Weight seems to be something that is rarely brought up on these forums, at least that I could find. I've only been riding a little while but have ridden a variety of quads and I personally think weight is a huge factor. I like the big 4x4's, but starting at 600 lbs is pretty heavy and it just goes up from there. Wolverines are pretty light but it seems you could get close to 515 lbs (wolverine weight off the top of my head) by taking racks off of a grizzly and putting light weight wheels on. How much would a wheel change and taking off racks save in weight anyway? What else can you do to reduce weight? While we're on the subject when are they going to make a light weight 4x4? Wolverines are coming close but they still have that auto tranny that supposeablely adds 40 lbs.

 

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

Weight seems to be something that is rarely brought up on these forums, at least that I could find. I've only been riding a little while but have ridden a variety of quads and I personally think weight is a huge factor. I like the big 4x4's, but starting at 600 lbs is pretty heavy and it just goes up from there. Wolverines are pretty light but it seems you could get close to 515 lbs (wolverine weight off the top of my head) by taking racks off of a grizzly and putting light weight wheels on. How much would a wheel change and taking off racks save in weight anyway? What else can you do to reduce weight? While we're on the subject when are they going to make a light weight 4x4? Wolverines are coming close but they still have that auto tranny that supposeablely adds 40 lbs.</end quote></div>

Light weight is for racing! Heavy duty is for Utility atvs, ever try to push or pull with a lightweight racing atv? Lots of sport atvs if you want light weight!

 

Check out the renegades .... there basicly 4x4 outlanders with different shocks and fenders. Think there wait is about 50lbs less without racks and the extra plastic. They can still jump pretty good. On the DVD "HUEVOS TEN" They jump a 800 renegade 100FT Not sure what riding you plan to do that you need 4x4 because you would be surprized where the racing quads can go. If you need more clearance check out the 525 outlaw IRS.

 

I have been bitching about heavy utility quads forever....and if a "sport" quad is heavy (like the Kawi 700 or DS650), I won't miss an opportunity to bitch about them as well!!!

There were rumors a few years ago about sporty lightweight 4wd prototypes that some manufacturers were working on....kind of the Wolverine idea, but lighter and with a manual transmission. None have ever reached the market, so perhaps the manufacturers realize that they can sell a guy like me both a sport quad and a utility and make twice the money....rather than just marketing one light hybrid do-it-all machine!

I think the Rancher 420 would be a good base for a machine like this....even at stock weight it rips! Take off the racks and lighten it up every way possible...and I think it would be the ticket.

 

Hmm, renegades I like the look but they make a boat anchor look light (that magic 600 lbs again). Reconranger I was thinking up your alley too with a rancher but was disappointed to learn they really aren't that light either, around 560 lbs I believe. Wolverines are about as close as it comes right now at 515 lbs. Still when you look at a 360 lb sport quad, it seems like it would be so easy for a manufacturer to put 4x4 on that, which would just add 40 lbs or so. I guess that's just a bag of worms they don't want to open up. I tried and bought a sport quad 2x4. Despite what everyone said beforehand about being suprise at where it can go I was not suprised. Not necessarily disappointed but I wanted more. I also didn't like the other end of the spectrum with a big 4x4. I guess complaining and settling for something is all I can do for now until they come up with something. Or I get pretty creative with a welder and scrap parts, but i don't think that's going to happen. Don't have money to burn.

So what's a good route to go anyway to lighten up a quad? How much by taking racks off? Alloy wheels? Then what?

 

Whats with this weight fetish? are you prone to crash? get a dirt bike they are faster and only weigh 200 lbs? A utility is for working and the weight helps with this chore. Heavy atv can push and pull more weight. If you want a sport 4wd a Wolvy,Scrambler or Renegade are your choices!

 

With a Rancher 420 (fuel injection/water cooled), you get more for your dollar than any other machine on the market! To keep the price low however, Honda unfortunately didn't go to any great lenghts to keep the weight down. Just a set of light alloy ITP rims and tires, took a bunch of weight off mine (stock rims are steel).

Obviously, some folks just don't understand that some of us ride our utilities like they are 4wd sport quads!

 

To develop this concept a little further....the best selling quad of all time is the Honda Rancher, and this tells us something about what the real buying public out there actually requires!!! Lots of folks in this forum are "enthusiasts", so they want the biggest, baddest, latest machines....so when you ask opinions in here about what to ride, you are necessarily going to be getting a pretty biased sample!

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.

So, the concept of a "hybrid" machine is born. It would need to be relatively light weight, compared to current crop of utility quads. To keep things sporty, a wide ratio autoclutch manual transmission would let the rider select their own gear preference, yet in technical terrain it still wouldn't require the clutch slipping of a full manual left hand lever clutch. A low 1st gear for technical riding, but not the extra weight of a transfer case.

"Reasonable" ground clearance would be a necessity, but you don't want to raise the center of gravity so much that you destroy the sporty ride. A limited slip front differential, but no lockers that would fight you in 4wd.

So far, the machine that comes closest to the ideal was the "old" Wolverine. It was still to heavy and had an "open" front differential, but the basic concept was there. Unfortunately, with the "new" Wolverine, Yamaha wimped out and went to far to the utility side, rather than taking the old concept and refining it into something even more sporty........

 

500lb or 700lb both are to heavy to jump or pull out of a ditch by hand. On a Utility the motor hauls it around so who cares about the weight. Kinda like caring how much a jeep weighs.


Now if I had to pedal the thing like a mountain bike I would care about every pound.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

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

To develop this concept a little further....the best selling quad of all time is the Honda Rancher, and this tells us something about what the real buying public out there actually requires!!! Lots of folks in this forum are "enthusiasts", so they want the biggest, baddest, latest machines....so when you ask opinions in here about what to ride, you are necessarily going to be getting a pretty biased sample! .....</end quote></div>


The real reason is they are cheaper and most people know nothing about atvs, they just look at price because they don't know what else matters!
Yes a Civic will get you there too but a Lexus would be a lot nicer!
Should say a Ranger will get you there but a Hummer will get you there easier!

reconranger,
I don't have any thing against Honda, they are good atvs,cars etc...they just have been resting on there reputation for a few too many years and the other atvs have passed them up. I have a buddy with a Honda and he always makes fun of my Polaris, says he has a tow rope when I break down, great I have a tow home now but I'll have to wait a couple hrs. till he catches up.
Seriously the Honda is good but it's slow rough and outdated! These guys are diehard Honda but after riding with me and the Polaris they are slowly coming around.