i am getting a new quad, i dont know whether to get a rancher or a foreman, or if i should get the yamaha big bear which i hear leads the 400 class in feel and trail riding and mudding.

 

I have a 03 rancher es . It does great on trails and light mudding. Very pleased with my choice, Thought i give you my 2 cents...

 

thank you, my buddy has theat same quad, he does fine with it except it seems like it is not near as low geared as my other buddies big bear. He could only make it up steep hills in 1st gear where the big bear murders him in 3rd. also the big bear beats him in the speed race and the sad part is that the big bear is 200 bucks cheaper soo go figure.

 

Depends on what you want.

You mentioned "sport", so that leaves out the Honda Foreman 450 -- it's a super-durable work truck, go anywhere, do anything, rides like a ... truck.

My wife and I gave the Big Bear a hard look when we were buying (about a year ago0, and looked at, researched, and pondered exactly the three machines you are considering. Since our riding is lots of relatively high-speed (18-25 mph, &lt;g&gt[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] hardpack, plenty of steep trails with lots of loose sand & rocks, light slick-loose-mud, and slick-rock stream crossings, we wanted comfort, speed capability, and traction. For my machine we wanted to be able to haul <u>everything</u> we wanted for weekend camping trips 'waaaaaay out there (up to 75 mi. into the mountains, on USFS roads & trails, back out on Sunday); the remote location of our rides meant we also wanted rock-solid reliability. Gumbo mud is not a North Idaho problem (or at least not like my native South Louisiana!).

I got the Foreman. Rides like a truck. Rides like a truck. Rides like a truck. Never gets stuck, pulls stumps, buildings, hills you wouldn't walk up. Pulls my Otter Express trailer with much camping gear. Doesn't even work hard doing any of that.
Oh -- did I mention it Rides like a truck ??

It was a close call between the Rancher and the Big Bear. 'Round here, arguably the most ATV'd state in the lower 48, Hondas and Yamahas are generally considered the two most reliable brands. Others have more "features", more speed, more latest-this and latest-that --- and those features are all totally cool, and are things I'd want on my Hondas, but not at the price of what I'd have to give up: simplicity, reliability, work-til-they-drop.

Rode the Rancher & Big Bear. For us: Rancher.
The little (not really) sucker is a sports car. Maybe not a Porsche, but a solid-axle sports car like maybe a Morgan, or (ohyez) an AC Cobra...
I've driven a lot of wonderful-handling vehicles in my time, including motorcycles and quite a range of sports cars, and the stock 350ES Rancher with stock tires is simply one of the best-handling machines I've ever driven.

You don't need a 424-select unlocker to power slide that little jewel: just pick the right gear, throw it into a corner, and 4-wheel-drift your way through it. Somehow, among all that "tradition" and "outdated design" Honda got it right on the Rancher. It's hard to high-center, "sticks" in climbing situations, and runs like a bat out of hell everywhere else. I dunno -- balance, center of gravity, rider position -- they just got it right.

The Yamaha was nice. I liked it. If I were into slower, technically tough stuff, mud bogs, tree climbs, whatever, I'd probably have bought a couple of Big Bears.

Many times, particularly on shorter ride-days where we aren't going to far and don't carry much gear, I wish we'd gotten <u>two</u> Ranchers and left my Foreman (the one that Rides like a truck) with the dealer. (But when you need a truck, you need a truck, as I often do in the hinterlands.) My wife is a pretty good rider, and on that Rancher she can simply ride off and leave me and my Rides-like-a-truck-Foreman in any contest more difficult than a straight drag race. (Hey, that Truck has low-end torque to die for!!) And the Rancher is simply FUN.

I dunno where Honda got its name, but that Rancher isn't patterened on somebody's 12 yr. old Farmall -- it's more of a wild mustang, last seen in that cloud of dust over the fourth ridge ahead of . . . anybody's Big Bear, and my Super-Truck Foreman.

Like I said -- depends on what kid of riding you're doing.
But if you'll be doing more "riding and looking" than you will be contesting with your buddies over who can get the worst stuck and still make it out, well, don't let that "little" 329 cc Rancher fool you into thinking it's too small, too dainty.

Plus there's a ton of aftermarket stuff out there for Ranchers, from drivetrain & suspension stuff, to boxes and gun racks and whatever.

 

well buddy thats all fine and dandy, but i have seen foreman's get stuck and big bears having to pull them out of the same conditions, your foreman might drive like a truk but with 7 inches af ground clearence it aint too muhc like a truck, maybe a low rider. i think i am pushing towards the big bear. I rode the foremanm, its nice, nice and slow that is, it is low geared but it feels as if it needs an extra 3 gears, its durbale but deifnatly not a trail rider.

 

HighRider- Does your Foreman ride like a truck?[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

tlchicken5- I would buy a Kodiak 400/450 before a BB. But I would rather a semi-auto for trail riding.
The Rancher 350 4x4 would be good but I'd have to have a 424 kit. The Rancher 400 4x4 could be another choice. The Eiger 400 4x4 retails for only $100. more than the BB if $$ is a factor. The Eiger is a little lighter too. Considering the price I'd say go with the Eiger. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] It's faster than the BB too!

 

Well, thanks for making my point again!
As I said, it all depends on your preferences, your style of riding.
I too have seen a Foreman get stuck, and a Big Bear pulled it out.
I have also seen a Big Bear get stuck, and a Foreman pulled it out.
Saw a Dodge 2500 get stuck once, and an Eiger pulled it out.

Not too sure what difference it makes who pulls you out: when you're stuck, you're stuck. (Y'know? Saw a guy pull out a Sportsman with a cable come-along once, and damned if I ever saw anybody riding a come-along on the trail.

My point was, and is: if your style of riding and your style of trails and your style of getting stuck says Big Bear to you, go for it! Pushing your limits to the point of getting stuck can be fun, and if that's your ride, go for it. That's a lot of fun, and the Big Bear is a really good choice for that sort of riding.

If, on the other hand, your style of riding and your style of trails says that what you're out there for is enjoying the scenery and outdoors, and thus getting stuck is (for you) a waste of time you'd prefer to avoid, then don't get stuck in the first place and you won't need to worry about who pulls who out.

For the second type of riding, ground clearance measurements are pretty irrelevant. For mud-holing, a few extra inches are solid gold.

Hope you like your Big Bear -- it's an awesome machine.

 

I would recomend the foreman 450 to u. its the best utility quad out there. if u wanna make it up hills in a high gear this is the quad for u. it dosnt have much speed due to its low gearing but it ca still hit 50. it is alot better than a rancher and alot more power than a big bear u can feel the power diffrence.the rancher and big bear are small quads if u want a real quad get a foreman it will outmud both of them...

 

foreman450cc, What year is your Foreman? I'm wondering if the 2002 and newer Foreman's have a little more top speed? Because the 2x4 to 4x4 select button. Also Honda changed the suspension setting a little bit on the 2002 models. I'm wondering if the change made much difference?

 

its a 2003 and yeah the trax loc did help improve the machine. not so much speed wise becuase the foreman 450 is geared to pull a house not to race. buit yeah u probablyt get another 3-4mph out of it in 2 wheel drive. but i will say it again the foreman outdoes the big bear by far. honda 4 life