For my .02 worth it depends on your body size also. If you weigh as much as a linebacker like I do a heavy machine isn't as much as an issue as you might think. I can power through corners on my 700lb. X2 pretty well. Not as good as a sport quad but pretty fast. Weight also helps when you are trying to get the tires down through the mud to firmer ground for traction. For me the whole issue is horsepower to weight ratio. You may have a sport quad that puts out 38 horsepower and weighs 380 lbs. That's 1 HP per 10 lbs. If you buy a utility quad that weighs 600 lbs. and has 50 horsepower it's at 1 HP per 12 lbs. Not a big difference other than not "feeling" light. A 750 or 800 class utility quad is going to have a decent power to weight ratio and still be able to pull you through serious mud, and crawl at controlled speeds up and down rocks. Hope this helps.

 

So there are pretty much 7 big "top of the line" utility quads. Brute Force, King Quad, Rincon, and Grizzly all weight 600 lbs dry. The outlander, sportsman, and thd artic cat all weigh 50-150 lbs more than that. The rest of the stats are close enough that argueing about it is splitting hairs, including what it can pull. The lighter quads don't break any more often. 4 of the companies tried to keep weight down when building their quads and the other 3 built a quad, then they weighed it. Just on stats alone this tells me no matter how you slice it; lighter is better unless someone knows something I'm missing. How much better could be argued forever. It just all depends on what kind of riding your doing. Then there's also the saying, "there's two types of people that ride quads, those that have rolled and those that will." I'm 6'3", 185 and athletic, I've had a 500 lbs quad on top of me and it sucks! I wouldn't want another pound. Then there's the price of gas, but let's not get started on that.

Recon ranger, I'm glad you really understand what I'm talking about. I'll have to look more into the old wolverines, a rancher, and maybe the new electic quads. This links has probably been brought up many times but here it is; http://www.barefootmotors.com/ . With very little specs and no price it has me at least intrigued for now. Until then hopefully I'll find something that keeps me happy.

 

Oh and one more thing. Recon ranger, do you know how much weight you lost on your rancher with light weight wheels and tires? Do you know how much your racks weigh?

 

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

lighter is better unless someone knows something I'm missing.
a Ranger is lighter than a F 350? which is better!?!





Then there's also the saying, "there's two types of people that ride quads, those that have rolled and those that will."

I've never rolled and don't plan on it! Not everyone rolls there atv?!?


http://www.barefootmotors.com/ . With very little specs and no price it has me at least intrigued for now. Until then hopefully I'll find something that keeps me happy.</end quote></div>

It's a Polaris with the engine removed and electric motors and batteries, I've heard around 20K

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote> I'm 6'3", 185 and athletic, I've had a 500 lbs quad on top of me and it sucks! I wouldn't want another pound. Then there's the price of gas, but let's not get started on that. </end quote></div>

Sorry if you get a 500lb ATV stuck or on top of you your as screwed as if it was 700lbs.
If you get a (so called) light weight 400lb ATV stuck, its winch time and those winches do not care how much a Utility quad weighs when getting it out.

If weights a big deal than a sport ATV is the way to go.

 

The truth is that the majority of folks are just trail riders. They are just looking for a medium size machine that handles great out on the trail. They don't need a farm work tractor or monster mud machine, but they don't need a motocrosser either. They can get by with 2wd most of the time, but would appreciate having selectable 4wd available just in case they get into trouble out on the trail.


I agree with this to a point. I think the "quickest growing" market is the higher income people joining the sport. Think about it...building the old classic cars used to be a blue collar pastime. Now it's a white collar career by infusing big bucks into it. It's pretty hard for a lower income guy to do that now. The same goes for auto racing (both racing AND going to the races).
I believe that's where the ATV market is headed. Toward the white collar crowd which drives prices up and gears the ATV manufacturers toward that market.
Buck

 

At least the Japaneese manufacturers have kept their utility weights down around a reasonable 600 pounds!

With the North American manufacturers....it seems like anything goes.....700....800....! What they are selling you is "features" that you probably don't need anyway....features that are just designed to jack up the price so they can make more profits! This is precisely why I don't take any of the NA manufacturers seriously, and I would never ride one of there machines even if someone gave me one for free!

Once you are over 600 pounds, it makes more sense to just get a Rhino!

As for where the market lies, this is a very regional thing. Here in the southwest, it is sport quad country!!! I would say that between trucks, toy hauler trailers, and bikes/quads, the average rider has well over $100,000 tied up in their equipment (and million dollar setups are not uncommon, especially at the dunes). Utilities have their place (hunters or those who deliberately go looking to tackle terrifying terrain), but for the average rider around here a utility is just going to be a burden that slows you down and leaves you at the back of the pack eating 350 pound sport quad dust all day. Rhino's seem to be all the rage anyway, for those looking for something with 4wd.....

 

Maybe I missed something but the Polaris Outlaw weighs in at 395 lbs. You get a KTM engine that will move a quad twice its weight without a problem. You can get an IRS rear that would be great out here in the Northeast where we have rutted trails and lots of rocks. It would have a much nicer ride other than in a flat corner where a solid rear axle is easier to power slide. I've been on both solid axle machines and IRS machines. The only place that I felt the solid axle is better would be the flat corners. Can you powerslide an IRS on flat corners? Sure, but you better be hanging off the quad into the corner. If you don't pay attention it can get squirrelly. Not sure about dunes. We don't have much soft sand riding out this way. I've seen plenty of reviews in the magazines that showed the IRS Outlaw to be extremely fun in the dunes. If you must get a solid axle machine they have the Outlaw 525S also. I love the idea of IRS on a 2wd just for the ground clearance. The chain driven sport quads get hung up because of the 4-5 inches of minimal ground clearance. Honda is also coming out with an IRS 2wd this June if I've heard right. What I'd really like to see is an Outlaw IRS or the new Honda IRS with 4wd. That would be the perfect quad at least out this way.

 

I live in the east and besides a racetrack there aren't many places to ride a sport atv! Mostly kids here ride sports, they're cheaper and they think they need more speed! Most here ride utes and tackle more difficult terrain. Once you get over a couple hundred pounds the weight becomes a non issue, you're not going to lift your atv or push it home if it breaks down. So what if 1 weighs 600 lbs. or 1 weighs 700 lbs? Yes it weighs more because of features! I use my extra features all the time. 3rd headlight every night run, storage box every ride, 4wd every time, skids are there just in case, etc.... try some differant atvs and broaden your horizons.
Outlaws, KTMs and DSs are at the top of the sport game.



At least the Japaneese manufacturers have kept their utility weights down around a reasonable 600 pounds!


Reconranger,
Asians are smaller stature and their cars and atvs reflect that!

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>At least the Japaneese manufacturers have kept their utility weights down around a reasonable 600 pounds! </end quote></div>

And you think you can tell the diferance between a 600lb Utility ATV over a 700lb one?

I can barely tell if I have a 170lb passenger on the back unless I look back.