Need opinions -> Honda or Kawasaki
#1
08-31-2000, 06:41 PM
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I am looking at used 300cc 4-wheelers to buy, and wondered what makes are better: Honda, Kawasaki, or something else.
Any detail or info about these machines would really help; power, speed, cornering at low and high speeds, ground clearance...
I am kind of leaning towards a 1995 TRX 300 for sale near by, supposed to be in excellent condition...is this the right choice?
Thanks for your help!
Any detail or info about these machines would really help; power, speed, cornering at low and high speeds, ground clearance...
I am kind of leaning towards a 1995 TRX 300 for sale near by, supposed to be in excellent condition...is this the right choice?
Thanks for your help!
#2
09-01-2000, 08:13 AM
I don't have much experience with Kawasaki but I do with Honda. You absolutely can not go wrong with a well maintained Honda 300 4x4. They are one of the most durable machines ever built. I don't think even a die hard Polaris man would dispute that!! I would also suggest that you look at the Suzuki King Quad and the Arctic Cat 300. If you are interested in a 2-stroke look at the Polaris machines in the 300cc class. All these machines are about the same size but they all have options that will make them more or less attractive depending on what you do with your machine.Don't buy the first one you see. Ride them all. If you ever want to know what a machine is worht look it up in the Kelley Blue Book. (kbb.com) Remember that the maintance is the key. I would pay more for an older machine that is spotless and always taken care of over a newer machine that was ridden until the wheels fell off.
#4
09-03-2000, 05:21 PM
Neophile,
“…Son-of-a-gun gonna have good fun on the Bayou…” - Hank Williams, Sr.
Five years ago I bought my first ATV, a brand new ’96 Kawasaki Bayou 400 4x4. I have used it extensively for work and play, including three trips to the AHPA Poker Run in Cochranton, PA. It has been entirely trouble-free since the day I bought it. So far, the sole problems I have had have all been self-inflicted wounds.
My then 10 year old daughter began riding my Bayou 400 from the day it was new. Over the first three and a half years she was drilled repeatedly on the basic techniques of riding. She had became a careful and competent rider, but it was obvious that the 400 was a little too much machine for her. It was especially tiring for her to manage the steering during long riding sessions. The weight of the 400, plus the added up front weight of the X1-F Superwinch and mount, combined to make steering very difficult at the slow speeds she routinely rode at.
About two years ago she began lobbying me for an ATV of her own, but it was obvious she needed a smaller and lighter mount than the 400. After careful consideration of how a second ATV would be used and who, besides my daughter, might ride it, so it was that I found myself in the same position as you are in now, attempting to compare the relative merits of the Honda 300 4x4 and the Kawasaki 300 4x4. While the Suzuki King Quad is a very capable machine, I did not consider it because it did not meet the key criteria of my primary intended use due to its nearly 650 pound wet weight. I needed a 300 class 4x4 for my daughter to ride. But it had to be lighter and easier to steer than my Bayou 400, the machine she learned on.
The Honda has the notable distinction of being the most reliable quad ever built. It has great resale value, and the aftermarket manufacturers have created a plethora of parts and accessories for it. The Honda lists for $5199, $200 more than the Kawasaki and it only has a single range transmission, albeit with a super-low 1st gear. The Honda has a single shock swing-arm type of rear suspension. This type of suspension is not as good at maintaining ground clearance and ground contact over rough terrain as is the semi-independent type rear suspension. The Honda has slightly more suspension travel than the Kawasaki, 5.1/5.1 inches front and rear vs. 4.3/4.7, slightly smaller tires that are shorter in front and narrower in back, 23x8-11 vs. 24x8-11 in front and 24x9-11 vs. 24x10-11 in back, slightly less ground clearance, 6.8 inches vs. 8.9, a slightly tighter turning circle 23 feet vs. 24, and slightly more fuel capacity, 3.3 gallons vs. 2.9. At a claimed dry weight of 527 pounds, the Honda is 46 pounds lighter than the Kawasaki. The Honda has a 12 amp hour battery and a 240 watt alternator, both of which are smaller than their counterparts on the Kawasaki.
The Kawasaki, as nearly as can be determined, is virtually as reliable as the Honda, reports of failing transmissions not withstanding. It has a good solid resale value. It does, however, have far fewer aftermarket parts and accessories available for it than does the Honda. The Kawasaki lists for $4999, $200 less than the Honda, and it has a dual range transmission. The Kawasaki has a dual shock semi-independent type of rear suspension that provides near constant ground clearance under the rear differential, and near constant contact between the rear tires and the ground. The Kawasaki has slightly less suspension travel than the Honda, 4.3/4.7 inches front and rear vs. 5.1/5.1, and slightly larger tires that are taller in front and wider in back, 24x8-11 vs. 23x8-11 in front and 24x10-11 vs. 24x9-11 in back, slightly more ground clearance, 8.9 inches vs. 6.8, a slightly wider turning circle, 24 feet vs. 23, and slightly less fuel capacity, 2.9 gallons vs. 3.3. At a claimed dry weight of 573 pounds, the Kawasaki is 46 pounds heavier than the Honda. The Kawasaki has a 14 amp hour battery and a 330 watt alternator, both of which are larger than their counterparts on the Honda.
I idly began my search for a good clean used 300 4x4 shortly after Christmas ’97 and intensified my search at the beginning of March ‘98 when ATV and motorcycle advertising in the local papers picks up as the spring riding season begins. In essence, I debated the very things you are now considering, i.e., 300 Honda vs. 300 Kawasaki. Though I will admit to being predisposed to buy a Kawasaki because of the dual range transmission, and more importantly because of the familiarity of the control layout to my daughter. Though she would be able to alternate between the Kawasaki 300 and 400 and not have to learn any new procedures, I still gave the Honda TRX300 serious consideration.
Since I was looking for a used one, and since used 4x4 ATVs were, and are, few and far between here, I vowed to look at every one that appeared in the want ads. I never dreamed it would take eight months before I would find one worth buying. In every case the asking price for 300 Hondas was upwards of $200 more than for any other 300 4x4. Most of the time the condition, regardless of make, was horrible and the machine was worth no where near the asking price. Finally, at the end of July ’98 I located a potentially suitable machine. Coincidentally, it happened to be a Kawasaki.
The machine in question was a ’91 KLF300 4x4 that had been used by a deer hunter for three years until he upgraded to a Honda Foreman 400. He kept the 300 Bayou in hopes of teaching his wife to ride, but she wanted no parts of it. After sitting in his garage unused for two years, he finally decided to sell it. It was obvious the machine had been used, but it was also obvious that it had not been abused or wrecked. In fact, the underside of this ’91 300 Bayou was cleaner than the underside of my ’96 400 Bayou.
It was with a great deal of trepidation that I bought a used 4x4 ATV, but for $2100 I didn’t think I could go too far wrong. As soon as I got it home I changed all the fluids, set the valve clearance, adjusted the brakes and the clutch, and otherwise went over it with a fine-tooth comb. I could find no problems.
The machine was completely stock when I got it. I immediately set about making functional improvements to suit my style of riding. I added the Kawasaki speedometer (see note below), headlight guards and floorboard extensions. I replaced the stock handlebar-ends with those from the Bayou 400 (see note below). And I added a set of Oxlite brush guards. Early in the spring of ’99 prior to the Cochranton Poker Run, I added the late model fender extensions to improve rider protection, and I replaced the stock 24” Dunlop KT962A tires with a set of 25” Goodyear Mudrunners.
In the slightly more than two years since I bought it, it has been ridden just over 545 miles. I have experienced no problems of any kind during that time. The dual range transmission and semi-independent rear suspension have been exceptionally useful to the kind of technical trail riding we generally do.
Regarding top speed, I have seen as much as 45 MPH claimed for the 300 Bayou, but I think that is mere wishful thinking rather than actual measurement. By actual measurement, i.e. clocking the vehicle with a stop watch over a known fixed distance, my 400 Bayou is capable of a 47 MPH top speed and my 300 Bayou is capable of a 40 MPH top speed, though it takes a while to get there. But here in the rolling hills of Western PA on the tightly wooded trails we normally ride, top speed is nearly irrelevant when 20 MPH on a narrow winding wooded trail is frighteningly fast and something that one does only at great risk to one’s physical well-being.
A brief note to any Bayou 300 owners considering adding a speedometer: Do not use the model made specifically for the 300. It does not have a resetable trip odometer and it mounts to the front cargo rack, where it is difficult to read and where it can get the stuffing knocked out of it. Instead buy the model made for the 400. It only costs $50 more, it does have a resetable trip odometer, and it mounts in the center of the handlebars, where it is protected and easy to read. Most importantly both the model designed for the 300 and that designed for the 400 use the exact same drive gear. And since the 300 and 400 use the same rear differential and the same size tires, the 400 model speedometer will read accurately when mounted on the 300. The 400 model speedometer does have a small water temperature light in the six o’clock position, but it is unobtrusive, easily ignored, and a small price to pay for the resetable trip odometer.
One other note on the Bayou 300: The handlebar bar-end weights that come standard on the 300 are small and ineffective. The bar-end weights from the Bayou 400, or the Lakota 300, are significantly better, and they are a direct bolt-on replacement. I have noticed that 300 seems to vibrate a little more through handlebars than does the 400, but then I’m especially sensitive to vibration. Changing the bar-end weights on the 300 doesn’t make it as smooth as the 400, but it does make a difference for the better.
Note on the rear brake: Gordon Banks has previously commented on Kawasaki’s seeming inability to make a waterproof rear brake. Until recently I never had the occasion to have either Bayou in water any deeper than a few inches, but I took his comments to heart. I disassembled the rear brake on each Bayou, removed all traces of the factory grease, and thoroughly degreased the rubber gaskets with NAPA brake cleaner. I then used a tube of marine grease designed for boat trailer wheel bearings, which are routinely completely submersed, to repack the rubber gaskets. Last year, while engaging in some poker run practice, my daughter and I made six separate crossings of a stream that was approximately 60 feet wide and about two feet deep at the point where we crossed. After the ride I used my 3000 psi pressure washer to remove the mud from both quads. Later when they had dripped dry, I removed the drain bolt in the brake drum housing to check for any signs of water intrusion, I found no trace of water. The lack of water proof brakes on Kawasaki’s seems to be a common complaint, but in my case $3 worth of marine grade grease seems to have cured the problem.
Notes on towing ability: Theoretically, the Bayou 400 can tow 1100 pounds and the Bayou 300 can tow 850 pounds. Practically, they can tow much, much more than that. Three Summers ago I used my 400 to tow a fully loaded Chevy C20 pickup about 50 yards over level ground. The fully loaded Chevy probably weighed over 5000 pounds. In the Spring of ‘99 I used the Bayou 300 to tow my own broken down Ford Ranger Supercab (about 3500 pounds, if I had to guess) about ¼ mile up a slight grade to a friend’s house. I don’t plan on making a regular practice of this, but it is comforting to know that, when push comes to shove, there is a huge margin of untapped ability to be had if needed.
In April ‘99, our little group the Eclectic ATVers (which included Tree Farmer) rode Trail B at Cochranton. My daughter rode the Bayou 300 4x4 35 miles over some very tough, very muddy trails. She had no problems keeping up with any of the members of our group. In fact, at one rest stop Doug Blackburn (another Bayou 300 4x4 rider) said to me regarding my daughter’s riding, “Julia has proved to me you don’t need to be a hotshot to successfully ride in the poker run”. Doug was not insinuating the trails were easy, but rather was complementing Julia’s technical riding skills. During the poker run we passed any number of 2WD, and 4WD, quads stuck in some obstacle, but Julia managed to deftly weave her way through all of them on her Mudrunner equipped Bayou 300 without getting stuck, or riding like a madman.
This past Spring Julia rode her Bayou 300 at second Quads-On-The-Rocks ride at the Tasker’s Gap ORV area of the George Washington National Forest, and at the Little Fort Trail Ride held in the same area on the following day. Each day she rode over 35 miles on some of the rockiest terrain you can possibly imagine. The Bayou 300 handled it with ease.
Though you can hardly go very far wrong in choosing either the Honda or the Kawasaki. I personally believe that the semi-independent rear suspension, and resultant more comfortable ride, dual range transmission, bigger tires, greater ground clearance, greater electrical system capacity, and lower list price give the Kawasaki 300 Bayou a very slight, but nonetheless definite and tangible, edge over the Honda TRX300 in utility and performance for the dollar. And by performance I mean overall suitability to a task, not just acceleration and top speed. Needless to say, my daughter absolutely loves the 300 Bayou and, homework permitting, rides it every chance she gets.
Both of my Bayous have consistently performed beyond my expectations. And with the exception of three self-inflicted wounds on the 400, neither has required anything but normal maintenance items. I can unequivocally recommend either one.
The preceding was an attempt to logically compare two very nearly equivalent vehicles. All three of the machines on your list are very close to each other in performance. In terms of all out pulling power the Suzuki, with its triple range transmission and locking front differential, probably has the edge. The Suzuki is the most expensive machine, and the Kawasaki is the least expensive. I believe the Kawasaki offers the most value for the dollar. But statistics, specifications, and stories aside, you’ll find it hard to go wrong with any one of these three. Your final selection will probably have more to do with personal preference than anything else.
Good luck with whichever machine you choose to buy.
Army Man
“…Son-of-a-gun gonna have good fun on the Bayou…” - Hank Williams, Sr.
Five years ago I bought my first ATV, a brand new ’96 Kawasaki Bayou 400 4x4. I have used it extensively for work and play, including three trips to the AHPA Poker Run in Cochranton, PA. It has been entirely trouble-free since the day I bought it. So far, the sole problems I have had have all been self-inflicted wounds.
My then 10 year old daughter began riding my Bayou 400 from the day it was new. Over the first three and a half years she was drilled repeatedly on the basic techniques of riding. She had became a careful and competent rider, but it was obvious that the 400 was a little too much machine for her. It was especially tiring for her to manage the steering during long riding sessions. The weight of the 400, plus the added up front weight of the X1-F Superwinch and mount, combined to make steering very difficult at the slow speeds she routinely rode at.
About two years ago she began lobbying me for an ATV of her own, but it was obvious she needed a smaller and lighter mount than the 400. After careful consideration of how a second ATV would be used and who, besides my daughter, might ride it, so it was that I found myself in the same position as you are in now, attempting to compare the relative merits of the Honda 300 4x4 and the Kawasaki 300 4x4. While the Suzuki King Quad is a very capable machine, I did not consider it because it did not meet the key criteria of my primary intended use due to its nearly 650 pound wet weight. I needed a 300 class 4x4 for my daughter to ride. But it had to be lighter and easier to steer than my Bayou 400, the machine she learned on.
The Honda has the notable distinction of being the most reliable quad ever built. It has great resale value, and the aftermarket manufacturers have created a plethora of parts and accessories for it. The Honda lists for $5199, $200 more than the Kawasaki and it only has a single range transmission, albeit with a super-low 1st gear. The Honda has a single shock swing-arm type of rear suspension. This type of suspension is not as good at maintaining ground clearance and ground contact over rough terrain as is the semi-independent type rear suspension. The Honda has slightly more suspension travel than the Kawasaki, 5.1/5.1 inches front and rear vs. 4.3/4.7, slightly smaller tires that are shorter in front and narrower in back, 23x8-11 vs. 24x8-11 in front and 24x9-11 vs. 24x10-11 in back, slightly less ground clearance, 6.8 inches vs. 8.9, a slightly tighter turning circle 23 feet vs. 24, and slightly more fuel capacity, 3.3 gallons vs. 2.9. At a claimed dry weight of 527 pounds, the Honda is 46 pounds lighter than the Kawasaki. The Honda has a 12 amp hour battery and a 240 watt alternator, both of which are smaller than their counterparts on the Kawasaki.
The Kawasaki, as nearly as can be determined, is virtually as reliable as the Honda, reports of failing transmissions not withstanding. It has a good solid resale value. It does, however, have far fewer aftermarket parts and accessories available for it than does the Honda. The Kawasaki lists for $4999, $200 less than the Honda, and it has a dual range transmission. The Kawasaki has a dual shock semi-independent type of rear suspension that provides near constant ground clearance under the rear differential, and near constant contact between the rear tires and the ground. The Kawasaki has slightly less suspension travel than the Honda, 4.3/4.7 inches front and rear vs. 5.1/5.1, and slightly larger tires that are taller in front and wider in back, 24x8-11 vs. 23x8-11 in front and 24x10-11 vs. 24x9-11 in back, slightly more ground clearance, 8.9 inches vs. 6.8, a slightly wider turning circle, 24 feet vs. 23, and slightly less fuel capacity, 2.9 gallons vs. 3.3. At a claimed dry weight of 573 pounds, the Kawasaki is 46 pounds heavier than the Honda. The Kawasaki has a 14 amp hour battery and a 330 watt alternator, both of which are larger than their counterparts on the Honda.
I idly began my search for a good clean used 300 4x4 shortly after Christmas ’97 and intensified my search at the beginning of March ‘98 when ATV and motorcycle advertising in the local papers picks up as the spring riding season begins. In essence, I debated the very things you are now considering, i.e., 300 Honda vs. 300 Kawasaki. Though I will admit to being predisposed to buy a Kawasaki because of the dual range transmission, and more importantly because of the familiarity of the control layout to my daughter. Though she would be able to alternate between the Kawasaki 300 and 400 and not have to learn any new procedures, I still gave the Honda TRX300 serious consideration.
Since I was looking for a used one, and since used 4x4 ATVs were, and are, few and far between here, I vowed to look at every one that appeared in the want ads. I never dreamed it would take eight months before I would find one worth buying. In every case the asking price for 300 Hondas was upwards of $200 more than for any other 300 4x4. Most of the time the condition, regardless of make, was horrible and the machine was worth no where near the asking price. Finally, at the end of July ’98 I located a potentially suitable machine. Coincidentally, it happened to be a Kawasaki.
The machine in question was a ’91 KLF300 4x4 that had been used by a deer hunter for three years until he upgraded to a Honda Foreman 400. He kept the 300 Bayou in hopes of teaching his wife to ride, but she wanted no parts of it. After sitting in his garage unused for two years, he finally decided to sell it. It was obvious the machine had been used, but it was also obvious that it had not been abused or wrecked. In fact, the underside of this ’91 300 Bayou was cleaner than the underside of my ’96 400 Bayou.
It was with a great deal of trepidation that I bought a used 4x4 ATV, but for $2100 I didn’t think I could go too far wrong. As soon as I got it home I changed all the fluids, set the valve clearance, adjusted the brakes and the clutch, and otherwise went over it with a fine-tooth comb. I could find no problems.
The machine was completely stock when I got it. I immediately set about making functional improvements to suit my style of riding. I added the Kawasaki speedometer (see note below), headlight guards and floorboard extensions. I replaced the stock handlebar-ends with those from the Bayou 400 (see note below). And I added a set of Oxlite brush guards. Early in the spring of ’99 prior to the Cochranton Poker Run, I added the late model fender extensions to improve rider protection, and I replaced the stock 24” Dunlop KT962A tires with a set of 25” Goodyear Mudrunners.
In the slightly more than two years since I bought it, it has been ridden just over 545 miles. I have experienced no problems of any kind during that time. The dual range transmission and semi-independent rear suspension have been exceptionally useful to the kind of technical trail riding we generally do.
Regarding top speed, I have seen as much as 45 MPH claimed for the 300 Bayou, but I think that is mere wishful thinking rather than actual measurement. By actual measurement, i.e. clocking the vehicle with a stop watch over a known fixed distance, my 400 Bayou is capable of a 47 MPH top speed and my 300 Bayou is capable of a 40 MPH top speed, though it takes a while to get there. But here in the rolling hills of Western PA on the tightly wooded trails we normally ride, top speed is nearly irrelevant when 20 MPH on a narrow winding wooded trail is frighteningly fast and something that one does only at great risk to one’s physical well-being.
A brief note to any Bayou 300 owners considering adding a speedometer: Do not use the model made specifically for the 300. It does not have a resetable trip odometer and it mounts to the front cargo rack, where it is difficult to read and where it can get the stuffing knocked out of it. Instead buy the model made for the 400. It only costs $50 more, it does have a resetable trip odometer, and it mounts in the center of the handlebars, where it is protected and easy to read. Most importantly both the model designed for the 300 and that designed for the 400 use the exact same drive gear. And since the 300 and 400 use the same rear differential and the same size tires, the 400 model speedometer will read accurately when mounted on the 300. The 400 model speedometer does have a small water temperature light in the six o’clock position, but it is unobtrusive, easily ignored, and a small price to pay for the resetable trip odometer.
One other note on the Bayou 300: The handlebar bar-end weights that come standard on the 300 are small and ineffective. The bar-end weights from the Bayou 400, or the Lakota 300, are significantly better, and they are a direct bolt-on replacement. I have noticed that 300 seems to vibrate a little more through handlebars than does the 400, but then I’m especially sensitive to vibration. Changing the bar-end weights on the 300 doesn’t make it as smooth as the 400, but it does make a difference for the better.
Note on the rear brake: Gordon Banks has previously commented on Kawasaki’s seeming inability to make a waterproof rear brake. Until recently I never had the occasion to have either Bayou in water any deeper than a few inches, but I took his comments to heart. I disassembled the rear brake on each Bayou, removed all traces of the factory grease, and thoroughly degreased the rubber gaskets with NAPA brake cleaner. I then used a tube of marine grease designed for boat trailer wheel bearings, which are routinely completely submersed, to repack the rubber gaskets. Last year, while engaging in some poker run practice, my daughter and I made six separate crossings of a stream that was approximately 60 feet wide and about two feet deep at the point where we crossed. After the ride I used my 3000 psi pressure washer to remove the mud from both quads. Later when they had dripped dry, I removed the drain bolt in the brake drum housing to check for any signs of water intrusion, I found no trace of water. The lack of water proof brakes on Kawasaki’s seems to be a common complaint, but in my case $3 worth of marine grade grease seems to have cured the problem.
Notes on towing ability: Theoretically, the Bayou 400 can tow 1100 pounds and the Bayou 300 can tow 850 pounds. Practically, they can tow much, much more than that. Three Summers ago I used my 400 to tow a fully loaded Chevy C20 pickup about 50 yards over level ground. The fully loaded Chevy probably weighed over 5000 pounds. In the Spring of ‘99 I used the Bayou 300 to tow my own broken down Ford Ranger Supercab (about 3500 pounds, if I had to guess) about ¼ mile up a slight grade to a friend’s house. I don’t plan on making a regular practice of this, but it is comforting to know that, when push comes to shove, there is a huge margin of untapped ability to be had if needed.
In April ‘99, our little group the Eclectic ATVers (which included Tree Farmer) rode Trail B at Cochranton. My daughter rode the Bayou 300 4x4 35 miles over some very tough, very muddy trails. She had no problems keeping up with any of the members of our group. In fact, at one rest stop Doug Blackburn (another Bayou 300 4x4 rider) said to me regarding my daughter’s riding, “Julia has proved to me you don’t need to be a hotshot to successfully ride in the poker run”. Doug was not insinuating the trails were easy, but rather was complementing Julia’s technical riding skills. During the poker run we passed any number of 2WD, and 4WD, quads stuck in some obstacle, but Julia managed to deftly weave her way through all of them on her Mudrunner equipped Bayou 300 without getting stuck, or riding like a madman.
This past Spring Julia rode her Bayou 300 at second Quads-On-The-Rocks ride at the Tasker’s Gap ORV area of the George Washington National Forest, and at the Little Fort Trail Ride held in the same area on the following day. Each day she rode over 35 miles on some of the rockiest terrain you can possibly imagine. The Bayou 300 handled it with ease.
Though you can hardly go very far wrong in choosing either the Honda or the Kawasaki. I personally believe that the semi-independent rear suspension, and resultant more comfortable ride, dual range transmission, bigger tires, greater ground clearance, greater electrical system capacity, and lower list price give the Kawasaki 300 Bayou a very slight, but nonetheless definite and tangible, edge over the Honda TRX300 in utility and performance for the dollar. And by performance I mean overall suitability to a task, not just acceleration and top speed. Needless to say, my daughter absolutely loves the 300 Bayou and, homework permitting, rides it every chance she gets.
Both of my Bayous have consistently performed beyond my expectations. And with the exception of three self-inflicted wounds on the 400, neither has required anything but normal maintenance items. I can unequivocally recommend either one.
The preceding was an attempt to logically compare two very nearly equivalent vehicles. All three of the machines on your list are very close to each other in performance. In terms of all out pulling power the Suzuki, with its triple range transmission and locking front differential, probably has the edge. The Suzuki is the most expensive machine, and the Kawasaki is the least expensive. I believe the Kawasaki offers the most value for the dollar. But statistics, specifications, and stories aside, you’ll find it hard to go wrong with any one of these three. Your final selection will probably have more to do with personal preference than anything else.
Good luck with whichever machine you choose to buy.
Army Man
#5
09-03-2000, 10:10 PM
I own both a Honda TRX 300 that was bought used and a Kawasaki Bayou 220 that was purchased new. Honda is by far the most popular quad and while they are known for their reliability, the time I have spent on this forum tells me they have just as many problems as any other quad. In my opinion, the reason why many Honda owners like to brag about their quads is because they know they payed more for them. If I had paid more than I had to, I too would say there is nothing as good.
Truth is, there are several ATV manufacturers who make very reliable quads in addition to Honda.
What do I ride most often? The Bayou.
Good luck and ride safe.
Truth is, there are several ATV manufacturers who make very reliable quads in addition to Honda.
What do I ride most often? The Bayou.
Good luck and ride safe.
#6
09-04-2000, 02:56 AM
We had terrible luck with Bayous. Their rear brake drum warps after getting wet, making the rear brake worthless. Currently Kawasaki and Polaris are the hardest to get parts for. We had a starter solenoid on back order for 6 months and its still is on backorder. We've never had these problems with Honda, Suzuki or Yamaha.
#7
09-04-2000, 09:17 AM
azrob,
Please read my post above for a simple and effective cure for water intrusion in the Bayou's rear drum brake. I have treated both my Bayou 300 and Bayou 400 rear drum brakes as described above and have no problems with either one.
As for parts availability, I've had no problems with that either. Anything my dealer doesn't stock can be had via next-day air, though the price is somewhat more expensive than normal delivery.
Also, if your dealer doesn't stock the part you need, and if he can't seem to get it in a reasonable time, then why don't you try any of the several dealers that routinely advertise in the back pages of Dirt Wheels? I'v had good luck with Midwest Action Cycle. They have always had, or could get, the part I needed.
Army Man
Please read my post above for a simple and effective cure for water intrusion in the Bayou's rear drum brake. I have treated both my Bayou 300 and Bayou 400 rear drum brakes as described above and have no problems with either one.
As for parts availability, I've had no problems with that either. Anything my dealer doesn't stock can be had via next-day air, though the price is somewhat more expensive than normal delivery.
Also, if your dealer doesn't stock the part you need, and if he can't seem to get it in a reasonable time, then why don't you try any of the several dealers that routinely advertise in the back pages of Dirt Wheels? I'v had good luck with Midwest Action Cycle. They have always had, or could get, the part I needed.
Army Man
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#8
09-04-2000, 08:50 PM
#9
09-05-2000, 12:26 PM
Wow nice post..... I to love my Bayou 300 4x4 (99) i have had no problems except for a stick drove a hole in the rear drive shaft boot. It is a very reliable and capable machine. I do have no rear brakes, never did, but my front one are awesome so i use them.... P.S. i think you forgot to mention that the Bayou's have front DISC brakes, and the honda doesnt.
