im new to this dont know anything about atvs i was thinkin about yamaha wolverine 450 4x4 cuz of the looks or the polaris hawkeye 4x4 cuz of the price im lookin for something to have fun muddin goin fast takin it out to the beach just havin fun im 5'8" 200lbs thanks for the help

 

well for mudding its not the fastest and not a yamaha or polaris but arctic cat is incredible in the mud with its 12' ground clearence and 10' suspension travel its full independent suspension and diff lock and 2' towing reciever it can tow 1050 lbs and its rack capacity is huge too it was my choice for my first bike and i dont regret it i bought a 400 4x4 auto with full independent suspension and i goes approx. 50 mph but it goes through everything and i think its either the same price or cheaper than either of the other bikes and its got all the bells and whisles and im 5' 10 250 lb and my bike doesnt even know im there good luck

 

I like the Suzuki Eiger, it is also a 400cc and goes about 55mph. I have fun with it in the mud and is the most quad for the money I think. I have riden the rancher, and an older yamy but love my eiger, it takes everything that I can throw at it and then some. The AC is also a great quad just a little more money, the ground clearance is great, the IRS in nice, and it has a locker. Hopes this helps.

 

thanks guys havent looked into the cat or the suzuki but ill look into it thanks for the help

 

well sorry guys now im kind of changing my mind now im thinking about suzuki z400 my friend has '02 says he likes it what do u guys think about it

 

lol the z400 is a totally different class of bike

You gotta figure out where your going to be riding, what the conditions will mostly be, who your riding with is huge and what they are riding.


what are you going to be doing with it?


Hunting?
Fishing?
work?

If your just going to ride it and nothing else then see what your buddies are riding and try to one up them just a little bit [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]


If their on sportbikes and you buy a utility bike then you might not be too happy with it

 

Choosing the right utility quad is a difficult decision. For some (like me when I started) – we really don’t have the experience with ATV’s to fully know what we might end up useing it for – we just want to get into riding one. For others there is a more defined use and expectation. Some want to trail ride with friends or join clubs and make new friends, some want to use it as family recreation or some want it for hunting. And some owners are into more technical or competitive riding in mud or up mountains where a specific use helps dictate specific features or functionality. Unfortunetly many first time buyers do not look at the full lineup of different manufacturers before they buy and later find themselves regretting not doing that.

For the most part all of the major ATV brands are pretty close in areas of dependability and reliability, ease of maintenance, parts availability, performance, top speed etc etc. Some brands stand out slightly more then others but there is no cast in stone rule that says a Honda will out last a Kawasaki – truth is, more has to do with how you drive and care for the machine. I’ve seen plenty of trashed out Honda’s over the years. My brother has one that has been a POS lemon since day one. My cousin has a 98 Arctic Cat that looks and runs like new. Arctic Cats are not fast and some say always in the back of the pack - but they pass the broke down, stuck in the mud and tipped over quads on the trail.

Most important to the “right” machine is what you intend to use the machine for.

If you are like me then you want to have the best all around most useful machine that you never regret purchasing…ever.

A perfect ATV! I wish they made one - but they don’t!

Way to many variables! Your decision should be based on the full spectrum of what you intend to use it for - that deserves the most pre-purchase thought and attention.

There are so MANY uses - trail riding, hauling, mudding, swamping, mountain riding, transportation, recreation, riding together with friends, carrying a passenger, carrying loads of dirt, towing trailers, rock crawling.. I know one guy who’s specific and only use if his ATV is to ride it in Parades! His needs are way different as are the needs and options for all of these uses. But unless your really really lucky – you likely get to choose only one machine to meet all of your needs no matter how diverse they might be.

For us – I knew after the first ATV went over backwards with the wife and I on it – that we really needed a two rider ATV. Polaris, Bombardier and Arctic Cat make those. But since starting to deer hunt (which I NEVER thought I would do) my eyes have turned to a Arctic Cat TBX for its multi-function rack options and that rear box to carry my deer stand on. Not having any chance at getting that - I have taken full advantage of the MRP options using my Artic Cat MRP rackage. A look at my PICs here will expose the over indulgence in accessories for my TRV with both hunting and ice fishing and other equipment attached there to. Again – who’d of thought! When I bought my first ATV I never imagined my using one for ice fishing or hunting - Never. Now look at it. 1st Runner up for the Beverly Hillbilly’s truck.

The point is – its all about options and Flexibility and Specifications.

Not all ATV’s score high in all of these areas. I think Polaris has likely the 2nd best score in the O F S (options and Flexibility and Specifications) area as they do have a few box choices, accessories and bag options and their specifications are pretty good –

But first place has to go to Arctic Cat as their catalog of Speed Rack (MRP) options are 2nd to none and the flexibility to re-provision the machine for whatever mission is required is unmatched by any manufacturer. The Arctic Cats own the specifications area also with the best ground clearance, IRS and ruggedness over any other brand. In the 400 and 500 class of machines the Artic Cat is the value choice for single and two rider quads. Go out and price them. If your into arm pulling raw power the new 700 is outrageous in performance.

As I said - I hunt with my machine. This means I'm not on ATV trails and I'm often a ways from anyone else. And it means that I'm carrying everything with me. Tree stands, bows, arrows, food, dry clothing, rain gear, back packs, fanny packs, electronics, ropes, knives, lanterns, stoves, water sometimes sleeping bags and tents.... geesh - a pickup truck load of stuff! but with the plug-in Arctic Cat baskets, equipment racks, tool holders, bags, boxes - well.. its all there - SECURE - and functional. And towing a trailer! (gotta have something to haul that buck back with..)

Ok – so I’m a little biased about the Arctic Cats. After previously owning 3 Polaris and 1 Honda I will claim a little expertise and beg a little leeway... I did put a lot of work into considering the O.F.S. of each brand BEFORE I bought the AC's.

Whatever quad you choose – just be sure to give it a LOT of thought and try to see how flexible each brand is going be and how satisfied you are going to be with your decision.

Good luck!

 

well thanks for the help guys i went to the polaris dealership and looked at the hawkeye 4X4 i liked it so i'm more likely going to end up with that one cuz of the price, it fits in my truck(well it looks like it does), it goes about 45mph, and its 4X4 for some of the fishing, hunting, muddin, and riding trips i'll be doing thanks again for the help

 

i havnt ridden the Hawkeye yet, but it looks like its definatly the best 325cc and lower quad out there with all of its features. There have been some problems on the Hawkeye that you might need to look out for, try and do a search on here and see. WhoDatinDaMud, you sound like an Arctic Cat salesman lol.
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2004 Polaris Sportsman 700 (Green)
'27 ITP 589 M/S Tires
on ITP Type 5 Wheels
3000 lb. Warn Winch
3-Way Headlight Mod
High Lifter Lift Kit

2004 Polaris Sportsman 500 Mossy Oak - STOLEN
2001 Honda Rancher ES 350
Winch
Sold

 

I've heard of a couple different probs with the hawkeye as well. One of them being the a-arm mounts breaking off and not being covered under warranty. I forget the other issue. In my list of pre-req's for an atv, one is that it not be a first year production quad, like the hawkeye.