Hello Everyone,
I am looking to buy an atv very soon in fact in the next month.
I have done some exhuasting research and I have norrowed it down to two choices. Therefore I am taking a poll to see what everyone thinks.
I am looking at either the Honda recon 250 or the Arctic-Cat 250. My pros for both are the recon has i understand has a wonderful amount of power and of course is a honda so you can't shoot it or rather you could, but that wouldn't stop it.
the cons is it is small and the brakes aren't that good.

Now on to the Arctic Cat. This thing has a bigger gas tank, independent suspension all the way around, more ground clearence, disk brakes, a high and low transmission range, and bigger tires.
The cons are that it is slower top speed 45 mph.

The problems here are that i believe the arctic cat to be a better machine. However they are not has popular has the big four and this scares me because i can't find any infornmation on their reliability. I heard the thing was built like a tank but i really don't know since i haven't seen many of them. Also i wonder about the engine configuration being like the old suzuki's you know where the engine sits way back in between the back tires.
Anyway i would appreciate any input you can give me on this
matter and thank you to all the knowledgeable people here who take their time to help out us new guys.

 

Sounds like the Arctic Cat is the best deal to me. I own both a Honda and a Kawasaki, both of which have proven to be equally reliable. Honda owns much of the market and for that reason many folks buy what they think everybody else wants to own. And usually having paid more, they tout it as above the rest. Wouldn't you if you knew you had paid more?

When it comes to reliability, no single brand has a corner on the market.

 

I looked at the Recon too. While I thought it was nice, it just seemed like a striped-down model. Like you said, weak brakes, and I thought the seat was kinda hard too. I'm a big guy (6'3" 225 lbs) and the Recon just seemed too small. It all comes down to personal preference, but I just thought that buying the Recon compromised too much just to own a Honda.

It sort of made me think of: What if Harley-Davidson made a moped? Yeah, it's a H-D, but....

As for the AC - they are very popular here in Western PA. The local shop can't keep them in stock. Right now he has none at all - just some AC sleds. I know several people who own them, and they can't say enough great things about them. The power, low end torque, suspension, a nice wide soft seat, and disk brakes make this the clear choice to me.

I'm kinda in the same boat as you - I plan to buy one soon, and right now I'm looking at the AC 400 4x4. I need to plow snow, or otherwise I'd get a 250 or 300. AC is quite a bit less expensive than most of the other brands too - and you get a rock-solid ATV.

Read through some of the other post in the AC forum. You can pick up a lot about what these things are capable of, and some of the minor problems people have with them. (No ATV is perfect.)

As for top speed, that is a common knock against the AC lineup. They are built for work, and they do that quite well, better than most I would say. I don't think speed is one of the design criteria AC uses. However, unless you plan to ride with other guys on dirt roads who own Hondas or some other brand, the top speed of the AC 250 should be enough. It won't win any drag races, but you can pull out all your buddies from the mud hole. Personally, I don't really care about top speed too much. Going that fast is rarely necessary, and it is dangerous (but fun nontheless!!!). Besides, do you want to go that fast on an ATV with less-than-desirable brakes, an uncomfortable suspension and a hard seat? I wouldn't.

Just my 2 cents. Good luck.

 

The Cats a nice ride. I'm a big guy and I sat on both the Recon and the Cat and the Cat feels so much better. They are tough machines also. One dealer I go to sells both and for someone of adult size he recomended the Cat. The Recon is a great machine but not for everyone. As far as speed goes I have 1/2 mile straights in my fields and I rarely get above 40. My friend rides a 300 Honda that tops at about 45 and where we ride he stays with me fine. Just my 2 cents.

 

I am a big time down-shifter (so I can't say I use my brakes that much on any bike), but still I have never felt that the Recon has weak brakes!!! If you think the Recon is to small, why aren't you looking at bigger bikes? Take a good look at the 2X4 Rancher (which is in reality just a big version of the Recon). The Rancher is agile, and quite fast. I would compare its handling to the 300EX. I was out this weekend getting 30' of air jumping the Rancher, and embarrasing a bunch of guys on 400EX's, who couldn't jump worth a darn.

 

Price was the main reason I didn't look at the bigger Hondas.
I felt that I could get more of what I was looking for with the AC's at a very reasonable price.

Besides - and Orange ATV? Talk about announcing your presence to everybody in a 2 mile radius! Ha ha.

Everybody has their own view about what to buy - that's why the makers all stay in business. What one guy likes, another probably won't.

Just find the best bike for you, and don't look back.

 

Like you I wanted a four wheeler too. My cure is a 01 Artic Cat 500 AUTO. Used the quad to haul corn into the woods to bait deer and to haul deer out of the woods. My buddy has a old honda 300 4x4 and it seens that i can turn sharper, and get anywhere he can go to, so i've been happy. I will probally have the quad for lots of year so i was looking for a simple machine that would be easier to maintain, that doesn't include any electronic junk. I went with the 500 because i wanted to be ready to possibly pull a plow in the future, all the other quads on the club would tend to overheat while working hard.
just keep in mind that you can usually carry everything that a car can carry in a truck but you can't put everything in a car that a truck would carry. You have to decide what you are going to do with the fourwheeler and buy enough to cover your needs. if you buy something too small and overload it you will get by a few times but eventually will break the machine, buy something bigger, the same load will probally never hurt it or you.
My two cents worth

 

I was in your shoes e months ago. I also was looking for the best bang for my buck in the 250cc class. I did my homework too, & ended up with a 01 Polaris trailblazer. It has a lot more power than the recon, a good suspension, the best automatic tranny made, & an affordable price ($3000 new). I love this machine. At least test one out before you make your decision, or if you stay in the 250 class get a 2 stroke ( the TB is one of the few left).
The TB is also highly modifiable due to its very conservatively stock setup.
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Or if you are more utility oriented, you could go with the 250 Xplorer, the most affordable 4x4 out there. Don't know if you want 4wd or not, though.
My cousin got a Rancher, and it is a good machine, and is available in 2wd.
A neighbor got an A/C 250. Solidly built, but the front ball joints (on the outer ends of the A-arms) seem to wear out fast. He puts a lot of miles on his machines, and so far that is his only problem. I am not saying this to bash A/C, I just wanted to mention it so you would watch yours if you get one. THey aren't that expensive or hard to replace, just what wears out first on the 2wd 250, from what I have seen.