Hey guys. I'm been a fan of ATVs since I rode my grandmother's on her farm in VT when I was a kid. Now that I've saved some money, I want to buy my own. I've already decided that I want a utility quad, but other than that I have no idea what I should get. I plan on riding mostly at a concrete plant (200 acres of dirt, mud, rocks, water, sand and gravel piles, and hopefully lots of snow this winter). I'm also interested in getting a plow to clear the snow from my average-sized stone driveway and, if I'm feeling generous, my neighbors' driveway(s) too. I'll also probably use the machine for pulling small trailers of leaves and brush. Trailing riding is also something I'm interested in, but probably nothing too fast or fancy. I'm 6'2" and 220lbs and will mostly ride alone but sometimes ride double. I prefer a manual with an automatic clutch, but a fully automatic is also okay. Manual with a clutch doesn't really interest me. I'm looking to buy new and spend around $5000 to $7000.

First of all, what do you guys suggest for a good first ATV. I've had some experience riding a utility ATV (a big Yahama utility, no idea what model or year) on a hilly farm and on some non-technical trails. I'm not sure what size is best, but I hear anything about a 400 is probably good for my size and what I want to do. I've looked at the websites of Polaris, Yamaha, and Honda mainly because those are the manufacturers I know of. Who else should I check out?

Secondly, what do I need to know about going to a dealer? Is it like buying a car? Can I haggle for a good price? If I put a lot of cash down, will I get a better price? What's the financing like on ATVs?

And finally, anyone know what laws and regulations affect ATVs in Massachusetts? As far as I can tell, you only have to register the ATV if you don't drive it exclusively on private property.

I appreciate any help you guys can offer. Thanks.

 

Would one of those Bombardier two seats be a good choice for him? I keep hearing not good things about going double on single-seat atvs.

Good gosh, yes, haggle! Try to get some ads for reference prices. If you don't haggle, you will probably be getting gouged. Even the new, desired, Honda 450R is arleady being advertised for several hundred off MSRP, and it hasn't even shipped yet...but the local dealer I casually asked about Z400s (model has been out for over a year) said MSRP for an '04. :-P

Depending on what model, you should be able to search the forums to find out a good OTD (out the door) price. There are lots of potential fees and crap, so you'll want to talk to dealers more in terms of OTD pricing.

Not that I've actually bought one yet myself.... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

I don't think I'll be riding double enough to warrant the two seater. It is pretty cool though.

I called two dealers today asking for prices on the Sportsman 700. I figured that would give me a good upper limit on what I can expect to pay. The first dealer said $7199 and wasn't interested in haggling even when I told her I was paying cash (which I'm not doing). The second dealer told me the MSRP and said if I came in we could talk about pricing.