i am thinking about selling my ex and buying one(manual shift). how does handle compared to a rincon is it as sporty? how fast is it on top end? i sometimes have to haul 1000lbs of chicken feed on a 500 lbs trailer (1500lbs total). is it geared low enough in low range to pull it. is it easy to work on and is it very reliable. how many miles do you have on yours and how many problems have you had if any. i was considering a vinson or an 05 rubicon

 

I have a 2005 Vinson 5 speed and love it! 300 trouble free miles. The low range is real low and would make a great work horse around a farm. The handling takes some getting used to if you are getting off of a sport quad like a 400 ex but it does great once you get used to it. The power is strong through out the power range. I have no regrets on the purchase of this machine. I'm upgrading the tires to 26" Mudlites soon. The ride is not as plush as the Rincon but has a more sporty feel when on the tight trails.
My brother in law has a new Rubicon that I rode once and it seems to be a nice machine as well. The transmission on the Rubicon works great. It would make a great work machine as well.

 

what about top speed

 

it handles really good better then all utility bikes, the vinny and the kawi p700, are the 2 good ones in that depatment. i like my vinny alot, tops out at about 62-63, a pipe will really wake it up alot! i have 3000mi on mine and i have had some serious issues, broken frame, 3 blown 3 joints, bad digital display, shifter problem. no listen to me as i write this ....

ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE HAD WERE ON A 2002 SUZUKI VINSON 500 AUTO. IN 2003 AND UP ALL OF THE MODELS HAVE BEEN FIXED. DO NOT THINK THAT 05 ARE LIKE MINE BECAUSE NOTHING ELSE IS LIKE THE 2002'S. like i said suzuki fixed ALL the 2002 problems in 2003, and there have been NO problems from 03-05, and new 05 vinnys i have seen are really really solid nice bikes, my only gripe on mine is not waiting a year.

my word of advise- never buy a first model year.

v581

 

For the price you really cant go wrong. Ive got about 500 miles now and no problems yet. Well my breaks have already worn out but I do a lot of riding in mud at times , so that is a given. The bike handles great , has good power, and good features. Digital display, switchable third light, switchable 4X4. The small storage box on the front fender hasnt got much praise, but for me it has been REAL nice. I put my truck keys and wallet and digital camera in there when im riding and have yet gotten anything wet. Ive also towed a 5X10 trailer ,that the vinnie is usually on, with cargo on it. Probably about 1100 pounds total and had NO problems. Mine is the auto, so the "manual" may haul even better. Ive pulled tree stumps and logs around at my "vacation" house with no problem. There are some other good bikes out there, the rubicon that stuck talked about is nice to. But its more expensive and as far as i know still doesnt have switchable 4x4, so its 4x all the time. And the ride is not that great.(rough). But $ for $ you cant beat the vinnie. In my opinion its the best all around quad out there.Text<u>Text</u>

 

I'll throw my opinion in on this.

You can't go wrong with Vinson. It has been praised many times for being one of the most sporty utility quads out there. It is quite possibly the best handling ute out there. It can hang with the bigger quads pretty good too, especially in the woods.

I was soo close to buying one but went for the BF650 (for the v-twin power and front dif lock) instead. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with the Vinson. The only thing that I saw it lacking is a front differential lock (Honda doesn't have it either), but that's something that isn't a big deal to some and can also be added down the road for $350.

If I were going to get a 500 utility for work AND play, I'd definately get the Vinson 500 manual over the Rubicon ANY DAY! The Vinson is way cheaper, has a more trusy (IMO) 5 speed manual trans, and has disc brakes front AND rear!

 

thanks for the help. i'm a honda man and its hard to decide especially since honda added disc brakes in the front (rear drums usually hold up) and added selectable 2x4 4x4. the 400ex is kinda useless for me around here now (shut down good riding area) and ive been riding my dads rinny a lot and like how sporty it is but just wanted something that could work too and something different. i'll go to the dealers and check them out

thanks again

 

are they easy to work on and do normal maintience on. valves, oil and filter, front and rear diff gear oil,