I am looking to buy one.Which one would be best for running in mud, auto. or the man.

 

I would go with the manual. You will not have to worrie about a belt sliping if you let off the gas in the mud/water. You will have more power getting to the wheels. And it will give you better gas mileage.

 

Automatics do better in the mud, because they stay in the right range. No gear selection to fool with. No loss of momentum.

On the other hand, they can slip if wet, and that is basically a counterpoint to the first statement.

 

I own one of each. I would choose the gear for deep water & mud. The auto has lower air intakes to cool the belt that the gear does not have. The only thing you have to worry about with the gear is swamping the air intake. I like the auto for long rides in the mountains. The only thing that I do not like about the auto is that on a steep incline, it constantly tries to acclerate when the throttle is opened further. The gear will stay at the speed that you set the throttle to. As far as shifting while in the deep you might consider the ElectriXshift kit from Cycle Country. It mounts a sealed gear reduction electric motor behind the belly that attaches to the rocker shifter with push button controls on the left handlebar.

 

I think I would go with the manual for just mud.
Hey, kstrailz good to hear from you. Remember me , from the Colorado trip last Aug?

 

I prefer a manual but my wife's Auto keeps up with me just about everywhere I go - even with stock tires. I have experienced the belt slip when deep water splashes up under the seat and gets into the tranny breather. It's not a big problem - only happend once in about 3 feet of water - but that's why I like the manual.