Price Excluded, what would be the top questions you would ask if you are buying an ATV today?
What negatives should be looked for? Dealer Issues?

 

In no particular order:


1) What is my budget
2) How will I use the atv
3) Who will be using the atv
4) Parts availability
5) Dealer reputation
6) Features
7) Is it a first year model
8) Pricing and incentives
9) Warranty
10) Tranny type

 

Sorry, don't have time for an whole list, but high on it would be suspension, and weight. I don't want a sport quad that is over 375 pounds, and 350 pounds is the gold standard. I am a desert endurance rider, so reliability is high on the list as well.

 

handeling, suspension, power, PRICE, weight, reliability, what i will use it for the most, can i gets parts easy, tranny type, are there any problems with earlier models and have they been fixed if any

 

If it's a utility, again definitely weight (all these things, even the "lighter" ones are huge, heavy, tanks!). And, tranny type........I do not like ANY of the automatics, whether it be the Hondas or the belt drives. Pretty much limits me to the Rancher!

 

I wont list 10 but these are my top 6...
1.)Power
2.)Suspension
3.)Quality/Strength
4.)Manual or auto
5.)Weight
6.)Looks

 

If it was a utility it would be..
1.)Clearance
2.)Strength
3.)Weight
4.)Power
5.)Looks
6.)Tranny.....pretty much have to buy an auto these days even if you do not like them....

 

NOTHIN else matters if it isn't realiable. Reliability would be #1 on my list and the utmost important factor IMO.

You can tweak suspension, power, tires etc. to improve in those performance areas but if it is not reliable then none of that really matters. That being said, it SEEMS those who tweak the engine the most seem to have the most reliablity issues.

My grandfather had some wise words for me a long time ago........he said "you see Mike, all those hot rods that guys jack up, soup up the engines etc.....they will always seem to have problems, the engineers for the automakers spend a lot of time and money designing everything to work together and once you start monkeying around with the original design you are more likely to experience problems".