DrTurbo, good stuff! It's funny because I really don't think I am that big...most of my friends are at least 6 ft, my brother is 6'5" but he is only about 225lbs. Anyway, I will def listen to your opinion but on a bigger fram ute (KingQuad, Rincon, Brute Force, Grizzley, 700/800 Sportsman...) I don't think that I would have ANY problems what-so-ever. Like you said, it is in the "sport" category that is different. I did some comparisons first just on the specs and I don't see much of a difference between a 450r, yamaha's 450, a DS650....maybe I am wrong there...

I am leaning now towards a utility quad because of it's many uses but I could be talked into the right sport in a heartbeat.....especially if I liked it after a test ride! If I do stick with a Ute then, which one has a big frame 500-700, preferably IRS (but not an absolute necessity), handles well, good suspension, and is fast. When I ask that, most say the KingQuad but I will leave that too you guys.....most of you (99%) have more experience than I do and that's why I am here listening to your advice!

 

the only real answer is the newly redone 700 RAPTOR EFI SPORT ..

 

If you get something that weighs over 600 lbs you should just go buy a SUZUKI SAMURI. Its street legal 4x4 has ac and a cd player. Will go about anywhere a fourwheeler can. and doesn't weigh but 1100lbs I think. i know me and my friendspicked on up out of a hole one day so it can't be too heavy. Comes with a removeable top and roll bars too. You can get a used for 3000 or less!

Those SAMURIS are better than a jeep in the woods.

 

I agree ., well said.

 

 

" newly redone 700 RAPTOR EFI SPORT " ..... Gotta agree with deanz400.

I think that the Raptor's would be big and roomy enuf for
bigger guys to feel comfortable on. Im willing to bet that you'd have a better time in the long run, with plenty of power/speed/suspension travle to grow into...

I think that you'd still find your quad fun to ride years from now. With reguards to sports quads. a good rider can take a sport quad dam near anywhere a 4x4 can go, exception being deep mud.

Nothing wrong with the 4x4 Utes... thier fun to ride as well. Im just into the sport side.


Just my 2 cents.

Best of luck with whatever you decide... and happy trails.

 

stocks, be very weary of the Kawasaki and Polaris utility machines if you want something low-maintenance. These both use very similar CVTs and will require belt adjustment every so often. The Suzuki, Yamaha and I believe Bombardier all have similar trannys that do not require any adjustments of any kind. The Honda of course, has no belt but if you like speed, you know how I feel about that.

 

for starters i would say get a sport quad. if this guy had a waverunner he obviously likes to go fast and catch air. for that the sportquad is the only way to go. and for a rookie even of his age and size i think a rappy or either of the 450s would be too powerful and may cause him to get into trouble finding the limits of his abilities!!! trust me i found this out the hard way! for the terrain you will be on reverse is a must. if u ride any trails there will always be one time everyday that you say "man i wish i had reverse right now!" again trust me i found this out the hard way! so to narrow this down to as few quads as possible 05 or 06 400ex, kfx/z 400, and maybe a rappy for a guy your size. i weigh 260 and my 400 hauls me around just fine. im thinkin about a raptor myself but not the new 700 efi. i dont know but all the electronic b/s just seems like something is bound to go wrong being its a yamahahaha and all. in closing BUY USED!!! new quads are a waste of money. after that first scratch you just lost close to $2000. if u are the type of person that has to have new toys the first thing you need to do is go and get a sharp object and but a big *** scratch on your fender so you are no longer afraid of hurting your new baby. i hate people like that. sorry for the short book im at work on a sunday morning and i wanna go ridin!!!

 

thanks guys.....Turtle, on the sport side, I had even mentioned a 400ex, as I have heard they are still a great trail bike and with reverse now....but I didn't know how it would be with my height long term.

You are right with the waverunner and now wanting speed and handling now on whatever sport OR ute I end up with...in St.Louis we used to ride behind the barges on the river that are so heavy they created 8' swells behind it, man that was fun! I still though like the idea of being able to take a ute just about anywhere and one problem I am having now (a good problem) is that I think I have 2 buddies buying as well but they are def getting utes.

I know I have asked this but on the ute side which one will take you through anything, has irs, and can be riden aggressively with a few minor jumps and a little speed? rincon, kingquad?

why can't I just have both a ute and a sport bike???

 

If you feel the need for reverse for trail riding the 400 ex is an very good choice.
It sounds like you like the speed so a 450r would be something that you would not get bored with.
Also look at the yamaha 450 it is also an wicked machine.

I bought my wife a 250 Recon last year, she had never rode before.
After about 15 minutes of instruction and about 2 hours of riding she can take that little machine about anywhere.
The riding that she does is trails like you, and uses it to pull a cart around the farm to do yard work it is like a swiss army knife and only cost $3400.
I installed a set of maxxis tires on the rear and it does excelent in the mud.

The nice thing about the 2wd quads are if it get stuck you can usually lift either the front or rear out and keep riding.

Last November buddy got his 700 4 x4 suzuki stuck really bad in a mud hole.
The winch was not long enough to tie off to a tree, and when hooked to our quad it would just pull us towards him.
It was 30 degrees outside, and getting dark, we had worked for almost 4 hours to get that heavy pig out of a hole.
It took a Jeep Cherokee 2 hard pulls to remove the heavy utility from the mud.

My cousin is 350# and 6.5" and rides an old 95 Kawasaki 300 Bayou 4 x 4, and it is indestructable but slow.

Look at the terrain that you are going to ride, if it is all trees and mud buy a utility quad, if you have alot of open spaces go with a sport quad.
The 400 ex is probably your best choice for both types of riding.