Hey folks,
I am a newbie to ATV's and am looking to buy one.

So far I am interested in the Recon and the Rancher. I am trying to decide if I should waste my time/$ getting a 250 2x4 if I am just going to want to upgrade it in a few years. The rancher seems much heavier, but has the 4x4, and extra HP.

I am planning on using the ATV for recreation (camping, trails, etc....). I am a small guy (130 lbs), and have little experience. I do have more experience on street bikes, and dirt bikes.

I like the thought of a light, powerful, nimble bike. However, I also like the thought of a powerful 4x4 for hill climbing.

From what I understand the 4x4 will help with mud, and hills. How much of a difference will this really make?

I will be riding the bike on trails in WV, VA, MD, PA, and NY. These trails can get pretty nasty; according to the people I will be riding with.

Please help me come up with a Pros, and Cons list to compare these two different classes. Thanks.

 

i would start out by saying to opt out the 2x4. unless you are going to pussyfoot around every little obsticle that is.

but as for a 4x4 i would go with an Arctic Cat 366 or Arctic Cat 400. Arctic Cat has industry leading ground clearance (12"), which means thats how tall of an obstacle you can clear without bottoming out. Arctic Cat has more than most other manufacturers. they also have 10" of suspension travel which means you can absorb that big of an obsticle. you have the option of 2x4 or 4x4 on your right handlebar. when in 2x4 only the rear 2 tires will spin, in 4x4 the rear 2 will spin and 1 tire up front with more traction will spin to help you move forward. theres also a lever for a fully locked differential which locks all 4 wheels so you can get through the stickiest mess. keep in mind though that the 366 only has 10" of GC and less susp. travel as well. so i would suggest an older 400 maybe 07 or 08. the reason i have always opted for the arctic cat over other ATVs i have ridden is basically all around performance. the polaris and can am have autolocking 4x4 so you are in 2x4 until the machine senses tires spinning then it will lock them in as needed. i have always found it better that a person makes the decisions not the machins. and a lot of them i have seen are buggy and dont lock in when they are supposed to. the honda is still a solid rear axle vs. most other manufacturers having independent rear suspension and im pretty sure honda only has 7 or 8" of ground clearance so you can get hung up on an ant hill. dont get me wrong i know hondas are reliable and everyone likes what they like this is just my experience. an AC 400 has plenty of power to do whatever you will ever need to do, has all the options of 2x4, 4x4 and full diff lock, it will be lighter than some higher cc machines, the stock tires are actually very nice the Goodyear Rawhide RS tires, they have side heat shields that cover the engine which i love because i never feel heat on my leg anymore, that industry leading ground clearance to get over logs and rocks, the underbody skid plate is high density polyurethane which is better than the metal ones in which it doesnt dent or break as easy, holds up very well. if you need any more advice or have any questions, even about another make of ATV PM me. hope ive been of help.

 

The Recon is a peach and tons of fun! Descent power, sweet handling, reliable and simple to maintain. But....it is only 2wd, so you don't have the backup of 4wd in the nasty stuff. Got to say though, that our Recon could go everywhere our Ranchers did, except maybe in the snow.

Are you thinking of the new Rancher 420, or a used older Rancher 350???? The 350 is great, but the 420 is better in every way, if that makes any difference. The Ranchers are sweet machines as well, but they are way heavier than the Recon, and you are a light guy. The one advantage is of course that you have 4wd on the Rancher. (Note, the Rancher 350 is full-time 4wd, so you will need to instal a Warn 424 if you get that one.)

If I only weighted 130 pounds, it would be a hard decision! The Recon is really a prefect size for you, but you need to decide if you can (or want to) handle the bigger machine.

I highly suggest you avoid the ES shifting option! Look in the Honda forum right now, and there are several posts on ES problems!

 

I plan to avoid the ES at all costs. I have done a lot of reading on it already. Plus, I just don't like the thought of shifting with my hand.

I am considering the new Rancher 420.

I am going to check out the Artic Cats as well. I have heard a lot of good things about them. However, I thought they were much heavier than the hondas.

 

As far as ground clearance goes, couldn't I just put bigger wheels on the Honda?

 

No, you'd have to get a lift. I don't think big wheels will make a big difference, if any at all. They might lift it but not enough to be noticable i don't think.

 

If you want 2" more ground clearance you would need 4" taller tires. I don't think you could do that without a lift kit.

 

I would definetly stay away from two wheel drive. I ride in NY PA and WV and you will get aggravated getting stuck and staying off the fun trails all the time if you only have two wheel drive. Check out the Yamaha Big Bear 400. I have one and love it. It can't be beat. Its a simple design and will last forever. It also has good ground clearance, Independent rear suspension, and a front end differential lock. Let me know if you have any other questions about it, I'll be happy to share with you.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: atv_fan

No, you'd have to get a lift. I don't think big wheels will make a big difference, if any at all. They might lift it but not enough to be noticable i don't think.</end quote></div>

I have have 26's on a Rancher....do big deal!

But....lift kits and huge tires are just a stupid idea on these mid size machines!!! All they do is raise the center of gravity and ruin the great stability of the machine, and take a sweet handling machine and make it handle like a clunker!

If you want a monster mud bogger that is 10 feet in the air, well then buy something esle, but don't go f****** up a perfectly beautiful Rancher trying to make it into something that it was never meant to be.

This is one sweet trail quad! Just leave it alone and you will have years of trouble free fun ahead.......

 

A friend of mine has that bike and he swears by it.

I was also considering the Grizzly 450, but not sure about the automatic. I noticed it has a high/low setting. How similar is this to using manual shift.

You most likely chose the manual over auto for a reason. What are some reasons?

Is the big bear comfy? How well does it really climb in rocky terrain? Thanks.

Oh, I almost forgot. What a bout wheelies, and donuts. Can you do them easily with this machine, or is it more of a tank?