With my 03 Eiger, I can not tell the difference in steering effort or turning radius in 4wd. Also its 376cc 4 valve OHC engine propells it much faster than my buddies 04 Honda Rancher with the 425cc.

I love my Suzuki and would definitely buy one again.

Mike

 

I got a 07 Kawai 360 4x4 and whenever my buddy comes riding on the trails with me on his 03 honda 400ex, he always manages to get stuck and I would always have to pull him out. Granted they can smoke me on a straight line, but on the trails, 4x4 is a must when it gets rocky, muddy, or wet. My buddy doesnt have any problems riding on wooded trails...but things get rough, he wishes he got a utility 4x4 quad like mine



PS. I just added a K&N air filter, HMF slip on pipe, and a DynoJet jet kit and I can keep up with him up till 25mph. HUUUGE gains.

 

If you trying to pick a between a sport and utility try looking at the Yamaha wolverine. You can select 2wd or 4wd and buy an aftermarket rack.

 

Thanks for all the replies. Sorry i haven't said anything, but I have had the flu for the last few days and 4 mile hike in the woods to get some pics just wasn't an option. So, here are the pics. It was getting dark, so they aren't great, but you get the idea. The deepest mud I could find was only about 6" deep and it has rained here for weeks. Some of the pics show the problem hill and some of the hard root to get over. Right now I am looking at an '02 Cannondale 440 in mint shape that also has a set of really good mud tires. Any opinions? I think a 4x2 with a winch is the way to go. How hard it it to install a winch?

 

 

Any ATV can make it up any hill (with exp) You need momentum and skill. Once you start its like marriage, you have to commit. If you need pointers send me a message.

 

Not sure about the Wolverine, but I know you can get racks for the Scrambler. The lack of a low-range prevents the Scrambler from being much of a utility quad though.

Nope. With the AWD system Polaris uses, when you push the button you still have the light steering effort of being on 4x2 because it doesnt send power to the front tires untill the back tires start to lose traction.
Also, unlike other quads where you have to select between 4x2, 4x4 and full-lock mode, Polaris' AWD system takes all the thinking out of it. Just push the AWD and enjoy the ride.

 

> I use my winch as a last resort and not a game plan.

If you do not have the money for a 4x4 ATV, a winch is a good game plan. Just like a spool is for a 2x4 truck.

I wish I had the money to buy a front and rear locked 4x4 with a winch front and back for everything I took off road ;-)

 

We make it just about anywhere a 4x4 will make it on our 2wds. My 450 will outclimb just about any 4x4 just because its light enough to throw around and its got the power to spin em like crazy. The blaster is tiny, and stays up outa the ruts. If you want to save alot of money, and have a better rig for the trails, get a 3 wheeler. We've got 2 185s's, a 200s and a yamaha 200, and they do the best out of any 2wd in the mud and water. They only have one front wheel to push through, so they usually float better and keep on trucking.

 

Those 3 wheelers scar me to death lol!

 

I'm not real fond of the three wheeled death rods either. Can't really make out a hill in the pics, but with skill you can do most anything. As to the cannondale, it had a limited production and I would think that parts may be hard to locate and expensive. I'd lean more toward the big 5 manufacturers- Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, Kawasaki, and Polaris. Personally I would go honda, yamaha, or suzuki. I'm not real fond of kawasaki, and sorry polaris, but I like to shift myself. Also don't forget the 2wd utility quads, and for trail riding in general, avoid two strokes like the blaster, banshee, 250R, and LT250R.

 

Thanks for the opinions. I checked on the parts sitaution today. There is a local Honda Yamaha etc... dealer next town over that says that they don't stock Cannondale parts, but they can get them no problem. The hill was hard to take a picture of, I just could not get the correct angle. The fourth pic from the bottom shows a root that is about 12" above ground in relation to my foot. I am pretty sure I could get up it or find another way around. I talked to a guy that has a 400EX and he said that he gets up with out an issue, but he has tons of experience.

 

If you know how to ride a 3 wheeler, and the're set up right the're not "deathrods". I flip the 450 more than any of the 185's or 200. And yes, avoid the 2 strokes for trails. The blaster does good, but tends to foul plugs from not being ran hard enough out there.

 

Thanks chrono4. I know I would flip a 3 wheeler doing something stupid at one point. I am sure you can do it just as easy with a sport 4 wheeler, but I like 4 wheels. Good advice about the 2 stroke. I would never have thought about that.

 

Wow...I dont really know where to start here...

First off...3wheelers are NOT deathrods. The more you preach that they are, the worse our sport becomes. A 3wheeler takes more skill to ride, in that you have to lean a lot more and use more body english than you would on a 4wheeler. 3wheelers got their bad name, because back in the '80's, it was cool to let your 8 year old son ride a 250R and helmets were laughed at. No offense dude...but it pisses me off when people call these things "death machines" or "kid killers". 90% of the people who say these things have never ridden a 3wheeler...let alone even sat on one. Thoes that do have experience, usually got it from watching some dumb*** parent letting their kid ride one and watching them get hurt.


Now, back on topic:

Since you are new to the ATV scene, then you are going to want a 4x4 for the trails you described. I "built" my trails using a ATC250SX and a Honda Foreman 450 4x4. I now have a Raptor 700 and can ride on ALL my trails with ease (and a lot faster I might add). I can do this because I have been riding since I was 7 years old. I can make your trails look like a walk in the park.

However, if I were you, I would ask your friend if you could ride his 400EX and see if you can make it through all your trails. If not, see if you can bypass some of the worse spots and save them for your 4x4 buddies.

And whatever you do...stay away from Poolaris! They suck big ones