ATV opinion question......

[BITEME]

sent you a pm

[ckrb2007]

PM returned.

[Abraxus]

This is another thing to consider as well. The solid rear axle is great if you actually intend to use the bike to tow a great deal of stuff! Ex: Pulling wood out of the bush or towing heavy loads. Otherwise, its not really good at all for trail riding, road riding or riding in the deep thick rough stuff. On trails, The solid rear axle offers no articulation of the suspension. This will often lead to one tire being high sided and not having contact with the ground, resulting in traction loss and a tipping hazard. Riding on roads with a solid rear axle is okay, but when you go into turns at high speeds, the solid rear axle cannot suck up the turn like independent suspension will. This leads to wheel hopping and yet again, a tipping hazard. In the deep thick rough stuff, the solid rear axle almost ALWAYS gets hung up on something! As such, you either must have winch (highly adviseable anyhow) or you have to dismount and start lifting, pulling, pushing and generally humping your backside off in order to get the bike unsnagged. Not so bad or difficult with a little 350 or 400cc bike, but a major back busting, butt sweating hassle if you are riding a 600lb Big Bore or Twin 650-800cc quad.

 

The question will be... do you use the bike specifically as work horse, or do you intend to pleasure ride with some occassional use as a work machine. If the answer is the latter of which, the independant suspension can pull, push and hump just fine, but it will also afford you a great deal of comfort and safety when riding for pleasure as opposed to a solid axle bike.

 

Ab

Edited August 25, 2010 by Abraxus

[Terry]

if it is mostly for icefishing I would go with one of the smaller, lighter machines

 

my big machine pushed through the snow while the lighter ones were riding on top of the snow..when/if we both got stuck in the snow/slush mine got out easier but I had to push or snow most of the time

[johnyd]

I have a 08 sportsman 800 with a lot of mods on it and it have been a good bike for me i beat the crap out of it and it just keeps asking for more.Alot of guys here are correct the Honda's are a great machine but come with the price tag to match. I have 8 freinds with the suzuki's all 700 or 750's they are a great bang for your buck almost all of the problems that i have seen with them have been operator related. The yamaha's are a nice bike but for there dollare they cannot compete with the others. Can am i have a few freinds with those and they are nice but expensive.If i were looking to do what you want i would either look at the Polaris 500 you can get it in either 500EFI or Carbed models with a lower price tag. also the suzuki like i said they are a good bike aswell and come in the 450 and 750.

[ch312]

if it is mostly for icefishing I would go with one of the smaller, lighter machines

 

my big machine pushed through the snow while the lighter ones were riding on top of the snow..when/if we both got stuck in the snow/slush mine got out easier but I had to push or snow most of the time

 

tires have more to do with snow riding than weight of the machine, unless you are riding in deep powder. you need a tire that is designed to push you forwards rather than digging down. the problem is most all terrain and mud tires are designed to dig down to find hard ground and traction. you wouldnt believe the difference tires designed to push you forward will make on any size atv.

 

highlifter outlaws are probably the best all around tire.

[Big Cliff]

tires have more to do with snow riding than weight of the machine, unless you are riding in deep powder. you need a tire that is designed to push you forwards rather than digging down. the problem is most all terrain and mud tires are designed to dig down to find hard ground and traction. you wouldnt believe the difference tires designed to push you forward will make on any size atv.

 

highlifter outlaws are probably the best all around tire.

 

Since I hope to be doing a lot more ice fishing this year, what would you suggest are the best tire for the deep snow? I did manage to get stuck once last winter in a huge snow drift. I just plain got hung up but for an old guy even once is too much! I put snow tires on my car, and that sure makes a big difference. Why not my ATV?

[ch312]

Since I hope to be doing a lot more ice fishing this year, what would you suggest are the best tire for the deep snow? I did manage to get stuck once last winter in a huge snow drift. I just plain got hung up but for an old guy even once is too much! I put snow tires on my car, and that sure makes a big difference. Why not my ATV?

 

i've heard great reviews regarding the ITP tundra cross. they dont have an aggressive tread which helps you "float" on the snow rather than digging in. they come studded which definitely makes a big difference on ice. highlifter outlaws are one of the best for pushing through mud and snow as they dont dig either.

 

itp holeshots and maxxis bighorns are suppose to be very good as well. you also have to consider the traction in reverse. many tires can go forwards very well, but as soon as you try to back up they start spinning immediately. theres a name for what im referring to, but i cant think of it right now.

 

i have mud lite xtr's and they do quite well in the snow, but im planning on grabbing a set of outlaws very soon...

[Big Cliff]

i've heard great reviews regarding the ITP tundra cross. they dont have an aggressive tread which helps you "float" on the snow rather than digging in. they come studded which definitely makes a big difference on ice. highlifter outlaws are one of the best for pushing through mud and snow as they dont dig either.

 

itp holeshots and maxxis bighorns are suppose to be very good as well. you also have to consider the traction in reverse. many tires can go forwards very well, but as soon as you try to back up they start spinning immediately. theres a name for what im referring to, but i cant think of it right now.

 

i have mud lite xtr's and they do quite well in the snow, but im planning on grabbing a set of outlaws very soon...

 

Thanks! I'll be looking into them for the winter.

[Bernie]

I found these tires worked very well.

My old BRP traxter isn't a great trail machine but man does it pull.

I ended up breaking trail for the group and I was also pulling a trailer.

The key for a tire that works in snow is deep and open lugs. Smaller patterns and the snow tends to stick on the tire not allowing the tread to do it's job.

Chains do not work as well on this type of tire though as the chain stays below the lugs more.

[wallyboss]

I have a Kawasaki Power Brute 750 and I had issues with it until I got rid of the original CDI box. Now I have a bit more horsepower but no more of the small "check Belt" light coming on and dropping my Power by more than half for no friggin reason. I have Mudlite XL 1 1/8" lugs, it'll go pretty well anywhere in snow. Great for ice fishing.

[Rob]

CKRB, are you keeping your sled as well? If so, get yourself something around a 500cc and drive the sled when the snow is deep and the atv when the snow is packed down.

 

Rob C

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

i love yammies

[ch312]

I found these tires worked very well.

 

u forgot to tell everyone what tires they are im guessing mudzillas? the less aggressive zillas are an awesome all terrain tire and are one of the lightest out there in its class.

 

one trick for those who dont want an extra set of tires for the winter is to mount the tires so the traction is reversed. it really helps with keeping the machine going in deep snow.

[bbog]

No experience with BRP but a bit with Yamaha, Polaris and Honda. Considering the amount of abuse the owners of these machines (not me) gave them - they all survived. The Polaris in particular had the crap beat out of it on a weekly basis and while it needed gorilla strength to get it to run straight - would not die. The Yamaha owner managed to break both front axles (two different times) by putting too much tension on the front end. There are limits to how much they will climb and at what speed!!

 

If I had to choose it would be Yamaha followed by Honda. This is largely due to the amount of time I spent on a Grizzly, working it big time and then taking it to the trails and track. Solid machine and no complaints with what you threw at it.

 

Buddy bought a 2010 Polaris Sportsman 500. Factory tie wrapped (tight) the tank breather tube. This caused small problems due to the use pattern but could have collapsed the tank had it been used for speed runs.

 

I know you are buying used but one indication of quality is the length of warranty - compare and see for yourself which manufacturers don't have faith in their products.

 

Just my opinion YMMV.

[ch312]

The Yamaha owner managed to break both front axles (two different times) by putting too much tension on the front end. There are limits to how much they will climb and at what speed!!

 

I know you are buying used but one indication of quality is the length of warranty - compare and see for yourself which manufacturers don't have faith in their products.

 

 

all of the performance and clutch mods people do on newer machines adds a lot more stress on the axles. add in some good mud tires that bite and you have a recipe for disaster. you know the factory ones will break, but who knows when. i'd say they need to beef up the axles straight from the factory for all big bores. spending $1,000-$,2000+ on a set of heavy duty axles isn't my idea of a "fun" expense. but, i'm still getting bigger tires, programmer, exhaust, and clutch kit that are sure to snap factory axles like a twig. i guess you gotta pay to play

 

 

i bought my 07 grizzly 700 used from a man in london. it was a fair price for what was included and he was only selling to upgrade as he does every 2 years. i was just the next lucky guy in line to get a barely used atv that was treated properly. the same can't be said for the first one i viewed in binbrook. the optional 30" tires he had were the first hint that it was a mudding machine. loose bearings and cv joints sealed the deal that this machine was beat on. always check them over carefully.

[ckrb2007]

CKRB, are you keeping your sled as well? If so, get yourself something around a 500cc and drive the sled when the snow is deep and the atv when the snow is packed down.

 

Rob C

 

Rob....no, I'm getting rid of my sled (in the classified section ). No room for both so I figured an ATV would be the better choice for me as I do a fair amount of back lake fishing/camping during the spring/summer.

 

Colin

[thefireman]

Sell your sled and buy a grizzly 700 with power steering! Go and get a track kit for it and you got the best of both worlds, for what you want to do! The grizzly 700 is one of, if not THE best ATV around. I know there will always be debate, but I've seen the grizzly do a whole lot more than most bikes ( Polaris, Honda, Arctic Cant and Can-am) All though to be fair Honda is only a 3 wheel drive!

[Bernie]

u forgot to tell everyone what tires they are im guessing mudzillas? the less aggressive zillas are an awesome all terrain tire and are one of the lightest out there in its class.

 

Oops...Yep they are Mudzillas.

I only put them on in the fall for hunting.

I have another set of rims and tires for the rest of the year.

I had a set of Super Swampers before these Zillas. They were OK but the Zillas are much better.

My Traxter gets used daily, pushing cars in the shop, snow plowing, and even occasionally commuting from home to work.

I'll throw my opinion in on the best machine.

The 800 Outlander.

Although the 400 is usually enough for most.

[ch312]

Oops...Yep they are Mudzillas.

I only put them on in the fall for hunting.

I have another set of rims and tires for the rest of the year.

I had a set of Super Swampers before these Zillas. They were OK but the Zillas are much better.

 

 

FYI...you have mudzillas, not zillas. zillas are a much lighter and less aggressive tire made by the same company, maxxis. just to avoid any confusion in the future

[Nipfisher]

I have a 2000 Honda Foreman 450 ES. I love it. It has the electronic shift which is handy but not the best in the cold weather. WD-40 or Lock De-Icer helps. Full time 4 wheel drive but I have an after market Warn 424 Shifter on it. It is a very light machine and has tons of power. Not much top-end speed but I`m not about going fast anyways. It is good in the deep snow.

[pike n' whities]

I have a 2000 Honda Foreman 450 ES. I love it. It has the electronic shift which is handy but not the best in the cold weather. WD-40 or Lock De-Icer helps. Full time 4 wheel drive but I have an after market Warn 424 Shifter on it. It is a very light machine and has tons of power. Not much top-end speed but I`m not about going fast anyways. It is good in the deep snow.

 

 

[ckrb2007]

hmmm...narrowing my search down to a few makes!! LOL

[stubbex1]

hmmm...narrowing my search down to a few makes!! LOL

 

ha haaaaa i'm in the same boat....I quit smoking June 1st, the deal with my wife was that if I quit for 3 months i could buy a new quad....this forum popped up a few days ago and so far yamaha, honda, brp, polaris, kawasaki, and suzuki are the best choices

[ch312]

hmmm...narrowing my search down to a few makes!! LOL

 

what else could i say to convince you yamaha is the answer?

 

i know...

 

no word of a lie, 4 people in our group sold their polaris', artic cat and a honda to buy grizzly 700's this year. they are a big bore weighing only 600lbs so they handle like most 455-500's out there, but with enough power to do wheelies while sitting down.

 

like i said before, make sure you stay away from polaris and artic cat. they just cant take the abuse like other machines.