I have the 2002 Vinson and it has been the best machine I have ever drove thats why I bought it. I would suggest the first thing you do is get a front bumper (cheaper in the long run). I have only had a small amount of problems with mine
- wheel barings(27" Mud Bugs)
- brakes
- startor problem
- the tie rod ends keep coming loose
But other than that it has been an awsome machine. I have 6400 km on mine and the belt is still within specs. I do mostly high speed friving in the winter and mud boging in the spring.
The only problem that has to be fixed with the machine is the low belt exhaust. But If you keep up the revs it's not realy a problem. Mostly in water above the tires.
I would suggest getting the Auto it is proven and is the 2nd year machine so the have worked out most of the bugs. The second thing I would suggest is getting rid of those crap stock tires. They take away the potential of the machine.

 

So far, no complaints. To be fair, I only dealt with them when purchasing the ATVs but Rob (sales manager) seemed very straightforward and was a pleasure to deal with. Now that they have my money, we'll see. Hope you have better luck in the future. Recommend any good trails in the area?

 

Oh, I have no problems with the people there. I know most of them from snowmachining and they are all top notch. I just have a problem with their policys, i.e. pay for parts first and nothing in stock. I am pretty sure they are better then Valley CC though.

I just got back from 50+ miles tonight. I normally hit Knik a couple times during the week, then try to get back somewhere else on the weekends. Right now my only ride is the Z 400 so I am a little limited. I can get up a lot of the mountain trails, but it is a lot of work and I flipped over a couple times. Not the greatest quad for that, but is super fun in the dunes and on the trails! There are tons of trails pretty close, just depends on what you are into?

 

We're just beginners but fairly aggressive. I'm not into river crossings or submerging my ATV by any means. Luckily, we've got several friends with experience and knowledge of local trails but I'm always interested in new ones. Maybe we will cross paths someday. I've heard the Knik is good and I've been to Jim Creek many times (although not on the Vinson). I think we're heading north to Hatcher's Pass or Puritan Mountain this weekend. Should be fun. I've been here a couple of years but ATVing Alaska is new to me.
I'm glad to hear the folks at Anchorage Suzuki are good folks. Hopefully, they won't see much of me.

 

Hey Atvnutt2, I have a 2003 vinson 5 speed. The machine is awesome. I have 317 miles on it. I have'nt any problem with it. It shifts very smooth. It has a ton of power. If you buy a vinson you will like it. Let us know if you buy one.

 

Those are good choices. There are several other places towards Eureka that are good, Boulder Creek is a good one as is Hicks Creek. Eureka has a ton of trails too. My friends went to Kings River and loved it. During the week I go across Jim Creek and hit the dunes on the other side. There are a million great trails on the other side too. They will start getting muddy later this sumer.

Yea, as long as you do not need parts, Anchorage Suzuki is pretty good.