Any suggestions on a 2007 Honda 420 4x4es or a Yamaha 400 or 450 4X4 Grizzly IRS. I like the all they all have good. I was set on Honda 420 4x4es but been talkin to people and forums and lotta good about yamaha irs etc. Thanks for any feedback. Not really rock climber just modest weekender and yard work.

 

See the April issue of QUAD Magazine. They did a shootout among the quads that cost less than $5,999. The Rancher won, and the only thing they really dissed it for is having fast rebound on the rear suspension.

The Griz 450 wasn't in there. Personally, I think IRS is overrated. If you want a sporty ride, and aren't going mud bogging, then it is unnecessary. I do serious rock crawling just fine on the solid axle Ranchers! Their low center of gravity makes it so much more stable than those towering IRS monsters.

My only complaint about the 420 is that I wish it was lighter!

 

I dont own or have even ridden the 420 rancher yet. Lately Ive been grabbing all the information I can on this bike. I believe Honda has come out with a real winner with this one. On the other hand ive been riding and turning wrenches since 94 so you may find some value in what Im saying.

First there is nothing wrong with Yamahas belt drive system, those that tell you different are either brand loyalists or dont have a complete understanding of how they work. You will never experience the full potential of the motor unless you go shift. For example the suzuki eigers and vinsons will both go about 5mph faster in a shift model over a belt. Yamaha like Honda does have a decent reiability record, either way you cant go wrong and the question remains what do you want. You brought to attention two very opposite bikes in their handling characterists, also keep in mind that one rider may have an opposite opinion of another concerning the same bike.

Honda has the reputation of producing some very stable, predictable bikes. One very big reason for this is the width. Outside diameter of the wheels of the Yamaha is 41 inches while the Honda is just under 46 inches. A general rule of thumb is that the seat height should be about 75% of the outside wheel width for good stability. I purchased a Yamaha cheap from an individual for this very reason. His wife tipped it, got scared and would not ride again until he replaced it with a wider bike. Shes happy and Im happy, the Yammi has been bullet proof for the last 2+ years. Yamahas excell on tight trails or in the woods and their advertising promotes this.

You also are comparing an SRA bike with IRS bike. The difference is between night and day, both have their benefits and weaknesses. Heres just a general comparison, there are exceptions in all things.

SRA-More power to the ground, more stable, less maintenace and breakage, less ground clearence, better at towing, rougher ride.

IRS-less power to the ground, more maintenace and breakage, better ride, more ground clearence, not as good at towing, less stable.

As I stated earlier this is only a generality. There are those that will tell you that SRA rides soo rough, that varies from one model to another as well as the plushness of IRS. IRS is often overrated and SRA underrated. There are certain situations where IRS can be more stable as well. Advertised ground clearence can be both misleading and confusing. And to be honest Honda is about the most honest of any of them. On paper they look exceptionally low, but if you do a comparison check with a tape measure you will find they are much closer than thought especially when comparing SRAs. Measurements of IRS are also given without rider on board, oops there goes some advertised clearence. And then there is the squat factor, when accelerating an IRS machine the rear goes down, the more you accelerate the further it squats, this is more notable in bike with a wider stance such as polaris over the grizzly. I have seen, heard and read the stories of the lowly Honda foreman workhorse that climbed hills that the IRS guys couldnt. Why, because the more they accelerated the more the rear went down putting them at a disadvantage.

A full differential lock is a wonderful thing if you are a true blue mudder, and people luv to throw that in your face all the time. For the average ATVer it is meaningless, you would be surprised how much mudding and things you can do with 3.5 wd. Unless your the type of person that luvs to drown their ATV in mud, spend every extra dime and minute on repairs,tires and upgrades than a locker serves very little purpose.

Hope this helps

 

The Rancher 420 will give you more for your dollar than any quad on the planet!

 

Does the Honda 420 4x4 have where if You put the brake on all 4 wheels will spin or is someone pullin my leg?Or is it where if left front spins right rear spins and vice versa? Appreciate all good feedback. You and reconranger been great. I was told i could get Honda 420 es 4x4 camo out the door for $5600 tax title otd. Good price?

 

Nuchi-I didn't quite follow your question, but I will take a stab at it. First of all, the rear axle is solid so the rear wheels will always turn together no matter what....so in a sense you have "lockers" on the back end. The "bias" on the front wheels is something like 70/30%, so the wheel with traction should get 70% of the power and the other gets 30%. That 30 may seem wasted, but it helps to keep that wheel spinning so when it does finally get some traction it is already up to speed and moving. It's actually a very good system! I can't think of any situation where I ride, where I would prefer to have lockers.

The other question if I understand it right, is whether it has 4 wheel braking (????). When you are in 4wd, the drive shaft connects the front and back together, and applying either brake will therefore brake all the wheels. This can be handy sometimes, and other times it can work against you. When I am descending a nasty technical section, most of the time it is nice to have 4 wheel engine compression and wheel braking. However, if I have to drop the front end off an overhang, I take it out of 4wd and I drag the back brake while letting the front spin free, otherwise you can end up doing an endo when the front lands at the bottom of the dropoff.

 

I was told that if You put the brake on while the 4x4 is locked in that all 4 wheels will spin. But I quess that is where the 70/30 comes into play. And the 420 does have engine braking correct? Thanks You all have been great.

 

what was quads were in this comparo?

 

Don't know what you mean by "spin"???? Doesn't make sense. Wheels "stop" when you put the brakes on, they don't "spin".

 

I believe he is referring to a situation where you have one front tire in the air and the other on the ground and the one in the air is spinning. If you apply the front brake it will transfer some of the torque to the wheel on the ground acting as a sort of "locker".

Jamie