My son (30 yrs old) and I are looking to get 2 ATV's. He is 295 lbs and strong as a bull. I'm pushing 55 yrs. old, and stand a whoppin 5'7, so you can see he takes after his mom!!! We mainly want these for hunting, maybe some hauling or food plot prep down the road. I've narrowed the choices to the following:

Yamaha Griz 550
Honda Rincom
Kawasaki BF 650
Artic Cat 550
Can-Am Outland 650

Any recommendations or preferences. Are any historically a problem with maintenance or performance?

We were thinking of going in and looking for the best deal on 2 units the same, or would we get a better buy on 2 different units?

 

Test ride them all and go with the one that works best for you needs. Out of your list I would personally stick with the YAMAHA LOL and the Outy 650. The Outy will be the most powerfull of the groop and the Yamaha will be the best allaround bike in that groop! JMO good luck with you choice!

 

Out of your list I'd pick the Grizzly 550. Good ride quality, comfortable seat, good engine and drivetrain and power steering available.

 

I'd get either the Yamaha or the Outlander

 

Of your list, the Honda is the most unique. It has an automotive style torque converter 3-speed automatic, with no transfer case....that seems needlessly complex to me. It can be left on automatic to shift itself, but most folks will want to shift it manually via pushbuttons, to get the most from the engine. The killer for me is that it has no engine braking at very low speed, and when you are descending steep technical terrain (with hundreds of pounds of elk meat strapped to the racks), engine braking is a lifesaver!

Honda makes the most out of short travel suspension, and this along with attention to details that keep the center of gravity very low, makes it the most stable machine on your list. Honda calls this an "SUV" not a "utility", so this isn't going to be a rock crawler. They say their intended audience is aging baby boomers, who want a comfy cruiser couch trail quad ride. Nobody does ergomomics as well as Honda (!), and the buyer's guide in the new Dirt Wheels calls it their "editorial favorite"....a way of saying it is their top pick without alienating other possible future advertisers. If they would put the totally unique new "dual-clutch" transmission found on the Rancher AT in this chassis, I would be in line at the dealership in a minute....until then no thanks!

The others seem to be a collection of "cookie cutter" mid size belt drives. What I don't like about everyone except Honda....is that they think cush suspension means you have to have long travel suspension that puts you way up in the air and makes for an unstable (sometimes unsafe!) machine. The best of your list will be the Griz, but why not a 700 rather than a smaller engine...so you too can play the "mine is bigger than yours" utility game that is so popular?

 

Again....stability! I helped a guy recover his BF when he dumped it off a hillside. It was on a mountain trail that I have ridden at speed a hundred times on my little Rancher, with absolutely no problem. Thing is, his BF couldn't handle the off-camber, and he dumped it over the side. Took us a while to get it back upright, then with lots of pulling and pushing, we got it back up the hill. Seriously, one of my buddies who rides a big Polaris, says I make technical terrain "look easy". The fact is, that I am low and planted and it IS easy...while he is dreading a rollover evey single second!

 

I just bought 2 ATV's about 4 months ago and was looking at a very similar list. I ended up with the 550 Grizzly Yamaha. It is an awsome machine. Do research and you will see that each brand has it's strengths and weeknesses and most everyone that has owned a Yamaha will tell you that it is the best all round machine. I bought my wife a Suzuki King quad 500 which is also very nice. I have owned Can-am's in the past and they are nice as well but best overall machine in my opinion is the Grizz. Sorry Honda guys but the Honda would be my last choice. Love Honda's long lasting reputation but think they are outdated and can't stand the tranny. the 3X4 just kills me. Get a Grizz and you will never regret it!

 

Grizz or the Outlander would be my personal choices...

 

I've had several Yamahas and I have my first Suzuki. The Suzuki has had less issues than the Yamaha with good stability. They seem lower than the Yamaha though I think this is due to width not heighth. I like the Yamaha on the list but I'd look at the Suzuki King 450 and 500 if you wish to stay in that cc class.
Good luck!
Buck

 

Thanks for all your help, guys. We cut a deal on 2 Yamaha Grizzly 550's. Passed on the power steering on both. Will be picking them up soon, so I'll be asking a ton of questions then.

Thanks again