I use my quad for utility as well...
I was under the impression that a manual shift is more efficient at utility jobs than an auto. Lets say for instance you are pushing snow, I can stay in 1st or 2nd gear four low and push snow all day long. Same conditions on your bike, it will be constantly shifting up and down automatically (depending on the weight of the snow you are pushing). I could be wrong, but i believe that would be harder on an auto tranny than just staying in 2nd gear on a manual. It probably doesnt matter at all, i guess it's just a matter of what an individual prefers.

Now for trail riding, an auto is a breeze. On my manual, i can barely keep up with some auto's around here. Not trying to race or anything, just normal trail riding. While Im shifting gears to go up a hill, they are already at the top waiting. But like i said, its just a matter of preference. I'd prefer having the little extra time (and power) in the lower gears. Anybody else have an opinion on this?

 

Wveiger,
Well good points in both cases. I guess since this is not a True Automatic but rather a variable deal(Almost seems like the old mini bike I had as a kid with a centrifical clutch). Not that it shifts up and down like a true gear box. Now does it wear on the belt and all that....probably so. I guess I was trying to avoid having to pull in a clutch lever all the time. Of course I am going to get carpal tunnel syndrome pushing in the throttle with my thumb...HaHaHa.

As for the trails, I think you are right. I have riden both(I have a friend with a Yellow Eiger manual) He can hold speeds better in certain cases with the manual but the rest of the time the auto just flat moves out. But again, like you, this is really about preference. The Eiger is such a good ATV it does not matter in either configuration.

 

The one thing that I didn't like the auto was on long hill climbs it dosent always stay in a low enough gear, thats why I put in a epi clutch kit or you could use low range.

 

PD, the manual Eiger does not have a clutch lever to pull, you only have to shift with your foot bro! I don't own an Eiger, but I would be willing to bet that lever on the left side of the bars is also for the rear brake. I do know that if offered with a manual clutch and a little more HP, the eiger would start a revolution in the 4x4 world though.

 

I have an 02 Eiger which I just sold with the plow and cargo box for $3500.00 Canadian, quad has 5500kms. The quad has been great for me living in New Brunswick Canada (just above the state of Maine). Plowed my driveway and even my street during some nasty winter storms with Zero problems for years. Get a good set of tires, the factory rubber is useless, I have ITP 589's and they work in all conditions, especially the mud and snow.

I am a heavy guy (285lbs) so speed has been an issue with me, I could get it to 85kms on a straight flat run. I could either loose weight or get a bigger bike, I ordered an 05/06 King Quad from my dealer last week. If you find power to be an issue on hill climbs like I did you could get an aftermarket clutch kit installed which fixed my power issues on steep climbs.

I did replace my drive belt after sinking into a deep mud hole and sucked in some forest cruddy mud, you know the black gritty stuff, just to be safe when the quad had 4800kms on it. The dealer said it looked ok but for the price of a new belt and the fact they already had the casing open, I opted for the new belt and the kit while I was at it.

I would have kept it if I had the room to store it and the new one as it is a fun quad to ride and for all but the big bore machines it keeps up with the pack nicely. I have ridden with almost every brand and model out there and have not found any condition or situation that this quad could not go through or get me out of.

 

I just got two 2005 Eiger 400 Autos. The CVT tranny is very nice, just push the throttle and the speed picks up. Engine revs good to keep the power up when moving slower. In Low range, it'll go like no tomorrow. I like that i can put it in low range without having to be in 4wd to move the trailer around my property and such. Or crawl up hills slowly that I don't need 4wd with. Was in about 2-3ft of snow last week, a locker on the front would have been nice, but I was pretty impressed how it did without it.

Have less than 20 miles on each, but I love them so far.

 

Hemi4u2nv, I like the looks of the new front grille over the previous models. I've been looking into a Yamaha Bruin or Honda Rancher. From the info I've read it sounds like the Eiger has a little more power and top end than the other two. How's the ride? I'm a little concerned of the size too. I think they are 86" long. I don't have a trailer and I've always put my Banshee in the back of my short bed Silverado and I was wondering if the Eiger would fit in the back with the tailgate up. Anybody know?

 

I'll measure one of them tomorrow and let you know the exact length. I'm pretty sure you won't be able to close the tailgate though.... but I'll measure wheel base, overall lenght, height and such.

I picked out 4 quads in the range I wanted to spend... the Yamaha 400 Bruin, Suzuki Eiger, 330 Polaris Magnum, and 360 Kaw Praire (which I didn't get to see IRL). The Eiger and Praire were my top pics, but I couldn't see or ride a prarie and they weren't due to get any in for quite a while, I scratched it off my list. The 330 Polaris was nice looking but kind pretty bad power/weight ratio compared to the others. The Bruin is a very stripped down machine for about the same money. After riding an Eiger Auto in Camo for a bit, I was in love. The engine braking is fantastic... they only thing I had to get used to was resisting the urge to try to shift it [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] The engine is always in the power and ready to go. The ride is plush, corning is very nimble, doesn't feel tippy like an old Yamaha 200 I used to ride. I'll agree the reverse gear is a little high, but when I got semi-stuck in about 2.5' of snow, it didn't have any problem spinning the tires in reverse while in 4WD. A front diff locker would be nice, but definately not a neccessity unless you plan to go mud bogging every chance you get.

I've been in the Honda dealer a few times and haven't liked the service. They seem cocky and wouldn't even come out to help me or anything when i was shopping. I had to go in and ask questions. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-frown.gif[/img] We did by my wife's helmet from them, but still not very good service then either... figured if I had something wrong with a quad I got from them, what's that type of service going to be like?

 

Doodle....


I have a 2000 tacoma...My eiger will fit in the back....but the tail gate will not shut...The back tires are not sitting on the tail gate though...they are on the bed itself, but they stick over just enough to where the tail gate hits the tires when you try to shut it....I have a hard top bed cover on my truck, and i hated havein to take it off every time i wanted to haul my quad...So i got a trailer...I just picked up a 5'x8' trailer at Lowes for 525$ or so with the fold down gate. Southern States had it for 549$ and Lowes price matched it plus 10%. Its perfect for the Eiger. Got it on one year no interest too, which makes it real nice to spread out the payments...

The eiger is a beast though....Its very weird though....I have burried it up to the racks and came right out of the hole...nice sloppy messy mud too....but i got stuck in a hole about 6 inches deep with that black coal mine mud in it....I think the problem there was i was in 2wd and didnt expect to start spinning then when i locked it in 4wd i had no chance...Definately invest in the winch...just in case....it also feels real good to pull out a polaris or a prarie too....lol

 

I measured it tonite... from the front edge of the front tire to the back edge of the back tire, it's just about 75". But the front bumper on the Eiger adds about 6 inches, so it's about 81" long to worry about in the back of the truck.. The rear rack is high enough to clear the tailgate. If you have a regular 6.5' truck bed, the tail gate would almost close, just like on WV's Tacoma. Since the rear rack is about 32" off the ground, you might be able to put blocks under the front tires so the front is tilted up enough so the bumper clears and you can close the tailgate.

Loading/unloading a four wheeler from the back of a truck is a PITA... especially after you get spoiled with a trailer [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]