ATV opinion question......

[ckrb2007]

Hey guys/gals......well, I'm looking into getting an ATV in the next few months so question to you is in your HONEST and un-biased opinion, which ATV is the best bang for your buck. I know it's like asking which is better Ford or Dodge but I'm hoping you can steer my in the right direction. Personally, I'm leaning towards Yamaha or Honda. I'm not looking for new (2006/7- 2009) and something in the 500cc range.

 

Cheers!

Colin

[cityfisher]

Hey guys/gals......well, I'm looking into getting an ATV in the next few months so question to you is in your HONEST and un-biased opinion, which ATV is the best bang for your buck. I know it's like asking which is better Ford or Dodge but I'm hoping you can steer my in the right direction. Personally, I'm leaning towards Yamaha or Honda. I'm not looking for new (2006/7- 2009) and something in the 500cc range.

 

Cheers!

Colin

 

What are you getting an ATV for ? Hunting? trail riding? ice fishing ? working on a Farm...

 

100% trail riding = Honda / Yami .... 680 rubicon or the new 700 grizz are Top notch machines.

 

hunt/trail farm = polaris... I have a 06 500x2(2man with dumpbox) sportsman and love it.. It has EFI and INDEP rear susp.. Great ride.. Never let me down! what a workhorse! DUmpbox is great for Hunting, ice fishing and the 2nd seat gets used all the time.

[Jay T]

It depends on what you are using it for.

Either choice that you mentioned are good.

 

I have a 2000 Polaris Sportsman 500 and I use it mainly for hunting, ice fishing and hauling out my wood for the winter, it has had it's problems but overall it is a solid machine and lots of room to haul all your gear on it.

 

My dad has a Yamaha Grizzly 600 and he has had no problems with it(2001) and mostly uses it for hauling wood and hunting and other petty things, but again a solid machine. The only problem I have with it is not much room to fix your gear to.

 

Hope this helps in anyway.

[ckrb2007]

What are you getting an ATV for ? Hunting? trail riding? ice fishing ? working on a Farm...

 

100% trail riding = Honda / Yami .... 680 rubicon or the new 700 grizz are Top notch machines.

 

hunt/trail farm = polaris... I have a 06 500x2(2man with dumpbox) sportsman and love it.. It has EFI and INDEP rear susp.. Great ride.. Never let me down! what a workhorse! DUmpbox is great for Hunting, ice fishing and the 2nd seat gets used all the time.

 

Sorry...good point. I'll be using it for ice fishing and trail riding.

[K_F]

you will get years of reliable relitively maintenance free performance from a honda machine. Preferably with a solid rear axle. I personally own a 400 suzuki eiger. However my family own hondas - I could not afford one. The suzuki i chose was as close to a honda as you could get without the price tag. The hondas last forever and that to me is worth more than having a 700twin with this and that.

 

I used a website called powersportsnetwork.com - i think - it has all sorts of reviews of machines and specs and whatnot - I chose a machine based on a reliability rating and the price tag -

 

my opinion

[fishnsled]

A buddy of mine told me to look at ground clearance and independent suspension. You may have less maintenance with a solid axle but from my few times riding them, you are pretty beaten up after a long day of trail riding. Far more comfortable with the independent suspension. That is just my opinion. As for a make or model, Arctic Cats use to have the most ground clearance, my buddies machine has served him well for the last 7-8 years. I believe he has the H2 700. Nice machine, uses it for plowing snow and trail riding. I have 2 other buddies with machines, one Honda and one Bombardier, both have been very happy with them.

 

Check out the link that K_F posted, Ask lots of questions, and you'll find something that you will be happy with. Personally I don't have one but someday....

[Big Cliff]

Well, I am on my second Polaris. First one lasted me about 10 years and I put that machine through places that a man couldn't walk. I hauled trees out of the bush (and I'm talking 40' poplar with a 12 - 14" butt and green), drove through mud holes that other machines were stuck in, and even pulled some of them out. It was an Explorer 300 and until the day I drove it into a mud hole that was over the handle bars, it never let me down. Even then, when the water and mud was drained out of the cylinders and crank case the stupid thing started and ran just like it had never been submerged.

 

I traded it in and bought a new Sportsman 500 in 2006. That machine like the first is beyond belief! 18 of us went on a ride last fall, we went through mud holes and bush that a moose wouldn't go through. I ended up pulling a Yahama for the last 35 or 40 km (I'm not trying to run down Yamaha, his starter quit and his engine kept stalling) but I had no problem driving my Polaris and towing him through some really rough crap. And I am not bragging when I tell you that there were other machines getting stuck in some of the holes I was towing the Yahama through. The facts! Nothing but the facts!

 

In my opinion the Polaris is the work horse of ATVs, many if not most of the other makes are faster but if you want a machine that will work like a horse for you then my choice would be the Polaris. The big secret to owning one of them is to keep it in Low(automatic) unless you are out and running the road, they like to have their RPMs up there when they are working.

 

So, for ice fishing, pulling a hut, bringing in firewood or just a good reliable work horse, I don't think you'll go wrong with a Polaris. (although that Artic Cat disel looks good too but I haven't had a chance to do much more than test ride it)( I do have to admit though I did put it through some rough stuff and it did come out shining)If you want a sport bike Yamaha, or Honda, what ever you do, do not buy one of those "CTC/TSC" specials they won't stand up the way the brand names will.

 

disclaimer:

The opinions expressed by this writer do not necessarly reflect the opinions of the owners/operators of this board!

Edited August 24, 2010 by Big Cliff

[Terry]

I loved my Yamaha grizz.660

 

some one else loved it so much they stole it on me

 

but these days I don't think you could go wrong buying any of the major brands

[ckrb2007]

Thanks for the responses guys. Great points and information through personal experiences. What are the pros and cons in regards to shaft or belt drive? I would assume shaft has more low end power?

Edited August 24, 2010 by ckrb2007

[Big Cliff]

Both my Polaris are/were belt drive!

[pike n' whities]

I havent had anything but negative experiances with arctic cat quads. their sleds on the other hand are perfect.

 

Honda, in my opinion, are by far the best built machines out there. for whatever the purpose. they put up with anything you throw at them. as a proud and former honda owner of quads and bikes they have put up with everything and have been completely reliable.... until you swamp them

 

Polaris, I dont mind... but they could use some improvements. I dont have a need for anything higher than a 500 sportsman. my buddy owns both 400 and 500 HO's at his camp. the trails are ROUGH! rocky as heck, muddy like you wouldnt believe. just hell for those machines and they put up with it time after time.

 

Can-am (bombardier), I used to love their stuff. still do actually. havent ridden any or have friends that own anything bigger than a 350 rally. from what I read and heard, they're pretty solid machines.

 

Suzuki, my buddy's father owns a big 700 king. pretty good bike by the sounds of things. but the yamaha bruin can get through mud holes it cant.

 

Yamaha, once again havent had much experiance with them. nor have I heard too many good things. but they may be quality machines for all I know. well, my buddy owns a bruin and its a pretty good little quad.

 

I may have forgotten a manufacturer. hope this helps!

 

Edit: Most quads you're gunna find now-a-days will be belt drive. though they aren't half bad I still prefer shaft. at least that way you dont have to worry about belt slipping and snapping etc.

 

JP

Edited August 24, 2010 by pike n' whities

[Muskieman]

Sturgeon Falls Auto Sports & Marine has a regular deal going on for 2x Kawasaki KVF on a trailer for 10.999$ and 2x Arctic Cats 400 automatic for 11.999$ (same bike) one has independant rear and one is solid.... a TON of people I know bough these love them.

 

IMHO... this go BIG or go home attitude with ATV's is ridiculous

I remember when if you had a Honda Big Red 250cc R Shaft drive 3 wheeler ... well YOU WERE THE MAN!!!!!!! now 600 is a small bike.

Unless you're going to attend weekend mudbogs these bikes would be fine.

 

Randy

[Muskieman]

Sturgeon Falls Auto Sports & Marine has a regular deal going on for 2x Kawasaki KVF on a trailer for 10.999$ and 2x Arctic Cats 400 automatic for 11.999$ (same bike) one has independant rear and one is solid.... a TON of people I know bough these love them.

 

IMHO... this go BIG or go home attitude with ATV's is ridiculous

I remember when if you had a Honda Big Red 250cc R Shaft drive 3 wheeler ... well YOU WERE THE MAN!!!!!!! now 600 is a small bike.

Unless you're going to attend weekend mudbogs these bikes would be fine.

 

but if you are here's a bike for you ... It belongs to a friend of mine she Babies her stuff and is going through a divorce and is getting rid of it.

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/photo.php?id=529625468&pid=7028598

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/video/video.php?v=29127180468

 

 

Randy

[smally21]

if its just you riding around, as previously mentioned, these giant machines start to suffer from their weight and size. trail and snow riding on a fourtraz 250 is a blasdt, get on some big 700 and it wont fit anywhere. there is a time and a place for each machine but i wouldn't over size for no reason. a honda 400 has served us well for years,

[ch312]

in the atv world many consider polaris to be an entry level machine. they are well known for having problems and they simply cant stand up to the abuse of serious riders. i ride nearly every weekend with 4-25 guys at a time and polaris machines always have problems. on our last ride a newer polaris 700 broke 2 axles while an older 700 smoked off a belt that only had 800kms. plus they also weigh a fricken ton

 

can am have horrible frames that get bent up quite easily and replacement parts are expensive. they do seem to be reliable and they are the fastest stock machines, but a bent frame = $$$

 

most consider yamaha to be the best for quality with kawasaki and suzuki not far behind. i have 3300 kms of hard riding on my 07 grizzly 700 with power steering and there have been zero problems. i literally treat it like i only paid $5 for it and really beat the crap out of it mudding. its been rolled 6 or 7 times now and the plastics are in rough shape, but she keeps on trucking without missing a beat.

 

the thing with buying a small bore atv is you wont have the size and power there when you need it. you may not use the power all the time, but its much better using a big bore for work and plowing.

 

 

really bad pic, but its all i have. im in the process of modding it to make a mudding machine. i highly recommend full skid plates to avoid costly repairs...

 

[ch312]

Thanks for the responses guys. Great points and information through personal experiences. What are the pros and cons in regards to shaft or belt drive? I would assume shaft has more low end power?

 

considering my belt driven grizzly can do wheelies no problem with me sitting down, id have to say no to that one

 

belts can slip when riding in deep water where the shaft will keep going. shafts are strong and require less maintenance, but when something breaks its probably going to be expensive. a belt is $100 and easy to change.

[pike n' whities]

considering my belt driven grizzly can do wheelies no problem with me sitting down, id have to say no to that one

 

belts can slip when riding in deep water where the shaft will keep going. shafts are strong and require less maintenance, but when something breaks its probably going to be expensive. a belt is $100 and easy to change.

 

 

You forgot Honda in your previous post.

[DRIFTER_016]

We have two vintage Hondas up at the lodge and they just won't die.

I'm not sure what size they are but one is kid sized and the other is probably a 250 I think. They have been used on a daily basis for at leat 20 summers and are still running like new.

 

Here's a couple of pics of my buddy on the baby bike. We loaded into the boat and took it over to our air strip to run his gear up the hill.

 

 

[ckrb2007]

arrgghhh.....decisions, decisions!!!!!!

[doubleheader]

If you're talking reliability ask just about any atv mechanic and Honda is at the top of the list followed closely by Yamaha and the Suzuki.

[ckrb2007]

Is any one machine better than others in the snow? I do a ton of ice fishing on Lake Simcoe in the winters.

[K_F]

a good set of tires will get you through the snow - and if thats youre only concern - buy a bike woth lots of ground clearance

 

that powersports website i posted will show you the ground clearance specs for all the different machines

 

like i said before i have a "little 400" with less than 10" clearance - a set of mud tires and it always get me to the deer stand in the snow

[Abraxus]

Hey guys/gals......well, I'm looking into getting an ATV in the next few months so question to you is in your HONEST and un-biased opinion, which ATV is the best bang for your buck. I know it's like asking which is better Ford or Dodge but I'm hoping you can steer my in the right direction. Personally, I'm leaning towards Yamaha or Honda. I'm not looking for new (2006/7- 2009) and something in the 500cc range.

 

Cheers!

Colin

'

Well Colin, you will get many varying oppinons on this topic. That being said, I do have some thoughts of my own to offer. I for one own a Suzuki King Quad 700. The Suzuki King Quad is ranked as one of the best over all, go anywhere ATV's on the market. Down sides, it is heavy! The Suzuki's are very reliable and my beast has never left me stranded anywhere and has cost me very little money in maintenance in the time I have had it.

 

Now, as for the other brands, each have their pros and cons. I personally would stay well clear of the Polaris and Artic Cat brands. They have the reputaion of being great when they are new, but they have a heavy burden on maintenance and lack relaiability down the stretch. Their resale is really not that great either.

 

 

Honda has the reputation of having the best reliability of any bike on the market! They are simply bullet proof! However, their technology is really behind the times when it comes to ATV's. They do not have authentic, true 4X4 capability. Their 4X4 system is a limited slip set up. Meaning, when you really get into the deep nasty stuff (that you WILL encounter on occassion, even if you have no intention of looking for it) the Honda lacks the ability to select the 4X4 Differential Lock. The Diff Lock will get you out of stuff that the a limited slip just cannot. Anyone who tells you otherwise, has not really buried their bike bad, whether accidentally or intentionally.

 

Kawasaki Big Bores are monsters! Total hair raising beasts. Though I have heard they have some issues with reliability as well.

 

CAN AM's are way over priced for what you get.

 

This all having been said, I will tell you the same thing I told my brother when he was looking to buy an ATV. I have a Suzuki King Quad and I love it, but bang for buck...you just cannot go wrong with the Yamaha. They offer everything! Reliabilty, easy maintenance, an abundant availability of parts when things do go wrong and they are one tough peice of kit! The Yamaha name is one of most recognized and distinguised brands when it comes to ATV's. They can do it all. Push a plow, pull a cord of wood, dig down deep in the mud, raise hell with big bore power on the straight stretches. They also have EXCELLENT resale value. My brother bought his Grizzly and thanks me often for guiding him in this direction to this very day. Anyways, thats my oppinion on the subject. I would also advise you go check out this website. www.nyrocatv.com.

It will virtually be one of the best resources that an ATV rider could ever have! The members on here are super helpful and will assist you with any questions, problem or concerns you would have as an ATV owner, Rider, or potential buyer! Save it in your favorites, because it will come in handy! TRUST me on that!

 

Ab

Edited August 25, 2010 by Abraxus

[pike n' whities]

Kawasaki Big Bores are monsters! Total hair raising beasts. Though I have heard they have some issues with reliability as well.

 

Ab

 

 

Yes, they do. Although they're pretty solid machines, not really all THAT bad. but my buddy is having some issues with his clutch even at low idle. his winch works when it wants. constantly blowing fuses. best part is that it keeps running .... that's the brute force 650. I think it's a 2006 or 2005. his other deal, brute froce 750. 2008 I think, hasn't had any problems yet to my knowledge. i'm sure they'll be commin' around the corner though. one of the best quads i've ever ridden for comfort IMO. Independant suspension on the 750, but straight axel on the 650. Again, both pretty good quads, but not something I would personally buy.

 

As you can tell, I like this thread. lol

 

JP

[ckrb2007]

 

 

As you can tell, I like this thread. lol

 

JP

 

...and i'm liking the information I'm gathering to help in my decision!