Suzuki is dropping its 500 Vinson this year. That leaves only 4 utility ATV left to chose from if you want a 5 speed tranny. The Susuki eiger(Now called King Quad) the Honda Foreman and Rancher and the Yamaha Big Bear.

Can,t include the Honda hydromechanical trannies(Rincons,Rubicons) ,I think they only have 3 gears in shift mode and are more a fully automatic ATV.

 

I just prefer the old time proven gear-on-gear trannies, to any of the automatics. I don't need (or want) anything bigger than a Rancher, so it's just fine with me that they don't make any oversize, overweight, monster big bores with manual trannies.

Your advice probably also applies to guns, if the Democrats get control of the government in the next election......

 

Interesting to note that the Rancher 400AT, an automatic, got dumped this year and the manual trans 420 gets retained...bucking the trend.

Honda is the best seller and the Rancher is Honda's best seller, so even with all the fuss about big bore automatic, long travel suspension, IRS machines, what the REAL buying public out there actually wants is just a simple, medium size, great handling, reasonably priced machine with a manual trans!

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>fine with me that they don't make any oversize, overweight, monster big bores </end quote></div>

A 700 Grizzly only weights 40 lb more than a 420 Rancher. If they put on small racks and lost the low range tranny and put on 24" wheels on the grizzly it would be close to a tie in weight.

I do not think 40lbs means much, 560lb or 600lb that is still to much weight to throw a ATV around like a MX bike.

 

The Arctic Cat 500 is still available with it.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: TLC

Suzuki is dropping its 500 Vinson this year. That leaves only 4 utility ATV left to chose from if you want a 5 speed tranny. The Susuki eiger(Now called King Quad) the Honda Foreman and Rancher and the Yamaha Big Bear.



Can,t include the Honda hydromechanical trannies(Rincons,Rubicons) ,I think they only have 3 gears in shift mode and are more a fully automatic ATV.</end quote></div>

The Rubicons are a 5-speed in ESP mode. The Rincons are 3-speed. The Rubicon also becomes a true CVT in D1 or D2 mode. The Rincon in fully automatic mode is still a 3-speed.

I'm not going to sit here and bash the semi-auto trans because I think they certainly have their place on a quad. But, I will say that the CVT does make the type of riding I do easier. For instance, they're much nicer than a semi-auto when going through a rushing creek or deep mud (Especially the Rubicon CVT).

They're also nicer for long distance rides over technical terrain. I would think my foot would get worn out from all the shifting if I rode a semi-auto in this senario.

 

TLC-The Griz 700 is actually the best of the breed. I have friends with 700 and 800+ pound Polaris, and they have mushy long travel suspension and tons of body roll, and IMO they are disasters waiting to happen!

 

You have to think of the heavy Sportsmans as Yamaha Rhino with Handle bars and no side seat. I rolled My dads 700lb SP500 down a steep goat path and sat and watched the the hole thing,and boy does that thing not look right rolling end over end 5 times. I was lucky also because I was thrown clear on the first half roll.