if your gonna go with independent rear suspension go with the sportsman or outlander. if you go with the sportsman go with the 500efi for sure. the outlander 400 has plenty of power but you can get a 700 sportsman for what they want for them. i rode the outlander 400 when my friend was lookin at one and i didn't think it was as smooth a ride as the sportsman but that's just my opinion. but it definatly rides better than everything else.

 

I wouldn't for 2 reasons.

The EFI is for a single cylinder as opposed to the twin cylinder. It is a totally different configuration and may or may not go well. Nobody knows.

How much more to go from that to a tried and tested 700 or 800 EFI? I went with an 800 because the difference was 6 or 7 hundred dollars. What is resale going to be?

The Honda Foreman 450 is a tried and true machine. However, when 2 machines I know bought it, they got the ES model which is basically a solenoid that has been duct taped to the machine. Sometimes you have to stop and rock it to change gear. Somethign they never got quite right. The Rubicon was a dog because it was underpowered and mated to a torque converter style transmission. Let someone work out the bugs. Get yourself a 700 or 800 EFI.

 

well if the 500 efi is sketchy he could always go with an 05 500

 

Better be soon then because they are clearing them out. The only question I have is that with the coming of the 500 EFI, do you think resale will be hurt?