Good Day to all! So I currently own an '05 Arcticcat 650V2, and that pussie cat has just pushed my last button, its time for a new machine. I'm not going to bullshit I ride hard, If you say I can't get there from here, I will. Any thing from the trails, to climbing rocky mountains, to mud holes (not too deep now), work horse around the house, to hunting the back 40. I want a machine whos HP is not just in the engine, but at the four corners as well. I want reliability, and comfortable handeling. I've seen Cats, Griz and Polarises perform, and I have not been convinced that they are the machines for me. I'm leaning towards the '08 Outlander 800. I've never seen one on the trails, and I just heard one run for the first time the other day. My feeling is its like the Cadi of the off road world, and the price prevents me from seeing them out on the trails. Any info you all could give me on finding that Bullet Proof machine would be great.

 

So far my 06 650V2 has been all i need and more. If that V2 isnt getting what you want, you need a Jeep.

 

If you want the ultimate ride, you have to build it. There's no way around it. Anyone who's really into anything will tell you that. Manufacturers simply don't make products specific enough for everyone to have the "perfect" machine. I'm relatively new to ATVs, but in the Jeep world, you build what you can't buy. The Can-ams sound like nice machines, but I've heard bad things about their frames.

 

go to www.yamahamotor.com/outdoor and order the free grizzly 700 dvd. In the dvd they test all of the bigbore atvs, and if you watch it you will probly choose the grizzly 700 fi eps like i did.

 

Polaris sportsman is the way to go!

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: HONDA CRUSHER 93

go to www.yamahamotor.com/outdoor and order the free grizzly 700 dvd. In the dvd they test all of the bigbore atvs, and if you watch it you will probly choose the grizzly 700 fi eps like i did.</end quote></div>

And then watch every other brands dvd, and you will want to buy that ATV. Whatever dvd you watch, that brand will always outperform the others.

 

Bradw is right about the perfect machine not being built. Finding a good one is possible, and then it's mod, mod, mod. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

The can-am frames aren't so much weak, as unprotected. Tell em to put full skids on it and it will do fine.

Good luck with the hunt.

 

Goat-Your title doesn't really match your post! If you really wanted bulletproof, then that would be the old Honda 300. From you post however, what you really want is something HUGE....

I have ridden the lowly little Rancher 350 (and now the new 420) since the first year it came out. I ride circles around my friends on their big heavy montster quads (mostly Can-Ams and Polaris, and one Suzuki), when the going gets technical! Why??? They are way up in the air on their long travel, mushy IRS machines, while I am on a very much lighter, solid, more stable platform.

We did a group tight semi-technical woods trail ride a while back, and one of the Polaris riders commented that I had "the perfect machine" for the conditions. Another one (also a Polaris rider) said I "make it look easy". Well, it is easy compared to fighting with some tall fully larded monster quad who's lockers are making it impossible to steer. I go anywhere they can go...and I have a way better time!

Don't fall into the mushy suspension trap. I'll be zipping off down the trail, while they are still trying to get their winch cables uncoiled......

 

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

Goat-Your title doesn't really match your post! If you really wanted bulletproof, then that would be the old Honda 300. From you post however, what you really want is something HUGE....



I have ridden the lowly little Rancher 350 (and now the new 420) since the first year it came out. I ride circles around my friends on their big heavy montster quads (mostly Can-Ams and Polaris, and one Suzuki), when the going gets technical! Why??? They are way up in the air on their long travel, mushy IRS machines, while I am on a very much lighter, solid, more stable platform.



We did a group tight semi-technical woods trail ride a while back, and one of the Polaris riders commented that I had "the perfect machine" for the conditions. Another one (also a Polaris rider) said I "make it look easy". Well, it is easy compared to fighting with some tall fully larded monster quad who's lockers are making it impossible to steer. I go anywhere they can go...and I have a way better time!



Don't fall into the mushy suspension trap. I'll be zipping off down the trail, while they are still trying to get their winch cables uncoiled......</end quote></div>



I do not see how a Rancher with less than 7" of Ground clearance , small 24" wheels ,3 wheel drive and no low range will not get stuck before the big Utility machines?

I think IRS is suppose to have long suspension that is softer to isolate the rider from the bumps on the trails. I ride with straight axles and the riders have to stand on there begs every time a bump or log comes up.

Lockers make the ATV almost impossible to steer but you only use it for those few yards where 3wd is not enough and then you turn it off again.

 

I would like to ride with reconranger myself also to see how the real ride would actually play out.