Quad ATV epinions out there...

[shade2u2]

I've been interested in getting a Quad ATV some day and know very little about them. Well that some day may have come this week. A friend won a 2001 Susuki QuadMaster 500 last year as a door prize. He now wants to sell it (with 6 miles on it) to me for $4000. This model supposedly goes for $6000+.
Do any ATV enthusists out have an opinion about this model or this deal? Thanks for the help.

 

[Will_C]

I think the atv's are alot like our tractors, many of us have opinions about our favorites but they all seem to be good machines. I have owned a 1986 Honda and a 1993 Kawasaki at different times and they both were reliable machines. I, too, am looking to buy a new atv soon and would appreciate hearing what brands TBNers are running.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I have a 99' Yamaha Big Bear and a 01' Bombardier Traxter XT. Both machines run great but the Yamaha is a lot easier to work on if you need to as the Bombardier has a lot of electrical parts compared to the other brands. However the Bombardier is easier to hop on and off and to drive then the Yamaha. So far we haven't had any problems with the Bombardier and it has 300 miles on it. The Yamaha has had some repair because it has 27" Vampires which kills the linkage and brakes on that machine. When you do look for a 4 wheeler think about where you will be riding it, if you are always riding on hard ground then you will want a 2wd as it is easier to steer and ride and you don't have the heavy repair bill a 4wd will have. If you ride off road a lot into swamps and other areas with obstacles then you will want to look at the 4wd's with as much ground clearance as you can get. The Bombardier is nice as it is 2wd until the back wheels spin then the third wheel kicks in and if that don't get you out the 4 wheel starts turning giving a true 4wd which should get you out of most places. There are a lot of atv's out there and each company has something it is better then the others at so you will have to look at as many as you can.

 

[bobnewjersey]

I have a Yamaha Kodiak 4x4 automatic and it's been great. We had a Moose snow plow put on it and it's done a fine job on the lighter snowfalls. We opted for the electric winch to raise and lower the plow. My only beef, and it's a small one, is that sometimes it's hard to shift the auto tranny between gears. You can do it, but it is stiff. After that we do enjoy it.
The Susuki Quadmaster you wrote about, I hear is a fine machine. I've never heard anything bad about any of the big machines. It's all about options. Check traderonline.com for some prices. Susuki's do get discounted a little as new purchases.

 

[bmac]

If you want some input from people who are very knowlegeable about ATVs, consider posting your question on one or more of the ATV forums. The one which I frequent is ATVNation.com. Very nice folks there. In fact, the atmosphere is very much like here - friendly, helpful folks with a good sense of humor. Like here, they have brand-specific forums so you should have some luck in the Suzuki area.

 

[manganos]

I've had numerous quads but the only one I have now is a 2002 Yamaha Grizzly 660. Fun fun fun

 

[EdKing]

I have a Suziki QuadRunner 250. The one feature I like on the Suziki, is the hitch on the back for pulling a cart, mower, roller, etc., is mounted to the frame of the quad, while most of the others I've seen are mounted to the rear axle. I feel safer doing a hard pull from the frame rather than the axle. It also has 3 speed ranges, 2 or 4 wheel drive, and a diff lock in super low range.

 

[hwp]

I have one of the first Bombardier Traxters produced, Serial No. 28. I bought it for hauling logs and dead fall out of the bush. The bush is on a fairly steep side hill of a valley. As a result, one of the features I was looking for was a good parking mechanism. The Traxter has a park position in its transmission which is great for parking on steep hills. My wife really likes the electric shift and we both like the step through design - makes getting on and off much easier for those of us that are motion challenged. I find the forward storage compartment really useful for carrying tools, etc. I also like the rear-mounted radiator - I'm not as likely to poke a branch through it. I am still not comfortable with belt drives so I like the shaft drive on the Traxter. We have found endless other uses for the ATV - includng using the winch to get my tractor unstuck. Overall I am very pleased with the Traxter but I think most of the other machines on the market are very good as well.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Assuming it is in pristine condition (with 6 miles on it I would hope so!!) 4,000 is a steal. I have seen them go for 5,500 at a local dealer (clearance) but the MSRP is actually 6,599 (!)

http://www.suzukicycles.com/sr_01/atv/fs_qu500a.htm

That is a link to the Suzuki website that shows the MSRP, features, etc.

 

[IllMarty]

For $4000.00 with 6 miles I say sold. I prefer Honda machines and currently own a 450ES, but would buy a Suzuki for that price.

For anyone interested my neighbor just bought 2 Honda Rubicons with the hydralic auto-tranny and man are they nice.Marty