New ATV ?
 

I'm planning on purchasing a new ATV in the next few months... I've been looking in the paper and I see 10 year old machines going for $2500 on average and new ones in the $3300 range.

The local Polaris dealer has a 2006 Hawkeye 300 2wd IRS for $3300 that he really wants to move on and a 2007 Trailboss 330 2wd Solid rear axle for $3600 plus about $350 in rebates and $350 in free accessories. I like both of them, the Hawkeye has a speedo and warning lights and single lever 4 wheel brakes, the Trailboss has a huge cool factor, higher ride height, but no speedo warning lights and a rear axle brake rather than wheel end brakes. I didn't have a chance to test ride them, although the dealer was pretty anxious to get me on one for a test ride. I've taken the safety course and ridden a Kawasaki Bayou 4x2 300 for a few years but its beat and old and really needs a lot of work.

Anybody have one or both of these machines or any suggestions?

The Trailboss with the solid rear axle will want to sink in mud like crazy IMO.

How does IRS give an advantage in mud? I really won't be riding in the mud, it doesn't rain much here anyway. Snow would probably be a larger concern, but it really only snows in the mountains. Its mostly going to be for riding around, not for street use.

The only real advantage is IRS will allow both rear wheels to stay on the ground (or atleast you hope so) and the two wheel do not have to be level with each other. You'll get better traction. For light mud it really doesn't matter. I have a '96 Polaris with a solid rear axle and have been stuck once. The mud was like quicksand. I couldn't see either rear tire, so I would ahve espected it to get stuck. I have been through mud upto the seat without an issue. I really wouldn't worry about it. If it was up to me, I'd just get the Trailboss. It looks cooler!

We got a couple 4 wheelers but one is a Honda Rancher 350 2wd that is great. It is in that price range to. I looked at the honda, polaris, and yamaha but the rancher was just a much better 4 wheeler IMHO and it does great in some snow and mud. We also got some friends with them that beat the tar out of them and they wont die.

If I was to buy one, Honda would be the first place to look for sure. I don't know how set you are on Polaris, but it wouldn't hurt to check out Honda.

Who are you dealing with at Yellowstone?..If it is Bill make sure to tell him you want a free hat..Go to atvfrontier.com or atvquadsquad.com and do a search on both..Personally I would go with the (out of those 2) Traiboss, the cool factor, newer, and I know how the engine/susp holds up..You can add a speedo, I don't know how much the factory ones are but maybe your $700 in rebates and free acc would cover it..The Polaris website (another good place for info) says it comes with a HI-Temp light..Does this one have the engine braking added on?..My BIL has the Magnum 330 for a couple of years, about the same size and style as the Trailboss but in 4x4 and a low range, and jumped (3-4 ft of air), rolled (soft, nothing broken), and drowned (found a deep hole in the yellowstone) it..Has held up great..I do suggest getting out and test riding as many different brands and styles as you can..Hi-Tech did my FIL pretty good on his Suz, everyone else has Polaris and he just had to be different..LOL..Oh yeah, you said you want one just for riding around and not for the street..If you are riding on Forest Service roads you have to be street legal..Let us know what you end up doing..

first of all where will you be riding and what will you be doing with it. If you are going to use it to pull things than go with a sportsman like machine. but if you want a machine that you want to use just to ride then I'ed go with a polaris 500 scrambler 4x4, that is a great machine, I never had a problem with it and I could go anywhere that I wanted on it and never got stuck. I been on and around ATV's all my life and has ridden many four wheelers and the scrambler 500 is the best and has plenty of power. I've drag raced a polaris predator 500 and kept up with him. We used to ride in the coal hills of PA, before we sold all four of our Atv's and bought a polaris victory motorcycle 100 ci

I was talking to Wayne at Yellowstone...

I would buy a Honda, but the guys at MT Honda are the rudest pricks you ever met, I have a Honda Motorcycle and I dread going in there, just the way they eyeball you and treat you like crap and follow you around. The parts guys are pretty good, no complaints there, just the sales department sucks eggs.

Hi-Tech is okay, but I don't like Suzuki very much, Yamaha is okay, but they are $4300 for a lesser capable machine (not as much clearance, cheaper design on the rear suspension)

I just had a really good experience at Polaris... and they have what I want, I think... I really need to get on it and test ride it.

I like the Scrambler 500, but its $7K, about $6K out of my price range... its something I'm going to finance about half the cost on, I have the remainder in cash.

I'll look around a little more... I want to have it by the middle of july... I'll be able to pay for it in cash if I wait til then.

Stay away from the Trailboss'. It's got problem written all over it. And the Hawkeye is nothing but foreign crap. Neither will hold up for long.

Seeing as they have been making the Trail Boss since 1985 I can't see any problems... can you enlighten a little bit? I'm also pretty sure that they are both made in the USA, which can't be said for any other ATV manufacturer (I'm not sure about Bombardier/BRP though)

every kawasaki (sp) ive ever rode was fast as hell

Matt

I had a Bayou 300 and it was a good machine, now the Bayou is a small machine (250 cc). I like the Prairie 360, its more comfortable to ride and has more power, and can haul a lot more weight, but the price is much higher too, its $4600 compared to $3600 on the Polaris. On a positive note, I get along with the Kawasaki dealer here.

Well the four wheeler is going to have to wait...

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Screw the 4 wheeler, that's a sweet bike! Congrats.