New ATV
 

I've been looking alot lately. Checked all the usual big boy offerings. Some were nicer than others. Polaris Sportsman 500 was definately nice... and quite powerful. Then I got on a Outlander MAX 650 HO EFI. It was designed as a two-seater... helps pass the wife test! Holy crap Batman, this is a brute. Hauls a$$ and tons-o-torque. As I understand it, these are Canadian made... used to be Bombardier. They also had an 800 which was even badder. Anybody have any comments / criticisms of these? Anybody been on one? Whatcha think? Reviews I've seen were mixed with some bad and some good comments. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks alot.

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I think that they have a lot of power and pretty good suspension. If you watch there infomercial test-off against other brands and actually believe them, they are the best thing out there.

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All I know is that the 800 has an insane amount of power. I have seen several movies of guys doing wheelies- even in reverse- on the net. I don't know anyone who wants to fork out the money for one, though, so I have not had the opportunity to ride one.[:o]

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They are very expensive... that alone would probably knock it off the list. It's tough though. There are alot of great machinrs out there.

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Honda Ranchers are not the #1 seller for nothing! In a word, DEPENDABILITY! Speed and power doesn't do any good if it doesn't work!

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When I get back from Ohio I will probably get the Suzuki 450 King Quad. Nice full sized machine with EFI and IRS /11" of clearance and a price tag of less than 6 grand. I was looking real close at the Yamaha 700 Grizzly but don't need something that large or expensive.

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How much do those King Quad 450's weigh? They might have a pretty good power to weight ratio if the reduction in engine size from the 700 shaves off some weight.

I'm too lazy to look it up myself.[8D]

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I can touch on a few things here.

We ( the wife and kids) often spend a few weekends in the summer riding ATV's. Went to the Hatfield/McCoy trail system last year. I ride often and have ridden ATV's for many years.

I also have friends and family that also ride. I am not a brand loyal type but there is one brand I wouldn't want even if I won one on a ticket I'd sell it. That is a Polaris. I had several friends that had themand they had nothing but problems. I know others will dissagree, but the aren't very reliable in my opinion.

My personal ride is a 660 Yamaha Grizzly. I love it.

My wife has a Honda Recon.This is a good ultra reliable little quad.

The boy has a Yamaha Warrior. Also reliable but no mud protection. Its a sport quad.

The daughter has a Suzuki Ozark. A Fun little quad and very reliable.

We are not brand loyal as you can see. I have also owned Kawasaki and had no problems. In my opinion, all the Jap brands are good reliable machines with the Honda being just a tad above the rest in this department.
Can-AM ( Bombardier) are also good machines. The 800 being the top dog of all big bores. More power and speed than the others. Their only problem is the are way too expensive.

Test ride as many as you can and read some of the reviews in ATV magazines.

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From what i have read and heard the canam 800 is in a class all of its own for power and speed. I will be looking seriously at one my next purchase however they do not seem to have a great front end. That has been the only complaint i have read is that the front end is not beefy enough to handle the weight. I have read where a few guys put on heavier shocks and this seemed to eliminate the problem. Will be interesting to see if they beef this up on next years models. I have a 06 kodiak and i like it but i am a little let down. Seems like they just don't make bikes like they used to no matter what brand, even hondas are cheapin out these days.

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Love that Honda dependability,have a Rancher,great machine wouldnt
trade it for anything!:)

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If my money tree in the backyard ever grows i'll get an outlander 800 b/c its a freakin beast...but I am a honda man at heart and you cant kick a rancher.

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Well I bit the bullet and bought a Yamaha Grizzly 700 EFI with the power assist steering. It's really sweet. Plenty-o-power for this old, fat guy. Didn't feel the need for pure speed so I nixed the Outlander. Then, I almost got a Polaris (which was dandy too) but the Grizzly got me after a long trial ride. Life is good.

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I think you should have purchased your first choice. POWER STEERING in a ATV? What the ----. I purchased a 400 Outlander two years ago, when they were called Bombardier,after a comparison of the top dogs and this beast is a blast. The 800 was my target, but I don't need all that power and weight. I just ordereda 650 Cam Amfor my Christmas present to myself. My wife gets the 400 for her Christmas gift.:D

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Actually it's a power assist steering and it's very nice. Perhaps one shouldn't knock it until you try it. I liked it (more than the Outlander) so I got it. It makes navigating tight,bumpy trails easier. End of story.

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When most people hear " power steering" they think it is just easy to steer, like a car.

Power steering on a quad controls " bump steer"

You can be going along and hit a softball sized rock, and it won't rip the handlebars out of your hands. This makes for a much better handling machine.

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Man all this fancy stuff yall are talkin about, Im still kickin it with Hondas Proven Fourtrax 300 4x4...IT WONT DIE, no matter how much I beat it!!:D

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I believe Honda is coming out with power steering on one of there quads. Saw it on the cover of Dirt Wheels magazine , at the news stand the other day. I didn't read the artilce though.

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should have went with the Cam Am. I may be a bit biased as I have the 400HO. The Honda Rincon would be my second and the Yamaha my third. The differences are slight and a matter of personal preference. Polaris and Artic Cat wouldn't even be on my list. When the time comes the Can Am 650 or 800 will be in the garage.

I am sure you will be happy with your choice as it is a good bike. Congrats on the new purchase.

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Some of you guys should go to www.highlifter.com and check out their forums. I'm amember there. LOTS of good info there.

May help someone in the near future.

BTW, congrats on the new Grizz. The seat on that thing could easily massagea 'roid IMHO! ;) Also, LOVE MY SUZUKI VINSON!!!!!!!!

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One thing I consistently see guys do when considering a new (or even used) quad is put too much value on a magazine write up.

Those are new machines and will rarely, RARELY show the real weak spots of a machine.

#1 in my book is a proven, year after year track record of reliability.

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then what is your suggestion?

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I wouldnt have a Polaris,My uncle had a Polaris 500 Desial,when they bought it,it would go about 60PMH,but when we got it on the farm and in a few weeks,it wouldnt go over 35PMH,speed aint really nothing in hunting i know,gotta have the POWER to get there not the speed.My uncle carried the Polaris to the shop about ever week,something was wrong with it every time you turn around,think it was 9 grang cash,so eventually he sold the Polaris and bought a Honda Foreman ES 450 4x4

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Nothing beats a Honda unless you want to go 100 mph.

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I have nothing against the other brands out there. but I put a lot of time and effort into searching for my first ATV. I knew very little going in... I kept hearing Honda this... Honda that, till I was sick of it. But I tell you what, they were right.

I bought a Honda Rancher and never looked back. Mine has the auto transmission. It is a no frills work ATV, that just plain works. Kind of refreshing in this day and age!

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Check out our site www.trackshare.com for some no nonsense info on atv's. I am a mod there ( Wolf ) and can tell you that we are not biased to any brand in particular. Everyone has their own like and dislikes but thats good too so you get all kinds of opinions.

The BRP Outlanders are pretty awesome bikes, and that 800 will stretch your arms a bit when you hit that throttle but they have had some issues I think should be dealt with before I would consider buying one. especially for the rather high price tag. Heat has been a major problem in the exhaust, warping and melting the plastic belt covers, fenders and seats. The gauges have a habit of fogging up and there were problems with the front shocks. Now whether or not these have been corrected on current production units I couldn't say for sure but I doubt it since BRP has not fully admitted there are any problems to begin with.

Kawisaki makes a impressive machine in their Brute Force in either a 650 or 750 model. Tons of power in a pretty good overall package, has IRS, front locker, 2 or 4 wheel drive, V twin, and good lighting. This will be my next atv for sure.

Yamaha Grizzly is a tried and true machine but they made alot of changes in the new model. So far it seems to have been very reliable but I would wait a little longer to make sure there are no bugs to work out. Either that or pick up an '06 model and have no regrets there either. Yami's belt drive system is probably the best on the market.

Honda is well known for their reliabilty and for good reason... they are. I bleed Honda red but have to admit that they have had some issues with the auto trannys in the Rubicon and the Rincon. Different trannys in each and unless your running bigger tires or through thick mud the Rincon really isnt bad at all, in fact one of the best trail bikes available. The biggest complaint right now with Honda is the lack of a locker for the front end, the limited slip simply does not cut it in the swamps.

Polaris and Suzuki also have some good bikes well worth considering but my hands hurt from typing already !! LOL

Check em all out before you buy if you can, some dealers will even let you test ride, and pick the one YOU like the best with the features YOU want. After all, you are the only one paying for it.

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I have a King Quad 700 and i love it. I am only 15, so of course I had to test out the speed. I got it up to 71 mph and it easy pops wheelies. But, it is also great for hunting. I have ridden in 3 inches of snow, up big hills, and down steep ridges many times without using the four wheel drive. This thing is really amzing because it can go through literally anything without using the four wheel drive or differental lock.

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The reasons I nixed the Polaris were that the radiator was mounted very low and it just looked like a puncture waiting to happen. Additionally, it was quite a bit heavier, and the braking seemed "only o.k.". I could have lived with it though. I also liked the Kawasaki Brute Force, but it wasn't fuel injected... I wanted that. I didn't like the Suzuki King Quad much either. The Arctic Cats didn't much grab me for several reasons. Not my cup of tea. I wasn't concerned much about top speed so the Outlander was discounted. I basically was left with the Honda, Yamaha and the Polaris as my 3rd choice. The fellow at the Honda store was not particularily pleasant. I'm sure the Honda and / or Polaris would have been o.k., but when I drove the Grizzly I was hooked. I'm telling you, the power assist steering was awesome. There you have it. To each his own. My nickel, my choice. It's the Grizzly!!!!! I'll bet Honda and the others will have power steering PDQ. My thanks to everybody who voiced their opinion. Good luck and swing easy.

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Honda's are the best. Here's a pic of me and my 2005 Honda Foreman ES 500 pulling a 1100 lbs moose out ofa swampy field up onto dry land. I did use the Warn 2500 Winch for assistance. [8D]:)

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Looks like a nice moose Zeke, congrats. Good for the Honda too (even tho I got a Yamaha).

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I bought a new Suzuki 450 king Quad at a good price (high 5K range). It has EFI, IRS and runs strong so far. Seems like a nice bike at a low price as compared with other machines with the same features. It won't be a speed demon but all I want it for is ice fishing. I almost went with the new Yamaha 700 but it was really more than I needed but is probably going to be"the machine" for a few years.

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I guess we all have our favorites, mine just happens to bethe Polaris.
I prefer the ride and suspension and the ease of the 4X4 feature best on the Polaris brand, but due to a new house, I'll be selling mine, need the cash!! I do like the looks and power of the new Can-am models!!

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In 1997 I bought a brand new Polaris Sportsman and just recently sold it.It was okay. Yeah it had it's problems over the years.Nothing to serious. Tie rod ends,belt coverwarping,minor crap. The engine never did have any problems except that annoying engine knock/ping.What really soured me with Polaris was their lousy customer service and their expensive parts.Back inJuly my wife bought me a new 06 Honda TRX680FA.Has theAuto Transmission or ES.It's quite a bike.I think the old Sportsman had a little better rideprobably because of the extra weight.Other then that the Polaris comes no where near the Honda.The Honda there again probably because of the weight steers allot easier.Mine has the Camo package and has a Moose winch on it.I didn't see the need in a GPS.Where I hunt I know like the back of my hand. A few weeks ago I found a New Garmin GPS72 at W*M.They hadthrown the box and manuals away.I grabbed this GPSfor 75.00 and downloaded the manuals which solved the GPS for the Honda in unfamilar territory.I wasn'tlooking for speed,there are probably faster 4 wheelers out there.I was looking for a reliable machine and I've seemed to have found it with my TRX 680.I would never buy another Polaris. Polaris seems to be you either love it or hate it.I'll stay in the middle on this one.I just wouldn't buy another one.Nuff said.

Ruger Redhawk

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I have never had a problem with my 2003 Polaris Sportsman 400 and it was actually broke in on a construction site. I like their ground clearance.

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Wait until you do. Parts are very exspensive and if you have to deal the Polaris Customer Service,''GOOD LUCK".They by far are the worst I've ever dealt with.

IMHO Polaris isn't whatthey arecracked up to be.Way over rated.

Ruger Redhawk

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I had a polaris boss no prob.Now I have a Preditor for my son a 400 sportsman for my wife a 500 sportsman for me and a trailblazer for fun also a 03 Ranger 4X4.never have had any real issues except for fuel delivery on the preditor(kinked fuel line)tried to talk to cust service and thats when I found out that part of polaris is a JOKE..Other then that,they have all been beaten pretty well over the yrs with nodisapointment.(did burn the belt out on the 500 pulling my Ranger bass boat up a big incline,didnt realize the back of the trailer was hung up and just gave it more throtle OPPS)They replaced the belt for free and I put it on.

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Here we go again.
For some reason this forum attracts those with overexagerated claims against Polaris. This has been going on for years and I just don't hear this on other sites like I do here. I've had a Sportsman 500 for about 4 years now and it has been a real workhorse for me. I pull heavy foodplot implements around all the time. The only problem I ever had was when I had just bought it and made the mistake of trying to pull someone's truck and boat out of a mud hole in high gear. I burnt the trans belt and took it to the Polaris dealer. All was repaired the same day for $100. I though that was very reasonable. I'm now looking at the new 800 for a spring upgrade this year.

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You can not go wrong with the big 4. Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki or Kawasaki. When it comes time to work on it you will be glad you bought one of these 4, I promise you. Buy and work on anything else and you'll wish you had listened to me.
Can am, bombardier or whatever their name will be next year is definatley one to stay away from. Just ask the guys who went out and bought an Indian. When there out of bussiness what are you going to do.

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It obvious you don't know the history of Bombardier or you wouldn't be making that statement. They have been around since the 40's. The Rotex engine is one of the best on the market. Ask guys that own a different manufacturers bike that have ridden one. I am not going to slam any of the big 4 as they all make great bikes. Their performance 4 wheelers are second to none.

BRP is Bombardier Recreational Products and they make other products: Sea-Doo's, snow mobiles. If you know anything about the marine industry you know that they make a solid wave runner. I don't own one but know a few that do.

You may want to do some research before making baseless statements. And if you own a 400 in any of the major manufacturers, I challenge you to meet me at the nearest mudhole and we will see who gets stuck!

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BRP made its first 4 wheeler in 1997, Ooooooo .....andnow they've already sold out to can am. Can Am ? Ya theyve been making quality products. buwahahahaha !

serious, it might be descent bike but are they gonna be around in 5 or 10 years, I dunno

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Wrong again Mario!

They rebranded the ATV's to Can-Am. Where doyou get your information that they were bought out by Can-Am. There is a big difference in selling the companyvs. rebranding. Can-Am is simply the ATV division of BRP. BRP manufactures Ski-Doo® and Lynx® snowmobiles, Sea-Doo® watercraft and sport boats, Johnson® and Evinrude® outboard engines andCan-AmTM all-terrain vehicles (ATV or Quad).

Go to BRP website.

http://www.brp.com/en-CA/

or Check out their products page.

http://www.brp.com/en-CA/Products/

You can even go to Can Am's webpage and it clearly shows that Can Am is simply the ATV division.

Total BRP revenues are approximately 2.4 billion. These numbers could be misleading as it includes all divisions of BRP. To put it into perspective, Kawasaki (KMC), is about 1.6 billion.

I don't want to hijack the thread but wanted to point out some of your misleading information. buwahahahaha!