whats the sense in having the auto if the wheeler is too underpowered to use it??? they should make it a 500cc then they would have a killer machine! probally one of the best out there. I know they have the rubicon but think of a rancher styled 500 that would be sweet, btw i bought the 04 kodiak 450 due to the features and the power and lockers..i am very happy with it, but i get crap from all my honda freinds ahaha.

 

I hear it from my Kawi friends!

 

In my opinion, brand loyalty is over-rated. I keep an open mind, research, read and ride. Then my cash goes down on the one that fits my needs the most. Every bike has pros and cons; you just have to decide how you ride and pick the best bike. I do heavily factor in brand reliability - that's big cuz' down time is no fun. Heck, I just recently read a mag (can't honestly remember which one) that overall rated the AT 400 over the Yammy 450 Kodiak. The 450 one big in a couple of areas, but was low in a couple of others, whereas the AT did not win any one category, but was consistently higher in all of them. I think it was a November issue - read it in the grocery store.

All I know with 100% certainty is that wheelin' is awesome. There's something about Man vs. Mud!

 

Everyone thinks their machine is underpowered no matter how big it is, thats why there is an aftermarket. Brand loyalty will be based on the dealer you get involved with. There just isn't that much difference between them anymore. Each company builds a machine targeted to a specific group. Figure out what you need, go ride the machines that fit your needs, ask around about the dealer, BUY BUY BUY! then ride!!!

 

if ya want a locker bike, get a detroit gearless locker, awesom.

 

I have the 2002 Kodiak400 that has the low range and also the Rubicon that has the AT. The AT is an excellent transmission, very smooth and trouble free so far at over 1,100 miles. That said I would buy the Kodiak for the follwoing reasons.

1. Liquid cooled. Never lose HP when it gets warm. Can idle for a long time.
2. Belt driven, maybe harsher but will be able to fix anywhere if broken. Belts these days last forever. The AT will cost you over $1,000 if broken. Plus too many sensors and electric motors that can go bad. Also the downhill braking is excellent on both.
3. Locking front. When you get stuck is priceless.
4. 450 vs 400 more HP.
5. Kodiak has been a proven record. The AT just came out.
6. Brakes. Disc brakes on the Yamaha.
7. The Kodiak has bigger tires????I know it did over the older rancher.

That being said, I love my Rubicon which is a better and bigger brother of the 400 AT ,I will be replacing it with a Yamaha 660 Grizzly or Kodiak 450.

The only negatives I have with my Kodiak it vibrates more than the Honda. The Honda has better engine isolation.
It is narrower than the Rubi.

I would pay about $750 more for the added features not more. So the question is how much is the prices on these quads???l


Hopefully this helped you out,
Marco Polo
2001 Honda Rubicon
2002 Kodiak 400 4X4
2002 Honda Recon 250
2003 Honda XR50

 

well said!!!! i think the difference in price for the two considering the at is a gps (might as well have a handheld) is about 400 or so. kodiak being more, i love mine i have done a ton of things with it since getting it and it has not let me down except for the poop battery from the factory but the dealer gave me a new one for free and installed it. works good for wheeling, snowriding, and pulling ice shacks, i use it everytime i go out ice fishing. it is the perfect size too, it is small enough to go places others can't and it is easy to haul and has real good power to boot! The push button 4wd is great, i haven't need to use my lockers yet but if i do it is with the ease of a push of a button. no messing around with putting on aftermarket lockers that is the reason i got this one instead of messing around buying, ordering, waiting for lockers to install on a underpowered 400.

 

The difference between the transmissions is this:

Hondas Auto = no belts that may possibly get wet or wear out (yes they do wear eventually ive seen it, and belts don't last as long as metal gears and such that is in the hondas transmission)

Hondas transmission has the BEST engine braking out of all automatics, it's just as good as a manual transmissions braking.

Hondas transmission is about 95% efficiant. So the engine only looses 5% of power through the transmission. That's definately a jump in technology, if only they could do that for cars!
A belt-CVT is only about 60% efficiant, it eats up about 40% of the power.

Belt CVTs are a good transmission now days, but the Hondamatic is one tough cookie to go up against.

It's bad side is that it's expensive to repair, whereas a belt trans. is cheaper.

 

Help me out here. My 400 AT has been in mud, and just yesterday a frozen swamp. The swamp was tough, b/c I was breaking through about 3-4 inches of ice as I went along. The front tires were trying to grab onto the ice, which was pretty cool. I purposefully did this to see if all 4 tires were pulling, and indeed they were. When I was stuck in a mud bog over the summer in 2x4, I came to a complete stop, switched to 4x4 and ESP, which, with some body english, pulled me through. Again, I looked down and saw all 4 tires pulling. I've not gotten stuck yet, and in the case of this mud bog, it was a non-existent bottom (mud over the tires). So what is the downside to Honda limited slip? I personally think this "locker" may be over-rated, although I honestly have never used one. Never have had to..... Please enlighten me as to the infatuation with the locker.

 

Todays belts do last forever if the low range is used when you are supposed to. Belts are a good thing. The Hondamatic is just 10 times more fun to ride, full automatic, ESP, and excellent engine braking. Those are three things belts don't deliver. Some belt drives do have good engine braking, but not near what the Rubicon or Rancher AT offer. The AT is comperable to the 350 Rancher as far as gearing. Our 350 Rancher is not as low geared as the Rubicons low range so it will not creep as slow down hill.

Locking front differentials and Polaris "true 4-wd are more aggressive than the differential in Honda's. Our Honda ha not left us hanging yet.

I would personally take the Honda AT any day. I am sure the 450 is a great quad, but it is build by Yamaha and I don't think they do a very good job backing their products. 01 Raptor trans, heat kits, and axles. They took care of the under warranty, but after that you were on your own. They even changed the design in the next year production but would not do anything for the ones already out there. Just my opinion.

I think one other thing to consider is the ergonomics. How does it feel to you when you sit on it? Is everything where you like it? Some ATV's just don't feel right when you sit down on it. It need to feel right.