Hey Lightman, About a year ago I was in your same situation. I wanted another machine so either my wife or friends could ride with me. I also thought if my 700 prairie ever had to be in the shop for any length of time, it would also be nice to have another fun machine as a backup. After many months of reading forums and test riding many different atvs, I chose the 500 polaris scrambler 4x4 (blue 2003). It looks sporty,surprisingly quick, easy to ride(automatic) and my wife and anyone else who has riddin it,loves it. The many 400 & 500 utility atvs I test drove just felt to doggish compared to the scrambler. Remember to get something you'll enjoy riding if anything should ever happen to your prairie, God forbid. GOOD LUCK

 

I'm almost in the same boat as you, i bought an eiger first and am know looking to get something a little bigger, and more features. I've put 1400 miles on my eiger, and it has been a great bike. I took a friend out last week who had never ridden, in ten minutes he was doing donut's, with a big smile on his face. Take a serious look at the eiger, for the price you can't beat it. It wins all the shootouts in the 400 class. I'm having a tough time deciding on what to upgrade too. I've got the KQ on the list, the prarie or twin peaks, i think they'll be some great deals on the twin-prarie, i'm also considering the 450 kodiak. decisions, decisions.

 

Why would I want an eiger over a 450 Kodiak, rancher at, or scrambler? I shy away from polaris for reliability reasons, I have to admit.. The 450Kodiak looks pretty nice actually, although if it's anything like the grizzly, it poops out in rim deep water...? Anyone have any experience?

 

If I was to buy a second quad for friends or the little woman I think I would get the 360. It has all the features of the 650 but not as powerful to KILL your friend. You will never forgive yourself if your friend dies on your quad!!! Even on back roads we mostly only go about 40mph anyway (some exception)and on the trails it will keep up fine. Speed and power kills, get the 360 for your friends, some might be inexperienced.

You will have the same brand so you will know the ins and outs, the belt system (interchangable belts), the parts, your dealer. You might even get a deal where you would be a repeat customer.

Have you ever pushed down on the back of the 360? The suspension on the 650 is good but the 360 has about(it feels) like 6 more inches of cushion, it feels incredible.

Forget all the sales pitches, think about your friends and your conscience if you ever were responsible for a mishap, even a broken clavicle can be very painful.

Do the 360,

 

I have three friend with kodiaks. Two have said it is an unreliable poop and gets water in the belt easy.

Edited: The other one of those (kisssofdeath) says it was more than an OK machine, buthe sold it and now rides a P650, so I am sure he woulnd't recommend it over a used P650.

Just get them a P650, keep the tires small, keep the oil in the front diff not so stiff so it steers easy and a little person wil love it. Don't do perf mods. No holeshot. No muffler mod. Leave it stock except for the driven spring and you have yourself the perfect second quad.

In fact, I think you could retard the cam to reduce low end torque and maybe even attach a screen over the air inlet to reduce the power a little, or turn that screw on the throttle if you have really little people riding it.

I really like my P650. It will make a great second quad for me when my new quad comes.

 

It was a lot more than OK. It was great for what it had to offer. Only complaint I had was it was tippy with the 27" tires on it. I put 1.5" HL wheel spacers on and it was like night and day difference. I had very early water pump problems that was cured with a new design water pump that came out later. Other than that it was trouble free and you can see by my pictures what I put it through. My 2000 Kodiak would never die in water. If it could breath it would run simple as that.

I highly recommend the Kodiak 450 but put wheel spacers on or some type of offset wheels for stability and keep the 25" size on. Only other 400 class atv I would consider buying is the Outlander 400.

 

DOA and NYROC you guys are clearly missing the point. THE PRAIRIE IS TOO BIG AND HEAVY, I WANT A SMALLER QUAD! PLEASE REREAD THAT! I've clearly said I want something 400-500cc or so, something smaller in width and weight, and easier to whip around than the prairie.

I'm definitely interested in hearing more about the kodiak 450... a few people have recommended them to me so far... how are their transmisisons? The only reason the Rancher 400AT is kinda interesting is the lack of belt drive. Supposedly their hondamatic transmissions are pretty durable etc. Some say its easier to change a belt and tweak it regularly than replace a transmission. For me personally, I disagree. My time is worth more money than changing out the trans every few years (plus i'd buy an extended warranty). I dont want to have to mess with the belt drive, however a few people here at least have commented the rancher is rough riding. I guess I'll have to demo one.