ATV recommendation!

[Chickenfarmers]

I am thinking of getting either a Cat 650 or prairie 700. both have give and take features, but I think the IR suspension might be the trick.

 

[Ravensview]

I have had a Yamaha grizzly 650 for several years, great machine, at work we use yamaha, and Honda, have gotten away from Polaris and artic cats for various reasons, good luck in your choice

 

[Andrew Short]

I have had a Yamaha grizzly 650 for several years, great machine, at work we use yamaha, and Honda, have gotten away from Polaris and artic cats for various reasons, good luck in your choice

Completely agree. We’ve owned Yamaha and Honda for years and couldn’t destroy either one. Specifically, I owned A Yamaha big bear and goodness that was one tough machine. The grizzly is on another level!

 

[JimP]

I have been riding Yamaha ATV's for over 40 years and have found them to be bullet proof. Yes, you will find those that have problems just like any other manufacture. Right now I am riding a 2016 Yamaha Kodiak 700 and have had zero problems with it.

However I also have found that the further away you get from a true mechanical machine the more problems that seam to occur. But it also depends on how you use them. Keep them out of water that is over the handle bars and they should live a lot longer.

 

[Pheroze]

I have a 2002 Suzuki 500 and not even a hiccup - the biggest repairs have been operator error lol.

I also think I will stick to 500cc going forward. The bigger displacement just make the machine more cumbersome for my uses. 500cc makes for a nimble bike with plenty of power. I have found the choice of tires honestly makes the biggest difference to performance.

 

[Ike85123]

I still have my old 1984 Honda 250r 3 wheeler. I love that bike !

 

[lwaters]

I have a Yamaha Timber wolf and it still run pretty good.

 

[ActionBob]

Simple Honda Rancher 420 for everyday atv that gets heavy use in feedlots or on farms. No belt to slip or break. Simple effective transmission, easy in and out 4x4. Simple Honda reliable motor.

Now Side by Sides??? Good luck if you use them as hard as we do... we buy used Ford 4x4 Ranger pickups for a fraction of the cost, use them up and get another. For real farm work anyway.

 

[1dirthawker]

I also think I will stick to 500cc going forward. The bigger displacement just make the machine more cumbersome for my uses.

i would agree with pheroze, for a 4 wheeler, 500cc is plenty. more displacement eats more fuel, and really does not do any more work. also is heavier and gets stuck harder.

 

[Chickenfarmers]

Any got any experience or info on Polaris or Kawasaki ?

 

[jdemocko]

Polaris gets a bad wrap on a lot of forums. I have had some form of Ranger side by side in my stable for over 15 years. They have been a workhorse. My son rolled a 6x6, my other son slammed one into a tree and a few( actually several) thousand dollars in repairs they are still running. I have a 850 sportsman that has been a problem free unit. I just sold 2 Honda Rubicons and they seemed to have been in the shop more than the Polaris'. Hunting and work on the farm puts a different type of stress on a vehicle rather than the guy who uses them to ride trails on the weekend. I'm pretty good with maintenance and it seems like that is the key to keeping these things running. To date I've owned Polaris, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Can Am and Honda. Comfort and power Polaris and Can Am. They run like a scalded dog and have great ride qualities. Moderate to heavy loads are no problem. The Japanese bikes are nice and reliable and seem to excel when things get really heavy. Ride may not be as comfy but they do the job. I liked the Yamaha Grizzly better than the Kawasaki Brute Force, had both of them as well. I've had 6 or 7 Honda's and the truth is, the earlier models practically ran without ever being serviced. Them damn things just ran and ran. The latest models 2017 and up have been more temperamental. I once rode out of the Canadian bush on a Honda 450 with me, the guide, treestand, pack and bow, 300 pound bear and a feed barrel. This has been my experience.

 

[Cam Moon]

I have quite a bit of experience with them, and if I was buying it would probably be Yamaha first, followed by Honda, then Suzuki and Kawasaki (but it all really depends on what model you're looking at, what features you're wanting, and certain preferences) In the ATV world is almost a given that you're going to have to budget more for repairs on Polaris and Arctic Cat, and Bombardier as well, but possibly not as much. I think you'd be happier with a 700 Grizzly, but if you've narrowed it down to those two, go for the Kawasaki.

 

[Hunter4752001]

I'm fascinated by some of the video's I've seen of the Tinger Track 2 tracked ATV produced in Russia. Love to try one. Its one of the very few tracked ATVs with a proper suspension system.

Unfortunately there's a huge BUT. With no local agent, no service backup and no parts availability it's just not a proposition, especially if you were planning to use it for work - either farming or guiding. Pity, looks like a great deal of fun but would only need a minor fault and it'd be out of action for months or years or forever.

 

[yhc]

I have been very happy with my Can Am Outlander. My hunting buddies and I run Can Am, Honda, Polaris and Yamaha. My Can Am can hold its own amongst these. The ride quality and the power, in my opinion, are the best. It’s been trouble free and have only required routine maintenance.

 

[ActionBob]

Any got any experience or info on Polaris or Kawasaki ?

If you are talking side by side... The Kawasaki Mule, especially the old ones, are about as much crap you can buy bolted together into parts. That of 620cc twin has ok power but if not efi. It's the most cold blooded engine produced in atv. Tyranny is junk, rear end is junk. You will spend double on labor just to get to parts to fix them then they break.

 

[JimP]

On the belt driven machines, I have never had a problem with one and I have been riding belt driven ones for over 20 years. Now a friend who had a Polaris did have the belt come undone on him, we just figured that it was a Polaris.

On the larger engines, I ran a 400 for 17 years before I had to purchase a 700 engine and that 400 had all the power that I needed. But after having the 700 engine I doubt that I would go back to a 400 or even a 500. You don't use the power all the time but if you need it it is there.

 

[Cam Moon]

we just figured that it was a Polaris.

 

[mdwest]

Any got any experience or info on Polaris or Kawasaki ?

Ive got a 2014 Polaris 570 Ranger... Its been a great side by side for me.. Its on the smaller side, so it gets into places that the larger 800, 1000, etc UTV/Side by Sides cant go as easily.. its lighter than the larger vehicles.. so less prone to getting stuck and bogged down.. and its got more than enough power to pull my oversized ass, another oversized passenger, and a bed full of dead pigs (we've had as many as 4x, total weight about 600lbs in the back at one time) anywhere you want to go and still get to 30 MPH+ (as fast as I want to go with a full load... I've had it up to about 40 MPH on hard top roads when my body weight has been the only thing its carrying)

Trailers easy on a 6x10' trailer (with room to spare) as well..

I've used mine extensively on deer and hog hunts all over east and south east Texas.. and its never failed me.. the only maintenance I've had to do on mine at this point has been to replace the original battery..

 

[MarkB]

Had Polaris 350 for years, OK machine, lots of shop hrs and did not seam as capable as current 450 Kodiak is. As strictly hunting use, this is the perfect machine for my needs, size, weight and capabilities. Can haul moose 1/4s, elk, done everything I ever asked of it and with front and rear lockers can climb a tree if you want. I have hunting buddies who must have the biggest, largest, best? machines. Can AM 1000s, and yellow??. On recent hunt they hit the 100 hrs, service time, was funny seeing them drive at the max 10km/hr. Due to some maintenance computer thing. Another reason to love the Kodiak.

Before I purchased I seriously thought out my needs. Why buy 700+ machine if no need for, extra weight, gas and harder to manoeuvre.

MB

 

[1dirthawker]

a mechanic buddy of mine had this to say to me about belt driven machines:

"if you get hung up, and power out hard and your machine does not want to move, the worst that happens is that you burn a belt. if you get hung up on a direct drive machine, you will break something expensive and harder to replace than a belt"

for what its worth.