Seeking Info on a ATV

[kwikrp]

I am considering purchasing an ATV, but do not know much at all about them. I was hoping I could get some recommendations good/ bad on various manufacturers and models.
I would like a general all purpose machine. Something I can ride trails with the kids, work such as dragging or towing wood from the forest, some hunting etc. I think a air cooled 4x4 with reverse and electric and kick start ?? I am 6'4" close to 300 lbs so a size that could carry me and a deer out of the woods.

 

[lukem]

Given that you are a pretty big dude and sounds like you plan on working it hard, I would go a minimum of 500cc. Most, if not all, engines that size are going to be liquid cooled on newer bikes.

Electric start is almost a given...some have a recoil starter (pull start) as a backup. Reverse is a given too.

As for brands, they are all pretty good anymore. I'm partial to Hondas because they are extremely tough and reliable. My dad has a polaris sportsman 500 and it is nice too...but I like the honda better.

 

[MasterMech]

Nothing against Honda's in general but I worked a Foreman 400 (air cooled) and on 80 degree + days I'd have to let it cool down on long rides. If you plan on working any size machine, liquid cooling is far superior for high load/slow speeds. If you really want to pull, hard to beat the torque of a twin cyl! ;-) Rode a friends CanAm 650 and holy HP Batman! Rode smooth, went anywhere, and had enough get up and go to keep up with the kids!

 

[rottiman]

I love my 2011 Cam Am Max 650 HT. Frame is 8" longer to accomodate the 2 up rider concept. Has 63 hp is FI and also has power steering. Great, comfortable all aroung ATV. I highly recommend it.

 

[lukem]

Nothing against Honda's in general but I worked a Foreman 400 (air cooled) and on 80 degree + days I'd have to let it cool down on long rides. If you plan on working any size machine, liquid cooling is far superior for high load/slow speeds. If you really want to pull, hard to beat the torque of a twin cyl! ;-) Rode a friends CanAm 650 and holy HP Batman! Rode smooth, went anywhere, and had enough get up and go to keep up with the kids!

Can-Am is pretty rare around here. I think we only have a couple dealers in the entire state, none of which are close to me. They are wicked FAST though. I think their top end model is close to 85 HP! My Honda is SLOW...but I still like it...must be brand loyalty LOL.

 

[Jack Straw]

I have a 2001 honda 450 foreman w/manual shift and I have worked it very hard.

Pros-
Very reliable with only one problem with the tranny, dealer repaired for $200
good on gas
more than enough power


Cons
Straight rear axle which gives it a hard ride
no power steering- tough to steer when backing up the trailer in the woods.
manual transmission is sometimes hard to shift, but I think its better for hard work, auto would be nice for recreational use

I do believe that most brands are very good. My friend has an old Yamaha and it has been a great machine.

 

[basod]

I shopped long and hard before buying my foreman used from a guy that wanted to get out from under the payments it had 20hrs/100mi.
$3800 vs over $6500 new it was sweet deal. Be cautious in the used market though there are tons of newer makes out there that have been flogged on
Can Am makes a nice machine with a price tag to boot as well.
Kawasaki(may be Suzuki) has a neat feature of on demand mechanical locking front diff(honda's are full time locked), makes it easier to turn but it's there when needed.
Thing that steered me away from one is the belt drive tranny, even though I was told they are extremely reliable unless you constantly plan on burying it in mud.

Honda has wet clutch synchronized gear tranny, I stayed away from the electronic shift transmission and found the true manual cause that's what I was used too, and long term reliability.
The guys at the dealership said the new power steering option isn't really needed for anyone our size.
He deffinately recommended going with the foreman or rubicon(basically a foreman with IRS) due to the 2 shock rearend over the rancher(single shock lower powered machine).

Whichever one you choose the work you're planning on doing will mandate 4wd. Having selectable 2/4wd is nice when not in a situation needing it seems to make it easier to turn and saves the front tires some.

 

[firefighterjake]

I am considering purchasing an ATV, but do not know much at all about them. I was hoping I could get some recommendations good/ bad on various manufacturers and models.
I would like a general all purpose machine. Something I can ride trails with the kids, work such as dragging or towing wood from the forest, some hunting etc. I think a air cooled 4x4 with reverse and electric and kick start ?? I am 6'4" close to 300 lbs so a size that could carry me and a deer out of the woods.

At one time I would have had a few specific ideas for good and bad manufacturers, but honestly most have reached the point where they're all pretty reliable and decent machines (of course that won't keep Honda guys from bashing Polaris guys and Can Am guys bashing the Kawasaki guys and . . .)

I think Luke is right . . . for your size you would most likely be most happy with a 450-500 cc ATV or larger . . . I also suspect that most every main manufacturer would have an ATV that would work for you. Personally I am a long time Honda guy, but I must admit that recently I was taking a serious look at Can Ams and the Yamaha Grizzly.

Around where I live I see a lot of Polaris ATVs . . . mostly Sportsman 500s . . . a fair number of Hondas and a smattering of Can Ams, Yamahas, Kawasakis and a few other brands. For whatever reason I don't see many Arctic Cat ATVs . . . or the off brand ATVs made in China (and personally I would not recommend these having seen folks that have bought these cheaper ATVs.) I think most of the big brands would have something that would work for your intended purpose.

You mention an all-around ATV, but it would honestly help if you could give a percentage breakdown of play vs. work. I ask since while many ATVs can do both, some ATVs are a better bet if you do more trail riding and hunting . . . and others would be better if you do more work. For example, Honda ATVs are pretty popular here for folks that do more work than play . . . again . . . not saying that other ATVs would not work well . . . but Hondas straight axle, low center of gravity with most of their ATVs, granny gear, simplicity and legendary reliability are good for work. That said . . . most of the Honda line up is not the best riding ATV when it comes to the trails . . . there are many much better riding ATVs out there.

I would guess if you think you're going to be plowing or hauling wood 60 or 70% of the time you might look at an ATV that is more for work than play . . . If you are looking at an ATV that can do the work, but expect to be using it more often for trail riding or hunting I would go with an ATV set up for trail riding with independent rear suspensions, disk brakes, fully automatic shifting, power steering even . . .

My personal pics . . . for work . . . Honda Foreman or Rubicon. If you go to most dealers that carry Hondas as well as other brands most will tell you that the Honda is often behind the eight ball in terms of innovation, ride and features, but these two models are among some of the best ATVs for work.

My personal pics . . . for trail riding . . . Can Am line up or Yamaha Grizzly line up. Polaris ATVs have some of the best rides in the business as well . . . Again, these ATVs should be able to handle anything you throw at them for work . . .

Most ATVs have an alternative method of starting with either a kick start or pull start . . . some of the larger twin cylinders might not have that ability. Most ATVs are now liquid cooled -- the older Honda Foremans I know are air cooled (and honestly I could go with either -- I've never had a problem with over heating, but the extra power from liquid cooling is very appealing.) Reverse is pretty much standard on most ATVs as well.

 

[jeepmedic]

I would recommend anything 400cc or larger, with fuel injection and disk brakes all the way around. I have a Can Am outlander 400 and have beat the poor thing, and it just keeps on going. Pushes 6" + snow no problem, and tows my little wood cart rated @ 1000lbs like its not even there. The fuel injection is really nice in the winter, and the disk brakes front and rear, are great when pulling the wood cart in the snow.

 

[firefighterjake]

I shopped long and hard before buying my foreman used from a guy that wanted to get out from under the payments it had 20hrs/100mi.
$3800 vs over $6500 new it was sweet deal. Be cautious in the used market though there are tons of newer makes out there that have been flogged on
Can Am makes a nice machine with a price tag to boot as well.
Kawasaki(may be Suzuki) has a neat feature of on demand mechanical locking front diff(honda's are full time locked), makes it easier to turn but it's there when needed. Good info for the most part . . . but I think there are a few errors . . . this being one. To my knowledge no Honda has locking front differentials. Some models have a selectable 2WD/4WD system, but to my knowledge this is a torque sensitive front differential meaning that both front tires are not locked and turning at the same time (a fact some other makes and models like to tout as they say they have true 4WD -- although in my experience this is often not always or often needed.) You can incidentally "fool" the Honda ATVs into reducing the front wheel spin by lightly tapping your front brakes.

Thing that steered me away from one is the belt drive tranny, even though I was told they are extremely reliable unless you constantly plan on burying it in mud. I was a bit leery of this myself . . . and I have seen some ATVs with belt drives have problems . . . but typically this is when they're riding in mud or water right up to the seat . . . normal use is typically not a problem and I honestly would not have any issues recommending an ATV with or without a belt drive.

Honda has wet clutch synchronized gear tranny, I stayed away from the electronic shift transmission and found the true manual cause that's what I was used too, and long term reliability. Same here . . . I figure simple is good . . . and my buddy with the Foreman with Electronic Shift has had some issues in the past with moisture causing the ES to not work temporarily. The disadvantage to the foot shift is two fold -- 1) (and this problem is shared with the ES as well) folks need to learn when to shift up and down (it's a quick learning curve though) and 2) some folks like the protection of floorboards for their feet. That said, I still like the standard shift.

The guys at the dealership said the new power steering option isn't really needed for anyone our size. Yes and no . . . while big guys might have no issues moving the ATV around without power steering, PS does offer two benefits . . . 1) easier turning at low speeds and 2) while trail riding if you hit a bump, root, etc. the PS is able to reduce or even prevent the handlebars from that sudden twitch in your hands. That said, it's a nice feature, but I've never felt compelled to spend the extra money on this feature.

He deffinately recommended going with the foreman or rubicon(basically a foreman with IRS) due to the 2 shock rearend over the rancher(single shock lower powered machine). I think there is a correction here . . . the Rubicon is quite a bit differnt from the Foreman in that it has a totally different transmission (more like a garden tractor's hydrostatic transmission as it is fully automatic or you can use the Electronic Shift feature . . . and the Rubicon to my knowledge does not have IRS but instead has the straight axle with springs -- I believe the only two models now with IRS are the Rincon and one particular model of the Rancher.) That said . . . both the Foreman and Rubicon are well known as work machines.

Whichever one you choose the work you're planning on doing will mandate 4wd. Having selectable 2/4wd is nice when not in a situation needing it seems to make it easier to turn and saves the front tires some. I agree 100% on both these points -- having 4WD is very useful, almost mandatory and having selectable 2WD/4WD is a nice feature . . . especially if you don't have power steering

 

[firefighterjake]

I would recommend anything 400cc or larger, with fuel injection and disk brakes all the way around. I have a Can Am outlander 400 and have beat the poor thing, and it just keeps on going. Pushes 6" + snow no problem, and tows my little wood cart rated @ 1000lbs like its not even there. The fuel injection is really nice in the summer, and the disk brakes front and rear, are great when pulling the wood cart in the snow.

Just wanted to say welcome Jeepmedic!

 

[basod]

Sorry jake for my inconsistencies.
I meant Ricon not Ribicon on the IRS issue. At the time I bought mine,2008 I think, that was the basic difference or atleast what they explained at the dealership.
Agreed Honda doesn't have a fulltime locked front diff but the limited slip shure acts like when cornering in 4wd.

 

[coolidge]

I have the 2000 Rancher 350 standard shift, I told myself i could buy a new, better riding model when it dies. Have yet too kill it. The oil plug even fell out while on a small trip, siezed the engine. We found the plug(very lucky) filled it with oil and away we went. Looks like i will be riding this thing too the grave.

 

[basod]

One more thing to consider is the CG of the Honda machines over other models.
The push to put more and more cc's in alot of these quads has greatly increased the hieght of CG in the machines.
Then throw your weight on top of it and your primed for a roll over on even moderate inclines.

 

[firefighterjake]

Sorry jake for my inconsistencies.
I meant Ricon not Ribicon on the IRS issue. At the time I bought mine,2008 I think, that was the basic difference or atleast what they explained at the dealership.
Agreed Honda doesn't have a fulltime locked front diff but the limited slip shure acts like when cornering in 4wd.

Ah, that makes sense . . . I love the ride of the Rincon, but for what I do (more work than play) I came to the conclusion that I would be happiest with a new Foreman when I reach that point . . . and the salesman at the dealership pretty much confirmed my thinking the other day when I was asking him about buying the more expensive Rincon.

And yeah . . . slow speed cornering with the 4WD engaged sometimes makes it seem like a locked front diff . . . but it's actually a limited slip . . . as I said though you can fool the machine into locking up both wheels temporarily by lightly tapping the front brakes on.

I forgot to mention . . . Honda is well known for their reliability, but they are machines and machines break. Just recently I had my rear drive go . . . at which point I had to make a decision to fix it or buy another ATV. After much thought I realized as much as I like shiny and new (and the new ATV I was looking at offers fuel injection, front disc brakes, a better ride and a few other tantalizing goodies I also realized that a) I have worked my beloved ATV hard and it has gone over 6,000 miles with nothing more than a few bearings replaced and oil changes, b) This ATV should be able to go for a lot longer -- I have a buddy with an ATV at 20 or 25K on the odometer and c) a $700 repair bill sounds a lot better than a $7,000 bill.

 

[basod]

I have the 2000 Rancher 350 standard shift, I told myself i could buy a new, better riding model when it dies. Have yet too kill it. The oil plug even fell out while on a small trip, siezed the engine. We found the plug(very lucky) filled it with oil and away we went. Looks like i will be riding this thing too the grave.

My buddy bought one and it has never let him down either. used for 1600 with a torn seat he replaced from the bay for ~$60. He pulls a modified boat trailer with it loaded to the hilt with wood.
They aren't limited by power but rather the amount of traction you have same thing with my foreman, many a times the winch has helped me up the hill or out of some muck the trailer gets hung in.

The reason I steered away from one was the dual shock, the guy at the delearship told me straightup eventually your lady is gonna want to ride on the back with you(off the record of course) and having the extra spring will give you better stability.

 

[firefighterjake]

I have the 2000 Rancher 350 standard shift, I told myself i could buy a new, better riding model when it dies. Have yet too kill it. The oil plug even fell out while on a small trip, siezed the engine. We found the plug(very lucky) filled it with oil and away we went. Looks like i will be riding this thing too the grave.

This can be a bad thing . . . if you want something new and shiny. As I mentioned . . . over 6,000 miles of hard riding and work and only one issue . . .

My first ATV by the way was the Rancher's fore-runner . . . the TRX300 . . . which also would not die. My brother had it before me and he flat out abused it. Had it floating down a stream upside down . . . stuck in the mud so the exhaust was blowing bubbles. When I finally sold it just about everything was shot on it -- broken plastic, electrical system did not work, tires were nearly bald, no electric start . . . but that engine would turn over and purr with only two kick starts.

 

[firefighterjake]

One more thing to consider is the CG of the Honda machines over other models.
The push to put more and more cc's in alot of these quads has greatly increased the hieght of CG in the machines.
Then throw your weight on top of it and your primed for a roll over on even moderate inclines.

I think some folks can and do get used to the higher center of gravity . . . especially if they've never ridden something like the Foreman. Of course, oftentimes the lower center of gravity often is at the expense of lower ground clearance stats . . . something else that many other manufacturers like to tout as a beneficial feature.

Personally, I like the lower center of gravity . . . I always feel like I am sitting way too high on many other ATVs . . . however, some are better than others . .. and as I said . . . folks often get used to the higher center of gravity and make accomodations.

 

[basod]

I'm thinking safety as I'm not sure of the OP experience level. having an 7-800lb machine roll onto you would suck I'm sure
Plus everyone us gets hung on the more power the better thing.
I'd imagine those 1000cc machines would fly, but they surely drink fuel as well, and are still limited by how much traction they have.

 

[firefighterjake]

I'm thinking safety as I'm not sure of the OP experience level. having an 7-800lb machine roll onto you would suck I'm sure
Plus everyone us gets hung on the more power the better thing.
I'd imagine those 1000cc machines would fly, but they surely drink fuel as well, and are still limited by how much traction they have.

True, true . . . speaking of power and traction . . . last year our Club went on a ride and we found some mud holes. Nearly everyone had issues going through and got stuck . . . except for this one kid with an old beat up 2WD TRX300 . . . turns out it was light enough so that while other guys had to power through and would sometimes get stuck in the muck he would just kind of bounce his way through and the wheels kept the whole thing moving. It was the funniest thing to see him just drive right around his mother's boyfriend's Polaris 800 which was stuck.

 

[basod]

My buddy(with his rancher) and I ride on this old weapons depot that is open as offroad park.
There's holes on this thing that would swallow full size trucks.

I don't abuse mine like that though. The only place he can get that I can't is inside one of the old concrete artillery bunkers - the door is ~2in too narrow for the foreman but the rancher fits in.
It's coolest sound inside one just amplifies the thump of the muffler while doing broadies on the slick concrete floor

 

[EJL923]

I have a question for my own info but it may help the OP's question. If buying used, how many miles is a lot on an atv? I realize this can vary greatly with the way people take care of them, but kinda like a car, there's a point where even a well kept car should be kept away from.

 

[basod]

I have a question for my own info but it may help the OP's question. If buying used, how many miles is a lot on an atv? I realize this can vary greatly with the way people take care of them, but kinda like a car, there's a point where even a well kept car should be kept away from.

This is where you have to be a really informed consumer.
Stay away from anything with a lift kit or a snorkel, its more than likely been buried over someones chest at some point in its life.
Many of the older models didn't have hour meters/odometers so no way of actually knowing the amount of use.

Seats often wear out from machines being left outdoors which makes them look ragged but if it has original tires or one set is worn it was probably just used very little and sat in the yard, may be saw alot of pavement etc.

looking under seat/battery box etc and any signs of mud baked on the block fins is a pretty good sign the thing has been used.
they are built for abuse though, and alot guys that ride regularly trade up on a regular basis or people get an urge to buy and then have that monthly payment that they're looking to get rid of.
The used ATV market is a true buyer beware thing.

 

[EJL923]

IREPLYING think you right on with the buyer beware, as it's the reason I don't have one. Too expensive to buy new, don't trust anything used

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I got one a year ago and the choice was between Yamaha and Honda. Bought a Yamaha Grizzly 700.

Thoughts on something mentioned above with the higher machine. This goes back to when I purchased the first atv we ever owned. Dealer was trying to sway me to one particular machine and offered a good deal. The reason I bought the one I did was because it did have a higher seat. This is also one of the problems with the Honda's is that the seat is too low. It has a bad effect with my bad back.

On the power steering. When they came out with it I scoffed. Now I have the power steering and absolutely love it. Mostly because I do a lot of backing up with a trailer so I can sit sideways on the atv and steer one handed and it steers very easy. Also it helps when plowing snow.

The reason I got the last new one was to get independent suspension.