Down to 2 choices: I AM trying to talk myself into an 05 foreman es,...vs Suzuki Vinson which gets hi marks from users, has larger gas tank, on/off top lite, auto, same price, better financing etc. I'm NOT being sarcastic,...just asking for your opinion: why buy the honda? Long time motorcycle rider, 1st atv. For trail riding and hunting. Appreciate your honest feedback. Thanks guys!

 

I have a friend that has two of the Suzuki Vinsons. They are extremely powerful machines. They will go through anything it seems without any difficulty and all day riding, they probably use less than a gallon of gasoline. Only one problem with the suzuki, and one is all, the body is brittle material. Both of his machines have the fenders and body panels cracked or broken in several areas. The honda foreman that I own I have scraped into trees and rocks on the trail and they just fold out of the way and spring back while I clinch my teeth, but so far no damage. The Suzuki definately out powers my Foreman tremendously, but if I had that much extra punch I would probably just get hurt. My friend with the two Vinsons has a wife and two teenage girls. They ride double on both machines everywhere we go and its amazing to watch how well they seem to handle and ride two up through all the rough stuff. I like Honda, but it would be hard for me to choose between the two machines now that I am familiar with both products. You got a tough decision ahead of you!

 

The choices are too difficult. Buy a new Suzuki King Quad.

 

I like the Hondas. Five years from now it will still be around and running. You very seldom see older Suzuki or Kaw. on the trails. The other problem is the Brakes on the vinson The autos make it around 200 to 400 miles and the std. around 600 miles before you have to replace them. Look at the Yamaha and Honda line I sell fewer parts for them.

 

i have an older forman and i havent had any trouble out of it. simple maintance like changing oil and spark plug is all i have ever done to it. it is not cold natured either. it will start up in two trys at the most. i would go for the forman if i was buying one.

 

When did that start?????????????

I have seen, owned and riden with many Suzukis, Kawis and Yamahas, many of them still going strong after 10+ years and thousands of miles. Yes, Hondas are very reliable and long lasting - But the reality is that is also true of most of the major brands these days.

Jaybee

 

I see all different kinds of quads on the trails. One day I was riding with someone that had a Quadrunner. Few miles into the trails we came across a older King Quad and another Quadrunner.

Few weeks later, I saw a yellow Vinson.

I would wait a little longer until more info is out about the new Foreman.

I don't know much about the Vinson. One thing I didn't like was how wide it is in the mid-section. I also didn't like that it is such a big & tall machine. I ride low and tight trails.

 

I just aint buying into the Honda reliability thing anymore.With todays technology,its hard to buy a Honda that costs more money and gives you less features..Im coming off a 2003 Rincon.Now while it was a wonderful quad,it is not anything near as enjoyable as my new 2005 King Quad.The Honda Rincon has the highest MSRP[7599] in its class,yet it has front drum style brakes that WILL leak after awhile,does not have adjustable suspension,does not have a front differential locker,does not have EFI,has a very poor downhill engine braking,and has NO low range-----My KQ has all this stuff and costs far less[6696 OTD]...

My days of paying MORE and receiving LESS are done.

 

If you do break, a Honda is cheaper to fix. For some reason, Honda has the cheapest replacement parts even at list price. Couple that with a few vendors who knock 30% off list and you have a real cheap date.

I ride with both Vinson and pre-2005 Foreman owners. There is a difference in how the 4X4 works. It is a limited-slip on the Foreman and the Vinson has a true locking front diff when you need it.

I can't say much about the power difference since I haven't seen a 2005 Foreman.

/Jon

 

I have a Yam450 4x4, my cousin rides a '99 450 Foreman. He intentionally avoided the ES feature cuz it was new at the time and he prefers to shift gears with the foot shifter/mechanical vs. electric shift technology. a few times my diff lock has allowed me to get outta an off-camber jam where he was stuck with a wheel in the air. In mud, it made zero difference. I really like his low gear and ability to shift on the fly over the automatic belt drives.belt drives ya gotta stop to shift to low range. also, he never has to worry about water in the belt case. ist gear for him just crawls, whereas the belt drives ya gotta rev and then they seem to catch and break loose on tough spots. His maintenance has been a joke, Oil changes, clean air filter, and 1 spark plug. and he rides hard and challenging stuff, where i usually wanna say no and turn back. it still runs perfect.

I'm really impressed with his Foreman, plus I think resale would be better and higher if you decide you don't like or want the Honda. I've got a '94 Suzuki 160 I've been trying to sell and the phone never rings. If it was a Honda, i'm sure I'd have sold it by now. I've had problems with my Suzukis, expensive parts and need lots of repairs. I'd go Honda all the way. plus for you as a dirt biker, shifting gears would be no big deal, altho i don't know if this is still a feature available on the newer stuff. BTW, the belt drives are faster, but it's rare with these types of quads that we're riding pinned for speed. To me, the top speed is a non-issue.