For those of you who have owned or have spent some time riding quads with a manual or semi-automatic setup....

Do you miss the shifting, or are you happy with the automatic tranny on the Polaris brands?

 

for just trail riding i loved the automatic but riding fast and having fun i missed the clutch.

 

Before my 700 I owned a Honda TRX 300 FW. Thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. When I decided to upgrade, I almost bought an Artic Cat 500 because I really thought I would hate a full auto. Then the 700 came out and I just couldn't say no to the engine size. I have to say after a few long rides, I am more than pleased with my decision. I only missed the shifing when I first went out and I hadn't ridden in a while and I wanted to rip through the gears. After those five minutes passed, I was much happier with the auto.

 

I love the automatic when I'm doing water riding, I don't get my foot wet shifting...

 

I've had two Polaris SP500's and currently own a Polaris SP500 and a Honda Foreman 450S. I can honestly say, I don't care either way. I think autos are nice, you can just ride and not worry about shifting. Especially for new riders and women who don't like to shift, they are ideal. On the other hand, I love the control of shifting and it seems natural to shift gears on a bike. You do have to plan ahead when hill climbing, but it's no big deal.
Choose either one and have fun riding, I don't think you'll really be disappointed with either one. I know everyone has a preference, but they're all fun and will get the job done.
Have fun
bob

 

for the longest time, i hated autos, and i was going to buy a big bear 400, since it was the biggest yami. with a clutch, but i didint buy it, a year went buy, after driving snomobiles, I can say i didnt miss a clutch at all, then the guy brought the scram over for a test, and i was so impressed, i bought it right there, you WILL NOT miss shifting at all once you figure out how the clutch puts power to the wheels

 

I love my Kodiak auto for utility riding.

I also had a Sport. I had to get rid of it, I was missing using a clutch, and the weight of it was too much like work to ride it.

Oh yeah, I bought a 400EX to replace it. It was the smartest thing I ever did.

 

Youngsters who want to race around and pop gears usually like to have to shift. If you plan on mostly hitting the trails and hardly ever showing off and trying to race, just get the auto. It is just one thing less you need to do and you can power through anything, forwards and backwards.
I rode snowmobiles and had 6 speed bikes before. Once I drove the Polaris I never really thought about shifting. It's not really a requirement, and besides, without a manual clutch, whats' the point at all?