at the dealers today, he led me towards a Braun 4x4...I am female, 5'6", 190#, athletic,,,do u think this is a good choice for recreational riding? I also wonder why they dont come w/ gas guages???
thanks for help.

 

What kind of riding do you do/plan on doing? What type of terrain are you likely to be on? What type of atvs do your friends ride? The Bruin is a good place to get started as long as it matches up well with how you are using it.

 

If you are wanting a 4x4 from the Yamaha line you may be happier with a Wolverine 450 (sportier but not as comfortable) or a Kodiak 450 (a full featured 4x4 with IRS) than you would with a Bruin. IMO the Bruin would be a little underpowered for your needs but like the previous poster said it will depend on how you will be riding...

 

If your not dead set on yamaha take a look at the Suzuki Eiger. They are the best quad for the buck in the 400cc class IMO. You can get it in manual (auto clutch) or auto, it has selectable 2x4 or 4x4 and HI/Low range. It is pretty sporty and does everything really well. It is a SRA but I think it makes it more sporty. My wife is 5'1", 110lb and likes to drive it at times, it is a little big for here being that she is so short. If you are dead set on yamaha I would look at the Kodiak like 2TV said, that is a good one but a little bigger and pricer. Hope that this helps.

 

Thanks guys [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]
Now what about gauges....how do u measure gas with no gauge??
CINDY

 

The Kodiak does have a fuel gauge. However after you get a little bit of experience you may find yourself relying upon the odometer (especially the trip meter if you reset before every ride on a full tank of gas) as you will find that you will get close to the same mileage range, especially if you ride pretty much the same way all of the time.

On my Grizzly and Brute Force (which both have digital gauges) they will indicate "empty" or very low when there is about a 1/3 tank full left, so they aren't very accurate. My sport quads do not have fuel gauges or an odometer (well the Raptor has a low fuel light and that does help), so you either rely upon a riding buddy to determine how far you've gone or just look inside the tank once in a while. Also if you tend to ride the same areas all the time, you will quickly learn how far you can go before you will need to worry about fuel...

 

(deleted a double post)

 

I have a kodiak and when it runs out of fuel....I still have a 1/2 tank left....just flip the fuel switch to reserve and enjoy the other 1/2 of the ride....


Also...I would advise you to NOT use a lighter to look in and see how much fuel is left [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Thanks everyone---keep the suggestions coming--I appreciate it.
What about installing a rear seat for an adult passenger?
CINDY

 

If you plan to ride any serious trails that include hills, I would advise against carrying a passenger. Otherwise you can find the front end coming up on you surprizingly easy when going up hill, especially if you hit a bump while accelerating. Having a passenger on a standard ATV (especially adult passengers) distributes extra weight where it wasn't meant to be. Also there are many organized / public riding places that prohibit riding double if the ATV was not designed to carry a passenger.

Several companies make 2 seater quads (they are a little longer) but these are more expensive (I personally like the Can-Am, formerly Bombardier, 2 seater models). I have ridden a Can-Am 2 seater (an 800) and they are amazing (great comfort and very stable with an adult passenger even while going up a rough hill).

Now that being said, if you just plan to ride gently on fairly level ground, you will likely never have a problem with riding double on a single rider ATV. They do make trunks for the back rack that provide a seat cushion and back rests for passengers. I've seen people ride double on some pretty rugged trails before too, but they are taking chances that I wouldn't want to take...