I've been riding sport bikes (aka crotch rockets to some people) for several years; have no problems pushing them hard. As the saying goes, everyone thinks they are better than they actually are, but I think that I'm a decent sport bike rider and I know (and try to stay within) my limits. Recently I had an itch to buy some quads and I knew that I didn't have any real experience riding things that go on dirt.

So I picked up a KFX 400 sport quad and a Vinson 500 utility quad because I wasn't sure if I would prefer the ride of a sport quad or a utility quad and didn't want to devote a great deal of money into a super performance utility / sport quad until I figured out my riding style. Coming from a background of riding sport bikes, I figured that I would prefer the KFX400 but in all reality, I prefer the <u>comforts </u>of the utility. Fully automatic CFT belt drive system and the much more plush suspension, I also like how the utility has 4 wheel drive (Love this for trail riding, don't have to get off the quad and lift it over fallen trees) and bigger fenders (keeps me less muddy) and full size floorboards.

So now that I have some riding experience on dirt, I am wishing that the 500 utility had a SIGNIFICANT more amount of power.

I have been shopping around for the past week and doing as much research as possible. I rode a friends Prairie 700 and was impressed with the get-up and go that it had vs my 500. The extra displacement along with it being a twin cylinder really made it come alive both right off the line and it kept pulling and pulling strong even at speed.

Just today I was at a Kawasaki dealer and rode a 07 carb 750 Brute Force and it feels (butt dyno) like it actually has a lot more GO to it than the 700 Prairie for the mere 50cc difference.

The feel of the 750 Brute Force is finally getting more in the league of what I'm looking for power-wise. I didn't get to really put the Brute 750 all the way through its paces in the dirt, up over steep hills, or over the bumps because the dealer didn't have a demo model (I was just able to ride a floor display model a little out front of the store because he wanted to keep it clean).

Some other things that I did notice besides it having so much more power than the 500, is the independent suspension and an actual locker for the front diff, neither of which are on my 500 and I believe both features would be valuable, again for the ride comfort (IRS) and the ground clearance as well as additional traction (locking front diff) climbing over rocks / down trees.

Then I've been reading a lot about people saying that Polaris Sportsman 800cc are great quads and I've heard they have the softest ride out of any utility. I'm wondering that seeing how I think the 750cc Brute feels considerably faster than the Prairie 700 due to the 50cc difference, I'm wondering if the Sportsman 800 is going to feel even that much more quick compared to the 750 Brute because it has another 50 more cc's. (I haven't rode a Sportsman 800, to get my own feel if it seems faster than the Brute 750)


A few other bits of information regarding my riding style and the utility, I don't care about load capacity, or towing, hauling, etc.. I don't pull trailers; I don't plow snow (although riding on it is fun). I would prefer the big bore quad to have a low range because I do sometimes pull my friends out when they get stuck (I'm the designated recovery vehicle) because I don't like to burry my quads in the mud, so I'm the one that stays high and dry and pulls my friends out when they burry theirs. I mostly like to trail ride and explore where trails lead to. I seldom jump when I'm on my utility, maybe 6 inches in the air over a small hill. If I want to attempt at catching some air, I just hop on my KFX400 and take it for a spin. I do like to hill climb (nothing too steep though).


So ultimately, here is what this long thread is all about. I'm interested in 2 major points in a utility. I would love to hear some recommendations mostly on the key information below, but also if you have something to add from the above information, please feel free to do so.

1. quick, Quick, QUICK. Especially low end grunt, that can get the quad moving from a dead stop or a slow 5 mph roll. I don't care if it can go 100mph, I would rather it be quick from 0-40mph . See, as weird as this may sound, when I ride sport bikes, 95% of the time, I just cruise 45-55mph on back roads like most people ride cruiser style bikes. However that other 5% of the time, I want blistering power and the sporty feel. I seldom ride my sport bikes past 100mph. I just like when they accelerate to 100mph in a blink.

So with the ATV's, the 750 Brute seems to fit the bill. I could stand to have even more grunt power, but in reality I don't think the Brute would bore me any time soon. But if an 800 does have considerably more power, let me know. (I know that there is a 1000cc that is supposed to be the King of power, but it is too much of a King for my pocket book)

2. Ride comfort. As you can see from above, I don't want it to be bone jarring. The KFX400 has enough GO for me, but the ride is too brutal for more than just a few minutes of sport quad fun. So with a utility, it must have a decently soft ride to it. For a basis, I can't really complain over how the Vinson 500 feels, it has a pretty soft ride to it (I even have the springs on the heaviest setting) and on washboard dirt roads, I can run it at speed without getting thrown around. I need this same type of soft ride in a big bore utility. Because I wasn't able to take the Brute over some heavy bumps or jumps, I don't know how soft the ride is. Is it comparable to my Vinson 500? Anyone know?

3. Price, I would like to keep the budget to $5k so that means I'm only interested in lightly used quads.

So far I haven't been able to find that many good used quads but I was able to dig up a 05 Brute Force 750 with 300 miles (seemingly well kept) for $4,400 before Tax, Title, Transfer. When I looked it up, in my area low book is $3,950 and what they call (Average Retail) is $5,195. Seeing how this quad has pretty low miles and in good shape, I'd think this is fairly decent price.


I know this is a long thread but in all, I'm still very undecided and looking for as much advice as possible. If you have any pointers, feel free to let me know. I'm just trying to be as educated as possible going into this next purchase.

 

I have the Brute Force 650I, 2007. I am very happy with it, fast, smooth, comfortable, solid foot area, locker, and darn near trouble free! this is the second Kawasaki I have owned and with regular oil changes and maint I haven't had to do anything to it ever! sounds like a good price and deal to me. thats low millage. best of luck on your hunt.

 

the sportsman is claimed as the caddy of the atv's. the new automotive paint looks alot better than the plastic colors. the brute sounds like a good deal. rumor has it that polaris is going to have big changes in the '09 models. might be a bunch of slightly used sportsmans next year. if you want to or can wait that long

 

If you want brute power get the Artic Cat ThunderCat 1000.
Next would be the Can Am 800 Outlander
The Polaris is good but the 800 is only 760 cc not any faster than a Brute 750.
These are all with in 3-4 lengths in a 100 yd race.

There is a lot more to an atv than top speed, 4wd/storage/ergonomics/ride/handling etc...... and for overall trail riding I chose the Polaris 500.

 

The Can-Am 800's (Outlander, Renegade) have what you're looking for in performance but will cost almost double your budget. I would expect the new Thundercat to be in the same category. I think the Brute is a good fit for your stated needs. It's been around long enough to have some very reasonable prices for good used models as well. If you run out of power in stock form there are plenty of aftermarket mods available. The Polaris 800 (actually 760) probably has similar power but is much heavier. But believe what they say about the smooth ride. My 05 Brute isn't even close to my old 98 Sportsman in the comfort category.