Looking at the 400 4x4 classs. Rode an AC 400 and was very impressed with it. Opinions please?

 

My buddy has a 2000 Big Bear-the Buckmaster- and he loves it. It looks pretty sharp. Don't know much about AC. Have you considered the Kodiak? It is an awesome machine. Just my opinion. It doesn't matter what you get as long as you have one and enjoy it as much as I enjoy mine. Good luck with your decision.

2000 Kodiak4x4
warn snow plow
yamaha speedokit
2000 Beartracker(wife's quad)

 

Yes I did ride the Kodiak and was impressed. Rode the AC 400 and was impressed with it also. It took a few minutes to get used to the rocker foot shifter on the AC but got the hang of it. Electric shift would solve any shifting confusion. Thinking about a Beartracker for the wife, have you had good luck with yours?

 

Hey Jeff,

I recently have been toying with the same quads as you and I am picking up my new AC 400 4x4 this week. For the money I dont think you can beat it ! A lot of great features and they are very reliable read some posts on the AC forum. There is a guy who has nearly 6000 miles on his 500 hundred with very minimal maintenance. The only drawbacks with the AC 400 is the lack of a selectable 2x4 to 4x4 but when I rode it I was amazed with the ease of steering for a 4x4. Hope this helps and check out the AC forum there are a bunch of good guys and no bashing just helpful information.

Later,

Triston

 

Triston: Nice pictures. I seem to agree with you and have emailed the guy in WA (Mike). He really uses his a lot more than I ever could do. I want to use mine for pulling a trailer in summer and plowing in winter. That would be about it. The liquid cooling appealed to me since I could stop and let it run for longer than air/oil cooled. Pretty much decided on the same AC you just picked up, 400 4x4, green. I may wait until the '02 come out. They may not change them but it would be a year newer anyway. Yep, my stolen BB was full-time 4wd ('98). The newer ones are tighter turning and easier steering so that is ok with me. If I was on 1000 acres or doing a lot of trail riding, it may be different. I only have 15 acres so just dink around with it. I was surprised how much different just a couple years have made. Please post again in a couple weeks and let me know how you like it. Also, saw you have some sport models. I have a 13 and 9 yoa boys. The little 90cc bikes seem too small for my kids. My 13 year old is about 5-10. Was thinking about a small utility model but then thought a small sport may be better. Something like the 250 Polaris Trailblazer with auto trans. What do you think?

 

Hey Jeff,

I typed out this big old reply last night at work and it didn't post !!! Bummer well here it goes again what I can remember of it. The great thing about this market is that there really are no terrible quads for the most part. We should all feel lucky just to have one. I found that for the money the AC had a great value when I compared standard features and engine displacement. Since I have the 400ex the lack of selectable 2 and 4 wheel really wasn't that big of an issue sure it would be nice but if I need to cure my fix for 2 wheel drive or speed I can jump on the 400ex. Believe it or not I did plenty of farm work on my old mojave and a friends warrior and that was over 10 years ago. With the current technology I think the 400 will do more than I will ever expect from it. If I lived on a ranch or in the mountains I would get the 500 no doubt about it. This being said you have to go with what you are comfortable with try all the different brands and models and find a fit.
As far as kids quads are concerned that is probably a more difficult question. The Polaris Trailblazer is a very good trail bike and will go through about anything you put it through the biggest negative about this bike is simply it's weight especially when dealing with youngsters. The auto tranny is great for a beginner as you just hit the gas and go. The 2 stroke engine in the bike seems very reliable from what I have heard. The bike I would highly recommend you checking out is the new Honda 250ex which is a direct decendant of the bulletproof Recon with many upgrades and a more sporty feel. I think this would be a perfect match as you and your wife could ride this too. Your kids would catch on to the shifting in no time flat. The one draw back to this bike is the lack of adjustable suspension components but a set of aftermarket shock would make this a bike you could enjoy for many many years. I am not sure if this is universal but I have seen a lot of used Trailblazers for sale in this area and to be honest I think you will retain a higher value with the honda whether you decide to trade or sell it outright down the road but who is to say you couldnt keep this highly versatile quad forever .... Believe it or not I am not trying to sway your decision just thought I would bring up a few points for you to ponder. I know when I got my first quad it could have had polka dots and I would have been happy. Let me know if you have any other questions !

Have a great weekend !

Triston

 

Hey Jeff are you out there

 

Yes Sir, I'm here. Still have not decided on anything. Going to test drive a Trailblazer and Trailboss tomorrow. If I have to pay close to the list price, I will wait on the '02 models. If a dealer makes a good cut on an '01, will probably take it. I want to ride a 500 AC also. Out cutting wood on my property yesterday and was wondering if pulling some logs may be better handled with a 500. Not sure. Cowboy would probably know. How is your new one holding up?