Ok i ride a 98 recon and ive been looking at new 4 wheelers for about 2 months and ive narrowed it down to the 2004 rancher,wolverine,or magnum. i like honda's reliability, polaris's true 4 wheel drive and yamaha's looks and just the fact that its based on a sport atv, but i dont like how low hondas ride and the fact that they call it a 350 but its only a 330, polaris auto, or the lack of front rack on yamaha. Theirs ups and downs on everything though. I just want to know riders and owners opinon on these 3 models. Thanks

 

I really like my Wolverine, and you can buy and install a front rack for one easy enough. They used to come with them standard but that changed to make them look sportier. Still, if that is all you have against it, it isn't a problem.

 

wolvie-
there fast and can haul some @ss

 

Do yourself a favor and test ride a 400 Sportsman. The magnum is fine and all but if you can afford to bump up to a 400 Sportsman you will get independent rear suspension and you will not regret it. It will walk all over the hondas in the mud and any other terrain and the ride is second to none. The Sportsman is the toughest atv out there, that's why it's the best selling automatic ever. Thought I wanted a rancher or 450 foreman until I saw them in action. They are the first to get stuck everytime we hit some mud or crawl out of a creek bed. Anyway, that's my opinion, you wanted a polaris point of view, now get ready for the honda BS.

 

im not sure i want the independent suspension because its weaker than the swingarm and ive also just looked at the new yamaha bruin

 

For IRS, I'd get the AC 400 auto. Great machine from my experience.

I don't like IRS, at all. I might get stuck in ruts more with the Wolv but that is the only disadvantage. Ride intelligently and you can stay out of the ruts 99% of the time. The handling advantage of a solid rear is well worth the trade off, in my opinion.

 

i agree completely.. well put thomez..

reconkid.. i think you would do well on a wolvy [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] thats my opinion, take it for what its worth. good luck

luke

 

i forgot to mention im more into the offroading than speeding and i plan on mudding as much as i can

 

Ok i looked at the Yamaha Bruin against the Honda Rancher and the Bruin has got 1.5'' more suspension up front and 2 in''in rear, 20cc more,better cooling,disc brakes up front, 2.5'' more ground clearance, and its got option to switch between 2 and 4 wheel drive which gives it better turning, and i can get it for just $500 more than the rancher, but theres also the fact that its a new model and 2004 is its first year. I just dont want to end up with a problem machine. Any opinons????

 

If Yamaha did their homework on it to the same degree they did on the new YFZ you won't have a problem. Nothing is super duper new on that Bruin, same tech as used in other bikes, so I would think it should be solid. The only new part that I know of on that bike is the new 350 motor but if I remember right it is a 2 valve pushrod deal, and they are kinda hard to mess up. I wouldn't be afraid of one.