I currently own a Suzuki Vinson and love it but am in the market for another quad. The dealership I go to sell Suzuki & ACs and I really live the looks of the new machines but I don't know much about them. I never see any on the trails either or hear much about them in the mags. How does your quad compair with other machines in it's class?

 

I rode with a pair of Vinsons this last sunday, both running oversized mud lites and me with a 400 cat on stock tires. We rock crawled, mud holed and did a bunch of trial and a few real steep "Jeep trails" up the side of a mountain. I went everywhere the lead Vinson went and the two places I had real trouble was on tree root that was 2 feet high the the lead got over but I needed some help the other Vinson didn't even try it. Then there were the rocks no one got over. At least leader and I tried the following Vinson passed. Both Vinson riders are old timers at this stuff, my first time at the steep stuff with the 400 and the tree root was me and my inexperience not the machine. Everyone was impressed with the cats mud ability, I stayed butt on the seat when they were up on their knees dancing their rigs. I found that the was able to do more than my skill level, of course I learned on a 2X4 cat and that's a totally different style of riding. My assessment is the cat will go anywhere you have the skill to take it. The 400s top speed is about 52 or 53 mph and the 500s are a couple faster, but they will go anywhere and that what I thought a ute were all about.

 

If you ask me most ATVs can go where others can as long as you have the riding skill. Most of the people I ride with are 700 Sportsman owners and I can say I have no problem staying with each and everyone one of them. In fact I ride with a little 300 Kawi Praire owner and he can go where all the rest of us do. I don't like all the bashing that goes on and hope people are just doing it in good fun. When you are out there on a trail having fun the name on the side of your machine does not matter.

 

Just take the Vinson motor, plant it in an AC chassis, add a couple inches ground clearance, a locker, and a little bit lower gearing, long travel suspension, and a very good ride. The 500i is a Very capable machine, as is the Vinson. I would look at the AC seriously, two year warranty, among a lot of other good features, such as MRP racks. I could go on and on, but you'll have to check them out for yourself.

 

You are so right. It doesn't matter what they ride, just so they ride. At least our group has that attitude.

 

BTW nice pics. I'm happy to see you keep you don't put your ATVs away when the snow falls. I sometimes think it's more fun than durring summer and best part is that you don't have to put up with all the dust.

 

No, ATVing is a year around sport for the wife and me. We are already planning trips for 2005. I got lucky and on the 'Where to ride" forum on this site, found a great bunch of people here in the Northwest part of Washington. Been on 3 ride the last 3 weekends with them to new places for me. Had snow both the 18th and this last weekend, though very little and only above 2800 feet this last. We ride in Oregon also as their State spends the offroad money for offroad places to ride.

 

Sounds great! The snow here in Alaska pretty much closes most of the trails because it's 3+ feet in nearly every trail but there are a few that you can still ride. I'm still looking for anther ATV for the wife but she complained the last time she went...I guess the trail was to rough for her?

 

You need to think about a set of those triangle track for you rig if the snow is that deep. I use to have a short flick and a web site for them, I'll look.

 

Yeah I've seen them on a few sites but are they worth the cost? I'm not sure how fun they would be either. Probably pretty good but don't have the $$$.