I'm thinking of purchasing a Kodiak 450 4x4 and would like to have opinions from those who've ridden this machine to see what they think of it. Has reliability been good? Any problems with this machine? I've ridden Honda for years and was thinking of switching. Thanks.

 

I can't tell you much i've only had mine 2 weeks. Only problems i've had so far is i had to adj. the headlights up then the bulb went out in the left side. Other than that i think it's gonna work out great, we do a lot of trail rideing thru woods and creeks.

 

Well I can't tell you too much about reliability because my Kodiak 450 is new and it is my first one, I bought a 2004 left over. I can tell you that I am very happy with this bike. I read up on it quite a bit on these forums and spoke to many yamaha owners and everyone seems to have very little trouble from the kodiak. The main reason I went for the kodiak vs the honda is because it is just plain ahead of the honda in new technology that I can use, (disc brakes, dif lock, hi / low range, auto v belt tranny) I will never shift gears manually again,and now IRS in the rear. The honda just seems to be old technology, don't get me wrong the honda is a good reliable bike, but I wanted more than the same old. Also the yamaha offered better ground clearance and was cheaper. I have about 300 kms on my bike now and love it, plenty of power and the push button 2wd to 4wd and diff lock work great, you wont be disapointed if you decide to go with the kodiak.

 

I think you'll be happy with a Kodiak 450. I'm sure you have read all our post about the problems with the rear brake noise. It is not as big as a problem as it sounds. It's about the only problem that us kodiak owners can find to whine about. It seems that after getting the rear brake dirty it squeaks some. Just had mine cleaned out and 50 miles later it's starting again. Some people dont even pay attention to it Others say it will go away. It's one awesome machine and I get exicited evertime I see it!!! I'm just one of those people that pay attention to every little thing. Some guys I ride with never have even checked there oil on there Kodiaks for 3 years and one is riding on the oil it came with. I showed them where all the check vavles were and how to do a few other mantinace items and all they want to know is where to put the gas in at! I would'nt trade it for 3 polaris's or 2 hondas!!

 

The weak headlights and squeeky back brake are about the only complaints i have.
I still have a honda foreman, and bought the kodiak for the wife and kids...and now i end up riding it, I like it that much.
I like the sound of the exhaust and the way it really rips when you nail it.
The kodiak offers a lot of features for the price... the best cvt, diff lock, and choke that works great, disk brakes all around, and a good sporty feel for a 4x4.
I'm happy with mine.

 

make the switch to yamaha and never look back !
I had a 2004 rancher 350 ES before the kodiak, and it is night and day difference
same mid size machine , more power, fully auto, low range, diff lock, soft seat , independent rear susp, spin on type oil filter, tool less air filter removal, adjustable front and rear susp. spring preload. no goofy reverse shifting procedure. starts in any gear... well... forward or reverse. did I say it hauls as*......

 

I've got an '04 Kodiak 450. It's great. Plenty of power. Max speed was 61mph on street. Good in mud. Whan going through alot of puddles. You must pull some drain plugs as it can bog. The new rear independent suspension is great on the '05s. It's been a great ATV, but, if you got the money...go with the extra power of the Grizzly.

 

I haven't had mine that long, but I'm already in love with it. Good power, climbs well, you CAN powerslide it when you want, or just use the low end grunt to pull yourself right up most reasonable hills. Good ground clearance, great ride, cushy seat, great 4WD control system w/Diff lock and 4 wheel independant & adjustable suspension, Hi/Low range and cheaper than a Honda. Not knocking Hondas, but for the money I think you're getting more bike.
I haven't had any brake noises yet, but then again I haven't used it for a mud-going submarine yet either.
The closest thing I have to a complaint about the machine to date is the headlights. They could be a bit brighter. I adjusted mine up from factory settings though, which made a huge difference. I think I'm going to try the Super-white 55w bulb upgrade after Christmas. And hey, you can always add some auxillary lights for nighttime trail riding anyway. If that's the only downside to the machine, that ain't bad.
I highly recommend it. Go get one. You'll love it.

 

You know, Honda would sell a lot more bikes if they could just figure out that people do like disc brakes and differential lock. Not all of us buy stuff for the name printed on the side panels.

Kodiak is probably the best in its class. I'd say Arctic Cat 400 for best value in class, but best quad I have to go with the Kodiak all day.

 

I think Honda finally heard enough about the disk brakes...for 05, the foreman line gets disk brakes in front.