I've started looking into a smaller machine to replace my current mahine, 1999 cat 500 4x4.

I have never felt comfortable on the cat because of the size and weight. It has always taken some of the fun out of the trails rides. Especially on off camber areas. I weigh a 150lbs so the cat seems huge.

It looks like size and weight wise. The rancher, bruin 350 and hawkeye are my choices. I've looked at the rancher and bruin. Trying to free up time to go look at a hawkeye. Most of my riding is trail riding, snow, mud and some rocky sections. Speed is not an issue with me and I try not to go out of my way to bury a machine. I usually pull up the end of the line in our groups.

Any pro's and con's on these. I know nothing about polaris so I need to look at the hawkeye. My riding buddies are yamaha mechanics so they are somewhat biased. The rancher I looked at was the base 4x4, no esp.

 

About the only thing I could say about the Rancher that impresses me is that it is really stable. I don't have to lean in when cornering on flat ground to keep the wheels planted under acceleration. It breaks the back end loose and slides, apparently well before it wants to tip. I haven't topped mine out speed wise yet but have had it to 47. A friend of mine says his topped out at 51, that would have been with a windshield on. I'm 190lb. and a hair shy of 6' but look more like 170lb. and the Rancher feels perfect in size.

Have you looked at or considered the Suzuki Eiger?

 

I have the liberty of driving both the Bruin and Rancher. The Rancher 4x4 manual that I drive has a really low first gear for pulling and will out pull the Bruin 4x4. The Bruin is fun to drive if you are into automatics and I must admit that I do enjoy driving it although out on the trail, I prefer my Rancher. I put a Warn 424 on the Rancher and that turned the atv into a really fun machine to drive.
The Bruin will out accelerate the Rancher but the Honda pulls ahead at 45 or so. The Bruin is an 04 model and had started burning oil on start-up but switching to Amsoil 0w-40 synthetic stopped that.
The Honda sits lower and thus feels more stable to me on the trails we ride.

My girlfriend loves the Bruin because of the auto tranny. I prefer the soild reliability of the Honda manual tranny.

The Bruin has a better front brake system than the Honda and adjustable shocks where the Rancher doesn't.

Off hand, the Bruin is probably the better machine from a features standpoint....but I love the Honda.

I know nothing about a Polaris.

 

Hi guys. I'd go to check out from atvnation some give you on web check out at

http://www.atvnation.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=8889. Some cool picture and forums.



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xplorer 400 4x4 2001
with 26 inch tires and
force reed 2 bit more
bottom end power