Need all the advice I can get on purchasing a quad! We live on an acreage and will be using the quad for work purposes as well as recreational (camping, trail riding). Have some questions regarding a Vinson 500 and an Arctic Cat 650. We like the AC for the warranty, ground clearance and suspension. My husband is quite interested in the Vinson and we have not heard too much about it. It obviously has the power, however, that is where my concern is as being a first time ATV'er, I am a little intimidated by the size of both the Vinson and AC. I also have an interest in the Eiger. We are just curious what would suit our needs the best - My husband (of course ) wants the size and power and I want want what will be comfortable to ride over a long period of time, what handles best and what will last us the longest as far as being used for both rec. and slight work. Any feedback will help!

 

well the eiger is a what i would call a friendly sized atv. its got good power but is not overly big. i would look into the eiger a little more as it is a good option. as for the ac they are naturally big but they ride really smooth. i dont blame you for not wanting something that big. you dont want to have a quad that your afraid of. both the eiger and the vinson are good quads, i have heard some stories about the vinson frame cracking.
do a search in the suzuki area on them you shoulod get lots of info.

hope i helped
kyle

 

I would go with the Vinson. If you are going to use it for work the extra size & power will go a long way. Not to mention it will last longer because of it's not as stressed as a smaller quad. It does cost a bit more but it's a better investment in the long run. Once you get your first quad you try and get one that you think will do what you want and most of the time it does; however, after a while you find out that you want a little extra power.

I started with a Vinson myself and was and am very happy with it. Once I test drove a King Quad I had to have one. Bigger isn't always better and the smaller quads will go most places the larger ones will with a little extra work but the extra power just makes it a bit easier.

 

you could look at the brute force 650..its in the 500CC price range and was atv of the year..if you husband wants alot of power then check it out

 

If you want a good first ATV go for the Yamaha Kodiak 400 or 450. I got my Kodiak 400 4X4 auto for $5,400. I've got 1600 miles on it and never a problem. You get a lot for the money. Good suspension, ground clearance, dependability, auto, and most of all it's not a gas hog like those 600 & 700's are. If you like being gone all day then a big bore is not a good option. Take it from me. Try coming to Alaska and crossing miles of the nastiest, muddiest, most watery bug infested swamp you ever been in. You'll be glad you had good MPG. You have to keep the rpm's up no matter what you drive in those conditions and doing that with a big bore is a good way to run out of gas quickly. But most of all stay away from Polaris. Come to alaska and see why.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

I too am an Alaskan rider and can say you can't beat the power/mpg combo you get with the Vinson. It will outlast just about anything.

 

I too vote for the Vinson. Another added benefit is that while the Suzukis won't ride as cushy as the AC, they are more stable at speed due to the solid rear axle and will generally handle better than the big AC. This adds a bit to the comfort zone if you are just starting out.

 

I agree that the Brute Force is a good machine. All I'm saying is just consider the type of riding you will be doing. The biggest bore and most power isn't always what's best although it is a nice luxury most of the time. If you're a first timer and money isn't an issue I would suggest a Honda Foreman 500 4X4 for durability and reliability. They aren't the most powerfull but they definitely get the job done. Their ride could also be a little better. My dad worked in Kotzebue, AK. for a housing authority for two years and 90% of the transportation was don by 4X4 atv's and 95% of all those he said were Honda's because they never had problems. If you've never been there then you can't even imagine the harsh conditions up there. Some will try to argue me but that just means they have never been to the remote areas of Alaska which is the ultimate testing grounds for an atv in my opinion.
I'm not saying other atv's are not good but that's just been my experience that Honda is obviously suited for the job if 5-10,000 other Alaskans will only bring a Honda to the bush. Oh, and by the way, allmost all of them were Honda Fourtrax 300 4X4's because all of the big bore machines would have problems starting after the second year because it is harder to crank over a large piston when it is -30 degrees F outside so they would often leave them running all day long. Sorry for the novel of a response.

P.S. I did see it first hand because I went to visit my dad for 2 weeks 60 miles outside Kotzebue.

 

Sorry Fannmann I disagree. I live in Alaska and belong to the Alaska ATV club wich has over 200 members and who knows how many non-members. We too ride in the remote areas and sub-zero temperatures on a day-to-day basis that you are talking about in your post and even though a 400cc quad is quite capable it is NOT what you want/need for these conditions. When you are packing out a moose, bear, or just hitting the swamp you want all the CCs you can get.

 

I would recomend the the BF650 or the Vinson. If dependability is the utmost of importance then a Honda forman or Vinson 5 speed manual, since all maual shifts are lower maintinace than belt drive automatics. I personaly think the BF650 is the best buy on the market today for a very, very good all around quad with loads of aftermarket stough out there on the market, since its a Prairie 650 in new plastic at a discount price. It is loaded with features. MSRP on the BF650 is only 200.00 more than the Vinson 500. The BF650 has big Bore power at a 500 price point. They sell around here in the 5800.00 range give or take a couple hundred.

I agree with scooter86 about how important it is to have a stable low center of gravity especialy for bigginner. I hate it when a bigginner gets into a tricky situation and ends up with a 800 pound AC or Polaris rolling over on top of them. I have been riding over 20 years and still hate that tippy fealing in off camber situations and it just gets worse the taller quad is. There are only 3 IRS quads out there that have a good center of gravity and a low seat hight IMO, and thats the Honda Rincon and both BRP's Outlanders the 400 and the all new 800.