<< My Wifes 250EX was stolen and she wants something with racks we are familiar with the recon but how does the Beartracker compare to the recon or even the bayou 220 there all pretty much identical but which is best.. >>

 

The Beartracker isn't as fast nor does it has as good of suspension as the Recon. Same goes for the Bayou. It has single A-arms so the tires change camber a lot. Say you jump and the wheels are straight up and down, that doesn't mean they will be straight when you land, they will kind of be like this: \ / instead of like this when the started: | |. Get the picture. So what I am saying is get the Recon.

 

Ive seen a couple of beartrackers on the trail and one or two recons but where I live, most of the smaller utility quads are Bayous. My brother has one and I can tell you its bulletproof, he puts that thing through hell and back and it keeps asking for more. He's flipped it, jumped it, ran it into a tree a high speed and everytime it just started up again and on he kept on riding. He finally killed it when riding through a canal that suddenly dropped in depth and he went up to the handlebars in water. Given that situation any bike without a snorkle would have died. Cant speak of the durability of the Recon or Tracker but I can speak for the Bayou and its one tough little quad.

 

Here is what I know from reading posts and other sources of information on the Recon and Beartracker along with my own experience with my Bayou 220

Recon- excellent power for it's class (sideways mounted engine to transmit more torque) and speed with a more sporty feel. Very cold natured- will not idle until warm. Fuel valve must be switched to reserve with almost a half tank of gas still left. No oil filter, only an internal filter screen that requires engine breakdown.

Beartracker- Yamaha's replacement for the Timberwolf which had a reputation for being underpowered for it's class. Same basic design but with a larger carburator intake and length of stroke. Have not heard much from owners as the how well the Beartracker outperforms the Timberwolf.

Bayou- A no-frills ATV that carries good value for the money. Excellent power for it's class but slow and soft on trails. For that reason an excellent ride for more sedate owners. Carries both a field-replaceable oil filter and internal filter screen. A member of the proven Bayou family with over 10 years of production.

My recommendation- don't overlook the Bayou 300 if you're also looking at a Recon. I have seen it go out the dealer front door for almost the list price of a Recon. You'll get 50cc more power and probably the best rear-differential of any 2WD on the market. My Bayou 220 has never failed me but I still wish I had paid the extra bucks for the Bayou 300.