I only wish i had a ranch...i live in suburbs and my backyard is about 30x50 feet.
Does anyone actually have figures on how many hp and foot-pounds of torque this engine is producing and at what rpm's?
Few things i have noticed about ATV industry:
Up until a few weeks ago i was totally new to ATV's and didn't know anything about them.
I always wiewed them, as little jeeps with handlebars, so i was very suprised to learn, that the things that are being called "innovative" i actually tought to myself...."You mean ATV's didn't come with a standard hitch reciever to begin with?"(Arctic Cat) or.... "You mean ATV's didn't always come with a car-like auto tranny and the "park" feature"?
Basically some of the things they call innovative i was expecting to be there to begin with.
4x4 /2wd electronic switch on the handlebars is also a good example, because i don't understand what would be a reason not to have one in the past, when the electronoic "shift on a fly via switch"concept goes pretty far back (had one on a 86 Ford Bronco II).
I also find it odd, that every car manufacturer will list the hp and torque numbers, while none of the ATV brochures ever mention it.
Just a few observations.

 

Wolfears, don't worry about you friends, when they see you having fun and they get a taste of atving they will be buying quads. You will start to get a new network of buddies who already ride. One thing about atving is everyone wants to share the fun, like Honda said " you meet the nicest people on a quad" [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Your observations about the industry are right on. The reason these items are considered innovative is this is a fairly new industry. 20 years ago nobody even heard of a quad. 15 years ago they were basically farm machines and toys.10 years ago a 700 was a dream, the 400 class was the MONSTER. It has only been the last few years that the manufacturers have really takien this segment seriously. Now even John Deere is getting into the act. Look how many years the 400ex was the king, nobody else thought there was enuf market to justify the R&D costs.

Now the manufacturers are falling all over themselves to out-innovate each other.

since you don't have anyone to compare to (race) and you want to keep your truck maybe you should look into the 4x4 250 arctic Cat. This will do everything you are looking to do and you can sell it to 1 of your friends when they are ready to jump into atving and you want to move up to that Prairie 700. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]