Never owned a Quad. I am moving to a place with land going into a mountain wth trails on top. Looking to buy a used one to get up a mountain side with rather rough terrain and incline at some points. I was told not to get a racer or sport quad as the terrain and the design of the quad would not be a good combo. Any advice? I don't want to spend a fortune off the bat(Who does?) because the quad might take a bit of a beating, initially. Any suggestions would be appreciated

 

Sounds like you need a 4wd utility. Do you need to haul a lot of stuff, or just get yourself up the mountain?

I like the mid size machines, like the Honda Rancher. They are big enough to do the job, but yet they aren't a huge 700 pound monster either. You should be able to find a used Rancher 350 at a good price. The newer Rancher 420 is the best value for your dollar there is. Might be difficult to find a used one however.....

 

Thanks - Once up the mountain there are miles of easy trails (getting there is the challange with the low clearance racers).

 

what dealers are around you first , then go sit on a few and test ride if possible something with a low gear rangeand around a 400 to 500 cc would be good for a lot of rough riding ,
automatic or semi -auto or manual gears

 

i own a 500 artic cat and man its like a tank, perfect for rugged terrain, and plenty of power and fun to ride

 

Saw a Rubicon for sale. Few years old. Good Machine for my desribed needs? Worth a 40 minute drive and a test ride?? Pros/Cons

 

All the utility quads will suit your purpose. Once you get it, you will want to do some changes for really rough trails. I chose the Polaris 500 EFI. Some of the things I like are, full under armor with a solid metal frame (some use plastic which should be changed), independant rear suspension for more articulation (some Polaris riders add a sway bar quick disconect for even more) EFI which works great at any altitude or tempreture and during vertical climbs, easily installed winch up high to keep it clear, a really comfortable ride when not crawling over the rocks, I prefer a heavier machine, feels more stable to me, but this is just personal preference.
The only changes I've added so far on mine are a winch, brushgaurd, rear bumper, A-Arm skid plates (the only area Polaris used plastic for protection) GPS mount, mirror, radiator gaurd (the only area I felt was unprotected against rocks) Good luck on your purchase, as I said all the machines out there will give you tons of fun.