im looking for a 2 wheel, 4 stoke, automatic a.t.v to ride the trails , im new at this, im not going crazy with it i'm 45 years old , what should i buy ( im thinking polaris ) any idea's ?
is a 325 motor big enough ? ( trail boss )

 

If you don't have this childish need to be in front, as I do, then a 325 will be fine.

Not to try to talk you into anything, but, keep in mind that with Polaris you have the option of 2 or 4 wheel drive. You wont need it very often, but the first time you get stuck with a 2 wheel drive ATV, you'll kick yourself for not getting 4WD. Especially after that long drive home with your buddies heckling you. If the guys you run with wouldn't do that, then you have better friends than I do. Considering the overall price, 4WD doesn't cost that much extra.

I'm new at this too. Take a look at my signature. The Rancher came first. After 1 day out on the trails, and 3 times on the wrong end of the winch hook, I new I should have spent the extra 7 bills, or whatever it cost, for the 4WD.

I bought the Scrambler because I wanted to be in front, and NOT get stuck. It does all that. But it is overkill for trail riding. For what you want to do, I'd say that a 325 Magnum would be just fine. Kinda slow, but hey, how fast do you need to go. Mine will go 65 but I don't go more than 20 on the trails.

Good Luck,
Dave

 

The 325 is a great quad. Opt for the 4wd or you'll regret it down the line, if mud or steep inclines are to be encountered often. best of luck.

BBQ

 

if that's all you want to ride is trails, then the new Polaris trail boss sounds like a good thing for you.

I would suggest going to a muliti dealer and ride a few of them.. they all ride differently.

oh ya.. and one more thing.. LET US KNOW WHAT you decide...LOL

 

Personally I would get the new Kodiak. It is a awesome bike and is a yamaha. It was utility quad of the year. It is a automatic with on command four wheel drive. This bike is awesome.

 

joel

You have to buy whats best for you. Sit down and assess the type of riding you do. Do you ride in mud and steep hills? Or just plain trails with no snow? I own a 325 trail boss. It is a great machine. Good hill climber. Fairly good mudder. Pretty fast also. This machine is definetly not the fastest bike out there, but for $3,300 its a great bike. I also own a Magnum 425. This is a great mudder and hill climber, but pretty heavy and harder to steer. If you are just looking to buy a starter machine, the trail boss is excellent. If you want the 4x4, consider the Magnum 325 or the scrambler. List out the advantages of all machines compared to the price and buy the one that best suits your needs. Try to find a dealer that will let you ride one and see what feels best too you. At the end of the day, its your money, buy what feels best to you.


P.S. Chris: Does Yamaha have any American made or assembled parts on it?

 

Could you experienced folks please help me also? I am new to ATV’s. I live in Montana. We are going to buy an ATV for our small farm. We are going to get an ATV to replace the lawn and garden tractor. We’ll keep the tractor for lawn mowing and pulling the roto-tiller. We need something to drag a cultivator and push snow in zero degree weather... We did our market research, read all the reviews and did some test-driving. We have decided on the Sportsmen 500. Now it’s time to buy.

Is there an equivalent to the Kelly blue book for ATV’s, some place that I find out the invoice pricing like Kelly offers for new cars and trucks? What kind of negotiating can I expect from the dealer? I already have some idea as one dealer went from $7400 to $6200 for a 00 Sportsman 500 when I said I would pay cash. Any ideas, warnings or schemes? (I’ll do schemes, these dealers are nothing but car salesmen that get muddy)

Now the second problem. As the result of our test driving my wife has decided that maybe we need two ATV’s. We both are Geezer class riders…over 50. We will be using these ATV’s primarily for working the farm. The second ATV will do trailer pulling and that’s about it. (Maybe pulling the 500 out snow banks when it gets stuck) We also will do some low speed, low drag trail riding and hunting. My wife is small in stature 5 ft, 110 lbs. We are trying to figure out a good second rig for her. Any Ideas for her?

We have some ideas but need some explanations. What are the advantages of 2 stroke vs. 4 stroke, air-cooled vs. liquid cooled? Does climate...cold weather have any bearing on which system works better?

DD Gofer

 

DDGofer,

For what you want to do, 4 stroke. 2 strokes need to be wound out. Plugs will foul at low speeds and the 4 stroke just has more low end torque for the work you want to do.

Good choice with the SP500, and if he'll sell for $6200, you'd better go. Around here, $200 off list is about as good as you can expect.

For the wife, maybe a 325 Magnum or Sportsman 335.

As for liquid vs. air cooling, they've been making air cooled for a long time, so it's adequate for most situations. I wouldnt be swayed either way if I found one I liked. Besides, liquid coolant can leak out, air will always be there. Air cooling does a good job, until you get stuck in the mud, fill the cooling fins with the gunk, and gun the heck out of it trying to get out of the hole.

Hope I didn't confuse you more than you were already.

Dave

 

DDGofer

I would agree with IndyDave. The 325 magnum or 335 sportsman would make an adequete machine for your wife. Living in Montana and wanting a farm/trail machine, make sure whatever you get has 4 wd and low range. The low range is very important on an automatic machine if you plan to use if to tow. Stick with a 4 cycle as opposed to 2 cycle. The 2 cycles provide more zip, but I don't think that is what you are looking for. As for price, the new Sportsman and Magnum 500's with the high output engine are starting to arrive at the dealers. If the extra horsepower is not that big of an issue, now may be the time to get a good deal on a 2000 with the standard 500. $6,200 is not a bad price on a SP. Give the Magnum a consideration too. It will tow more, but does not have indepedent rear suspension. I have the older Magnum 425 and its a great towing and plowing machine. Also, try to work the dealer over to try to get a plow or winch thrown into the deal. They may give you both since you are buy two machines. Typically, Polaris has offered some good incentives this time of year to help dealers move old inventory. There is a blue book for ATV's at www.kbb.com, but I don't know if they have invoice prices for new machines. Hope this helps.

P.S. Shopping for a new atv makes me feel like a kid again. Hope it does to you too!

 

Dave,

Thanks for the quick response.

I think one reason the dealer dropped price so fast was our proximity to Canada. ATV's are cheaper up there, even U.S ATV's, go figure. Dealers are losing a lot of sales to the Canadian dealers right now. One dealer told me that he could make me a good deal, but for the best price I should go to Canada.

When I asked about service and warranty he said he would honor them and do service and warranty work on Canadian purchased machines. He said not all dealers will do that. He told me that he has customers on both side of the line. When the Canadian dollar is stronger he has a lot of Canadian customers come down. So he supports them also. He looks at everyone as a potential customer. He said he creates loyalty that way. Interestingly he also told me to wait until September to buy and see what facory incentives come out for hunting season.

One warning he gave me about buying in Canada was to stop at U.S. Customs before going up and see what you need to bring the machine into the U.S. The regulations are a little different at every crossing. Oh and he also said to get your reciept stamped by Canada Customs to get your Canadian Tax refunded.

Thanks for the advise on the 325's. We go test driving today. This whole ATV idea was the wife's and it's only right she have her own machine...why do I think more playing is gonna get done than work?

DD Gofer