I would consider the Kawasaki, They make a good ATV. Their belt drive is much better then Polaris, because they don't have a separate trans from the engine. They don't have alignment problems like Polaris does, because it's all one unit, not two. I won't worry about the servo motor for enging braking. I don't hear people having problem's with them. My car trans has servos in it and it has over 100,000 mile's on it. So I don't see what the problem's is.

 

try to find a dealer that sells both the Sportsman and the Japanese brands. put them side by side and compare the drivetrain components, sit on each of them, you will see what I mean about the Polaris being the HD choice.

 

I have a Honda/Polaris dealer and Yamaha dealer close to my cottage. ill check em out next time i go up.

 

um, hello? earth to gunman, come in? do a search over there where you belong, just type in "belt" and click the search button. don't know how many pages there are, I stopped counting after 5.

 

You never said what kind of quad that your'e looking for. I have 3 Polaris': 1 2000 400 scrambler, 1 '98 400 Sport(same bike I know) and a 2001 500 Scrambler all are 2wd. Mine is the 400 scrammy it is mildly fast and I have a blast on it. My wife has the 500 scrambler and it is not fast at all but it is very predictable which is what she loves about it. Both of these machines ride like Caddilacs compared to many of their counterparts. I know that this will draw fire from some of you, but this just my opinion. My brother has a Banshee that he loves, but I hate shifting gears. My dad has a KFX 700 that I think rides too rough. It is all personal preference. One of the things that I love about riding a Polaris is that it is a bigger atv. This must come from the fact that I rode a Harley for many years. I would rather sit in a bike than on it.

Any way ride a few of your friends quads and then make your own choice. The only stupid question is the one that you did not ask. Everybody thinks that they have the best brand around thats why they make so many.

 

not to bash Honda, but they do not offer a true 4WD machine. closer to 3WD. Honda has yet to include a front locker in thier machines, I'm sure the traction is decent, but for all that money, I want power to ALL four wheels, don't want to see the one in the air spinning while the one on the ground is still, sure would be aggravating after spending $7,799 for thier flagship model.

 

I guess the Polaris glasses goes back on. I guess you can't ask for everything.

 

Zerowick, lol , been there done it, still am, i have a honda 450ES great quad, gobs of power, but your right 3wd bad design o well
if they fixed there Hondamatic tranny's and droped in a diff. lock i'd buy another, probaly a Rubicon not Rincon.
but so far
Yamaha's taking my vote. (just spent 2 hour's reading reviews lol)
the kodiak 450 is a beast from what i'm hearing.

 

Boys, I will not argue with Gunman. Arguing with Gunman is like wrestling with a pig in the mud. Sooner or later you figure out that the pig likes it! I just tried to make the point that there is a quad out there for anyone. They all do things differently and all you have to do is find the one that will do what you want, My personal favorite brand to do this just happens to be a Polaris. You are more than welcome to buy any other brand because it is YOU that is buying it. I was just offering my 2 cents worth if it would have helped.

 

Driveit, There are many things to consider to make the right decision. As Zerowick says Polaris is a bigger and heavier machine than most. Polaris also has some of the longest suspension travel and high ground clearances also. Don't get into picking a machine based on someone saying they had this or that problem alone. Look at the features of the machines and see if they work with or against your riding abilities and types of terrain you will be in the majority of the time. Some of here are diehard Polaris fans. That doesn't mean they are correct for everyone. If you aren't going to work the machine nearly as much as you will play on it, you may want a lighter machine. If you don't need a lot of suspension travel and ground clearance you might want a machine that sits closer to the ground with a lower center of gravity. I ride with several fellows with Hondas. They feel that the Polaris is to springy and top-heavy and when I switch to their Hondas I feel like I'm killing them by bottoming out the suspension and dragging underneath. The Polaris works for me ,the Honda works for them. Out of the 15 or so I ride with we are about 50/50 Polaris and Honda with a couple of Kawasakis thrown in from time to time. Make sure you have a good dealer with a competent service department or either buy the manuals and special tools and do the work yourself. The best ATV in the world for you isn't worth anything when it breaks(and they all do) and there is no dealer support to help you get going again. Just some things to think about. See, we can all get along and be objective most of the time!!! This is the POLARIS FORUM so you can expect it to be biased that way just a little.