I am new to the sport of ATVing and was wondering which quad is better for me, the
2003 Yamaha Wolverine or the 2003 Polaris Scrambler 500. I am a big guy, about 6'2"
300 lbs. and was wondering what the pros and cons were of these two quads and any
other info about them. I plan to do mostly trail riding but might do some dune riding and
jumping, also I want to use it in the snow so I would prefer a 4x4, but have been hearing
from some dealers that 4x4 doesnt make that much of a difference. Personally I think
they are just trying to sell me what they have in stock, but it would be interesting to hear
what experienced people have to say. Thanks.

 

Scrambler all the way. I copied this from what I said in the scrambler vs warrior discussion

The wolverine has nothing on the scrambler. First of all it is a 350cc air'oil cooled machine. Which is has NOTHING on the 400 or 500cc liquid cooled scramblers. It is also shaft drive with a solid axel which is not as sporty as the scramblers swing arm and chain drive. Also the scrambler has a lot better suspension. The wolverine is an auto clutch manual tranny compared to the scramblers fully auto tranny. Personally, if I had to shift, I would like a clutch to dump. The wolverine is also full time 4wd with a limited slip in the front compared to part time TRUE 4wd on the scrambler. That means it would be really hard to powerslide the wolverine As well as you can't do burnouts or donuts. The scrambler is a hell of a lot better machine than the wolverine. There are actually a lot of discussions on the wolverine VS the scrambler found here. There are plow kits available for the scrambler, however it wouldn't be the best vehical to plow with due to the lack of low range. Believe me, when it gets really bad, 4x4 makes a big difference. You would not believe what this thing will go through. The scrambler fits "bigger" people better as well. The scrambler is a great all around machine, you can't go wrong with it

 

go with the wolverine i copied this from scrambler vs warrior.

the wolverine has more ground clearence.the wolverine is 5 speed so you could catwalk.the wolverine looks better. the wolverine has two brakes not no single leaver braking,the wolverine is shaft and the scrambler is chain on chain driven bikes you have to lube the chain after every trip and get it tightend alot.and and the wolverine is cheaper.

 

Sorry markbanger but you're leading this fellow into a bad decision....at 6'2" and 300# he would look like a bull riding a cowboy instead of vice versa. The scrammy would be the better choice.....there's a good comparison of the Scrammy and an Outlander in one of the recent magazines, can't recall which. BigBad pretty much nailed it.

 

Look at the other recent post on this and you’ll get lots of useful information.
I’ll restate a few of the Wolverine’s shortcomings.
(1) Very little power and nothing you can do to increase it
(2) Full time 4X4 sucks when you want to horse around throwing mud and doing donies
(3) Light duty, which would not be the best set up for a 300# rider
(4) Auto clutch manual tranny, great for beginners but irritating sounds and performance for experienced riders
A good quad for lighter beginners, but not a lot of fun for full sized riders wanting to haul *** and raise hell

The Scrambler's sized better for you, and for another $500 you can add 10 more HP and a clutch kit. That gives you a full sized 4X4 with performance on par with all the big bore 4X4's.

 

Yeah its true the scrambler is deffinetly a better machine. Just go to the dealers and compare the two, the scrambler is a lot more heavy duty. It has good gas shocks all around and its more sporty, and it is nice to take it out of 4 wheel drive. I had a buddie who bought a big bear, it was all time 4 wheeldrive, he said he didnt care. he had it 6months and said he wished he could take it out of 4wd. You get what you pay for. You know my fatherinlaw just bought a bombdier outlander, and I gotta tell ya I was impressed with the thing, esspecialy for 4950.00. Good luck

 

the wolverine is a better bike <u>but</u> for a 6'2" 300 pound man it would be bad go with the scrambler.

 

The Scrambler is alot more fun and would be better suited for your size. The Wolverine and all time 4x4 sucks, you would really want the option to take it out of 4x4 after a while.

 

Sorry if I cover something that someone already went over. I just saw the initial post and had to say....

Scrambler, Scrambler, Scrambler!

I traded my 2003 Wolverine in for a new 2001 Scrambler 500 4x4 holdover and I haven't looked back! The Scrammy is better in every way. The only thing I don't like is the weight, and it's weird to load in the back of the pickup unless you get a run at the ramps, and also, the Scrambler drinks a lot more gas than the Wolverine because of the auto tranny. Other than those nitpicky things, the Scrambler is way better.

4WD only is just not fun. It's great for a begginner, but I found the wide turning radius on the Wolverine to be a pain in the ***. Shifting got old on the first day. Especailly if your use to dirt bikes or ATVs with a clutch. You'll be pulling the brake lever every time you shift for the first few rides and you'll feel like a Gumby. You'll always look for a taller gear when your in 5th. It just winds too high at 50 mph. Foot pegs are fine for a sport quad, but you'll hate pingging a log or rock off your foot when you shift up.

WolverineX

 

i agree with the statement you made about looking for another gear after 5th......it winds out at 50 mph but it gets up there pretty fast......MY ARCTIC CAT 250 4X4 WINDS OUT AT THAT! but it dont get there as fast as a wolverine but thats still pretty sad.....why go 50 and wind out the engine when you can do 60.....65 + on a scrambler....ALL TIME 4WD ISNT FUN!......if the wolvering got better suspension,bigger engine, and longer gears or maybe a 6th gear then it would have a chance to compete with a scrambler