A buddy and I are considering buying a quad, for rec and hunting purposes. I know nothing when it comes to which brand is most reliable, who makes the best engines, etc. I haven't ridden a quad for quite a few years, and that was an old Suzuki 250. I am looking for something in the 500-600 range. Any suggestions anyone could provided would be much appreciated.

 

Are you both getting your own quads, or going in on one for the both of you?

 

We're going in on one. We're both 250+ lbs, but im 6 inches taller. We're not locked into any one brand, mostly because we don't know what to look for. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

I am also wondering how many miles would be considered too many for a 2002 Sportsman 500HO. There is a dealer near me with one, but its got 2800 miles. The reason it caught my eye was the inclusion of a Warn winch, upgraded tires, and the storage box on the back. They were asking 4300 for it.

 

Sounds like you are looking for a sport/utility. If by 5-600 range, you are talking about engine size, then you are in luck. There are a ton of good quads in this size range. On the sporty side you have the solid rear axle quads such as the Polaris Scrambler 500, followed by the Kawasaki Brute Force 650 and Suzuki Vinson 500. Leaning a bit more toward the utility side with independent rear suspension, you are looking at the Polaris Sportsman 500HO or maybe one of its Sportsman siblings, the Yamaha Grizzly, Arctic Cat and Honda both have a few models in that range also. Bombardier and Arctic Cat offer 2 person quads which might be something for you to look into. The great thing is just a few years ago, these were the big bore flagship models and many have a good assortment of features. My suggestion is take your time and do a ton of research. Also, be honest to yourselves as to what you want the quad to do. The Scrambler is pretty darn sporty and fun in that sense, but it won't be as practical for hauling big game out of the field. AC has some great hunting/fishing packages for there quads, but AC products are generally not happy at sportier trail ride paces.

Good Luck shopping!

 

I am partial to Honda's, although there are a couple of Suzukis I might also consider. They make an effort to keep the weight reasonable, and the weight low in the chassis for better stability. I personally would not have a belt drive, but lots of people have them and have no problems (they have improved over the years!). I also prefer the reliability and simplicity of a manual transmission, so I even pass up the excellent Honda automatics like the Rubicon. So, my choice in this class would be the new Honda Foreman 500, which is air cooled and has a manual transmission. It is available in ES (electronic shift) if you absolutely don't want to shift with your foot. Don't think you will find one used though.

One thing to note. Some machines (like the Polaris) sound powerfull with their big displacement, but if the machine weighs 200 pounds more than its competitors, that extra horsepower is just wasted hauling around a bunch of useless dead weight........think about it! Do yourself a favor and keep it under 600 pounds.

 

We're pretty sure we want to stick with an automatic. I have been browsing the forums and I am noticing that a lot of people are either reccommending the Sportsman 500HO, or the KingQuad 700EFI. Aside from the obvious differences, which one of these would offer the best value, especially being seperated by only a few hundred dollars?

Also, does anyone know where there might be a site somewhere on the web that would have reliability ratings, like a consumer reports for ATVs?

 

Bombardier make a two seater, but that might look a little funny with two big dudes on it [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img]

Anyway, I've beaten the living hell out of my 2002 Polaris 500HO RSE and it's taken everything I've thrown at it. In most cases it will keep up with a 700. It only gets left behind on steep (35 deg +) long climbs. It has been around for quite a few years and they are as close to bullet proof as anything on the market. If you really beat it, plan to carry an extra belt (they are cheap, like $30) as you can rip them up at will if you ride real nasty.

Mine will be going to my fiance to keep in the family when I grab a BF750 in the coming weeks.

 

Thank you to everyone who gave advice. We will be picking up a Suzuki King Quad tomorrow afternoon. After all the things I read in these forums, and from what the press says about that quad, it seems to be the best fit for what we want to do. (plus, we couldnt pass up the free 3 yr warranty that the dealer eventually offered)

 

Congrats on the new ride.