I am trying to find a decent utility ATV to zoom around the countryside in. i live in the Kettle Moraine part of Wisconsin, so there are a lot of steep slopes and large hills. would a Bayou be the right choice. If you have any other suggestions as to what i should get, i am looking for a mid-sized 200-250cc utility ATV.

 

what about the suzuki ozark. it was rated the best in the class and is still quick for a 250. i have one and it is the best choice i could have made. i havent had any problems with mine besides the sticky shifter but it seems to be getting better over time. i dint really know anything about the bayou so i can compare the two. good luck and go with the suzuki.

 

I might be able to help. I use to own a '94 220 Bayou. It was my first ATV. It was a good reliable ATV. Back in its day, it was hard to beat until the Honda Recon came along. The Recon does everything better, stronger,faster,better suspension and handled better. My wife has a Recon. It was the best ATV in its class until the Ozark came along. I got my daughter an Ozark a few months ago. Now, it does everything better than the Recon. The Ozark is stronger, faster, better suspension and handles about the same or maybe a little bit better than the Recon. The Ozark smokes the Recon in a drag race, by the way. If I were you, I'd get the Ozark. It might cost a litte more but its worth the price. The recon is a good quad too but I'd still get the Ozark. Hope this helps!

 

I have a 97 Bayou 220 and it has been very tough and very reliable. Bought it used so I have no idea what it had been through before I bought it but it has been great. Very versatile. Also keep in mind that motorcyles and atvs are the only a small part of what Kawasaki does. It is big in the industrial market with high speed railway and bull dozers. Can you imagine Kawi not applying the same industrial engineering knowledge and standards to their atvs as their industrial products? Me niether. What other atv manufacturer applies this knowledge??? This is where the sealed oil-disk rear braking system technology came from for the P650 - somehting to think about.

 

Bayou 250 is the best...period

 

get the bayou my friend has a 1997 220, everyone beats the sh** outta that thing it it still running strong and out wheeling 500's

 

Get the Ozark! If you had to split the 250 Utility class in half, you would have the Bayou and Beartracker at the bottom and the Recon and the Ozark at the top. With the Ozark being at the very top. Hands down simply the best. Period.