I have seen Yamaha has come along way.. The couple people I know that have them seam to be happy with the ones they have.. Also the Yamaha is a shaft drive..

Now on to Honda you just can't beat their reliability.. I have been riding Hondas for almost 25 years and Have never been let down by their quality.. I stiill own 2 older Honda's and never have had any major issues.. The down fall to thier 4wd wheelers is the lack of true 4wd.. But they do make a front locker to fix that problem.. Honda has also seamed to be more expensive then the other brands on purchase price and parts.. But if they break down less I think it would even out.. They are also shaft driven so there again a plus..

Ok now Polaris once again I don't have much seat time with the newer models other then my buddies 400 Scrambler and a 500 Sportsman but they are 90's era.. I did have a older 250 Trail Blazer and it was the biggest piece of junk I have ever owned.. It was 2 stroke so it made to much noise for hunting and not reliable enough and lacked the power for any out of the way wheeling.. I think I spent more time fixing and working on that thing then I did riding it.. But in no way would I compare it to the newer models because I am sure they have made some improvement since then..I do know that the smaller Polaris kids quads are made by the same company that makes all the cheaper brands like E-TON and Polaris just puts their name on them..

I have been riding dirt bikes since I was 5 years old and not long after that I got my 1st 4 wheeler.. I have rode 2 and 4 strokes of both I even raced them when I was younger.. Even with my past experience it is still hard for me to make a decision when it comes time to purchase a newer model because there are so many to choose from with so many different features..

Like you said you can ask 5 different people what brand and model to get and you will more then likely get 5 different answers.. I can say that if the Kawasaki had a shaft drive and not belt it would be my choice.. Or if the Honda had a locking differential maybe I would want that one.. Or if Suzuki well you get my point :D

The best thing I can suggest to you is to go look at all the models and figure out which ones you would be interested in and the price of each... Then decide which features you like the most about each and carry a pen and paper with you to write them down so you don't forget.. The dealer should have brochures on each model too..Do alot of searching and reading on the net maybe even join a couple ATV forums so you can ask question there.. Then compare all your notes and the things you like and dislike and compare price.. When you think you got it down to which ones you want think about it for a couple more days then go look at your final decision.. Then post up the smiles on you and your kids faces for all of us too see :D Good luck with your decision.. I hope that this might have helped ... I know with all the talking I just did I'm thirsty and need something to drink :haha:
 
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