She weights about 150 and by no means is interested in gobs of power, and of course it has to be automatic and easy to drive. I was thinking the Prairie 360, or maybe a 700? or maybe something from the Honda line-up like a Rincon. This quad will also be used for when friends and family are over........

What do you guys think?

 

I am the "wifey" ! Hubby got me a Prairie 650 ('03) - and I LOVE it. I used to have a Recon, and the 650 is a lot easier to handle the trails with. If there is any question about a trail, I just click into 4WD and go. The Diff lock is real nice too - but make sure you're pointed in the direction you need to go, you can't steer very well with it pulled all the way! I looked hard at the Kodaik 450 too - take her and have her try out a few diferent models, then get the one she feels the most comfortable with. (Mrs Q)

 

Like anything, it all depends on the type of riding she wants to do. Deep bush/ Mud driving = 4X4. Of course get an automatic if it is for company as well. If you got a V Force, then YOU will have a spare[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img].

 

for the wifey huh... Isuppose she would want to havea nice cumy ride and I know the polaris sportsman has the ids and gives it a great ride...hope this helped later

friesen

 

comfy** sorry bout that

 

Yep, get her a 4x4 (2x4 selectable) utility in the 450 – 700 range, something with emphasis on comfort (with IRS) and lower center of gravity (better off camber handling) instead of performance (speed). Check out (and try) the Honda Rincon and the Polaris models for starters. Be sure to include a winch and a box / trunk would be nice. She can pack the goodies for both of you without compromising her ride so you can both go out and have a good time. She can also pull you out of the mud with the winch if you get in a little too deep with the V-Force. Lighter is better, the lighter the machine the more influence she will have on it when she throws her lighter weight around for control.

I suppose something smaller (below 450cc) would work but they would have a lower “slow” speed which could be less than desirable on steep hills (where momentum is important). If you plan on doing adventures together it might be better for her to learn how to handle something with a decent amount of power.

 

It's Mrs. Q again -I should have been more specific, so here goes.... I just wanted to tell you I tried out the "IRS" machines - they felt too"wobbly" (for lack of a better word - sorry) for my personal preference. The Prairie has a real low center of gravity (which I liked) the gas tank is low in the back instead of up front where most of them are. I can switch between 2WD and 4WD with a finger - don't have to let off the throttle to do it. The engine braking is fantastic. Riding the little Recon all day used to wear me out - riding the 650 is unbelievably comfortable. I am not dead tired at the end of the day riding it. I am also the one who carries all the supplies when we go...plenty of room to pack on the racks. I agree with 2TV - you want her to get as big a machine that she can ride comfortably - I was "afraid" of the bigger machines when I started out, but found out they are actually easier to maneuver. Good luck with whatever you choose. I wish we'd have bought ours 10 years ago, we have such good times riding.

 

Mrs.Q, I know what you mean about the wobbles, that is true about the IRS quads. I’m sure there’s more room for design improvements in the IRS system, however from what I’ve read the Honda Rincon is an improvement on what Polaris and Yamaha have to offer and may be worth checking out. When it comes to wobbly handling the Grizzly may be the biggest offender. It is something you can get used to though. Once you get used to the different feel I think you would end up liking it better because you will be rewarded with a smoother ride. You will feel less worn out at the end of the day. This is most notable on rocky trails, it is under these circumstances where IRS makes the biggest difference.

I went from a solid axle Grizzly 600 to the IRS Grizzly 660 and the difference was major. After a three day outing at Hatfield McCoy with the 600 I was sore in many places. On the same trails with the 660, I was ready to do it all over again after day three. The IRS Grizzly would practically float over rocky trails (once you found the pace that worked the best) compared to the bucking bronco ride of the 600. Of course the newer Grizzly also had a couple more inches of suspension travel besides having independent suspension so all of that helps.

The only thing I missed going from solid axle to IRS is rear end slide-ability. You can slide the IRS quad but it takes more effort to do so.

Overall if a person is in the market for a machine where the most important quality is comfort, I feel IRS would generally be the more logical choice. In spite of owning an IRS Grizzly, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to a person looking for an IRS machine without giving Honda and Polaris (and now Arctic Cat with the P650 engine) a try first to see which one they like the best.

Given the choices in 4x4 Utility models available today if the utmost in performance is most important then a Prairie 700 may be your best bet. Otherwise you have a lot of homework to do; a lot of quads to check out before deciding, narrowing the field down to what “feels” the best for the rider along with what special features are most important for the individual.