I'm looking to buy my first ATV and am undecided on whether to buy a Sport or a Utility. I live in the desert in Phoenix and need something that will have plenty of power but also a lot of fun. I like the look of the Utility ATVs but I don't know if they have enough power for my purposes. i won't be towing or hauling anything but may need to strap something to it from time to time.

Any advice on choices out there??

 

a utility will have plenty of power. take a look at the sp700 or k650 ,both are major powerhouses. youll appreciate 4wd in any rougher terrain

 

For the desert, you can get by just fine on a sport bike! In fact, a big heavy utility will just hold you back. On a sport bike, you use your advantage of light weight and momentum to carry you through stuff. You don't grapple for traction like on a 4X4. You DO NOT want to be bashing big desert whoops on some utility....it gets old real fast.

I like the Z400 more every time I ride it!! Go to www.off-road.com and follow some of the desert races. They show pics of the machines. 250R's still rule!! Suspension is way more important than raw power!! Check out http://bbs.off-road.com/photobb/show...at=623&thumb=1 OR http://bbs.off-road.com/photobb/show...ppuser=&stype=

I have the utilities because we ride technical trails (old mine roads) in the mountains during the summer when the desert is hot. It's nice to have them, but they aren't desert machines.

 

A good first sport bike is a polaris trailblazer 250.Check them out.I love mine.

 

I have a Rancher 4x4 ES. I don't know much about the desert around Phoenix but I have a ranch in the same desert about 400 miles north of you.

Don't let 'em kid ya... if you have any soft sand, you need 4x4 - and "bashin big whoops" on a ute ain't no big deal. A sport would probably give you a bigger thrill ride, but a ute will serve quite well. AND if you do any serious poking around in the desert you'll be DARN grateful for the racks on the ute that allow you to carry lots of gear and water.

I'm getting ready to buy a Recon for ranch guests to ride. If they get stuck I can pull 'em out with the Rancher, but mainly I decided on the Recon because of the racks - VERY important when doing serious boonie bashin' in the desert. Don't forget, MOST the the posters hereabouts, however well meaning, do NOT understand the nature of true wilderness nor do they have a clue how deadly the desert can be. And don't go far into the desert alone!!!!

 

Ol-Have you ever ridden a desert prepped sport bike???? Go to www.off-road.com. Do you see pictures of anybody riding Vegas to Reno on a utility?? Even the Rincon that won the Baja 1000 was a 2wd with aftermarket suspension!! And that was just a publicity stunt, because nobody has desert raced a Rincon since.

The only time I need a 4X4 is when the rocks get to big for the sport bikes or when ther is snow in the mountains! Believe me, it is nice to have both, and in fact I am even looking for another 4X4. The utilities open up a whole other world to explore. But if you can only have one bike, take your example from the guys who ride Baja.........travel light and fast!! Why DIG 4 BIG HOLES in the sand, when you can FLOAT ACROSS IT???

 

Reconranger,
I took your advice and looked at the site. You were right about my not seeing anything but sport. But - you missed the point entirely:

That was an organized and well monitored event - anyone who disappeared, broke down or didn't show up where he was suposed to - when he was supposed to, would be searched for until found. In short it was designed to be riddden as fast as possible by folks on sports. And provision was made to cover the limitations and shorcomings thereof.

It only served to strengthen my point of view regarding Utes in the desert. You go out there without carrying proper survival gear and sooner or later you're going to be dead long before the actuarial tables predict your demise. It's kind of like playing in the woods in a deer suit... in deer season.

You do whatever you want to do and give whatever advise you want to give - its a free country.

My advice is: get a Utility.

 

Grasshopper, I sense much fear. Learn to become one with nature! I started riding Baja as a kid in the mid 60's. Even then, I did a lot of it SOLO! And, I survive just fine!!

Hey, in THOUSANDS of miles of hard a$$ riding, my bikes (both sport and utility) have never let me down!! Not even a flat tire! And, the distance between pits at those races is more than the average rider rides in a year. And you think you can get a rescure easy at a race?? I know one guy in Baja who had to set his buggy on fire to get someone to notice him!

It is true, that you can't carry as much gear on a sport bike. My minimalist kit is a 3 liter Camelback HAWG, a GoreTex jacket, the Boy Scout "10 essentials", Sat/Cell Phone and a S&W Model 360 Scandium/Titanium .357 Mag. Kit Gun (14.5 oz!!). And on the bike are some basic tools and a tire kit. Oh, and I run fix-a-flat in the tires all the time (best thing I ever did). But, the loss of performance I would suffer using a utiltiy, isn't worth the trade off for more gear. It's just to miserable riding 100 miles of whoops on a ute.

 

Reconranger.........
talk about a world class jackass. Son, you don't have a clue about what fear is - you're too frigging stupid and arrogant.

Fear is hunkering down in a foxhole sweating out a night time mortar attack.

Fear is what washes over you after hearing bullets whizzing past your ears and you, by the Grace of The
Almighty somehow managed to subdue the threat.

Fear is watching a toddler bounce down a filght of stairs, and holding the limp little body in your arms praying for it to catch it's breath.

If and when you ever grow into a man, I hope and pray you never experience real fear.

Going into the desert unprepared, Mr Tuffie Guy, isn't fearless. It's plain stupid.

You are obviously another candidate for the Darwin Award.

 

Hey guys, been reading both of you going back and forth and it started out with good intentions but got a little out of hand, settle down boys..we are all here to have fun..right? After hearing both of your view points, you are both right and both wrong. Each of you have good points to consider. Something I learned along time ago is that everyone has thier own personal level of gratification and what suits them. What might be suitable for one person is not necessarily right for another. I liked both of your views and I too like both the Sport and Utility, but we all ride differently. So shake hands gents and ride your hearts out with what you like ....most people just want an honest opinion but not forced upon them with too strong of views..This is America and therefore we have that right to say what we want..but take it easy guys ok. You both have strong arguments.