It looks like I'm going to have to step over to the utility side. Anyone have any opinon on which bike I should buy? Polaris, Honda, Kawi, etc. Which model? Anyone have an opinion on the Honda Rincon? How about the Rubicon? Any opinion is greatly appreciated.

 

I purchased a Vinson 500 ( suzuki) last week, my first atv. The wife and I put 100 miles on it in 3 days.
I looked at several in the same size range.. Honda, kawasaki , yamaha , palaris and artic cat.
I found the following advantages in the Vinson.. front/ rear disc brakes, selectable 2-4 wheel drive, 5 gallon fuel tank with gauge, adjustable shocks, aluminum wheels and a really nice seat ( t- shaped). Did I mention power? It will get up and go! The fuel consumption over the 100 miles was unbelievable.. this thing uses very little fuel for such a large engine. Granted Im new.. But I really think you should take a look at the vinson. The only thing that i found alittle annoying is the fan on the radiator..when its around 90 out it kicks on alot and really warms your legs up when your riding doubles, However this may be a real plus in the winter. ( And no Im not a suzuki ATV saleman..lol, Im a copier Tech)

 

I also looked hard a a Vinson 500 great guad. But i bought the grizz instead. I looked at all as well and came to the conclusion of the grizz,prairre 650, and vinson. The Rincon was nice nut no differential locker. That much money it should have one. The Rubicon was very nice quad as well but for the price of it compared to a Grizzly and Prairre you dont get near as much. I bought the Grizzly over the prairrie because of Independent Rear Suspension and more ground clearance. But i dont think you can go wrong with either one.

 

As said above, grizzly, prairie650, or pol sportsman are probably the top 3. Depends what kind of riding you do and what your age is. IF you are older or ride mostly on jarring rocks, go for an IRS machine. If you still want to retain a bit more sporty feel, get a Prairie650. The torque and power of the p650 are unmatched.(except the new p700 thats out!). I find the ride totally comfortable(i'm 26). Grizz's are notorious for having problems in deep water, however the grizz or sportsman will probably slightly out-mud the prairie due to higher clearance and irs. Depends what you're looking for. Decide what type of riding you like, then you will have a more clear choice. It's all about give and take. Grizz/Sportsman is better in the mud and higher, but tippy on off camber, and not nearly as sporty at high speeds as the prairie.. I personally think the new prairie 700 is the absolute ultimate machine out there, any category.

 

Anyone have an opinion on the Rubicon vs. the Rincon? How about the Prarie vs. the Rubicon. I've been a Polaris guy up until now and I'm looking at the Hondas a little more seriously. I'm tired of my damn Polaris scrambler breaking all the time [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

the hondas are slow compared to the prairie, and the rincon has no locker I believe. Not sure on the Rubi. I agree but didn't want to comment on polaris' reliability.

 

Take a look at arctic cat. If you are looking in the 500 range it has everything the vinson has and more-the same motor,IRS,more ground clearance, more susp. travel. If you are looking at the 650 class the new AC 650 has the Kawi motor with 13" of ground clearance and 10" susp. travel all the way around and a 7 gallon gas tank, diff. locker. You would then have just about everything tons of power,susp. travel, ground clearance. I'm not saying this because I just bought and AC however these are the exact reasons that I got mine. I have only taken it out once but the ground clearance,IRS,suspension travel make a big difference in my opinion. Hope this helps and good luck with you decision.

 

It's a buyers market right now... they all make good quads...I'd find a GOOD dealer, close to home ( there are alot of poor, unknowledgable dealers out there ), once you find a good dealer, then determine what type of riding you'll be doing, within each brand there are sport utilities, basic utilities, & hard working utilities, cushy riding utilities... from your posts, I'm assuming that you're switching over from a sportier quad ???, are you looking for a sportier riding utility quad ??? Or what reason (s) do you think you need a utility quad???

Everything I've heard about the Rincon is pretty good, I've heard that it is most "car like", it is a favorite of women & older riders for that reason... the Rubicon was designed more as a capable quad right from the start... I don't have a good Honda dealer near by, so I wouldn't buy one, however there is no replacement for displacement, so if I had a good dealer near by, I'd buy the Rincon even though I don't like the drum brakes.

Don't overlook the Bombardiers & possibly the NEW 650 Artic Cat... Both of these brands are less common, but both make good machines

Sportier, "sport utilities"...650, 700 Prairies, 660 Grizzlies,Vinsons, 500 HO Sportsman, NEW 650 Artic Cat ???
Basic utilities ... Rubicons, Ranchers, Foremans, Big Bears, Artic Cats
Hard Working Utilities ... 600, 700 Sportsmans, Artic Cats, Bombardiers
Cushy Riding Utilities ... Rincons, Bombardiers, Sportsmans, Grizzlies

Lots more than I can think of off hand

the most important thing is finding that GOOD dealer, then determining which quad that they carry best suits what you want to do with it... Have A Good One... WAM

 

I am thinking about trading in the 2X4 Rancher on another 4X4. The Rancher is great, but if I am getting someting else, I might as well take a step up in horsepower. I am going to take a real good look at the new Rancher 400. I like the fact that the Ranchers are midsize, but the new one is on the heavy side for my taste. I am also going to look at the Rubicon. It has a proven track record. As far as the Rincon, I don't like the transmission!! There are stories of no engine braking at all. Now that may be OK in (flat) Florida, but for picking your way down a bolder strewn Sierra Nevada mining road, you are dead without "stop you cold" engine braking!!

What I would really like, is the new Rancher 400 engine, in the old manual foot shift Rancher!! I don't particularly like the new SUV styling. It makes the bikes lool kind of "foo foo", where the old styling has a kind of manly, do anything look.

 

Honda is the way to go, a step below them is Yamaha. I am glad to hear people telling stories about there Polaris breaking down. Everyone "I" know has problems with Polaris