Bear1142 Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 (edited) I'm considering getting an ATV in the spring and I have no idea about quality, reputation, or reliability, of the various manufacturers. I do know that I want a 4x4, with independent suspension, with a minimum engine size of 500 cc (to haul my large a** around.) Any recommendations? Erik Edited October 17, 2006 by Bear1142 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 I'm considering getting an ATV in the spring and I have no idea about quality, reputation, or reliability, of the various manufacturers.I do know that I want a 4x4, with independent suspension, with a minimum engine size of 500 cc (to haul my large a** around.) Any recommendations? Erik Polaris. The best of all of em...Maybe not the biggest, but the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear1142 Posted October 17, 2006 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 Interesting. There's a Polaris dealer about 2 mi. from my house. He's actually the closest dealer to me. Erik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 Interesting.There's a Polaris dealer about 2 mi. from my house. He's actually the closest dealer to me. Erik Just look at Polaris and Yamaha. Skip the rest. Yamaha does have a really nice unit in their new monster with power steering ...but... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 Either Polaris or Honda... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 Yamaha. Superior in every way. I have a Polaris. I can no longer buy parts for it. It is sitting in my shop until I completely re-invent the brake system. And as far as I'm concerned, Polaris's are boxes of crap. Slow, clunky, poorly engineered. The sno-mo transmission belongs on a snomobile. It's OK for plowing snow. That's about all the nice things I have to say about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 Eric Don't have much snow in this part of Tx.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Putty Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 Bear, What are you going to use it for? I have 6 hondas for work (no problems) and had a grizzley 6WD (sucked). For backcountry hunting I would go with a Rokon.... www.rokon.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 EricDon't have much snow in this part of Tx.... I don't give a damn what state you live in, Polaris' are slow. All you do is hold down the throttle and watch punks on chainsaw-powered skateboards pass you by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Cheely Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 Polaris! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmshooter Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 (edited) HONDA!!!!! It will cost more than the rest but it is well worth it!!! Edited October 17, 2006 by gmshooter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear1142 Posted October 17, 2006 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 Not really looking to do anything specific with it. Mostly recreational riding and maybe some light work. Erik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 Why don;t you just buy a jeep or small 4x4...cause that is what an 800cc ATV will cost...about 8-10K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 I have owned a couple Honda ATVs, and 1 Yamaha. They have all be tough as an anvil. Never had one not start, never had a problem that left me walking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Suber Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 (edited) My wife bought me a Honda Rancher 4X4 in August for hunting. Electric shift, winch, perfect for what I need (Haven't gotten stuck yet and it hasn't given me any problems with me and 250lbs of corn on it). I decided on the Honda because they are made here in South Carolina and as a result, we got it for about $2K cheaper than like models from other manufacturers. I would like to have independent suspension and fully automatic transmission, but I can get by without. I did a lot of research on ATVs over the summer (Polaris, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Bombadier) and if money wasn't an issue, I would have gone with a Yamaha. I could not get yamaha dealers here to give me a good price (all were higher than the MSRP on Yamahas website) and I didn't trust those dealers either. I found out that Suzuki has the worst warranty of all. As a matter of fact, Suzuki sends out a list of items they will not cover to their dealers. The exclusion lists is more extensive than what they say they will cover (ask the dealer to show it to you - the dealer I talked to baulked at first but when I told him I knew it existed, he finally produced it). In my opinion, Honda had the best warranty (most inclusive) and the best extended warranty for the money of all I researched. They really cover everything with no BS and their extended warranties are fully transferrable if you sell the bike (something that makes them more appealing). I bought 5 years for $300 and it covers everything except submersion, wrecks/abuse, and maintenance (oil, air, and gas filters; brakes, tires). All electrical, engine parts (upper and lower) and transmission parts are fully covered according to the warranty. After the price, the warranty is what made me go with the Honda. Polaris are more expensive and I found that I get more bike from Yamaha for the same $$'s as a Polaris. I also found this to be true when comparing the Yamaha to Kawasaki (Yamaha comes out on top with features). Polaris' seem to have a lot of problems with the bigger engines (I have two friends that have 500cc Polaris'and they are always in the shop). Bombardier had a weird frame - a centerline beam running the length of the bike. As a result, it rode funny. Also, if you drove it over a log, it would get to a point where it teters (sp?) and you have to rock it to get if off. It was weird. Did not look at the Artic Cat but research I did indicated it wasn't worth looking at. I checked out several websites (i.e. ATV Buyers Guide www.atvbg.com; www.powersportsnetwork.com). These sites have forums etc. that you can post manufacturer/model specific questions. Personally, I think anything over 500cc is overkill and dangerous. I think if you want something that goes 70 mph, get a jeep. A guy in my hunting club nearly killed himself on a big bike back in August. He has one of the Yamahas (I think its a Grizzly) with a 700 cc engine (capable of going 65 mph+). He was on a dirt road, lost control, and hit a tree. Helmet did him no good as it came apart on impact with the tree. He was in a choma for 2 weeks and is rehab now - still screwed up. EMS said that it appeared that he was conscious immediately following because it looked as if he was trying to get the vehicle off of him before he went unconscious. Another thing to be weary about - the big bikes are heavy and if you roll it on top of you, you are screwed. I knew going into my search that I did not want to get a bike that would weigh so much as that I could not get it off of me if it rolled over. Which brings me to another point - I got a lot of feedback about Suzukis having high centers of gravity, therefore, making them more likely to roll over - escpecially the bigger models. If you get a winch, consider having the dealer install it. I thought I would save some $$'s and do it myself. The winch itself was no problem, installing the solenoid (sp?) to operate was a royal pain. It has to be in a dry place close to the winch and handle bars (if you opt for a remote switch on your handle bars). well, the obvious place it to put it in the forward storage box, There just isn't much room to run the wiring and fit the solenoid in compartment. Of course that could be an issue with my model but that was the general warning I got from the ATV forums. Sorry for the long post - hope it helps. BTW - I hunt about 3 days a week, so I am using mine about 6 hours a week (no problems so far - I have about 160 hours on it since Aug 2). As long as the maintenance is kept up (clean air filter, change oil, etc.), everything seems to be fine. The Hondas are very easy to do basic maintenance. So, you can save some bucks by changing the oil, etc yourself (of course that is the case with all ATVs. Basic service costs can be insane). Edited October 18, 2006 by Jack Suber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear1142 Posted October 18, 2006 Author Share Posted October 18, 2006 Jack, Thanks for all the information, I really appreciate it. Believe me, I have no plans for trying to break the land speed record with an ATV. My real interest in getting at least a 500cc engine was to make sure I had enough power. By the time I strapped on some gear and myself, I could easily see the scale reading 300-400 lbs. and I wanted to make sure any engine I got could handle that much weight. I'm pretty much set on staying around the 500 mark. I see no need for me to get the bigger 700's. So the consensus pretty much seems to be a Yamaha or a Honda. Looks like I'll be heading to the two local dealers to start checking them out. Thanks to all who replied for your comments and help. Erik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Heiter Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 I've got the Polaris 700 (pre-efi model) and it's big, powerful, and the most comfortable trail riding bike I've ever been on. I wouldn't recomend it to anyone. All that power is geared completely wrong for most riding situations, it weighs 800+ before I get on it so it's not very nimble, and those plastic racks are a pain in the ace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toowide Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Don't overlook the fun part of test driving each make to find one you like. We had a Polaris that was like riding a rocket. No problem with acceleration at all. Yamaha also makes a great product. You also need to consider service. No matter which one you buy, they all have problems eventually. Good luck and safe riding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ima45dv8 Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 If Toyota made one, I'd say buy it. Since they don't, get the Honda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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