New 4-wheeler
 

Hey fellas I have been thinking bout getting a new 4-wheeler. I want a small light weight four wheeler. Been thinking about a Honda Recon, something small and can maneuver in the woods. Also really light in the back of my truck. Does anybody have one? What are the pro and cons? The only thing is the motor is kinda small... Just some places I bowhunt I can go further on a smaller 4-wheeler and haul my stuff further. Thanks...

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

Anything from Honda will be great and will last almost forever. The Recon os a nice bike, but pretty small and underpowered. Have youo looked into the Rancher?? Its just a little bigger than the Recon and has a lot more power, if you can find a used one you can get a pretty good deal. They are making the Rancher now in a 420cc with fuel injection, and its a powerhouse, and not a huge bike like the Foremans or Rincon. I had an 01 350 Rancher, and sold it for $2000 with 2500 miles on it, and bought an 07 420 Rancher 4x4 for $5100 and its an awesome machine. Whateven you get post some pics.:)

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

I agree with Angus 110% the rancher is the perfect wheeler for a hunter. It has more then enough power to get there and back, but in a small enough package that you can use it in the woods. My family has two 350cc ranchers and it has power to spare and the newer ones have bigger engines, fuel injected (which is nice for cold weather) and i think some even have power stearing now. we usually only use ours for getting the deer back to the truck, and because of that i haven't had to drag a deer more then a few yards for a couple years. Well opening day this year we didn't have it with us (brought it in for some new tires and they didn't finish it in time for us to pick it up, aggrivating) and my dad shot a nice basket 8 point about as far away from the trucks as possible. Which meant my brothers and I had a nice long uphill drag haha

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

I have a 350 rancher and i have put it through hell and it just keep goin and goin.

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I have owned lots of Honda's and they are Tough!! I currently have a Polaris and it has been a good machine also.

Dan

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

I have a yamaha kodiak 400 4x4 and I am very happy with it.It is not too big and bulky for the smaller trails yet has all the power i have ever needed.

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

Killadoe,
My brother and I both have 1990 Honda TRX 4x4 with the 300 cc engine. We use them as mules and they take all that we can give, not unusal for it to be loaded down with 100 pds of corn, 2 hunters and our gear (stand and bow or guns). Never had any work done to them just tores.

Jim

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

I have the Recon electric shift, i bought it just for the reasons you describe. It is a breeze to manuver in the woods and to haul deer out. I have yet to be in a situation where it was under powered. Cons:: It is geared a little low so road travel is not very fast, she tends to wind up a little. Had trouble once with the electric shift angle sensor, honda made good on it and has went to a better part. I have no trouble at all now. very reliable four wheeler ;)

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

Rancher. I have a two wheel drive and it goes in and out of ditches easily and still small enough to do 360s on the dirt roads. Only time it's been stuck was when I ran through 4x4 ruts and the rear axle was on top with both rear wheels off the ground. Still, it was light enough to pick up and move the rear end, then the front end. I can also add that it's more than powerful enough for yard use. I use it to move my 13ft boat around, about 1000lbs with all equipment, because my truck won't fit in the area that I park it. The Rancher pulls the boat out onto the road without a problem and moves it right back into it's hole without one.

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

Artic Cat. Hands down. They are what the older Honda's used to be. IMO Honda just can't hang with the AC's. And this comes from years and years of riding in the harshest conditions along with every make out there.

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

Actually, I have an Arctic Cat, and 03 model that is parked up in a briar patch as we speak. It kept burning up the voltage regulator and I brought it in to the shop andit costs me over 500 dollars and it still isnt fixed. I have had the stator rewound, 2 new regulators, new batteries, new fuses, new headlights, tried a CDI box off another bike. Nothing will fix it. Contacted ARCTIC CAT and they were like oh well sorry for your problem. My dad and grandpa have hondas they have had for years. I know alot of people like Arctic cat, and mine was great for 4 years, but I will not have anything but a honda from now on.

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

Never heard of this issue before with an AC, but I can sit and name a list of issues with the new honda's. i used to be a die-hard honda fan, not anymore.

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I know the new hondas arent as great as they once were, but I have more faith in them than anything else right now...

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

get a polaris 300 sportsman 4x4

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

From a mechanic that worked on both of them, I was steered toward Yamaha over Honda, and I've known many guys with trouble free Yamaha's. The Yamaha Big Bear 400 is a great utility quad. Honda's are good too, and you'd be surprised how much power that little 221cc motor has in a Recon. Whatever you get, maintain it well, and you should get many years of good use out of it, they are all made pretty well nowadays.

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

the 2005 Artic Cats had some pretty big issues especially the 600's. They didnt start in the cold. Go with Honda or Kawasaki or CanAm (formerly Bombardiare)

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i have had a recon since i was tenand am 17 nowand i have rolled it numerous times and put it to hell and back and havent had 1 single problem yet. but dont get one with the eletric shift

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

I have an '03 Rancher. It is a little manual shift 350cc full time 4 wheel drive beast!
It will go anywhere and haul an game you want out...
Great machine for the $$...
I feel small next to my buddy's w/ their Grizzley 660s and Sportsman 700s, etc., but it's all the machine I need for hunting & fishing.

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

killadoe,
I would definitely suggest the honda rancher. However, I am not fond of the pushbutton electric shift for many reasons. 1 You must have a free hand to change gears. 2 It is something else electric to short out, and they do on occasion. 3 I have used one to seperate cows and the electric shift is not near as fast as the foot shift. It makes a big difference.
Just my opinion.

Chris

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

I also have a 02 Honda Rancher 350cc. I've never had any problems with it. Always starts and will go almost anywhere and doesn't have any problems dragging anything out.

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

i have an 07 rancher 420. great mechine. fuel injected. that was the selling point to me, no choke:D. i rode the 07 big bear 450 also, i liked it, but it seemed geared really low and it wasn't fuel injected. i haul up to 350 lbs on corn at a time on mine, no problems. it also keeps up withthe bigger models well on the trail. only con is the ground clearence. alittle low compared to others init's class. but i never have any problems with it where i ride. i bought mine used, 3 months old for only $4000looked and ran like new. good luck on your purchase.

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

Had a Polaris 500 Sportsmans tthat was getting tired and traded it on a Suzuki Eiger 400 last year.

It's affordable smaller, more nimble and much more pleasant to ride. I have nothing against any other brand. Just saying I've been very happy with this one after one full season.

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

Hey fellas I really appreciate all the input, it will be out of the Rancher or the Recon. My grandpa just bought a 2006 rancher at the beginning of 2007 and the front suspension sqeaks on it, that kinda has me worried. His 98 300 (which 300 was there best bike by the way) has never given a problem. Also my dad has a 99 300 and has never had a problem, my dad also has an 01 rancher and that thing is a mule. Like I said before the small engone on the recon has me worried, but I will test drive both the rancher and the recon. Also I wouldnt mind a yamaha either, my dad has an 86 or 87model MOTO 4 that was a great bike and it still hauls butt...

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

I have a Suzuki Vinson 500. I wouldn't want anything under the 500 engine class. It's been bullet proof.

But Dad has the 400 Artic Cat and 2 cousins have Honda's (500, 350) They've all been good machines.

IF I was looking for a new one (which I'm not) I'd have a hard time not buying a Can Am.

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

Avoid the 4x4 and just put a winch on it. It's all you'll need.

Tom

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

Suzuki Vinson, any Can-Am, or Honda. Stick with 500 CC or below to save weight.

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

Thats exactly what I plan on doing, also some mild mud grips, nothing to big or bulky.

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

GR8....I went in ready to buy this one (Vinson)....but ended up saving a ton on a 1 yr old (still new) 400CC Eiger 4x4. It's over 2 yrs old, now and still only has 380 mi. on it.....lol.

It's all (actually MORE) I'll ever need.;)

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

Wow just depends on how much time you wanna spend winching and how/where you ride.

If there's snow..better go 4x4.

I have an Uncle witha 2 wheel drive Artic Cat. He runs with us, we all have 4x4's. He has 2 options hit the crap hard and hang-on or wait for us to pull him out. Many times BOTH!

He can go 90% of the places we do (we are usually in 2 wheel drive anyways). Just depends on your budget and your ego ! [8D]

He has a winch, wishes he had the 4x4 instead! ;)

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GMMAT a fine machine...and I LOVE the GUN MOUNT! :):D[:-]

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Hey GR8.....it's also got the "towing" package!:D[8D]

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

I have an old Suzuki 250 Quad Sport (1987) 4x2 an a newer Yamaha Grizzly 600 4x4. I prefer the Quad sport over the Grizzly because if it's size. I can lift the Suzuki into the back of my truck so there is no need for ramps and all the hassles that come with them. I rarely gets stuck and when it does, I just lift it out of where it's stuck. (it really doesn't take much to move it a few inches) I can haul a lot of stuff with it and I'm always over the GVWR but it just keeps on motoring! The grizzly is big and strong but it's almost overkill for what i need it to do.

When I'm ready to buy another I am going to sell both and go in the same direction as you...smaller and probably a Honda.

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No need for that on mine .. [&o] ;) :D

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I have a Rancher and love it...I have a couple of buddies and a brother that use a Ricon...I got the Rancher because I'm 6' 5"...The Ricon was just too small for me...Either will work...

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

i own 2 hondas.one is a recon 250... i beat the livin HELL out of it.. rolled it fliped it jumped it...... u name it ive pretty much done it. still kicks like a champ! i love the lil thing. only down fall is 2 wheel drive... course it will go anywhere except for mudd an snow! my other is a honda 400 at... not a bad machine.. kinda a dog for speed but its not to big in an out of 4 wheel drive automatic or manual shift.

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Can't agree more Gr8. I have used mine as a bad boy buggy, mule, log skidder and much more. I also do a more than my share of riding in the woods and it is as nimble as you need to be. Get out of the woods and you can still run with the big boys. Awesome machine.

Also, it is small enough fit in the back of my chevy short bed with the tailgate closed.

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Got a 350 rancher also luv it to death!! I didnt anything to big myself.

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

I was on a limited budget when I got mine. I bought an Arctic Cat 250 2 wheel drive. It cost $3299 new and has gone everywhere I've needed it to. I've hunted with it in snow and in the desert,(on the same trip!), and it has done fine. I'vetoted deer and hogs out of the woods with it and they fit the back rack just fine. My BILs Honda Rancher cost twice as much and I think I got the better deal.

RE: New 4-wheeler
 

Personally, depending on what size of truck you got, I love my Honda Foreman 4X4. I've put it through some pretty tight spots pretty easily. Love the power too! It'll do 55 down the lane and I've had it in the mud up over the foot guards and it kept going. Good luck on your search and decision.

Also with two ramps, easily loads into my Colorado.