Okay, I've read all of the comments in this section, and others, and am still at a loss. I am looking to buy my first quad and think I have narrowed it down, but some of you really have me thinking otherwise.

So far my choices are between a Traxter and a Honda Foreman ES. The "wife" and I will be doing mostly trail riding in northern/southern Ohio and surrounding areas in all weather including some deeper snow.

My basic reasons for the Traxter are: I have a Bombardier Sea Doo and love it - you name it, everything has been excellent. I also like the features on the bike: storage, rear radiator, the 4-wheel system, larger gas tank, steel racks. My concerns are: The new Traxter doesn't have all of your experinced opinions yet so it's a gamble, it's heavy, complaints on shifting slow, backfiring, will it suit my type of riding since I haven't been on it yet.

(Traxter owners please speak up, since they are new I haven't found alot to read about.) Some reading was good, some bad and one real bad, but I think I know his dealer and when I asked about Traxter problems he mentioned one guy who had a lack of oil, which we know will cause problems.

Ive been on a Honda 300 and Foreman S alot and like them. The Foreman has much more power and was harder to get stuck, but it still does when that one loose wheel just spins. My friends and most of you praise the reliability of the Hondas and that is on my mind as well, but that Traxter has caught my interest.

I have also been on a friends Kawi and liked it until his tranny selector snapped off, 2 tie-rods broke and the plastic racks started looking like swiss cheese. Polaris comments from friends, and I haven't been on one, are that a Polaris is more of a work horse and may not be as good for running trails.

I hope some of you have something that will steer me one way or the other. I also understand that it's basically just one of those things I need to decide on, but I sure hate to be disappointed with my $6,000+ decision!

 

Hi,

The Traxter looks like a good ATV, but I have not been on it myself. Personally, I don't like the way the seat is setup, and the $7,800 price tag makes it easily the most expensive quad out there. Kawasaki quads are horrible in reliability, especially with the transmission. Polaris quads are supposed to be real nice, but in my position, the closest dealer was 300 miles away. Honda makes great ATVs. You should really go with the Honda Foreman S. Huge engine, soft ride, fast and powerful, LCD information display, full-time 4WD that isn't hard to turn the handlebar, best reliability out there, and it's probably the toughest quad out there. As for what you said about a Honda quad getting stuck, I cannot understand. I have driven up steep hills I can't even climb or crawl up. I have driven in very deep water, over piles of rocks, over huge logs, and other terrains as rough. If you drive an ATV with the goal of getting it stuck, it won't be so hard to do that. I don't know about you getting stuck with the ATV, but I can say this: the better you get at driving ATVs and the more rough terrain you drive on, the more you learn how to handle the terrain without getting stuck.

 

MrElusive, please share whatever direct personal first-hand evidence you have of Kawasaki transmission unreliability.

Unless, perhaps, that information also is elusive.

To the contrary, I've ridden the past two years over 2000 quad miles (# quads X # miles) in the company of Kawasaki riders, over Cochranton, Tour de Forest, and the super-rugged Quads, On-the-Rocks! and AMA-sanctioned Little Fort Trail Ride (timed) with none/zero/zilch/nada/ninguina Kawassaki transmission problems.

In fact, the only Kawasaki casualty was my own, when the G-forces of the bone-breaking rocks of Quads, On-the-Rocks! dislodged my carburetor from its hoses, only because I hadn't torqued down the hose clamps adequately.

Not that I doubt you; I only invite you to share your data.

Tree Farmer

 

Hi,

My friend has had his Kawasaki Bayou 220 for three years, and it has some transmission problems. Sometimes, when you are in first gear, and kick up to go to second, it will jump up to fifth gear or it will just shift to no gear. My neighbor has a Kawasaki Bayou 220 for about five years and his is really messed up. On his ATV, throttle is always on. When you kick it into first or reverse, it starts moving forward or backward without the driver applying any throttle. Also, the ATV often stalls at idle. Although these transmission problems I have encountered occur only with the Bayou 220s, none of my friends have any other Kawasaki quads. I do not doubt similar transmission problems will occur on Kawasaki's other quads. Plus, I have a big problem with Kawasaki's Prairie 400 4x4 with automatic transmission. There is no engine breaking! What is that? The rider will wear out the breaks in no time, plus stopping distances will increase noticeably without any engine compression to slow you down...

 

I've put about a 1000km on my Traxter XT in 3 months. It has performed very well so far.

It has alot of torque. I ride on rough trails and do alot of mudding. It is a great climber, very stable on decends. Most other quads are top heavy and do not offer as much confidence when it comes to inclines or declines. Front diff works great, a whole lot of traction. Pulls like a mule. Seat is very comfy. Front storage holds a whack of stuff.

Now what I don't like. Shifting is slow, Honda much more responsive. Suspension is a little tight, Sportsman is the king when it comes to riding comfort. Backfired for about the first 400 clicks, the went away on it's own. It's a bit to pricey compared the competion. If your're willing to spend that amount get the XT, the upgrades are worth it. Good luck on your purchase.

 

K2, The Traxter is mighty expensive around here. I see you're not from Canada, so maybe you'd consider the Honda Rubicon? It's cheaper than the Traxter, and if you liked the Foreman, you'll absolutely love the Rubicon. The auto tranny is the best thing out there and the 500cc engine has 150lbs less than the Traxter to drag around. If you're really looking in the Traxter's price range, you should consider the Rubicon as an alternative.

 

MrElusive,

Thanks for the response, I have to agree with your comments on Honda's reliability and have heard nothing but the same from others. I do really like those machines, but some of the features on the Traxter still have me interested - it's the cost and uncertain reliability that may push me away at this time. If they would bring the cost down a bit, I might be more willing to take a chance.

As far as the comments about getting stuck... I have not found a problem with the Hondas except in deeper snow (and I'm sure anything can get stuck at sometime). On most any trail, it will fight it's way through. However, on occasion, when you add a foot+ of snow to that trail, your climbing over stuff and that loose wheel starts spinning - start praying it pulls out of it. Nothing shortens a ride more than the exhaustion from getting un-stuck in snow up to your knees. I just wonder if the 4-wheel system on the Traxter would do better since I haven't even been on one yet.

 

Thanks for the input. It sounds like a lot of the things I would hope for. It's still the price and those annoying little problems (backfiring, cold start problems, slow shifting, etc.) that have me concerned. With an hour or so drive to the dealer, I'm not looking to go back and forth for those adjustments or quick fixes. I think some of the Traxter bashing on the Bombardier forum has got me spooked today. Maybe it's just a case of people only speaking up when there is a problem.

 

Hi guys,

I just want to add in -in case you guys didn't know- that the new Honda FourTrax series ATVs have torque converters which actually do a really good job. More power goes from the wheels that slip to the wheels that grip. =P One time, I don't know how, but I got the ATV stuck right on top of the rock and all four wheels were in the air. So, I put the ATV in gear 5 and I floored it. The engine rpms were pretty high, but the wheels were not spinning fast at all. Also, when you are making turns, less power is given to the inside wheels of that turn. Hope that helps.

 

K2

Not trying to discourage you from the two machines that you are considering, but not sure where you heard that Polaris machines are not good trail machines. Sure, the Polaris utility machines make great work horses, but also are some of the best riding atv's on the market. I own two Polaris atvs and love trail riding them down at Wayne National Forest on some seriously rough terrain. As a new atv owner, your biggest influence on your decision should be the dealer support. Buy the atv from the dealer that is willing to provide you with the best support. Don't just talk to the salesman, talk to the owner (if possible), the parts guys, and the service guys. See if they are friendly and easy to deal with. Don't matter how tough a machine is, it will eventually need some parts/repairs. The dealer support will determine how your overall experience ends up.

For my money, between the two brands you suggested, I would go with a Honda 450ES. It is a proven machine and I personally don't care for the seat design of the traxter. What ever you choose, ride safe.