Getting ready to buy a Quad, any reccommendations??

[BigBaldOne]

I am getting ready to buy a quad, and am considering a couple different quads, the front-runner being a Yamaha Kodiak 400, but I am also considering a Big Bear 4x4 because of the manual shift, a Suzuki Eiger 400 4x4, and a Kawasaki Prairie 360. I am interested in any info anybody can give me good or bad on any of these bikes. Thanks for any assistance.

[OhioHunter88]

Doug- I honestly do not know good or bad things about theses bikes, we have hondas, i would highly recomend hondas they have a very good reputation, last a long time and are very reliable, I have a honda rancher 350 with a few mud mods including a lift and such, my dad has a rancher 400 at- at means you can shift by using the push button or just flip a switch and run in automatic. Good Luck




Kaleb

[countyroad]

Can't help you either. We have 3 honda's. Two of them are the Rancher 4x4's and one is a Honda Fourtrax 250. They're great.

[eschatts]

Out of the ones you listed I would go with the Yamaha Kodiak. I worked on Hondas and Yamahas for about 10 years and that would be my choice.

Ed

[BigBaldOne]

Ed,
That's what my gut is telling me, but I thought I'd bounce it around and see what type of feedback I get. I also considered the Honda's, but I like the others a bit better.

[eschatts]

Well, I am sure that others have different opinions but that was my choice. When I first started working on atvs, the Honda was the best. As time went on we started having more trouble with the Honda and less trouble with the Yamahas. Both are a good, but I prefer Yamaha the best. We did far less warranty work on the Yamahas then we did the Hondas.

Ed

[XX78]

I own a yamaha. I love it.

[sportsman34]

I have a polaris 600 twin and 330 magnum, but if you don't like automatics then this isn't the quad for you, but u should look into these if auto tranny isn't a problem..

[OhioHunter88]

I would recommend anything BUT a Polaris, Everytime we go to wayne or somewhere to ride if someone is on a polaris there belts get wet and slip all the time.




Kaleb

[BigBaldOne]

I would recommend anything BUT a Polaris, Everytime we go to wayne or somewhere to ride if someone is on a polaris there belts get wet and slip all the time.


Kaleb


Actually, I've heard several people that had problems with their Polaris's and the belts, esp. here in SE Ohio where it's hilly, so they've already been marked of my list. Thanks for everyone's input, I think I amd leaning pretty heavily toward the Kodiak, but will make that final decision in a couple weeks.

[sportsman34]

Belts slipping off??? what belt.....everything is shaft now........no belts that i know of........i have smoked a kodiak, big bear and other quads on many aspects or riding.....Polaris is the ONLY way to go....People just need to know how to ride and take care of their quad

[OhioHunter88]

Belts Slipping NOT SLIPPING OFF, There is a belt that runs your gears, and when it gets wet u can sit there and reve your motor all you want that Popo aint goin no where till you let it dry, Take care of your bike? I take car of mine wash it every now and then, keep it locked up i the garage:whistle: but i do sometimes ride a little rough with it, i have been know to burry it in mud clear up to the racks and i ALMOST guarntee that NO polaris can take the abuse of my HONDA.




Kaleb

[CritterGitter]

Doug, get the Kodiak!! You won't regret it. It's a great 4 wheeler.


Kyle

[Buckmaster]

My Polaris spends as much time in the shop as it does on the trail. No wonder I seldom use it. And yes, I take care of the things I own.
I still yearn for my Yamaha of the past.

[sportsman34]

what are u talking about there are no belts on them anymore everything is shaft driven now.....there are no belts from 2003 up all shaft driven now and i beat my whole life that my 700 will smoke ANY four wheeler

[sportsman34]

what are u talking about there are no belts on them anymore everything is shaft driven now.....there are no belts from 2003 up all shaft driven now and i beat my whole life that my 700 will smoke ANY four wheeler.....o wait it already has shown up HONDA.....and yamaha.....yes suzuki...

[OhioHunter88]

what are u talking about there are no belts on them anymore everything is shaft driven now.....there are no belts from 2003 up all shaft driven now and i beat my whole life that my 700 will smoke ANY four wheeler.....o wait it already has shown up HONDA.....and yamaha.....yes suzuki...



You Popo will beat Any Fourwheeler in what shop cost? Because its defiantely not in performance, speed, or reliability:tsk: :tsk:




Kaleb

[OhioHunter88]

Hmmmmmmmm, FIrst you say "600 twin" not its 700 whatd ya do get it bored or what:irked:




Kaleb

[sportsman34]

dude u don't know me don't act like u do i recommended the 600 and 330 i didn't mean to say i have them. i have a 700 Plus speed what the hell does that matter with a utility quad....you race or something??? If u want a racing 4 wheeler get a predator (top racing quad since its been out) i don't care about speed......i have shown up a big bear, rancher, four trax, in preformance and reliablity.......yea when the honda's are in the shop with front brakes and baring problems........belts slippin is in the past man....he wants a NEW quad.....new polaris's don't have belts anymore everything is shaft driven......while your sittin there shiftin up hills and can't get up em i will just attach your pile to my 700 and pull it up....and whats this in the shop crap??? mine has never been in the shop......i have been in swamps up to my handle bars, while hondas can't make it because they purely suck......

[Full Choke]

Thanks for the info.
Steve

[eschatts]

Easy gentelmen, lets keep this civil.

Ed

[Thunderflight]

Man you all sound like a bunch of traditionalist....;)

[OhioHunter88]

All I got to say is man you crack me up, you put a smile on my face:) Here at the end of march i will post some pictures of my "pile" in action in the mountains of west virgina, We are leaving the 24th of march and amazingly every bike goin with is a honda a 350 rancher,400rancher,250ex,450 foreman,another 450 foreman, a 450r, and another 350 rancher.




Kaleb

[hunTer06]

:( :(
must be nice...I aint got nothin but my own two feet...gotta plant plots with no quad, fill feeders with no quad, drag deer out of the woods with no quad...

Elitest would be proud, Im a traditionalist when it comes to labor:) :)

[sportsman34]

haha hunter i don't do anything with my quad hunting wise all i do is ride around on it......i like to walk im not a lazy SOB lol i drag my deer out by myself......takes me a while......but thats just how its done....and Ohiohunter im just gonna stop arguing with ya cause u have your opinion and i have mine........DEAL WITH IT

[eschatts]

[QUOTE][Ohiohunter im just gonna stop arguing with ya cause u have your opinion and i have mine/QUOTE]


I think that is a good choice sportsman34.:)


Ed

[DSP2]

Do yourself a favor and check out the Arctic Cats before you buy anything. I have a 2004 400 4x4 that has been awesome. You can get them auto, manual, or manual clutchless. They are big sturdy fourwheelers. The ground clearance is big, they will do 55mph, they have high and low gear, a full size 2inch reciver hitch just like on a truck. I have a plow and winch on mine, and I can push some snow around. I have had it through alot, I ride pretty hard and I have never had one problem.

[10Gauge]

BBO,

Go with the Yamaha Kodiak 400 or 450 if you want a good ATV. I've owned Yamaha's for ever beginning with a Banshee in the 80's and have now graduated to a SxS Rhino 660 (that's what happens when you get old)!

If you plan to use the ATV for serious towing/plowing/discing check out the hitch set up on ANY ATV you buy or consider modifications!!!

Only complaint I had with my Kodiak 400 was the rear hitch wasn't that strong....I think the 450's are a little better and designed more like the Grizzly. The Grizzly hitch isn't much better (2 bolts hold it to the frame) I had to modify mine by welding a 2" reciever into the frame rails. I used both of these machines for planting food plots and can tell you things will break (light duty hitch mounts) when you pull a PLOTMASTER and grab a big rock or tree root! The Grizzly is tough to beat in shear power but the Kodiak is more manueverable. Never had an ounce of problem with the "belt drive" trannies in either of these machines (Polaris Sportsmen's have belt drive trannies, too!) and they always were pulling something heavy!

[Airwave(OH)]

Hey BIG BALD ONE what did you end up buying. LOL

[Magnum]

I have a 97 Susuki King Quad, 300 cc...First and formost, I did not
buy this ATV based on how fast it will go...but the big engine atv's can go
trail riding with Me, and see who has to fill their tank first ! :biggrin:
I chose Susuki because, after kooking at most of the other brands, the
King Quad had a few more features that swayed Me...It has a transfer case
with three different ranges, it has 2 whl- range, it has 4-whl range, and I
can lock the front differential in....also no clutch needed...to back up, just
shift to reverse, not like the Yamaha that I had to shut-off, turn a knob then
restart...My quad is used to work with, not race ! On Our property there are
popple tree's steadily falling across the trails, and are huge tree's...I pull them
off the trail using the quad..I have a winch that lifts the snow blade, and even though I own a Ford 9N tractor with a rear blade, the quad will plow
the snow quicker then the tractor...I now have 1150 miles on it, and with no problems ever, I would buy another in a heartbeat....

[Full Choke]

Yamaha="Have to shut the machine off to put in reverse"?????

[Magnum]

A close Friend of mine has a dealership that He sells Yamaha, Kawasaki,
Bombadier, and Susuki....Before I bought anything a Yamaha was loaded on to
a trailer and told by the dealer to take it for the weekend, which I did...I
think it was a 350 or 400...I was showed a few things first and one of them
was turning the machine off if I wanted reverse then to flip a switch, then
reverse the process to go forward again...I am sure that this isn't the case
on todays Yamaha's, but it certainly was in 1997...Another friend has what is
called a Yama-Hauler thats a 2-wheel atv with a small pickup box on it, and
He has to do the same to get reverse....He has had very good service from
His Yamaha, and said He would buy another....As far as speed, that doesn't
prove anything when it comes to atv's....IMO. :)

[bigbucks]

If you have to choose between those, go with the kodiak. I personally own a honda foreman 450 my friend had kodiak 400. His is just a little faster but I wouldn't switch. stay clear of polaris

[Droptine1]

I have a 2000 Kodiak 400, it is very nice to be able to switch from four wheel drive to two wheel drive on the fly and being automatic makes it easy for family members to ride. I have a plow for mine and it works great. I also use it to pull my 12' trailer around the yard. The only time that I was disapointed with its performace is when me and my buddies were pulling telephone poles that were piled up to a new location. My Kodiak just did not have that pulling power that the 350cc Honda's had. I was able to pull a few but the ones that I could not move the Honda's moved without any issues.

[Hiller]

Like bigbucks said, stay clear of the polaris's, I have seen more polaris's being pulled out of the trails at Wayne than any other quad. The polaris's just lack the engineering that suzuki, yamaha, and honda have. From my experience Honda's are bullet proof along with suzuki and yamaha. If you get a chance go look at a polaris and then take a look at any of the other brands. The design and poor engineering will stick out like a sore thumb on the polaris's. Just not a good quad at all. That's why the majority of quads you will see will be Honda 400ex, 450r, Z400, 450's and yfz 450's and raptors.