Since I gathered a lot of information off this board when I purchased my ATV I want to thank everyone who contributes. I have had my Quest now for a few weeks and have formulated the following impressions. My riding experience is mostly from riding light dirt bikes and snowmobiles, because of the Quest's weight and size it is not a bike that can be thrown around, at first I was a little intimidated by its size but that soon passed after riding it. Although the machine is very large and heavy it is extremely stable, has excellent traction, and rides smooth. I ride in very heavily wooded tight spaces, and am able to easily move around and over obstacles. Basically you have to let the machine do the work.

I looked at many machines, and since I am fairly new to ATV’s I was very open minded. I wanted the machine for plowing and to trail ride, mostly in heavily wooded, mountain terrain. Initially my intent was to purchase a Yamaha Kodiak 450. I went to several dealers and was just unable to get a good deal. The last dealer I went to sold Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Bombardier. Seeing many of these machines in the showroom together it was the Bombardier machines that stood out. They looked more rugged and sturdier than the other machines. What sold me was Bombardiers three year warranty, the Quest was only a few hundred dollars more than the Yamaha when outfitted with the plow. The weight on this machine is 760lbs, which is about 160lbs heavier than most machines, but I think it comes mostly from the heavy frame, wheels, and winch.

I have read many threads where people would not buy this machine based solely on its appearance. I think that is unfortunate, Bombardier’s design is more functional and ergonomic than aesthetic, and many of there design features are innovative, such as the low mount gas tank, rear mount radiator, large storage compartment, and removable seat for easy engine maintenance. On the Quest these features provide a low center of gravity and give the rider a comfortable stable ride. One thing the Quest could benefit from is more ground clearance. I find I have to be careful climbing over obstacles being careful not to bottom the machine. Especially since I have plow brackets and the hitch is mounted extremely low, these are the first items to bottom out. For my type of riding this is not a problem, but I can see where it would hamper more sports oriented riders and rock crawlers. Come spring I will remove the plow brackets that will give me more clearance.

The Rotax engine makes good power although it produces some vibration at idle, vibrating the faring and handlebars noticeably. I have mixed reviews about the faring. It does keep the wind off you but it vibrates a lot, and can get in your way when climbing a steep hill. Since I wear a full face helmet with goggles, I will probably remove it and leave only the handguards. Once moving however the motor is smooth and the vibration subsides. The engine braking is phenomenal. It is so good I found you hardly have to use the brakes. I have read threads where a lot of people look for speed when they trail ride. I ride in tight wooded areas and will do a lot of plowing, so I am not concerned as much with speed as power; however, this machine will climb a tree if your not careful. I think anyone who is looking for a fast machine won't be disappointed, but it will also crawl along at slow speeds, and has good traction over slippery surfaces. I wish low range would be more of a creeper gear for when I plow snow, but it is sufficient.

The shifter is kind of awkward, and sometimes you can’t tell if you are locked in a gear. Although Bombardier placed transmission lights for neutral and reverse I think they skimped when they didn’t use indicator lights for park, high and low ranges. Since I have a center console bag the fuel gauge is pretty useless. Why would Bombardier mount a fuel gauge on the center console and not on the instrument cluster? I would assume the space on the console was designed for some type of cargo since it has tie downs. No matter what you put there it is going to block the fuel gauge. Plus it is an inexpensive float type usually found on lawnmowers. It’s a good thing the Quest has a large gas tank with reserve. The instrumentation is straight forward no frills but Bombardier really needs to update it, as I have seen on other machines. Another example is the winch control. It is mounted on the front fender and not on the handlebar. Since I use the winch to raise my plow it takes some getting used to. I like to lift the blade when I push into a large pile to take some stress of the machine. You can’t do this unless you want to lean forward while removing your left hand from the handlebar, I don’t think so. The floorboards can also be improved, as the front of the back fenders and your legs can get pretty muddy. These are little nuances but if fixed would make an excellent machine even better.

Regarding the shifter I’ve been told it will get better as the machine breaks in more, but it still feels awkward to me, and sometimes feels like I have to force it, but maybe I am doing something wrong. Bombardier also needs to gear down reverse, it is way too high. It can take off if you are not careful. I found this also makes it a little difficult when unloading it off the truck. The manual states that reverse is limited to 9mph, but it still feels to fast. There is also a slight belt squeal when first starting off.

So far I have been running it in snow and muddy terrain. It has not had any traction problems, this surprised me. I figured it would spin the wheels some and be a little squirrelly in the snow, but it is remarkably stable. I have stopped it on the side of hills to see if I could get it stuck, but with the Visco-lok 4x4 system, the six inches of snow I was riding in was like nothing, the traction is excellent. Yesterday we had about 15 inches of snow. I plowed out the driveway this morning and found the machine actually plows better than my Bronco which it will soon replace. My Bronco you have to be careful as you can get stuck very easy, it doesn’t have the benefit of locking axles. I can’t believe how well this machine plows snow. I was able to angle the blade and didn’t have any problems with the front wheels sliding, as I was plowing a heavy snow. That’s the advantage of having a heavier machine.

After plowing I ran the machine through the fields behind my house in the deep snow and the traction is excellent. I am simply amazed at how this machine can travel through snow over a foot deep. This time however it did spin a little but that was going up a hill. I wasn’t brave enough to stop it on the hill for fear of getting stuck, as there were no nearby trees large enough to winch out.

I have read numerous reviews that say this machine does not steer heavy, but I have found when moving slowly the machine does steers heavy. You also need a lot of room to turn it around, and it pushes like any 4 wheel drive vehicle when you go fast into a turn. I found if you keep it moving the steering is manageable. My sister who is small has ridden it and didn't have any major difficulties with the steering. Its funny nobody has ever developed power steering, but I guess this would just increase the weight of machine. It is too bad the machine does not have a selectable two wheel four wheel option. I think this would really enhance the Visco-lok system. Plus allow you to slide it around a bit, the Visco-lok supplies so much traction its difficult to slide the machine.

All in all I am extremely happy with the Quest, sure it’s not perfect but what machine is. Its appearance has even grown on me, it is very distinct looking. It is a strong capable workhorse yet it is nimble enough to trail ride.

 

Awesome, for the record I feel the same about our TRaxter XT. Glad you are happy with it!

 

I noticed this too, it made the 660grizz look like a cheap dinky toy! It is also very wide, which makes it very stable and smooth.

Can you tell me more about the ride of the quad, is it smooth, compared to other quads? I'm considering the quest for next summer, along with the sp600. (I won't get the XT, although i love it it costs too much more for me)

 

Nice review Sluggo. Welcome to the Bombardier family.

 

Nice web site wam, since you seem to have a lot of Bomb's around i was wondering if you could tell me about the power of the quests. In the HL mud shoot-out (660,550,700,650,650bomb) they said the bomb blew away everything on the drag strip (including p650) and other people say it has a high top end speed but it takes longer to get there. I was just wondering how does the quest get up and go compared to the other bikes in its class.


Thanks for the great pics!

 

Rincon
What are you going to use the machine for? I purchased the Quest mainly to work and light trail ride. If you are worried about the size, the Quest it is only about 1" wider than the Grizz and Sportsman and two inches lower. My dealer told me the extra width is negligble in the woods, and I couldn't see when comparing these machines where it would really make that big a difference. I think it looks much wider due to the lower height. My major concern was the weight its nearly 800lbs, but for my type of riding its not an issue, the Polaris is also up there in weight. When I trail ride it is in very tight wooded areas. I wish I could post some picks of the machine on the trails so you can see how tight it really is. The Quest rides really smooth and your not cramped plus it feels stable, and has the power for plowing. One trail I ride has some whoops and it likes to nose dive a bit. But I can hit then fast standing light on the pegs and let the suspension work, but this is not a sports quad do its weight. I looked at the Grizz and really liked it, but I read a lot of threads where people were having a lot problems with them, especially with vapor lock from overheating and belt issues. I couldn't see spending 7K on machine and have to wrap a muffler to keep it from overheating the fuel in the carborator. That is why I looked at the Kodiak plus I liked the ergonomics on this machine. Basically I wanted a low maintenance realiable machine, you should probably check out the reliability on the Sportsman in the Polaris forums. When I chose the Quest I was familar with Bombardier products and their realibility. By the way did you check out the Prairie? I liked the Prairie as well, the only thing that bothered me was the monoshock on the rear suspension. The machine seemed too large for the monoshock. I should have probally done more research on it, as I heard they are awsome on trails and the Kawasaki engine is incredible. I don't really want to comment on the ride of other machines as I haven't ridden them as extensively as the Quest, maybe other members can comment. All I can say is you should test ride the machines you are interested in. I think all the manufacturers make a pretty good machine, and whatever you buy you can't really lose.
Regards,

 

good review Sluggo!

I agree with many of your comments, especially regarding the instrument cluster, gas guage location and transmission lights. The shifter will get easier with use, but I still need to "rock" the big Quest once-in-awhile to shift. Also, not sure if you have an 02 or an 03, but the 03 side panel at the shifter has the transmission locations painted black and is much easier to see - if you have the 02, you may want to order the 03 side panel. As for the winch, there are remote switches that you can install to replace the fender switch. The remote switch can be installed on your handle-bars to be more convenient when using the plow.

Cheers,

 

I will use it mostly for trail riding (mountains, mud, woods...) I considered the p650, but it has crapy tires and rims from the factory, that would cost me $800 plus taxes for a new set. The sp600 impreses me beacuse it has IRS, chrome rims and rawhide tires. The quest caught my attention due to its massive size, it just looks so well built!! i love it, but i'm not sure how it would like trail riding?? Also the 3Year warrenty impresses me too!

CanadianViking, if you don't mind could you tell me what the prices are (cdn) on the quests? i pretty much know that i can't afford the XT, but the normal one?

 

Canadian Viking, its definetly a 03 I have the black lettering on the side case. Do you have any info on the switches? You also said in another post you knew of a place that sells spring spacers for use with the plow? You were right it really sags with the weight of the Moose plow. Do you know any other companies that sell after market accessories for the Quest?

Rincon I was at the dealers today they just got in some Outlanders. This machine looks awsome, and is more sports orienated than the Quest. I think it address' some of the short comings of the Traxter and Quest. It was next to the Kawaskis and Yamahas and looks like its built much better and rugged than the two. If they would have had these when I bought the Quest, I would have seriously considered it, as it is very innovative. It was a 400cc HO, I don't if you are just looking at the big boars, but its rated to haul as much as the Quest and is 170lbs lighter. The machine had some real interesting features. It has a center spar frame which is different from any machine I have seen. The dealer told me its designed to glide over rocks they took the demo out in the woods and said it was awsome. It also has independent rear suspension with dual shocks and disc brakes mounted high by the differential so they don't come in contact with mud and dirt. Composite racks instead of steel tubes which I think look better and give the machine a real sporty look. The floorboards and fenders are much wider than the Quest. It uses the Visco-lok 4x4 system but unlike the Quest it is selectable two and four wheel drive. This was one thing I wish they had on the Quest. The instrumentation also looks to be an improvement over the Quest, plus it is about $1500 cheaper than my Quest XT. I might consider one of these as a second machine for my father, so we can both trail ride.

 

Thanks, but i think i'd have to see one in person because they are a little too futuristic looking for me. Also i want an open class (big bore) machine, i want all the power i can get. I use to ride dirt bikes (still due) and a CR 250 (quite modded) has a lot of snap, and i want to get a 4WD with as close to that much snap as possible (I WANT a 4WD where i ride)

The only way i can get a quest is if its price is $8500 or less. The sp600 is right around that price range, and the cheapest p650 i saw was $8999, which is too much for me. And i'd have to buy tires/rims for it which would make it even more. So the only way i think i'll get a p650 is if there's a used one (with very, very, very low miles) for a steal of a deal!

How does the quest handle the trails?