ATV advice
01-18-2005, 03:06 PM
#62
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Northern Arizona
Posts: 507
RE: ATV advice
Got top ride the Kawasaki today-now it is a toss up between Honda and Kawasaki-I will be using it to hunt and do some work around the place-what type of accessories should I shoot for?
01-18-2005, 09:22 PM
#63
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: fort mcmurray alberta canada
Posts: 5,667
RE: ATV advice
You will need a winch and aftermarket 6 ply tires with more aggressive tread patterns are a great improvement over the stock tires.Some good tires that provide added grip with a fairly smooth ride are gators,mudrunners ,mud bugs and mud lights.
01-24-2005, 11:27 AM
#65
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Northern Arizona
Posts: 507
RE: ATV advice
Drove the Kawasaki and did not want to get off and give it back to the dealer-actually drove it down the back alley and parked it behind the Bombardier dealer and went in and drove their unit. As I narrow it down between Honda, Kawasaki and Bombardier I find myself leaning towards Kaw and Honda-last chance and more advice.
01-25-2005, 12:37 PM
#67
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location:
Posts: 241
RE: ATV advice
Check out auto forum. I have a 2004 yamaha grizzly for sale. Great shape under 1000 miles. Located south jersey. Getting another atv must sell. A yamaha rhino need to take more people. Check it out great deal for hunter/sportsman.
01-26-2005, 04:24 PM
#68
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Northern Arizona
Posts: 507
RE: ATV advice
Okay, thanks for all the advice-I am going to buy a Honda. Now have any of you ever bought one over the internet-I found a couple sites where the discounts were enough to buy one and have it shipped to me cheaper than my two local guys are willing to go.
Any advice?
Any advice?
01-26-2005, 05:15 PM
#69
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Baileysville, WV
Posts: 2,925
RE: ATV advice
This has been some interesting reading..
I woulda reccommended mine but they quit making em 5 years ago....lol. I got a 95 Bayou 400 that is still kicking like it was the day I rode it out of the dealer. Replaced the battery once and cleaned the carb a couple of times. Other than that..10 years of trouble free riding. Nothing goes in the motor but MOBIL 1 and Redline in the diff's.
It would be hard to pick one over the other now but I do prefer full-time 4wd and wouldnt buy anything with a belt for a tranny. Give me gears...old school I guess. But I like simplicity. I think most every manufacturer (except Polaris) still makes something that fits my wants...I just aint ready to start looking yet Im with Soark on the towing thing...I have never seen anything towed except Polarises...and not just a few either...with that being said i would have to give them a big NO THANKS!!
I woulda reccommended mine but they quit making em 5 years ago....lol. I got a 95 Bayou 400 that is still kicking like it was the day I rode it out of the dealer. Replaced the battery once and cleaned the carb a couple of times. Other than that..10 years of trouble free riding. Nothing goes in the motor but MOBIL 1 and Redline in the diff's. It would be hard to pick one over the other now but I do prefer full-time 4wd and wouldnt buy anything with a belt for a tranny. Give me gears...old school I guess. But I like simplicity. I think most every manufacturer (except Polaris) still makes something that fits my wants...I just aint ready to start looking yet
Im with Soark on the towing thing...I have never seen anything towed except Polarises...and not just a few either...with that being said i would have to give them a big NO THANKS!!
01-27-2005, 11:01 AM
#70
Spike
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Johnston, SC
Posts: 42
RE: ATV advice
Duck,
It is a fact that most people will not bad mouth what they bought.
When I was doing my research prior to purchase one of the biggest selling points for each Polaris dealer I talked with was their service. The reason, it seems, is that service is needed quite frequently.
I weighed in earlier on this and was quite adamant about the Kawasaki Brute Force. The dealership where I bought mine sells Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki and Honda. The owner had me take a 350 Kawasaki out and ride it. Being a friend, he was not looking to make as much money off me as possible so he said: "You do not need a 4X4. A 2X will go anywhere the 4X will unless you are going to be running in a lot of mud. Take my advice, don't go anything over 400 CC and a 2X. I also took a Brute Force out for a spin.
When we got back to the shop he asked "O.K., which one will it be?" I said, "I'll take that Kawasaki Brute Force over there."
He just walked off shaking his head.
The deal was, that was the one that I liked best.
So how has it performed? Beyond my expectations. I ride almost every day in an area that is filled with creeks, steep terain, mud, clay and thick woods. The engine braking works perfectly and I love it. The CVT is awesome. I like the fact that I set up just a little higher than most ATV's. I like the 4X4 on demand (low and high range) and especially like the fact that I can lock up the front end. My winch has only been used to pull logs off trails. I now have several hundred hours on this machine and it has never hiccuped or never been stuck. But let me be perfectly honest with you. If I were to go down and buy a new one today I would seriously consider a Honda 4X4 even though there are some things about them that I do not like. I would probably go with a 400 CC rather than a 750 CC (like I have). That much power is just not needed unless you are doing a lot of heavy towing. I would also like the added maneuverability of a smaller unit and a lower center of gravity. I would definitely like to keep a high clearance on my choice and it WOULD be a 4X4.
So if you want the show and the go, Brute Force may be for you. If you want a good all around machine that will keep on trucking and serve your hunting needs, the Honda is a great choice.
One thing that I heard mentioned by several of the posts was jerky power on inclines. I have never had that problem with my machine but it is possible with any of them. To avoid sudden unintended power, always keep your thumb near the base of your throttle.
By now you have probably purchased your new machine. No matter what you get (or got) you will enjoy it. I love mine and truly enjoy exploring the outback where I live. I have 4000 acres to ride and can actually ride out of my garage to the woods. It just don't get any better than this!
Please do a follow up (unbiased) post on your machine once you have put it through it's paces and GOOD RIDING!
It is a fact that most people will not bad mouth what they bought.
When I was doing my research prior to purchase one of the biggest selling points for each Polaris dealer I talked with was their service. The reason, it seems, is that service is needed quite frequently.
I weighed in earlier on this and was quite adamant about the Kawasaki Brute Force. The dealership where I bought mine sells Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki and Honda. The owner had me take a 350 Kawasaki out and ride it. Being a friend, he was not looking to make as much money off me as possible so he said: "You do not need a 4X4. A 2X will go anywhere the 4X will unless you are going to be running in a lot of mud. Take my advice, don't go anything over 400 CC and a 2X. I also took a Brute Force out for a spin.
When we got back to the shop he asked "O.K., which one will it be?" I said, "I'll take that Kawasaki Brute Force over there."
He just walked off shaking his head.
The deal was, that was the one that I liked best.
So how has it performed? Beyond my expectations. I ride almost every day in an area that is filled with creeks, steep terain, mud, clay and thick woods. The engine braking works perfectly and I love it. The CVT is awesome. I like the fact that I set up just a little higher than most ATV's. I like the 4X4 on demand (low and high range) and especially like the fact that I can lock up the front end. My winch has only been used to pull logs off trails. I now have several hundred hours on this machine and it has never hiccuped or never been stuck. But let me be perfectly honest with you. If I were to go down and buy a new one today I would seriously consider a Honda 4X4 even though there are some things about them that I do not like. I would probably go with a 400 CC rather than a 750 CC (like I have). That much power is just not needed unless you are doing a lot of heavy towing. I would also like the added maneuverability of a smaller unit and a lower center of gravity. I would definitely like to keep a high clearance on my choice and it WOULD be a 4X4.
So if you want the show and the go, Brute Force may be for you. If you want a good all around machine that will keep on trucking and serve your hunting needs, the Honda is a great choice.
One thing that I heard mentioned by several of the posts was jerky power on inclines. I have never had that problem with my machine but it is possible with any of them. To avoid sudden unintended power, always keep your thumb near the base of your throttle.
By now you have probably purchased your new machine. No matter what you get (or got) you will enjoy it. I love mine and truly enjoy exploring the outback where I live. I have 4000 acres to ride and can actually ride out of my garage to the woods. It just don't get any better than this!
Please do a follow up (unbiased) post on your machine once you have put it through it's paces and GOOD RIDING!