Opinions requested

[Bwana]

Not looking to start any fights here but thought I would ask to see what everyone's opinions are regarding 4-wheelers or atv's, if you prefer.

We have been considering looking for a good used machine but I freely admit that I don't know squat regarding what brand is better then the other.

A few specifications in the machine we are looking for:
- 4-wheel drive capability
- dependability, I want to be able to ride the thing without having to spend all my time fixing it
- small to mid-sized unit, I am NOT looking for a 900 mega masher
- utility machine, not a racing machine
- stability, as the kids will be riding it I want to make sure it is as safe as possible
- and all the other things I am forgetting or don't know I should be requiring. :)

Any thoughts?

[Buckrub]

Honda has the most reliability. It loses all the comparisons with torque, speed, etc....but they hold together best. You can get a new one here in the 250 Rancher variety for less than $4K......

I'm on my 2nd Suzuki. Does it all, and the first one lasted a long time, but it won't be my next one.

It depends on whether you are buying used or new. You say used, so truth be told, which model will depend on what you find out there. I bought used, and the guy apparently ran his through DEEP water that I didn't know about........cost me a motor down the road from my purchase.

Just depends on where it will be used, how much torque you need, what weight it will carry, if you will pull trailers or such, etc..........sorta like asking "what kind of truck do I need?"........depends. But I don't see a TON of difference in them these days, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Arctic Cat, Polaris, whatever.......if they are not very old, they are very similar in the last few years.

[Egghead]

Some notes on your specifications that may help hone in on a solution:

A few specifications in the machine we are looking for:
- 4-wheel drive capability
EE> You want the ability to go 2-wheel drive, if you plan to be in tight spaces, easier to manuever

- dependability, I want to be able to ride the thing without having to spend all my time fixing it
EE> Although better than they used to be, ATVs with belt drive can be problematic, especially if you go in water/mud frequently. Gears give a bit more control than belts when on an extreme grade, but can also be problematic if the gear doesn't match the need exactly.


- small to mid-sized unit, I am NOT looking for a 900 mega masher
EE> Many manufacturers use similar frames with different sized engines. Go for the smallest, lightest you can and still be happy. Ground clearance is key.

- utility machine, not a racing machine
EE> You do NOT want a solid rear axle if you intend to rock crawl or spend time off camber.

- stability, as the kids will be riding it I want to make sure it is as safe as possible
EE> Experience and training will be key here - what would you have done without a parent observing? :)

- and all the other things I am forgetting or don't know I should be requiring. :)
EE> If you are going to use it for hunting and utility work, focus on the rack system and cost of attachments (as well as whether the rack is proprietary, or you can find aftermarket solutions)

Them's it for me!

[Niner]

I can only attest to the unit that I had....
If you can find a GOOD used Honda FourTrax 300 4x4 get it. They are pretty much bullet proof.
I got the one I had from Cap'n back in about 2000. The only "repairs" I had to do to it over the years was to replace the battery, and (my bad on this one) have the carb rebuilt from leaving ethanol gas in it without any additives.

I'd still have it except for two things.
#1: We got a jacked-up off-road gas-powered golf cart ...actually two...one at The Farm and one at the homestead. This enables both wife and I to ride around together, and haul a lot more "stuff" than the ATV could. Of course, it cannot go places that the ATV could, but that's the trade off.

#2: After my cancer surgery, I could not physically lift the shifter lever. (Kindof the same reason I'm selling my antique John Deere M model...I can't climb up onto it.)

If you cannot find a FourTrax, the Foreman model (from what I understand) is good too. I believe the Foreman was the replacement for the ForeTrax. Actually, probably ANY of the Honda 4x4 units are going to be a good choice.

We also had....for a short time....a used Kawasaki Bayou 220 2WD. I got it for the Mrs before we got the cart. I did not like the way it was engineered. There were a great many corners cut on the engineering of that unit, from the brakes to the lights....just not as well made as the Honda was, but I believe that the Bayou is an "entry level" machine.

[Niner]

Not tooooo many near you.....at least as advertised in the Cycle Trader.....

http://www.atvtraderonline.com/Honda-ATVs-in-Bismarck-North-Dakota/search-results?condition=U&make=Honda|2316874&radius=300&sort=year:asc&type=528553&&zip=58501&&newsort=1

[Thumper]

I sold my '99 Honda (300) 4Trax to a buddy a couple years ago. They were undeniably the most reliable 4-wheeler ever made. I had mine for 12 years and the only thing I ever replaced was the battery (couple times) and a set of tires. My buddy lives out in the sticks and uses it almost on a daily basis ... says it's still running like a top and he's had to do nothing to it. Co9 mentioned his carb ... I figured I'd have to do the same. I parked it in my shed after my last Canada bear hunting trip and it sat for 4+ years! (while I was driving my truck and then through my hospital stay). I figured with my physical and financial condition, it was time to let it go. I pumped up the tires, dumped some fresh gas in it (the old Walmart gas sat in the tank/carb through 4 HOT years), dropped a fresh battery in it and it started in about 2 mili-seconds! My buddy says it still runs like a champ. I miss it. :(

If you're going to be pulling a house ... maybe it won't work for you. But for what you want ... it would be ideal. IF you can find a nice used one, don't hesitate.

My Ohio hunting partner has a '97 or '98 (?) and uses his like a truck ... he's so far into the boonies it's his daily transportation. There's no way you'd ever be able to get that thing from him. I'm sure Cappy will say the same.

[Thumper]

I just saw C09's link ... the 300 Fourtrax (first one listed) is the one I'm talking about. It's a different beast than the others.

[Buckrub]

My 1996 Suzuki King Quad is still running daily. Not doing much but running.

Two guys at camp have had the Electronic Shifting on a Honda 4WD model. Both of them have had trouble with that, but nothing else. I think they both got it fixed, but no clue how bad the repair was. IMHO, automatic or manual shifting is the only way to go.

But 4WD is a must, IMHO.

[Captain]

Honda, can't say it any better than what it's already need said. If you buy a Suzuki be sure they throw in or stop and buy a battery trickle charger. Two boys at the hunt club have them and it they don't keep the trickle charger on them the battery goes dead in a day or so.
Take Care, Captain

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[Buckrub]

Amen on what Cappy said. I have to do that to mine. It died at camp when I was there 10 days ago. This is the 2005-2007 King Quad models.....has wrong ECM and Suzuki wouldn't fix it under warranty. Mine takes longer than a day, but it's about 5 days and it's needing a charge bad. I just got a "plug into the cig lighter receptacle battery meter thingy" so I can determine how fast it's going down.

But if you're buying used, you'll have to weigh all this vs. what you see in front of you that's for sale. That's the only reason I got a Suzuki this time, is it was what was available used.

[Chicken Dinner]

Not too much to add other than I've been happy with my Yamaha Kodiak. I will say that I looked hard for used and didn't see anything I liked at the right price as I'm leery of buying something that's designed to be used hard unless its at a significant discount.

[Chicken Dinner]

Oh yeah, I wouldn't even think about buying something that didn't have an independent rear axle at my age. Huge difference in ride and pounding on your back.

[Buckrub]

Speaking of.........here would be my list, in order, of things I want (but again, used market is 'what you can find'):

-4WD
-EFI
-IRS
-Automatic
-Pull start option
-Power steering

Also......you need to think about trailering. Will what you find fit in the back of that red pickup? If not, what does a trailer cost?

[Captain]

I can go with Bucky's list except for too notations, if you get a rope start option make SURE it has a decompression lever. YOU-WILL-BREAK-YOUR-ARM-WITHOUT-IT! And it will make you say bad words too!
The power steering thing is fairly new and at speed make no difference. Just another gadget to break. There is really no need for it if you have ample strength in your arms.
JM2C's
Take Care, Captain

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[Buckrub]

Agree, Cappy. But my buddy bought a late model used Yamaha 750, and it has NO rope start backup system. Twice he's been stranded in bad weather a long way from camp, mostly because the Yamaha also drains batteries too fast for the alternator to keep up.........constantly running clocks, etc......is what my mechanic said. I dunno.

I don't have ample strength in my arms. So I listed it. I have a sneaking suspicion that Bwana's boy has AMPLE strength in all of him!!!

[Thumper]

Bucky,


Two guys at camp have had the Electronic Shifting on a Honda 4WD model. Both of them have had trouble with that, but nothing else.

Bucky, my Ohio buddy bought an automatic when they first came out. I "think" it's the Rancher. It was brand new and we hauled both of ours up to Canada for a 4-wheeler/fishing trip and rode about a bazillion miles on dry/muddy snowmobile trails. We hauled all our gear with us, one-man tents, fuel, water, cooking stuff and fishing gear ... then we'd find a little lake we liked, set up camp, fish a day or two, then move on to the next one that looked good to us. Out in the middle of nowhere his wheelie quit shifting and was stuck in low gear. We tried riding it out, but it's water-cooled and kept overheating. I ended up towing him a half-bazillion miles out of the bush and it kind of screwed up a good part of our trip. When we got home, we stopped at the Honda dealer and dropped it off (cussing quite a bit while there). It turned out to be a sensor in the speedo head (I guess it didn't tell the computer it was going fast enough to shift, so it stayed in low gear.) I believe they changed the whole speedo head.

Now ... when it comes to something built to take me as far back in the boonies as I can go ... I want as few bells & whistles possible. I figure the more gizmos you have, the more chance there is of a failure. That old Honda 4Trax was as basic as you can get. I also don't like fuel injection/computers ... if it quits, there's no way to fix it. With a carburetor, I can always manage to patch it up and limp home. Same with radiators ... the last thing I want is to ram a stick through my radiator and be stuck in the middle of nowhere ... give me a basic air-cooled motor. I'll stick with "old-school" if possible when it comes to getting into the back-country. That said, I doubt you can even buy anything these days that's not water cooled and fuel injected with computers stuck in every nook & cranny. So, I'm a dinosaur I suppose.

[Buckrub]

Having met you on several occasions, I do agree.

[Captain]

I gave my Son a Honda in '06 it sits in the storage shed. He road it some for a year or two. I don't think it has been cranked in 4 years. The gas has been drained and I have a battery trickle charger on it. It has the push button shift too but it has given us any problem.
I can put gas in it today and I bet it will fire up In A skinny minute. Don't know what the boy will ever do with it.
Bucky you ever tried to pull start a 4 Wheeler with a decompressor lever? It will load up and absolutely pull you shoulder out of socket. Surly yours has a compression let off somewhere.

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[Buckrub]

Yeah I think it does, but it hasn't been needed. Luckily, I've run 'out of juice' only when it was in my shop, or under the wheely shed at camp. So I just stuck it on the charger. and I keep it on a Battery Tender Jr. all the time here.

But...........I'd much rather have the rope, than be like my buddy and not have one at all. Plus, he didn't even have jumper cables. When someone came to get him (cell phones are amazing at times, worthless at others!!!) they had to fiddle around in their boxes for two wires, and hotwire from one wheely to the other to get it started. Then he got to camp and had no charger, and so there it sat till he found one. I think there were only 3 guys in his camp at that time. He was wishing he had a rope start, no matter what it took to pull it.

Sorta like having a Bad Boy Buggy......and being out in the boonies and running out of juice. Then you call back and say "HEY bring me some danged Electrons, OK?"............

:)

Oh, and Thump is a...........um............I'm guessin Brontosaurus.

[Niner]

Not sure I'd care for IRS. I'd say 99% of the time if your driving like a sane person, and not like the guys on the commercials, solid rear axel is fine.

Having had experience with BOTH rope and kick for backup starting, I will vote for a kick start every time. I don't even like a rope starter on a lawn mower! Rope start is cheaper to produce is the sole reason it's out there. But....if the choice is rope start or NO backup starter....well it would beat nothin.

That said, the old Honda 300 had a kicker for backup ....and I used it on several occasions.

[Thumper]

Dang Crow9 ... you're right. I never had to use my "back-up" kick-starter, that I can remember, and forgot it even had one. That was the ideal 4-wheeler IMHO.

[Chicken Dinner]

Niner, I think it may depend on the terrain you're riding. Where I hunt up in the Blue Ridge, we're riding on old logging roads that we very minimally maintain. Just to get in and out of my stand, I have to to up, over and through a variety of obstacles like water bars, logs, rocks, etc. with most of it being off camber. Totally agree on the pull start. I'm glad I have it, but the few times I've tried it led to some choice words and a lot of exertion.

[Bwana]

So if I hear what you gents are saying, any atv will do as long as it is a Honda Fourtrax.

[Niner]

.....and green! :D

[Thumper]

What Niner said ... and what Cappy agrees with. If my Ohio hunting partner and my Toyota mechanic (he has two) hung out here, you could add their endorsements. What more could you ask for? :D

P.S. To be specific ... that's the green Fourtrax 300 4X4. (They only came in red or green I think, this is a hunting site ... RED is out!);)

[Niner]

Chicky, I'll have to give you that point. I hadn't though about you mountain climbers up there. Hell, from the sound of it....y'all need a helicopter.

1741

[Big Muddy]

Down here, this is the perfect mode of hunting transportation....seriously. ;)


1742

[Thumper]

I finally figured it out! Big Muddy is actually Mule Writer. ;)

[BarryBobPosthole]

He's not Ken Curtis?

BKB

[Bwana]

BM, been there and done that but she was on loan:
1747

[johnboy]

For some reason I can't figure out, I've always wanted to own a mule. I don't particularly like horses (dumber than a post from my experience) but mules seem to appeal to me. Maybe it's just my ornery nature. :D