Hi all! I'm in the market for a new ATV (utility) and I was hoping people could share their opinions regarding rear suspension. I'm not sure whether to get a straight axle or an IRS. The quad will be driven in the swamps (0-10' of water), tight woods and trails.

Another question: Because the quad is mainly for my wife (5'4'- 125lbs), how much does curb weight play into steering feel (light/heavy)? My choices are between a 350cc (536lbs) or a 450cc (591lbs). Both models are from Yamaha as I get discounts from them. Thanks in advance!!!

 

+'s for the IRS are: Good ground clearance, SUPER smooth ride.
-'s for the IRS are: Not as stable on side hills, can't really power slide it. Can't put a bunch of weight on the IRS without it squating. Lots of BS to go wrong; lots of U joints and boots and all of that junk.

+'s for the SA are: Stable on side hills or when power sliding, you can put as much weight on the hitch as you want without them squating. Lots of less junk to worry about like U joints and boots.
-'s for the SA are: Harsh ride, not as good of ground clearance as the IRS.

Both are good systems. It's just what you want to do. As my back gets worse I should have gone with the IRS myself. I would go with the IRS if my old lady is going to ride it.

The weight is going to play some into steering feel. How much, I can't say.

 

Thanks for the good info. Only one of the machines has a solid rear which is what I would prefer, but from the pro's/con's my wife would appreciate the IRS's smoother ride. I guess I'll wait to power slide the Shee when the water goes down.

 

If the 350 is the Bruin then it's a good machine for a female to drive. That's what my girlfriend has and she loves it. It rides decent, better than my Rancher plus has the adjustable suspension. It lacks the low end grunt of the Rancher due to the belt drive but all in all it has plenty of power and is fun to drive.
She's 48 and if there is a mudhole around....watch out!

 

WOW, 10 feet of water, what kind of snorkel are you gonna be running, along with tires. Just playing [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Josh

 

Thanks ddrumman, a Bruin is one of the choices. My wife is 40 and feable, so it sounds like a good match. It won't be used as a work vehicle, just for playing around, so the lack of torque is no problem. My brother-in-law has a Polaris 700 which is way too much for her (power and steering), but does the grunt work when I need to (plowing and lawn maintenence).