In the past 2 or so years I have purchased 5 ATVs. I really enjoy the process one goes through before he purchases his/her ATV. So enjoy the process. I'm sure you've got so many opinions and reviews swirling in your head that it complicates the decision...but hey thats part of the fun. I'd just try to get some saddle time on the machines your considering. That makes all the difference to me.

Personally, I'm one that is not brand loyal. I buy whats best for the task at hand. I am more dealer loyal than anything else.

 

Boy, I tell ya, for what you have described, you need a Bombardier Traxter. These machines are built like a tank, have an automatic locking front diff, can tow a house, and are bulletproof. You also get a handle mounted thumb shifter for the tranny, and an automatic mode that can be used when you don't want to shift. All this and you don't have to worry about a belt burning out in a mudhole or while towing that moose up a hill. These machines are real climbers too! Take a look at the Bombs - they make a nice machine!

 

Yeah... Get the one YOU want. I did alot of studying, looking, sweating, cussing before I bought mine. What attributes of the atv are right for YOU.........and stick with it.
[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

HEY ANDY!!!
The Kawi P650 is king of the hill for 2 years now...not 2 months. At least in the mags I read (all of them!) It will work with the best of them and play better than them all. As for the extra money to maintain the belt as someone suggested above...black spring ( A whopping $25 U.S.!!! ) and you can change the belt in the field in 10mins or less. And now for my personal opinion as to the best pure utility quad...BOMBARDIER TRAXTER or QUEST hands down! The Rotax engines are as good as anything made (possibly better) the bikes are a ton of weight, but that only adds to thier tank like ability's and build quality. There are lot's of good bikes out there...and it's great to have so many beautiful choices. Truthfully...the perfect bike is not made yet ,but if you were to combine aspects of them all ,you would have a nice weapon indeed!

P.S. My good wife bought me a 60" plow for Christmas, and man I tell you what...my big Kawi eats snow for breakfast, and then asks to do the rest of the driveways on my street just to show off!!! Man I suddenly love snow!


ROB

 

Those same magazines still praise a worthless 300ex as well. Sorry man, I can tell you this much, if the Prairie 650 had identical acceleration with the Sp700 and Grizzly, there would be no way it would place better than 3rd in any shootout. The drag race is the meal ticket to every shootout I have ever seen except for the Warrior vs. 300ex shootout from like 3 years ago. That is the only one I can think of where the slower quad won the shootout.

Put those bikes on a point scale in the shootouts and do the math. Each category gets graded, and I guarandamntee you that the P650 won't be sittin on top. Rincon will more than likely eat it up as well, because high speed turns and acceleration are the only categories that the prairie will win. It basically got trashed out in the mud shootout, but I think that they ended up giving it a better finish than it deserved on account of it winning all the regular shootouts. Christ, come to think of it, I think TexMudder's bored out Rubi beat the Prairie overall.

I think the P650 is an awesome bike, but I think its overated to be spoken of as outright king of the hill. More of a figurehead until somebody makes a quad with all the marbles that will dominate the big bore class the way that the Sportsman 500 did from 96 until the 650 came out.

 

It's too bad the mags put that much importance on the drag race. I mean c'mon, when your on a "utility" machine and are crawling over rocks, slopping through a muddy trail or pulling a loaded trailer, do you really care how fast you can get to 50mph?? Sure it's fun once in awhile, but top speed or winning a drag race is more for ego than anything else to me.

 

For What you described, I would recommend a Foreman or Rubicon if you want to stick with a Honda. The Foreman is like a draft horse, slow, plodding, but (the s models anyway) seem to just keep plodding along without any repairs. I have seen a few problems with the electric shift of the ES machines. Whether or not the new ones are 'cured' I don't know. The Rubicon is a little faster, quicker, and smoother riding than the Foreman. It also is geared a little higher. However, being a 500cc machine, I personally think it should do about anything the Foreman would. I have seen less problems with the Rubicon tranny than I have seen with the electric shift Foreman es model. Rincon is a good machine, but I don't think it is geared for heavy work (just my opinion)

If you are open minded about which brand to get, I might recommend either a Polaris Sportsman 500 or Bomb Traxter. Both are heavy (weight is good for stabilizing a trailer) have strong brakes, and good cargo capacity. The Traxter probably can carry a heavy load better, but the Sportsman rides as smooth or smoother than anything out there, and has a soft, comfy seat. Hard to beat when you are on it all day. The 2001 and newer Sportsman 500 has had several upgrades from the older ones, including a limited lifetime warranty on the belt. The Sportsman also has far and away the best stock tires I have ever seen on an ATV, Goodyear Rawhides. The Traxter is strong, relliable, and tough, but a rough rider.

The Kawasaki 650 is a good machine, but is more a hot-rod than anything else. Yes, the power and acceleration dominates, but for hunting, general cruising, and going over rough trails where you never give it over 2/3 throttle or so, it is probably only average.

I wouldn't be too scared of a belt drive, I got 5000 miles on the belt of my 1999 Polaris Xplorer. There are 2 things that improve belt life greatly on the Polaris machines, at least. First is, when in doubt, use low range. The belt will go much longer if you minimize the stresses to it. Now, keep in mind, I have pulled a trailer weighing over 1000# with my Xplorer, but I always used Low (good to about 20 MPH) except on smooth, level trails.
The second thing you can do to prolong belt life is to not 'slip' it for any length of time. The action of the pulley grabbing the belt is actually the 'clutch' on these machines, so if you are facing uphill, let the engine idle, and use the brake to hold you. I have seen people feather the throttle to hold the bike from rolling backwards downhill. This puts ALL the heat from the friction of slipping on one little spot on the belt. The belt doesn't cool itself unless it is moving. Even though there isn't much stress on the belt, you overheat that one spot, and soon it starts to fray. The main thing to remember is that if you have your thumb on the gas, you want the tires to be turning, and you will be fine.
The reason I recommended the 500 over the 600 or 700 Sportsman, is because it is quite a bit cheaper (lower list price, plus bigger dealer discounts in most places) and also, they have been making it so long, it is more or less perfected, where the twins have had a few growing pains, the biggest of which was a gasket leaking in the cooling system. I think it is cured now, but I like to be sure.

Yamaha makes good bikes, and I can't really say much bad about them. They generally ride decent, steer easy, and are reliable. Handling-wise, they feel narrow to me, but I am used to a wide Polaris. Can't say much more, because we don't have a dealer really local anymore, so I don't see very many.

Farmr

 

I would go with the Bombardier Traxter.
- It has a lot of power (500 cc)
- A lot of speed (> 60 MPH)
- A lot of weight (> 800 pounds, you dont want the trailer to decide where the ATV should go next)
- It has TRUE 4x4 from the factory
- A real transmission with gears (no problem if you want to cross deep water holes)
- It is wider than every other ATVs, so it is more stable than any other ATV in mountains
- Every one I know who owns one, can pull twice the weight of any other ATV
- It is VERY reliable and it is the only ATV with a 3 year warranty ( no extra charge)
- If you ofter carry a passenger, the Traxter MAX is currently the only ATV available that is designed for two peoples.

 

I guess these forums are for some friendly debate...so here goes.

For a moment lets leave the speed and grunt factor out of the equasion. The P650 does an exceptional job at the low speed technical trails. It is extremely stable in off camber situations and I really like a heavier front end ( heavier... yet it is very nimble for a large machine) If I recall I think it was a 57f 43r weight ratio. It is not tipsy like some of the other big machines. The rear sealed brakes is a dream. Front locker works extremely well. (someone might need to expalin what a front locker is to the honda people) My only gripe is ground clearance I wish it had a bit more. Overall this machine handles a variety of terrain exceptionally well. thats why I bought it. It probably is'nt the best pure utility machine.

There is no such thing as a #1 machine. The best machine for me may not be ideal for you...who cares.

Another factor that is never addressed in these forums is the ability of the rider. Some machines are not meant for the novice rider etc... If your a skilled rider you can make any machine look impressive

I do believe like some others her that the best pure utility machine would have to go to Bombardier...

dang, I can't believe I got sucked into this juvenile debate...

 

LOL... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]