Im new to the sport looking to by my first neaw atv an was wondering what is better a 2001 recon or a 2001 beartracker can you please name both good and bad of both machines

 

Definetly go with the Recon, the beartracker bogs WAY down on hills. The Recon is GREAT in mud, snow and especially hills. The only good thing about the Beartracker is it sits up higher. The Recon is a steal for the price!

 

Someone posted this same question a couple of weeks ago & one of the replies stated that the Beartracker had disc brakes up front. I didn't think so at the time, but wasn't 100% sure, so I didn't debate the issue. Well, I stopped at the local Yamaha shop(also sells Honda) & the front brakes on the Beartracker are definitely drums! Nothing wrong with drum brakes as long as they're made by HONDA!

 

Good thing you didn't debate the issue.
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/01motors...info_body.html

There you will find information that states that the Beartracker does indeed have front DISC brakes.
The change happened sometime in the 2000 model year because my 2000 Beartracker does indeed have discs in front.

 

just got from the 2001 yamaha beartracker dealer does have disc brakes, i even got under the atv and checked

 

The Recon is an excellent choice for a first time machine. It is easy to operate and very forgiving. My 12 year old son had never been on an atv but he was riding my Recon like a pro in a short time (I did give him a very intense training time though). The nice thing is the Recon isn't just a beginners machine. I have been riding for years and I still have a blast on it. I don't have any personal experience with the Beartracker. But when I was buying my Recon I did a lot of research on the 2. In shootouts the Recon always won. When I talked to people who had rode and owned both, they prefered the Recon. If you are looking for a play machine the 250EX might be a better choice. If you need a trailer hitch the Recon doesn't come with one but it only costs $22 to get one that bolts on. Good luck.