I am new to the sport, and have been looking around for a atv. I am looking for a manual cutch/5 sp. with reverse, good handling, lots of power, 2x4 (4x4 has more parts to break). My buddy has a 91 warrior, which I like the feel of. I live in a mountain filled wooded region with lots of mud, streams, trails. I am not interested in a banshee as most people seem to be, reverse is manditory, as is a man. clutch, and the more power the better as there is lots of hill climbs. It would also have to have one luggage rack for those camping trips. I have looked at the dealers in town, but they all seem to hate each other thus I cannot trust them to give me a good impartial option. I am 5'11" 150lbs. Can some of you shed some light on manufacturer/models that would suit my application?

Thank you,
glycerine

 

i'm not a big honda fan, but the only thing that seems to suit everything you said EXCEPT manual clutch is the recon. There are some other wheelers out there, but can' think of any. Maybe a 300EX, i woulda said 400EX but it dont have reverse

 

Well,you seem to have already made a selection, sort of, in the Warrior. Actually, the sport field is pretty limited anyway. The Banshee is a performance model, the Recon is a utility model, however fun is to ride. The 300ex was mentioned, but might feel a little cramped. I'm the same height as you and it seems a little tight for me.Your need for a rack also puts you in the utility market, altho I have seen after- market racks for Warriors advertised.
Maybe you ought to look at the Wolverine. It uses basically the same engine as the Warrior. Altho not a 4x2 like the Warrior, it is quite "sporty", whatever that means and it is available with racks. Like it's sport brother, the Warrior, it is an older design but a tried and true one.
I have a KQ for the utility stuff or crawling around in the rocks, but if I had to have just one quad for everthing I think it would be the Wolverine

 

you should look at the kawasaki lakota, even though it isn't a man. clutch it will offer a good sport ride. It jumps like a true sport quad but still has the racks for camping or a little working. It will easily pull a wheelie (dirt wheels said it was one of the top ten wheelie 4-wheelers). After the first day you won't miss the man. clutch. plus its cheap and high quality. Good Luck!

 

For a first machine a Lokota is a good choice.That's what I have.

 

Well the recon is a little too cramped up for a 5' 11" rider. I would suggest a 2x4 Rancher instead.

 

i think he wants something in the lines of him keeping the quad for a long time and not just starting out on. The lakota ma be good for beginners but once you get good at riding you may want to experience the rush of power and adrenaline. So i sujest getting something he will be happy with for a long time. I really think the warrior or the wolverine are your best bets.

Remember Ride Hard or Ride Home.

 

I have looked into the wolverine, and the warrior, as well as the lakota, and recon, and rancher. I think however, that the warrior, or the wolverine are the best bets for my application at this point. What would be a good price for these quads? My town is very small, and the dealers here like to mark everything up a lot.

 

I don't have the list price of Wolverine at hand, but the suggested list price of the Warrior is, & has been for several years, $4949 U.S., + all the assorted taxes, prep, etc.

 

I'D GO WITH THE WARRIOR, THE WOLVERINE IS A NICE QUAD, BUT IT'S NOT ANYWHERE NEAR AS FUN OF A TRAIL RIDING BIKE AS THE WARRIOR IS. YA, THEY MIGHT HAVE THE SAME ENGINE, BUT THE WOLVERINE HAS NO WHERE NEAR THE TORQUE THAT THE WARRIOR DOES. + THE WARRIOR IS ABOUT $800 CHEAPER, AND 90% BETTER!!