The Foreman is designed as a work machine and is geared low for pulling. I use my Foreman for farm work and it is perfect for that task. Built like a minitank, pulls like a tractor from idle. It has plenty of power, it is just that the power is at low RPM like a tractor, exactly what is needed for farm work. Have you looked at the way the swing arm attaches to the rear axle, or the front suspension? It is not built for speed. It has a pushrod engine is designed for low end torque. Putting a cam in it and trying to spin it faster is a recipe for disaster. It is not a sport ATV, and trying to convert it to one is a dead end task. Think of it as a Clydesdale, solid puller, but it isn't going to win the Kentucky Derby no matter how much time and money you lavish on it.

 

No I do not own one . Just sell parts to the poor soles that do. Vinson use the same size brakes that are on Honda 250EX talk about under built.

 

harw thers nothing wrong with kawi. The grizzly is not that great off a quad. Your just another yamaha loylist that never stops bashing other manufacturs. I wish Dbeck would kick people like you off thees fourms

 

I would get the vinson if I were you! The 450 is a good reliable machine, but it does lack top end seed. The vinson on the other hand is VERY powerful! It will blow away the 450, and has quicker than a 500 H.O.. The 5 speed vinson is even faster than the auto version, and has a smooth ride. They are the KING of the 500 class IMO. I thought about getting a vinson, but bought a used 650 instead! Talk about POWER!!!!!!!

 

I wish people would use a spell check.

 

My Foeman does 50MPH, which is plenty fast enough for me.

How fast do you want/need to go on a utility ATV? You do know you can get killed on these things. Over 100,000 ATV riders per year wind up going to the emergency room and not all get to leave.....http://www.consumerfed.org/020503atvbleak.html

 

Prairievenom you might be a democrat or a liberal. They cannot see or handle the truth. They try to shut up anyone that threatens to burst their bubble of the fantasia that they live in. Look at my icon I own a HONDA not a Yamaha. I just hear the customers complain about the Suzuki, Kawasaki and Artic Cat lines all the time. Very few have anything good to say about them. Any way Kawasaki at one time was a good manufacturer of bikes and quads. The more they are in with Suzuki the poorer quality they will become. I hope one day they will get away from them.

 

OK "BSA" first of all my modified Foreman only does 49mph with a tailwind/downhill second of all 50 is fine if I could cruise at 50 on a fire road, but my Foreman is comfortable cruising at 40 not 50. At 48 its winding out and full of valve float. I like to go slow and putter with the best of them, but sometimes I would like to take it up to 55 on a wide open fire road.

I know its my fault for not doing enough research, I just thought a Honda 450CC quad would have a little more b@lls

"HARW" As I said originally I wanted a NON BELT DRIVE QUAD, as I own snowmobiles and I know how much trouble belts can be and how difficult clutches are to properly tune. I would much rather deal with a auto clutch 5 speed.

The only big problems I have read about the Vinsons are, shift arm failure and weak rear axle which have had corrections made on the 2003 model.

I do love the durability of the Foreman, I went wide on a corner once and toplled a 4 inch wide tree without scratching the front bumper, that would not be possible on the Vinson. I just hope that I can retain the Honda reliabilty and durabilty while squezing a little more HP out of it, I would hate to go and buy a new quad.

It really surprises me that no one one this forum has put an aftermarket cam in a Foreman, guess they all must be napping.

Take care guy's

Ride as if everyone is watching
Talkas if everyone is listening

 

Instead of changing a cam you might want to check to see about rocker arms. Some companies make different rockers that use a different ratio. I know they make them for the 250EX.

 

Thanks Harw, rockers would be one hell of alot easier to change than A cam. What is the stock rocker ratio 1.6-1, 1.7-1?