sal64
Platinum Member
i also have a 1984 honda sx350 4x4 it still runs, never failed me.
Any problems with the fuel injected ones?
Is Honda electric shift troulble free/
Belts drives?
What is your intended use for the ATV? Just riding? Riding and work? Some machines are better suited to certain tasks than others.
With that said, I have a Suzuki King Quad... great quad... very reliable and ride-able. Excellent CVT (belt drive).
There are plenty of guys that swear by the Honda ES... there are also a fair share that swear at them. Other than that, Honda's are reliable machines.
Wouldn't have an ATV without EFI... and EPS for that matter.![]()
Want somthing easy to drive for the kids and wife.
Honda's Rancher AT could be a good option. EFI, full auto or paddle shift, and I think IRS now. We have an older AT (carb and solid rear axle) and an older 300 King Quad. Everyone (except me) likes the Honda better.
I happen to like the manual 5 speed with 3 range transmission on the Suzuki better.
Just looked a 2011 up, $6300. It may be something to consider.
We rode a friend;s Honda with ES today and his Polaris 500. I like the Polaris better and i think the wife does. Looked at a Grizzly 450 the other day with EPS but have not rode one. The one thing I don't like about it is not EFI, thought that might make one less cold natured. The 550 is but then again more money. Found a 850 Polaris with EPS for $8000 but really don't want to spend that much. Really want to replace the 17 year old unit though.Yep, the Rancher AT would be a good one to consider. If your wife and kids are going to be riding it, you probably want to stick with an auto... whether it be a Honda type auto, or another brand with a CVT. A paddle shift or even a ES may be a pain for them.
Another option might be a Yamaha Grizzly... probably the 550 or maybe even the 450. The Grizzlies are also on a slightly smaller frame (especially the 450) than some of the big quad like the Sportsman or King Quad, and the big ones might be too much for the wife and kids to handle. However the 550/700 700 frames are still good for an adult too.
If you are intent on the wife and kids riding the machine, make sure you take them along to insure that they are comfortable with the machine.
Good luck with your decision.