Honda's are very very reliable and Yamaha makes some pretty good machines. DO NOT EVER BUY A CANNONDALE!!! They make crap...

Had a Honda 300 4x4 and beat the crap out of it... Very strong for a lil' 300. Got a Yamaha Warrior 350cc 4x2 in 1998. Good machine, very fast and still running today. I quit the ATV scene for a while but I help my cousin out with mods on his Honda 400 EX... great machine. One of my buds has a tricked out Yamah Raptor 660. Gobs of power!! Some mechanical issues (had to replace swingarm and clutch after two years)... but he abused it thoroughly.

What kind of ATV are you looking to buy?? Sport, Utility, Sport-Ute??

 

edit: Oh yeah I too have had it on top of me.(its a guy thing) Just rolled it back over and went on my way. [/B][/QUOTE]

Reading that reminded me of something. I had only had my brand new Honda about 3 days and we had to move cows and used four wheelers. Well, my dad was on his 300 and we'd go up nose to nose and push each other, usually just spinning and starting to go up in the air together. Well, we decided to show off to my brother when he showed up. This time however, my tires grabbed his and climbed up and tipped over onto the back rack putting my on my back. I don't think it would have went over but dad grabbed it anyways. Another time I hit a little bank on the 300 and accidently grabbed the front break when I saw it coming and stood it up on the nose and it just stayed there. I think I was laughing before I hit the ground. I've also rolled the 300 a couple times and it didn't even die, just crawled back on and went. I also forgot to mention that Honda Utility ATV's are not made to go fast, mine tops out at 45 unless there's a good tailwind. Also, the biggest limiting factor on where you can go will be the tires. If you wear out a pair or can afford it right off get a good gripping replacement. Sorry, to go on again, but four wheelers are something I really enjoy. Later

 

First, thanks for all the great replies. For those of you who ask about what I want, I really don't know what's out there. I figured ATV's were classified into trail, racing, or in-between. I keep trying to get to the Honda dealer near home but always miss them. They close up at 5pm for crying out loud. Too damn early for my job. I'm thinking a little trail, some mud, there are lots of excellent areas out here that are logged by the paper company locally. Lots of cool "trails" left behind by the logging machinery. I don't need a rocket ship, but don't want a quad that is limited to only 45 or so. Does the 4 vs. 2 wheel drive generally make a huge cost difference? Is there a term for a quad that can handle a little air time? Say going over log piles and such? I don't want something with racks and stuff. Something fairly quick and agile I think. I've riden a couple Polaris before, seemed really big and awkward. I can't remember the models, but one was 4wd and auto, couple of racks. The other one was more fun, 2wd and more set up for gittin' it. I've been looking at some bikes also, but I've ridden several and I don't think that's my cup of tea. Only bad experience I can relate is I fell off of one at about 40 or so. Right off the back. Quads don't seem to do as well in the air as a 2 wheel bike. Landed really hard, lost my grip. But then I am NOT experienced either way and should not be getting airborne. (YET) Thanks for all the info, please post if you've got an opinion. Later, Blair

 

I forgot to mention one. The Bombairder(sp?) Traxter series sounds like something you might like. But they do cost a little more and i haven't anything bad about them either so thats good.. They have some neat options like a step though type design that is really neat and also their automatic trannies are pretty cool to and i don't they have belts but i could be wrong.

 

This summer i bought my first quad. 2002 Polaris 500 Scrambler HO. I admit i new nothing about quads and im still learning to ride. But i road 5 differnt quads one weekend and fell in love with the Scrambler. Its all in what you feal comfortable with and on. I road a 400 Scrambler, same as mine but it was a 2 stroke. A Yamamha Warrior, 2wd very rough riding felt to small for me. Then a Kawasaki Prarie, Didn't feel right, a litle heavy. A Poalris Sportsman. Too big for trail riding but killer mud machine. And a Kodiak. The best thing out the Scrambler is it looks like a sport quad but is a 4x4. It handels great jumps deacent, and is preaty fast.It has a true 4 wheel drive sysem When i flip the switch it locks all 4 wheels in. Its chain driven rear and shaft driven front. I payed 6500 out the door. it Listed for 5899. Al the rest was tax and tile and registration. Now the 2003 are a few hundred cheeper. It is a very durable and fun to ride quad. Full auto, i have rolled it quit a few times. And the worst damage i did was bend the top of the front stut tower a little. I have had it worked on twice. The first was my fualt. i tore the front cv boot and put the front hub back to gether wrong. That incident cost me about 500 bucks to fix. This time The motor started making this knoking noise. The dealer tore the motor compleatly down and found a stray washer in the bottom left over from assembly had broken one of the counter balance gears. The dealer said they had never seen anything like it before. Polaris paid for all the parts and labor under warrenty. Now if you want a 2wd which would same some money you could get a Polaris 400 2 cycle trailblazer. Same a mine but 2wd and 2 stroke. They make a 250 trailblazer and ive seen it for 2800 out the door around here.

I hope ive givens ome useful insight into you buying a bike.

 

My son (14) had been saving for one for a couple years. I finally found him one last december. It was exactly what he told me not to buy.( Poaris, chain drive, and 2wd). I found it on ebay and the guy only lived 3 hours away. '91 polaris trailboss 250. Over christmas I took it back to my gandparents in PA, and my son was really impressed with how it went. We spent an entire day just riding. I knew I wasn't going to great much for the money and year but we enjoy it. uess he'll have to save and buy the one he wants and let dad have this one. Oh no guess he's now saving for a Jeep. I guess we have to have a long talk about who dad works for and what he drives (how's that going to look.)

 

First off about the jeep. Point out how underpowered they are and how often they break. Then point him to the gallery here at the site and show him some 77' F-250 Short Box 4x4's with 460's. and decent lifts. If that doesn't work (and it should cuz its more towards his budget) break out the Full size crew cab F-350 SuperDuty Powerstrokes with 10" lifts and 38.5" tires


Secondly.

If you are a semi-skilled (or like to try really hard Rider get a used Blaster or a banshee if you can find one (blasters are fast...banshees are sick > )

If you just want to leisure ride get a Honda 4x4 whatever you can find, my buddy has a rubicon but I dont think thats in your price range, he let me drive it with mudzillas on it 4" lift etc; etc;

He can pull stuck chebbys out of the mud on trails > Funny how he never sees any fords to pull out except the odd exploder but...thats not a real ford truck :P Sorry to any exploder owners out their.


CK

 

Can't go wrong with a Honda !!! My brother has owns two of them and hasn't had bit of problems. I finally bought me a '02 Foreman 450S last summer from Lake Hill Motors in Mississippi. I believe they have the lowest prices in the country (got mine for $1400 under retail). A friend drove there from Texas and picked mine up along with his new one. Now that was a sweet deal... Here's their website- www.lakehillmotors.com. Good luck.