hi i am very new to atvs i owned bikes and i ride seadoo's
im looking to buy used atv for under 2000 to ride with my gf off road and on the snow trail in Canadian winter
i dont know **** about atvs can you guys please advice me on what brands are good and engine cc min i need and what type of drive train and tires and all the specs
any help would be appreciated .thanks

 

Under $2,000 is pretty limited, not impossible, but going to be tough. I bought an 02 Arctic Cat 400 Manual shift FIS a couple years ago for $1,400 US. Original owner was a bit of a moron, so I lucked out, could have been a turd, but it wasn't. I rode hell out of it and sold it for a good profit. Fact of the matter, most brand name stuff is good, Chinese stuff, not for me. Here's a picture of my old Cat, before I sold it.

 

Is it a 2 seater ?

 

There are only 3 brands of 2-person ATVs and if you can get one for under $2,000 it would most likely need work, but I suppose it's possible to get a good dependable one for that price if you're lucky.

 

That one was not a 2 up. Finding a 2 up for $2,000 is going to be like finding hen's teeth. Arctic Cat 2 ups are called TRV , the Can Am 2 ups are called Outlander MAX. Not sure what Polaris calls theirs, but they are all expensive. You can put a box on the back of a regular ATV and ride a passenger, but I suggest that you don't. The much shorter wheel base will make them more tippy and cramped. I used to post deer and bear hunters on an old AC 500. Now, have 2 TRV's. You asked about drivetrain, some older Cats and many Hondas had manual transmissions, nothing wrong, some like better than CVT automatic. I've had both, automatic is better to me, but not a deal breaker. I guess, I suggest 400 cc's or more, but most of the 300 cc models go nice too.

 

Polaris calls their 2-up quads Sportsman Touring.
As said, Arctic Cat, Polaris, and Can-Am make 2-up ATV's. Tires that are good in soft sand tend to be good in snow. I've had good experiences in the snow with ITP Mudlite XTP's, Interco Swamp Lites, and Carlisle ACT's that came on a couple of my quads. If you're going out in snow some other necessities are a winch, tree strap, ****** block pulley, and a 4wd quad.

 

Keep in mind if you are on public land then a 2 person machine might be required, many areas frown heavily on riding 2 persons on a one person machine. 4wd is an absolute must for snow riding and also remember that an atv does not ride on top of the snow so when it gets deep, your machine will set on its skid plate and your wheels will spin and you will go no where.
In your price range the pickins are gonna be pretty slim!! Buy from someone that has maintenance records to show the machine was taken care of or expect big repair bills.

 

Finding a 2-person ATV under $2,000 in good running condition is like finding a unicorn. Even if you do find one I won't believe it until I see it myself.

 

What province?
There is a 1998 Honda Foreman 400 in Nanton, Ab for $1500. Not sure if a 2up seat could be bought for this??
This is the description
Honda quad in good shape starts great shifts great winch works great could use tires. Has over 8000kms but all farm miles checking fence moving cows nothing hard.

I have been looking hard the past 3 weeks and as I recall, this is the first "decent" sub 2k machine I have seen.There is also a 2000 Brute force for $2500 that I was tempted to look at.
I the end, I found an 06 Yamaha that met my needs, for less than my budget, so they are out there if you look long enough, and its not like winter will be over before you find one!

 

Well, as said above I will be very difficult to find a two seater quad for under 2,000. Second, you will need 4wd and a fair amount of power to be able to get through Canadian snow. I live in Michigan and we have a Polaris sportsman 500. That thing in 4wd can even struggle in Michigan snow!

You can either find a two seater quad the needs work for under 2,000 or you will have ton pay more than 2,000.

Sorry I can't help much