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Which ATV???

Old 09-28-2005, 12:03 PM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Posts: 139
Default RE: Which ATV???

do yourself a reaaaaaal favor and get a 400 kodiak. i got mine in 99 i think and its an automatic. there is no other quad out there as versitile. one minute i can haul my deer out of the woods and the next im hittin jumps and then im plowin the driveway. i have never hada singleproblem with this quad, and i really do neglect it. i ride very hard and i leave it out in my driveway in the rain and snow and it starts up and goes whenever i want it to. the 4wd is awesome. its a very good idea to get a warn winch with it too. good luck and let me know what u end up getting
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Old 09-29-2005, 09:18 PM
  #12  
Fork Horn
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: southwest ohio USA
Posts: 111
Default RE: Which ATV???

Avoid the Honda's!! Ya they build good lasting motors. BUT their suspensions, limited wheel travel and hard ass seats will beat you to death. Honda is stuck in the late 80's as far as atv's. It depends on your use. Low range is good option for climbing and towing/pulling. Polaris is popular but I hear and see(forums)many issues with their transmissions. Independent suspension are cadillac as far as ride. I prefer a manual transmission. Try an Arctic Cat, Kawasaki or Suzuki. Ride as many as you can before you make your decision.
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Old 09-29-2005, 10:54 PM
  #13  
Giant Nontypical
 
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: a van down by the river
Posts: 8,939
Default RE: Which ATV???

I like selectable 4WD, independent front and rear suspensions, and an automatic transmission. Anything with these features will provide a smooth ride and the maneuverability you'll want.
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Old 09-30-2005, 02:49 PM
  #14  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rotterdam NY USA
Posts: 38
Default RE: Which ATV???

ran across this old photo of me breaking in my Quadmaster, thought it would add merit to my post. The only thing I did to the quad since I bought it is replace the tires with 1 size larger ITP 589's, which are a pretty aggesive directional tire. No lift needed, the reason for the tire switch is because I blew a front a back out far away from home. The holes in them were way to big to fix, I did actually puncture one rear 589 tire with a railroad spike!!, which has around 6-7 tire plugs in it for over a year now and running strong. The night I punctured the tire the steering felt a little squirrely the last 1/4 mile home going on the pavement. The tire was actually punctured miles away from home and ran fine flat!!! Another thing to consider is a second hand adult driven machine, I see them all the time and people take a bath on them. With a new one I think you typically get a lousy 6 month warranty anways for your $6K +++ Machine. Let us know how you make out.



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Old 10-04-2005, 09:43 PM
  #15  
Nontypical Buck
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Baileysville, WV
Posts: 2,925
Default RE: Which ATV???

I prefer an auto clutch..but I dunno what your preference is. I like to keep my stuff as simple as possible. Theres a lot of good 400 class 4wd's out there. In the auto clutch line a couple that come to mindwould be the Suzuki Eiger and the Big bear...both are very good dependable 4 wheelers. Bottom line ride everything you can get close to and buy what YOU like..not what everybody tells ya to buy. I am goin on 11 years of absolutely trouble free service with my 400 bayou...so if you treat em right and take care of em they will last a LONG time. I cant run with those huge motored monsters in the open..but I usually have to wait on them on tight trails and woods.


400cc is plenty..when i bought my 400 i weighed close to 400 lbs and it still had plenty of grunt.....now I weigh about 220 and it feels like its gonna lift off when I gas it..lol.
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Old 10-04-2005, 11:02 PM
  #16  
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location:
Posts: 84
Default RE: Which ATV???

If you are wanting to stay in themid sizerange, I think my first choice would be a 450 Kodiak. IRS, front locker, on/off 4wd, plenty of power, and Yamaha quality. Second choice would probably be the Honda Foreman or Rubicon.

I own an Arctic Cat 650 but my reasons for choosing it had a lot to do with having room for my wife to ride with me. I love it and it is more than capable of anything I expect it to do. Ride is exceptional andpower is a flick of the thumb away. No other stockATV can match it's ground clearance.

Still, if I was looking for a good all around ATV for just me, I would go with the Kodiak.
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Old 10-05-2005, 03:06 PM
  #17  
Nontypical Buck
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Bradford, Ontario
Posts: 2,205
Default RE: Which ATV???

In my hunt camp we have 3 big bear 350 and 1 suzuki 300. The big bears in over 10 years of hard hunting have never failed. The suzuki has not been so reliable. I have personally hauled out moose whole without quartering them and have also hauled 2 deer and 2 large hunters in 1 trip. The way I see it i will likely never need to drag anything bigger than a moose so anything more powerful just burns more gas. I would avoid belt driven atvs as they all end up sucking in water and the belt needs to be removed and cleaned, I know because I have friends who own them and I have had to pull them out of mud holes. Get yourself a Yamaha or Honda in the 350-400 class and it will give you years of reliable service for hunting. If you want it to play with and blast around on then a sportier belt drive might be a better choice as big bears are really like mini log skidders and not fast or very smooth, just dead reliable and unstoppable.
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Old 11-23-2005, 09:35 AM
  #18  
Nontypical Buck
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,131
Default RE: Which ATV???

I got a 2005 Rancher 4X4......not the ES......wish would have gotten the electronic shift model.

It fits my needs perfectly and fits in the back of my gmc and can still close the tailgate.
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Old 11-23-2005, 12:01 PM
  #19  
Nontypical Buck
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Mn.
Posts: 3,399
Default RE: Which ATV???

I own a 01 500 HO sportsman,a 03 ranger 4x4,and a 05 trailblzer have had no problums with none of them,O wait I barried the 500 in 4 feet of mud and water this summer up a freedom ridges mud hole all within a half hour the belt sliped a little for about 10 mn then it was fine barried the ranger too, isnt made to do that but i had to try,ATVs have come along way in the last few years but what it comes down too is your own personal prefferance.Buy one you feel compfertable on and will do what you do.why buy a 4x4 when all you do is ride groomed trails,or why buy a 4x2 when you whant to get in to the thick of things,MY 2 CENTS.
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Old 11-23-2005, 12:19 PM
  #20  
Giant Nontypical
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: fort mcmurray alberta canada
Posts: 5,667
Default RE: Which ATV???

Our company bought several polarisrangers as a test project on our site.They were hoping that the smaller size,better gasmileageand lower cost compared to a 4x4 truck would be an advantage.For the first couple of months everyone liked them but after being used extensively every day,maintenance and dependability issues arose with the drivetrains.The rangers are now spending far more time in the repair shop than expected and the cost savings have disappeared.I doubt very much that we will be buying any more rangers,but the yamaha rhino is being considered.
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