Hello everyone I need your input on this one..........BAD........... :-)

I have a 2004 HONDA FOURTRAX RANCHER 4X4 ES, TRX350FE this 4wheeler has been a work horse and it has served me well. Lately I have been doing alot of trail riding, big pot holes, lots of rocks, mud, logs and so on. I have been finding that the 2004 HONDA FOURTRAX RANCHER 4X4 ES, TRX350FE with it's solid axle is not being very kind to my back. What ATV has the smoothest ride and can absorb shock better.
I love Honda but if I have to change to another ATV to get the ride I will..... my back will thank me later for it. I was looking at new Honda FourTrax Rincon and 2007 Yamaha Grizzly 700 Quad. Which one of these two or any other ATV would give me:

(1) Over all smooth ride (rock,logs, pot holes ect)
(2) Easy steering
(3) Power

Thanks for your time

 

By far the smoothest riding 4x4 would be a Polaris. You just cant beat the soft smooth ride of a Sportsman. I have a Rincon and a Sportsman. I love my rinny. It still rides smooth but has a sport feel to it rather than utility feel. I dont ride my Sportsman much anymore because the rincon handles awsome. If you want smooth ride over any obstical the sportsman is hard to beat. The grizz 700 is also a nice ride but they tend to feel tippy.

Smooth ride= Polaris
easy steering= grizz 700, Honda Rincon still very easy to steer
power= all of the above.

 

go with a independent suspension.....your back will love you for it

 

I've ridden several Kodiak 450s. They had a great suspension and plenty of power. Switching back and forth on the same day between a 450 and a Raptor 660 made me decide I wanted a Kodiak more than a Raptor.

 

The Grizzly 700 brings more to the table than the Rinny. More up to date technology, a very good ride, a snappier engine, and most of all power steering. The Rinny is a excellent bike in it's own right, but the Grizzly is a more complete machine. The only down side to the Grizzly is replacing the crappy factory tires. But you can have better tires and offset wheels (Gives the bike a wider stance and more stability) put on when you buy it. That way the wheels and tires can be rolled into what ever financing you choose.

 

A friend of mine has a Artic Cat and it is the smoothest riding quad I have ever been on. He says it is due to independant rear suspension with no sway bar.

 

I have an Arctic Cat, and i have to dissagree. It is far from the smoothest, which i also give to Polaris. But it does articulate better than the rest, due to its unmatched 10" travel. I would recommend riding a few and getting an idea for yourself

 

I'd say ride a few and decide. My Rincon really seems like a caddy cruising over the rough stuff, and it also handles well and can be hussle down a tight and rough trail supprisingly fast.

To me it seemed smoother than the Polaris machines I've briefly ridden, but I don't recall what tires were on it and that can make a big difference. The Rincon is also pretty light steering, but can kickback when you start bombing over really rough stuff. I suspect soon Honda will announce a power steering Rincon. If you want another Honda but with a cushy ride, the Rincon is their only machine with independent rear suspension. You will notice it lean a bit more in sweeping corners, but not much. Also there isn't much for compression braking below about 10 mph, so you do have to use the brakes on the really super-steep and sketchy downhills. Compared to my Foreman, it really glides over rough stuff.

The Yam with power steering, EFI, and a good belt drive auto is also appealing. Haven't ridden one of the new ones. A riding buddy just snagged a 650 Artic Cat and so far is quite impressed with it's ride. I haven't had a chance to try it yet.

 

Maybe your next utility quad shouldn't be a utility "quad". How tight of a trail will you be riding on, and how much utility work will you be doing? Or alternatively you could pick the ATV you want, and then upgrade the suspension after you buy it.

My plushest riding utility ATV is a Rhino that has super comfy Suspension seats, with four point harnesses, and a Lonestar suspension that has 15" of suspension travel with adjustable Elka Elite shocks at all four corners. It rides super plush, over any terrain, at any speed. Absolutely no contest in ride quality between the Lonestar Rhino and our Grizzly 700, the Rhino makes the Grizzly feel like a buck board wagon with steel wheels and no suspension.

But you need to decide how badly you want the ultimate ride, because a long travel Rhino wont fit everywhere, and 15" of suspension travel is spendy to say the least. Even upgrading the suspension on a 4x4 ATV can be expensive, but it works well when you're done.

Good luck.

 

I think the Polaris Sportsman has the best ride. Sportsman's due have their faults but not when it comes to a smooth ride.\