I personally have never rode a 2wd ATV, all mine have been 4x4. However just watching 2x4's slip and slide everywhere I am not sure if I want to get one, but they do look fun. Can a 2wd hang with their big brothers, the 4X4?? let me know your experiences

 

it mostly depends on rider skill. 4x4's are fun because you dont get stuck as often, but when you want to go on a fast trail ride 4x4 holds you back sometimes. So if you want a 2x4 but also like 4x4 get a quad with selectable 2wd and 4wd. and your question about can they hang i would say yes in some situatuions and no in others. From your sig i see you have a '99 450 you may want to consider trading (if you like yours) for a 2002 450, they have the selectable 2wd-4wd.

 

We ride some really nasty stuff. Old mining roads with sand, hardpack, and lots of rockhounding. The 2X4's (Rancher and Recon) do surprisingly well! You have to pick your line carefully though, but rarely is there a place where the 4X4 is absolutely necessary. If you are in a group, it's no big deal (at least with the Recon) for us to just pick the bike up and carry it over the really bad spots if somebody got stuck. With the 4X4 you have to fight the steering more too. Sometimes that takes the fun out of low speed riding! Anyway, what I'm trying to say is except for rare occasions, it is WAY MORE FUN to ride the 2X4's. You can slide the back around corners, point and shoot the steering, do jumps and wheelies-stuff that isn't easy on a 4X4. (I notice you live in Ohio. Out here in the desert mud isn't much of a factor, so I can't comment with any authority on how the bikes would do under those conditions.)

 

good reply's

I own a 2001 2x4 Rancher ES and I luv it (9.7" clearance, 52 mph). Dont get me wrong I've gotten stuck quite a few times, and only need help a couple times getting it out, twice the first day riding it, but a 500 4x4 came by and got stuck in the same hole so i didn't feel so bad, i was trying to see what the rancher could do, but what the heck.I've learned all you got to do is jump in, lift the assend, gun it and hop on. If you want more pull put some 12" wide 589's or some mudbugs for the back that will help also. These stock dirt hooks are not made for mud, but rider ablility has alot to do with it. My 14 year old son got stuck in a bog over the weekend and I hopped on and got out on my own. live and learn...once even floated it thru a water crossing, pretty freaky not feeling ground under you !!!! Utimately though no, if mud and rock/hill climbs are what you want than (selectable) 4x4 is the only way to go.

01' Honda Rancher ES - dad
92' KX 80 - son (I'll get him on four paws soon !!!)
looking for a 250ex for wife

 

The area where my 2WD cannot match the 4WD on my hunting lease is when crossing the somewhat steep ridges along a creek. The front wheels on the 4WD give the extra traction to pull up and over so that the rear wheels don't get bogged down behind.

However, a $30 come-a-long and just a little common sense can go a long way. Also, the 2WD may in fact be the safer ride since you are less likely to follow your ego. Several of my buddies have recently turned over in this very creek while trying to cross it on their 4WD's.

 

One safety issue: It is sometimes nice to have that 4wd all-wheel engine braking when doing a slippery downhill. With the 2wd if you hit the rear brake and lock up the tires, you can skid the rear end and get sideways making a rollover possible. My experience with beginners is that if they panic, their first reaction is to grab a handfull of brake (front or rear, it doesn't matter!). I can still remember making this mistake a few times as a beginner, and it is a very frightening experience!

I drill my kids on this!! Our saying is, "if you are using your rear brakes to slow yourself going down a hill, then YOU AREN'T IN A LOW ENOUGH GEAR!". The point is to use engine braking (and sit back so you have weight over the rear axel) to take care of the back tires , then add just enough FRONT BRAKE to keep the rear end from slipping free. Come to think of it, the stock tires on the Rancher and Recon (Goodyear Trackers I think) are kind of prone to locking up on a downhill.

 

I have done a lot of riding in my time. My first 7 years of riding were spent on a 4X4 machine. I now own a 2X4. I used to think that if a 2 wheel drive machine could make it on a trail, then a 4 wheel drive machine could surely make it. That couldn't be further from the truth. I was riding with my partner one day (he was on a 4X4 machine and I was on my 2X4) and we came to an extremely steep loose hill. I decided to go up the hill. My machine was spitting out rocks and dirt everywhere. I got to the top and saw that the trail only went about 500 feet. So I turned back around and went down and told my buddy that there was no sense in going up the hill. He said "that's good, because I tried to follow you, and my machine wouldn't climb the hill."
If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. When you are climbing a hill, especially a steep one, the majority of the machine's weight sits over the rear wheels. The one big advantage that 2X4 machines have over 4X4 machines is their power to the rear wheels and as many riders know, speed and momentum are your friends when tackling difficult terrain. I should also emphasize that I have large wide tires on the rear of my machine which gives it more clearance and more tread on the ground. I am a huge believer that tires make all the difference in the world.
In my personal experience, the only place that a 4 wheel machine can go better than a 2 wheel drive machine is through water. The reason being, is usually a 4 wheel drive machine weighs more. My machine tends to "float" more than my friends machines do. Which can be quite comical at times.
I wouldn't trade my 400EX for the best 4X4 out there. However, as it has been pointed out in this thread, you have to be on your toes a little more with the two wheel drive machines.

 

i say you get the 2 wheel drive because my father has a 4x4 and its on damand and he never gose in 4 wheel drive unless he hits the mud 2 wheel drive suck in the deep mud but they can clime good not as good as the 4x4 but then again you cant slide around on a 4x4 as easy right and go as fast as most sport qauds am i right i think so get a 2x4???

 

i think it depends a lot on the 2x4 quad.

The rancher 2x4 is a 4x4 quad without the 4x4 ) So its going to have the same ground clearance ect as a 4x4, so its going to go better then say a warrior in the mud thats a sport quad.

Its like i had an old 250 2x4, pretty close framing to the 300 4x4, i could plow through this one mud hole, it wouldn't stop, i took my blaster through it, my 330ex through it, and i have a hard time, maybe its because both get a lot more wheel spin, mainly i acredit it to the lack of ground clearance under the swingarm and it lifts that back wheels up. 18.5" turfs on the blaster at one point(when i got 22" sur traks i owned mud) and the 300ex with 20" vipers(22" holeshots now..not mud tires!)

I think, if you want a sport quad to play on, slide around, go fast on the trails, buy one and keep your 4x4 too.

Maybe if you want both, buy one of the new hondas that are switchable, or a polaris scrambler.

 

i had both at one time we took a trip to pennsylvania .i thought since i had this polaris explorer i could go any where,boy did i get a slap in ythe face.we came across this huge mud hole i got about half way through in4x4.& thats all she wrote it wouldnt budge .so after we finally got it out.my brother in law took the trail blazer through it made it ,i couldnt beleive it,but like alot of others have said .the main two factrs is tires & ground clearence.the explorer had dunlops onit & the trail blazer has titan 489s .that thing just goes.as long as it dont ground out it wont stop,as far as hill climbing goes we found out that it depends on the hill mostly & the rider.hope this helps