If I had to buy one machine for all around use and dependability, it would be the Foreman ES. Rides great, tops out at about 50 MPH, fun to throw around on dirt and snow, and keeps up with the bigger machines for almost all trails ! Lighting also beats any other machine out there. The pros outweigh the cons on the Foreman. Pros: Starts and runs beautifully, bulletproof and reliable, lighting is exceptional, easy to maintain, fun to ride for both experienced and novice riders. Only cons: the ES sometimes gets a little tempermental (it is designed not to shift unless the gears are meshed) and it won't allow you to shift if you are outside of a certain RPM - both good points, but it makes the machine a little quirky. I wouldn't let it affect my buying decision, but it is good to know about before hand so you can expect it.

Kodiak is great too - when I was looking to buy the second toy, I was between a Kodi 450 and another Foreman . . . I didn't go with the Yamaha because I discovered the Kawasaki Prairie 650, and the difference bewteen the 450 and 650 blew me away !

good luck!

 

Foreman is bulletproof reliable.Like most Hondas. late,zubbeyboy

 

Well mine smokes the 450 honda, and it's only the 400 KOD. I would get the Kodiak, the only area i like the 450 better is in the turns, it is wide and relatively low so it rails nice, the Kodiak on the other hand doesn't!

Overall the 450 is the better trail/mud machine.

 

I got news for all of you! My next door nieghbor which is my father in law cant believe how little the power is on his bike. He likes it just fine and goes just about every where i go,but he hates the thing not having any power

As for yamaha 400 kods, My good friend who weighs right at 300 lbs rides his like its a bat outa hell.
I swear to you! He smokes the foreman 03 model S. He has 26 laws on it and the honda has 27 vamps!

My father inlaw had the 600 grizz before it broke a 900.00 part and swears the 600 grizz when you jit the throttle it was at full speed within 15 feet. He said he lost no power in his grizz when he put on his vamps, but lost all kinds on the honda
Yes the honda will be around alot longer than hte yamerhammer,but the kod is a much all around bike.

But hey there is a new kind a machine in town,a dnif you want to get a real bike that does more than you will ever do with a honda yamaha,polaris

GET YOU A ARCTIC CAT 500i manual
Then you will have something to brag on.
So far I have smoked them all

 

My dad has the Kodiak 400 4x4 and my grandpa has the Hoda 450 ES. We have had the kodiak for about 2 years and for the first year there were some minor problems.but the second year it has been nothing but problems. But my grandpas quad is awsome it isnt as sporty but he hasnt had a problem and he has had it since the Forman ES came out. I would suggest going with the the Honda it will hold up better over the long run. Just my two cents

 

I always wondered what you do for a living, now I know, you're a comedian!!!!

The inly problems i've had with my Kodiak is the water pump and the choke cable, those were problems back when they first came out and have been fixed now. In the one year i've owned mine it has preformed awesome!!!!

 

I ride in a group everyweekend and it is all Honda's. One of my friends bought a 2002 Foreman 450S and it is nothing short of amazing. It may not have some of the fancy stuff like other bikes but anyone who tells you it is slack on power has to be on crack! It runs as fast as you will ever want to go, it goes through just about anything and it is relatively easy on fuel. I think the 450S will be the new 300 fourtrax when you are talking reliabilty. One of the coolest features it has is the 2/4 wheel drive traxlock. He has a machine that will plow the snow and he can still come out and play a bit like a sport quad.

You have to decide what you want out of the machine and how long you plan on keeping it. If you are just gonna ride it every now and then and get rid of it for a new one in 5 years then anything will do. If you want that same machine in 15 years then get a HONDA.

 

Well than i think i'll got snort a line right now................................[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

If you want a faster bike the Kodiak is the way to go. For trail riding, I find the Forman easier to ride, more predictable and better handling at any speed due to its lower center of gravity.

On the trails I ride, there is no smoking other bikes. Noone can get over 5km/h anyway. Someone who buys a utility bike to "smoke" others on nice flat dirt roads, should have bought a sport bike.

All these 4x4 Utility bikes should be close in the mud, it all comes down to the rider. I havent found a mudhole yet another bike went through that I couldn't get my 3 wheel drive dinosour through!!!

 

i have a honda and a yamaha. the big bear i had for 10 years, and other than changing the front bearings i had no problems what so ever with it!!! guess what, i'm trading the honda in on another yamaha. oh, and i plan on keeping it for at least 10 years. either way you go you can't lose, honda is a good atv also, and because of their reliability, i only buy yamaha or honda! happy trails.