I am wanting to upgrade from my current '00 Honda Recon to a bigger quad. I ride with several guys that own Ranchers. Some are 2wd and others 4. Obviously, There are pro's and con's to both if you look at all of the features. That is when comparing Honda to Yamaha. Honda = Reliability without question. But short on features. Yamaha = Reliable and high on features. I guess my question is in regards to the Auto tranny. I have been very impressed with all the Kodiak has to offer. Although, I have never rode a Kodiak or any auto for that matter. Quad would only be used for trail riding. Can anyone offer advice on the Rancher/Kodiak comparison. I really want a 4wd but not one that is full time. How do you guys like the Auto? Thanks!

 

I am a new ATV owner and I bought the 2001 Kodiak. As for the question of the Auto, I haven’t run into any problems. Seems to be able to pull me out of anything I get in and is pretty fast on the acceleration. I have ridden some manual shifts before and I find that with the auto I am able to just drive and not have to worry about what gear I am in.

I live in upstate NY and all we have here is MUD and wooded trails. The Kodiak has been a great machine in these kinds of conditions. MUD, No problem; Snow, no problem. Trail riding is smooth and is a blast in 2-wheel drive.

Good luck on your decision.

 

The only thing you have to watch out for on the Kodiak tranny is water. If you get the quad in water near or above the racks you will take on water, the belt will slip until you drain that water. As far as any other riding conditions I have found NO problem with the belt drive.

 

Are there any special maint. procedures on the belt? How often does a belt need to be replaced on a quad thats ridden an avg amount of time? Does the throttle response seem to be the same as non-auto quads?

 

As far as the belt lasting, dunno how long it might last. I've had my quad for 8 months now and I recently put on a clutch kit. When doing so, I noticed that the belt was not showing any signs of wear. So I imagine it will last a long time.

As far as throttle response auto vs standard, standard will always outperform, be it a car, motorcycle or an atv. Best thing to do is test drive one to see if it has the kind of throttle response you are looking for. Let me mention one thing, when I added the clutch kit that also improved the throttle response.

 

FKNA,

I will have to disagree with you on the trottle response bit. These new auto's, especially in a car have way better throttle response than a stick. Comparision: Stock vette 6 speed manual against the auto, the winner every time: the auto. This was done about six times over, and the auto won every single time. Remember, we aren't in the 70's and 80's anymore. You could never shift as fast as these new automatics. In a drag race: say Kodiak against Honda 450s, Kodiak will take off faster every time. Scrambler vs. 400ex: Scrambler will get the holeshot every time. I agree shifting can be fun, but sometimes it isn't practical anymore, especially on a utility machine.

 

Monk, I have to agree....shifting on a utility quad isn't much fun. And you very well may be right on the auto vs standard. After all, I am basing things on older vehicles since that is what I like.

 

My opinion is that for trail riding & work u are better off with auto transmission. For racing and speed though the manual is best. Can't see much wrong with Ranchers but stay away from the E.S.-my neighbors gets stuck in 1st or 2nd every now and then and he has stop and fiddle with it. Actually this has'nt happened recently so maybe just needed to break in. Riding in the woods under normal conditions you won't see much difference. Both have about same top end & the Kodiak with the 401cc gets there slightly faster.
later

 

the kodiak is an awesome machine period. you will not regret your decision to by one.

 

I bought a 2001 4x4 Kodiac in October and so far I love it. I have been very impressed with the automatic trans, espescially the amount of engine braking. Throttle response is very good for a utility machine. I do not think that you could go wrong buying the Kodiac. Good Luck.