After a 4-Wheeling trip to Georgia (I live in Texas) this past weekend....I have to have an ATV.

 

I love my Rincon. Many complain that it lacks sufficient engine braking below 10mph. I dont go down any serious grades, so this isnt an issue for me. It rides super plush, handles great, and has enough power to get you going real fast! What kind of riding do you do? You kind of covered the whole spectrum with your ATVs listed. They go from full on utility, to sport, to sport utility.

 

Probably 80% trails, mudding etc. for fun and 20% for deer lease stuff. Gotta get mama one as well, so I may get her more of a sporty model by the same manufacturer that I buy mine from. That way I can have both. I rode a Polaris 500 this weekend and it was fun and went through just about anything I threw at it.

We had 3 Polaris 2 Hondas and 1 Kawasaki. The only 2 that did not have any issues were the Hondas. But that can be directly attributed to rider style.

 

i have had a polaris sportsman 500 for a few years and its been great. i will say it is used exclusively for big game hunting, it will ge me in to where i need to go and it will pull a dressed bull elk with no problem.

 

Like Wheel said, you kinda covered the whole spectrum!!

My wife rides the 660 Raptor. On your list it is by far the sportiest but still offers reverse. Don't think it'll work very hard as far as hunting or on the farm.

We added +2 control arms and +2 axle which got rid of ANY tippiness the Raptors are knocked for.

For the play bike I'd get the Raptor......for your hunting/work quad I don't know enough about 'em.

 

i ride a polaris it has been great but i don't like the auto tranny and the slow 4x4 engagment

 

I got two Polaris 500 H.O. sportsman. One is great, I plow with it, my kid flipped it, runs like a champ. The other is the biggest piece of crap. Its the 50th Edition. Nice looking, all decked out. But one problem after another. It's back at the dealer now. Both are 2004.5, bought at the same time. I would check and see how the dealer treats you. Mine has been great to work with. They have taken care of all the problems with the one. They may even trade it out for a 800 because of the problems. A good dealer is worth their weight in gold. You can also go to Quadsquad.com and look there. They are an ATV fourm and very good just like FTE. Good peolple to chat with.

 

I have an old Yamaha Kodiak. I worked with a guy that bought the Kawasaki 650 and he swears by it.

 

I ride a four wheeler everyday for work. We use them in place of horses for handling cattle and for towing and hauling feed, mineral, fencing or whatever. We have five and all are Hondas. 1 rincon, 2 fourman 450 es' , and two old 300's. They don't necessarily build the fastest most powerful atvs but they are by a huge margin the toughest and most dependable. We put from 12,000 to 15,000 miles per year on each of our atv's and they are almost always over loaded, over reved, and under maintained but they keep on going. The rincon is our newest and currently has over 8,000 miles on it and has much more than adequate power and the suspension is awesome. It has had no problems, only fuel added and oil and filter changed at about half the recommended interval. We have tried polaris and kawasaki and they were in need of several assorted repairs by 4,000 miles mostly engine and drivetrain (belt) problems.
For best deal by far on honda or polaris check the dealer in Chattanooga, TN. He has been under cutting other dealers by several hundred dollars to over a grand. One of our hands just bought a fourman 500 for himself and saved $1,800 over the best deal he could find here in GA.

 

I have a 660 Grizzley and I love it. It's strong, comfortable, has plenty of space in the seat and the racks. It also pulls great. It's a little cold natured though.

 

I vote for the Rincon Wegot one a few months ago and it's great. Like wheelma1 said the engine braking is not good, but its not that big of a deal. We put a warn winch on it and so far we have not needed it. I have even done a brakestand in the middle of the creek and it will not get stuck. It's also fast and pulls small trailers well.

 

Anouther good ATV forum is at highlifter.com the forum is under the mudhole link on their site.

 

We have 2 ATV's Honda TRX 300 4x4, and recently purchased a 05' Kawasaki Brute Force 750,,,The Honda, a 97' model, purchased new, has been a great machine, has been rolled a few times,,,takes a licking ,,keeps on ticking,,there tough,,but it's kinda outdated now.

The Brute Force is one awsome machine,,rather pricey though,, it has twice the ground clearance the Honda 300 has,, is alot bigger machine,, liquid cooled, v-twin, about 50 hp, was told by dealer, the engine braking is great, right down to idle.
The machine will putt around just off idle all day, or if you wanna kick it,,it has many times pulled the front wheels up 10" or so, for like 30' or so. It also is 2 or 4 wheel drive, which is a nice feature, but the thing is tough on your yard if your into rooster tails, in 14 hrs time on the clock we have some good ruts from Brutus (I call it),,LOL.

I'm sure the gas mileage is not that good compared to the 300, but if you go easy on it it should be OK.

The Honda is a 5 speed, auto clutch,,Brutus is auto,,belt driven, always in the right gear(which is true), no shifting,,just put it in gear (R N H L)and ride it. The Honda has proven itself over and over,,we will see on the Kawasaki.

At the Kawasaki dealer, last week, there was a used 04' 650 Prarie, for $5k with about 100 miles on it,,the guy traded it for a Brute Force 750, thats a pretty good deal. I would not buy a 2-wheel drive ATV, for general purpose use,,your gonna get stuck,,been there with 4x4, thats why Brutus has a winch on .

I looked at Polaris,,,Have 3 Polaris sleds,, but not sold on the 4x4 system,,dont like the angles on the front shaft, there over 100 lbs heavier then the Brute Force (604 lbs). ATV Magazine likes the Suzuki 700 ?? said it was a great all around machine,,buy what ya like I guess.

(sorry for the long post) Later,,,,,,,,Mark

 

i think u should get the sportsman 800. I rode a 500 and she dont good... But i've always wonted a yamaha grizzly 660 4x4! Any one know where i can find one that needs some work done to it?

 

Thanks for the info and replies up to this point, keep it coming