Well my wife and I have 04 Polaris machines and after a couple of mechanical failures we are looking at the Suzuki's. A budd of mine has a 02 Vinson 500 and it is unstoppable.
We mainly ride trails, pits,rivers, steams,train tracks, and mud. Did I cover it all??? LOL
Should I get the auto or manual?
Why does this machine have such small tires?
Any opinions woul be nice....

 

I have an 03 Vinson and a 05 KQ. Gotta love the durability and they both handle superb. I would advise strongly to go to the 26" tires because the stock 25" tires actually measure smaller. ITP, Maxxiss, just about any afermarket is better.

My machines are both fully plated, winched, and reliable. Mine are both auto's and the Vinson does NOT have then engine breaking of the KQ so if you want more control get a shifter.

 

i traded my 05 polaris 700 efi for a 05 vinson 500 just because the polaris was the biggest pile of junk i ever owned. when i traded it was 6 months old and 300 miles. 7 torn boots, bad rear wheel bearings, rear foot brake quit working,rubber exaust mount melted,shredded belt and handle bar grips wouldnt stay on. i now have 340 miles on vinson and my only problem is the week front bumper that got bent when someone snatched me out of a mudhole. i put 27in litefoots on itp wheels on mine and you cant hardly stop it. i have the manual and it has plenty of power and you dont have to worry bout burning a belt. i love my vinson but if had it to do over i would get the artic cat 500. its the same atv but the cat has irs and a differential lock. zuki needs to step up and do the same. plus the cat comes with three year warranty.

 

..watch the 5 speed one carefully..it can be Dangerous in 1st gear, going over a log or up hill...too much low end power and vinsons light front end, can put it up and over your head...got rid of ours..and unknownly bought the "Problematic" kingcrap 700..nice ride though..good luck..

 

I personally only drove a vinson once and its a pretty nice ride, but i heard alot of problems with the frames braking but i think that was only on the older ones but just to be safe you should gusset the frame, also personally i think 5 speed is funner because it gives you somthing to do alot like 2c3 is you don't have to worry about burning belts hope you find a good deal and its good that your changing from polaris because polaris suck lol

 

I agree. (about the pile that is) I have had to snorkel both of these machines and for no apperant reason, the deapest water they see is 2' or so...Will the Vinson 500 auto trans. slip at all? Obviosly the shift model wont.
And what is the top speed???

 

I've got an 03 Vinson 5 speed and it has been great, the only repairs have been brake pads. It has 3200 miles on it . I use it for trail riding, plowing snow, working the garden, and spraying. Brake pads seem to wear out fast so keep an eye on them so you don't wreck your rotors. I agree with the other fellow that a diff locker is needed. In comparison to the Cat 500 it may have the locker, but the handling (steering) isn't as good as the Vinson, and you can't powerslide on the Cat like you can on the Vinson due to the IRS and extra weight, but the Cat rides smoother and has more ground clearance. So it boils down to the type of riding you like to do, take 'em for test rides and decide 'cause you can't go wrong with either the Vinson or the Cat in either 5speed or belt models. Also the Cat has better racks than the Vinson, both get great gas mileage. Regarding whether 5speed or belt, both are very reliable, if you want a sportier feel, especially if your a motorcyclist, you'll like the feel of the 5 speed better. My personal feeling is if you do alot of heavy work, the manual is better than belt. I do alot of riding in the back country and I just feel more confident with a manual than a belt, but that is just my opinion. I driven both and both feel good and friends who have the belt version have never blown a belt. For about the same price you can get a Kawasaki 650 which I think would be worth a test ride for you also, but their belt drive needs alittle more maintenance than the Suzuki and Cat versions.

 

What about water on either a 5 sp or water????

 

Water has never been a problem on my 5 speed, but the spray from the wheels soaks the rider, as fender coverage on the vinson isn't all that great. Like most quads, the stock tires aren't all that great for going thru serious slop.

 

no,no,no kawis,junk,junk..............