ATV - Polaris/Honda/Yamaha

[kenmac]

also check e-bay for atv winches . I bought a new 3000# Gorilla winch and mounting bracket cheap. works great. Not name brand but, has never failed me.

 

[otus_branch]

Used to have a Kawasaki Prairie 360 & hated it. Cold natured carb'd engine never seemed to start well if the temp was <50 degrees F. Dealer always just shrugged when I asked for help. I recently took the hit on a trade-in and got a 2007 Arctic Cat 700, which used the Suzuki efi engine I believe (mine is from before Arctic Cat started making their own 700 cc engines... maybe it's a 2006, I dunno, time flies).

For my setup (winch, 60" plow blade, fancy trim & rims) I paid $8k, and only got $3k on the Kinda-s***y trade-in, but it was more than worth it. The efi engine cranks reliably no matter what the temp. The power just screams on this thing (whereas the Prairie 360 was no thriller). I can haul two friends on the rear rack (don't tell the safety police) up a rutted mining road and they don't take a beating from the bumps thanks to the rear irs). Ground clearance is great, and so is traction (rear diff is locked all the time & front is lockable via a lever on the handlebars). It's too early for me to say much about durability (~120 hours) but so far so good.

Arctic Cats don't get a lot of attention around here, but I would say they are worth a look.

I know my model costs more than what you want to spend, but had I just bought a big-bore-efi to begin with, I would have saved thousand$ in the long run. If you secretly want the same, then it may make sense to spend more up front. If you are set on a smaller bore machine, then I agree that Honda is the way to go, as they hold their values best. Every other brand seems to nose dive in comparison.

-otus

 

[Matt_Jr]

If you are doin' a lot of tight turns where you ride I'd recommend a solid rear axle. It's easier to fishtale around trees where the independent rears will get too good of traction and feel tipsy. I personally have a Kawasaki Bruteforce 750 with some power mods, winch, big wheels and heated grips. I like to be able to go through lots of mud and creeks. With the extra power mine has I can break traction around turns by gunning the throttle. Only problem with automatics is if the drive belt gets wet they don't want to go anywhere . I've had mine burried to the seat in mud and water and haven't had a problem yet but it's only a matter of time. It has a locking front diff too so I don't have to use the winch as much. I've had Hondas and Kawasakis and found them both to be reliable. I would recommend fuel injection if possible...no adjustments needed, reliable in cold and hot, and great at all altitudes. Just change all the fluids after getting in deep water, and wash off the mud after each use. Good luck.

 

[rdbrumfield]

I wound up with a honda rincon and am happy with it. it rides well and goes faster than I care to ride it. I looked at some others, they all have their strong points, but I like the torque converter drive over the belt systems found on all others. I was in Alaska a couple years ago and it was the artic cats and polaris machines that had trouble with the belts. Kind of scared me off, the same I might add is why I have shaft drive motorcycles, seen a few fellows pushing bikes down the road. Back to the rincon, the drawback is that I wished they had put a low range in it for better engine braking.

 

[Skyco]

I like the torque converter drive over the belt systems found on all others.

Maybe you meant all other automatics, certainly not all others....my 2008 Yamaha Big Bear has a good old 5 speed manual with reverse...so do a number of others.
Now if I can just get used to the auto clutch...I kepe grabbing the left lever (rear brake) when shifting, too used to motorcycles

 

[kenmac]

my sportsman with mud tires

 

[rdbrumfield]

I was told that the Grizzly had a primary belt drive. I haven't heard any problems with the yamaha though. I did look at them and found the dealer here a bit pricey. I picked up the Honda for 6200 new. Hope I didn't ger beat up too bad.

 

[TWO GUNS]

That was a very fair price for the Honda Rincon !!!! They are some very well built machines >>>>

 

[archerynut]

You didn't get beat up with that price on the Rincon, it was very fair.

 

[rutwad]

All:

Thank you for the great advice, looks like a good group on this forum.

My terrain is varied, my yard is flat to a 13% grade, some rocks, tree stumps, and pretty dense woods. I will be riding along the CT River which is silty sand, few rocks, pretty thick woods, rutty and wet, also in Maine the riding will be mostly rutty old logging roads and rocks as big as houses.

I looked at a bunch of machines and drove many in the last week. I expanded to look at the Kawasaki as well, really like the 650.

I ran into what I think is a good deal, 2005 Polaris Sportsman 500 H.O. with a winch and back box thingy for $4,000 in my truck. Tough to pass up.

I had my heart set on a Kawasaki Brute Force 650 with IRS but that was pushing over $7,000, used in the mid $5's. I also liked the Honda's but couldn't get into one less than $6,500 and the used ones really hold their value. I LOVED the Yamaha but again in the mid $6's. None of these prices include winches which look like may add a good $500 to the price.

Hopefully I am not taking too much risk jumping in at $4,000 after a couple years I will probably be able to sell it for a good price once I know more if I need to.

I will let you guys know when I get the machine and report on my thoughts after a couple days of riding.

The Kawasaki V-twin offers exceptional power and is a good choice. They are cold natured, so look at the EFI. One feature that really helped sell me on Kawasaki was the rear brake set-up. It is completely sealed and you will never have any trouble from water, sand, or mud......NEVER! And the Kawasaki offers great stability since the gas tank is under the rear fenders which lowers the center of gravity.

Honda is the Crescent wrench of adjustable wrenches, or the Bobcat of SSL's.
They have built a great reputation for dependability. Until recently, I think complaicancy left them playing catch-up to some of the others.

No bashing, but in all seriousness Polaris is the only one I have heard major complaints about, and some problems I have seen first hand. They do ride great, but dependability plays more of an important role to me.

Suzuki, Yamaha, Artic Cat, Can Am...I really can't say much about them. Yamaha did have very weak axles in the 660 Grizzly, but hopefully they have improved by now.

IRS offers a smoother ride and more ground clearance. Solid rear axle gives you a sportier feel. A great feature (which most all probably offer now) is a true locking 4x4 system. Automatic tranny's are a nice convienence. I was leary at first, but after using one I would not go back to manual.

Ford, Dodge, Chevy...Everyone has a preference, but if you take care of it, then it should last you. Good luck!