Big bore 4x4 atv...which one?

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jlightning

jlightning

Burning Hunk
Feb 28, 2011
170
Southeast PA
I am in the market for a new ATV but am not sure which one to purchase. It seems that all of the new big bore atv's have their merits and down falls which is making this a hard decision. I am looking at the polaris sportsman 850, grizzly 700 EPs, and Kawasaki brute force 750. I will use this ATV for plowing, gathering/dragging logs, yard work, and trail riding. Any good info on these models would be greatly appreciated!
 
Anything from 450 cc and up would be more than what you would need to do those jobs . . . heck, I used to use a 300 TRX to plow my driveway (although it was a bit hard on it.)

Without getting into my brand bias and a detailed analysis . . . if I was to buy a brand new ATV with more ccs today I would favor the Honda Rincon or Yamaha Grizzly.
 
jlightning said:
I am in the market for a new ATV but am not sure which one to purchase. It seems that all of the new big bore atv's have their merits and down falls which is making this a hard decision. I am looking at the polaris sportsman 850, grizzly 700 EPs, and Kawasaki brute force 750. I will use this ATV for plowing, gathering/dragging logs, yard work, and trail riding. Any good info on these models would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

All those sound pretty good. Hope this helps.
 
I did snow removal for 2 seasons with a guy who had a grizzly 700. I'd take it out to smaller parking lots or strip malls with long sidewalks. He had a big bore kit, and the thing was a monster! I never had problems pushing snow with it.

On the other hand, another buddy of mine had the same quad (without the big bore kit) and took it trail riding a few times. He hated it, mostly because it was just too big for tight trails. Plenty of power, but it' a physically large machine.
 
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I have a 1987 Big Bear. At 350cc, it does just fine pushing snow. Traction is more of an issue than power. I kinda want something newer/bigger, but I can't justify the expense when nothing is wrong with this one.

That said, I'm not sure I want anything bigger in the woods.
 
I love my Honda but I think if I were to buy a new ATV today it's be a Grizzly. I would not buy a Polaris for work. They are very comfortable trail machines but I've seen lots of parts breakage and weak assemblies on the Polaris my buddy has.
 
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The Honda Rubicon is the workhorse of Hondas lineup. They're not a great trail machine with a straight axle in the back but that will help with the pulling and they have a 5 speed fluid transmission that has optional traction control and ESP manual shifting as well as torque conversion automatic. They may be small for some at only 500 CC but I have no problem plowing my 800' driveway and pulling wood around with mine. image.jpg
 
I looked at the specs on the Yamaha 700 and they do look nice. A lot of people have Arctic Cats up here it seems. I only paid $5600 for my new '07 Rubicon in '08. I see the Yamahas are $10k but I guess there pretty complicated nowadays, not just four wheels, motor and a manual tranny with a chain drive. I also see some of those Razrs around here and those go for a cool 18 grand! Ouch!
 
WiscWoody said:
I looked at the specs on the Yamaha 700 and they do look nice. A lot of people have Arctic Cats up here it seems. I only paid $5600 for my new '07 Rubicon in '08. I see the Yamahas are $10k but I guess there pretty complicated nowadays, not just four wheels, motor and a manual tranny with a chain drive. I also see some of those Razrs around here and those go for a cool 18 grand! Ouch!
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Doesn't sound like you're looking for one, but those Razr's are about as far as you can get from a work horse! 2 of my buddies have them, and they are a blast for fast trail riding and hill climbs, but I think their "bed" is large enough to hold a cooler and that's about it. Another friend had a Yamaha Rhino. It wasn't as fast, but still was fun, and had a more usable bed. I think he even used it a few times for his landscaping business.
 
bassJAM said:
Doesn't sound like you're looking for one, but those Razr's are about as far as you can get from a work horse! 2 of my buddies have them, and they are a blast for fast trail riding and hill climbs, but I think their "bed" is large enough to hold a cooler and that's about it. Another friend had a Yamaha Rhino. It wasn't as fast, but still was fun, and had a more usable bed. I think he even used it a few times for his landscaping business.
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I bet they put a tiny bed on the Razr just for a cooler or a tool kit AND to meet trail regulations like they have here. To put a UTV on a ATV trail it needs to have a bed and other things that I can't recall. I wish I could ride a go-cart on the trails and I'd get a good one if I could. There's a 75 mile trail that branches off to many others a mile down the road.
 
bassJAM said:
I did snow removal for 2 seasons with a guy who had a grizzly 700. I'd take it out to smaller parking lots or strip malls with long sidewalks. He had a big bore kit, and the thing was a monster! I never had problems pushing snow with it.

On the other hand, another buddy of mine had the same quad (without the big bore kit) and took it trail riding a few times. He hated it, mostly because it was just too big for tight trails. Plenty of power, but it' a physically large machine.
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what do you mean by big bore kit? Is that a add-on?
 
WiscWoody said:
what do you mean by big bore kit? Is that a add-on?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure the specifics of the kit he had, but basically it's an aftermarket over-sized piston. So it's not an easy drop-in, you have to tear down the engine and have the engine bored out to match the piston, and might need some head work and tuning to get it to run right. But if you don't mind spending the money, it's a good way to get more power. I think various kits bump the displacement from like 730cc up to over 800cc.
 
I have a Griz and love it -I do all you are talking about with it but... My bear guides all have Hondas because they are the work horse of the quad world and are legendary for taking heavy abuse. Not as comfy but solid, lifetime machines.

Yamaha or Honda would be my short list of options with Yamaha as my choice if I was not going to abuse it.
 
I like the 700 grizz the best so far but feel it needs an update and as soon as I buy one i know a new 800cc model will come out. I do need to look at a Honda though.
 
Which ever one you decide to buy, opt for power steering. It's absolutely worth the price. Mine doesn't have it, and I'm considering selling mine next year for that reason alone. Every brand/model has it plus's and minus's.
 
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kingquad said:
Which ever one you decide to buy, opt for power steering. It's absolutely worth the price. Mine doesn't have it, and I'm considering selling mine next year for that reason alone. Every brand/model has it plus's and minus's.
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I agree. The power steering makes low speed maneuvering easier, but what it really helps is the shock transmitted back to the rider through the steering when hitting things.

Here is mine. I bought it for cutting wood but have ended up doing a bunch of trail riding. There are extensive trails around here and you can start and go 200 miles without going over the same trails twice. Really fun in the Winter.

2ecq544.jpg
 
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