Hello Expert ATV’ers

I am in the market for a used full size ATV . I believe a 700 cc or higher, with 800 cc preferable. It will be used for relaxing trail riding but have the power to pull a small box trailer to haul wood or gravel through bush. I will not be cliff climbing or going swimming with unit, nor burying the atv in the mud. I also want it to be nimble, and quick to respond to have some fun too. I have driven and spent many hours snowmobiling, but would like an ATV.

I have been reading the different headings on the forums and learning quite a bit. Now I am going to put it directly to you , the experienced ATVers to make suggestions as to what would be the right machine for me.

To date this is what I am thinking I need in a unit:


- 5 years old or younger
- 2 up seat (not fully decided on this. Are aftermarket 2nd add-on seats a comfortable option?)
- Must be reliable
- Minimal maintenance and maintenance friendly
- Comfortable ride
- Should it be 2/4 wheel drive or full time 4x4 drive ; should it be push button on demand ?
- Deferential lock, push button
- Independent suspension
- Heated hand and thumb warmers (are these necessary? are they reliable, and do they actually work? )
- Winch 2000, 2500, 3000, lbs? How much is really required?
- Fuel injected vs. carb? Which is preferable?
- Belt driven/belt drive vs. direct? Which is better?
- 2 cycle or 4 cycle? Pros? Cons?
- Single cylinder or twin? Pros? Cons?
- Low kilometers – what would be considered too high?
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When checking out a used unit there is all kinds of information as to what to look for. No one suggests checking the compression. Is this not something you should consider doing? What kind of compression pressure should you be looking for?

Thanks for any information you can provide. Any additional suggestions would be appreciated.

 

- 2 up seat (not fully decided on this. Are aftermarket 2nd add-on seats a comfortable option?) Why not a SXS and have the bed instead of trailer...or both?
- Must be reliable Stick with the big 5
- Minimal maintenance and maintenance friendly Most are nowdays, though the manufacturer will likely scare you if look at their maintenance schedules.
- Comfortable ride
- Should it be 2/4 wheel drive/ push button on demand ? My preference
- Deferential lock, push button Yep. Mine's maual and I've always regretted it.
- Independent suspension On an atv, its so narrow I think IRS is over-rated.
- Heated hand and thumb warmers (are these necessary? are they reliable, and do they actually work? )
- Winch 2000, 2500, 3000, lbs? How much is really required? Never used one
- Fuel injected vs. carb? Which is preferable? Carbs easier to mod, FI is better if you ride at extreme elevations.
- Belt driven/belt drive vs. direct? Which is better? I've only had belt on auto. No issues.
- 2 cycle or 4 cycle? Pros? Cons? You won't find a 2-stroke for what you want.
- Single cylinder or twin? Pros? Cons? Twins usually less vibration and better power, single is cheaper repairs.
- Low kilometers – what would be considered too high? You can find them under 100 hours if you look, which is real low. Depends on your price range.
-

When checking out a used unit there is all kinds of information as to what to look for. No one suggests checking the compression. Is this not something you should consider doing? What kind of compression pressure should you be looking for? If it runs good (and you should ride a couple) then I don't think it's necessary. Be sure to ask if it uses oil/coolant or if the prior owner had any issues. I think most people are honest.

 

- 5 years old or younger. Good years to be looking for.
- 2 up seat (not fully decided on this. Are aftermarket 2nd add-on seats a comfortable option?) CanAm, Polaris and Arctic Cat are the only maker of quad based two ups. Some of the add on boxes with seats are comfortable but the suspension is not set up for 2 riders. Not so much an issue if both driver and passenger are light.
- Must be reliable. Most modern quads are tons better than older models.
- Minimal maintenance and maintenance friendly. Not sure on this one.
- Comfortable ride. Most comfortable is Polaris Sportsman.
- Should it be 2/4 wheel drive or full time 4x4 drive ; should it be push button on demand? It's better to have 4wd available and not need it. All major brands with 4wd are selectable to my knowledge with only Honda not having a full locker in the front. Not an issue if staying out of deep mud or snow.
- Deferential lock, push button. I personally like the Polaris system. Put it in AWD and it locks in if there is more spin from the rear than the front. Does this seamlessly. CanAm is similar sytem but more gradual. Rest, other than Honda, are a push button locker.
- Independent suspension. YES. It is a more comfortable ride with better clearance for ruts, rocks, and logs. Solid axle is better for power sliding around corners.
- Heated hand and thumb warmers (are these necessary? are they reliable, and do they actually work?) Not hard to install. Did both on my Sportsman X2. Very nice when it is below freezing.
- Winch 2000, 2500, 3000, lbs? How much is really required? Very nice to have if needed. I've used mine to take my truck cap on and off and to pull logs off the trails. I've also winched others out and myself one time when I broke through crusty snow in my front yard. Had all 4 tires spinning in midair more or less. Hooked up to my truck's tow hook and winched out. Beats digging it out.
- Fuel injected vs. carb? Which is preferable? If in cold climates and/or places of elevation changes go with EFI. Smoother, better power delivery but harder to work on if something goes wrong. There are 3 drive systems available on utility machines. Honda has a real transmission that is car like. Most have belt drives. I have over 2600 miles on my belt without a single issue. Key is to drive in low when pulling or going slow for long periods. The only other transmission is a semi-automatic where you shift with your foot but don't have to pull in a clutch lever. I think Suzuki and maybe Yamaha make a couple of these types.
- Belt driven/belt drive vs. direct? Which is better? See above.
- 2 cycle or 4 cycle? Pros? Cons? 2 cycle is noisy and smelly. Kind of like riding with a chainsaw. Faster per cc though than a 4 cycle. 4 cycle is quieter and smoother with less spark plug fouling.
- Single cylinder or twin? Pros? Cons? Single cylinder tends to be more torquey per cc while the twins are quicker. A CanAm twin 500 cc will leave behind everyone's single cylinder 500s.
- Low kilometers – what would be considered too high? I'd be more hesitant if a machine has lots of hours but very few miles. That means it was mostly used in low and slow going. My yardstick is that a machine averaged about 10 mph. Like 2000 miles and 200 hours. That's not bad for here in New England but may be slow for wide open areas out West.