I don't think there is any ATV that is comfortable for a rider with a bad back. The rough trails even on a Polaris or Can Am still beats you up some.

Interestingly, I went trail riding with a group of gents. One of them had a vintage Honda FourTrax 350 with a solid rear axle and no power steering of course. His grandson, who is 18, rode the Honda. He was beat after the 3 and a half hour ride on Colorado rocky trails. Us older granddads riding newer, big bore machines with IRS, power steering, and soft seats faired much better at the end of the ride. I wasn't tired at all really.

So what the guys here in this thread are saying certainly makes sense to me. But you do get bounced around quite a bit. I guess I felt like a "mixed drink" when the ride was over. Shake well before using.

David

 

Ya it may be an impossible fill the bill on this one. I still would like to try though, get most enjoyment out of life as possible.

What do you all think of a used polaris outlaw? has IRS is only 390 lbs and 6 feet long, so will fit into my shortbed, and ic quite a few of them on craigslist for 2.5-3.5k. I have no idea about maintenance issues though

I obviously wont push the machine to near its capability but it might just be able to facilitate me on doing little afternoon trail rides, maybe.

 

The Outlaw with IRS has a ton of adjustability. Of the sport quads out there it would probably be the one you can tweak to your liking. Came with a KTM 450 or 525 or the Polaris 500. All engines are very reliable. The KTM's are quicker than the Polaris engine.