what are all your personal opinions on the best 350, 400, or 450 cc. please explain what makes that quad best..Im looking for a utility for playing around on, hunting, and some work ( pulling tree stumps, plowing, moving dirt and rocks) also some trail riding... top speed isnt a real big thing but i am interested in it. mostly what quad will be the best for how much you can buy it for. Thanks for anything you have to say!

 

The 400 Arctic Cat 4X4 sounds perfect for you. A pure work horse with plenty of power. I saw a manual a few days ago for $5600. You could probably find one cheaper than that though.

 

The Polaris Sportsman 400 sounds perfect for you. The Sportsman is easy to ride, has independent rear suspension so it rides very smooth, and will have plenty of power for the work you described (that's what LOW range is for). It has the very nice and convenient PVT (Polaris Variable Transmission) auto tranny, very capable brakes, one lever for stopping, and really good engine braking. I have a Sportsman 600 Twin and I only use my brakes when I need to stop really quick, the EBS (Engine Braking System) is that good. I love my Sportsman and wouldn't own anything else. When my friends and I go trail riding, sometimes we will switch around just to check out each others quads. I can say the the Honda Rancher has to be the worst riding quad for the trails, my cousin has a 350 Rancher, terribly uncomfortable. It's hard for me to get him back off of mine. Everyone says my Sportsman 600 rides like a Cadillac on the trails. I'm one of the only ones who isn't all beaten up from the bumps when we stop.

Plus the Polaris is made not too far away from you in Minnesota. For not much more money though, you could check out the Sportsman 500 H.O. Same exact machine with a little more power.

Good luck, and I hope this helps out.

Polaris, The Way Out

 

The rancher does not ride as smooth as the sportsman but it will go much further on less fuel,is much lighter and will require less maintenance as well.They make an excellent smaller utility quad and are very popular with the trappers and seimic people because of their reliability and the lack of maintenance required to keep them operating.

 

Take a look at suzuki eiger 400 its a good trailbike and strong worker. You can get it in 4x4 or 2x4 or fully auto or manual depending on what you need. its about the lowest priced 400 class out there and it can hang or pass the rest of them. It will get your work done and its also a fun bike on the trail.

 

I have a very easy answer to your very easy question, Suzuki eiger 400. My buddy just picked up a 03 4x4 manual for $4600 out the door witch was cheaper than every other 400 class and some smaller ones aeound me. It is the fastest in its class besides the bombadier 400. The suspension is great on fast trails, and clawling around in the creeks and bogs. The motor is strong as hell and we havent found anything that my vinson can do that it cant. And last but not least suzuki has proven its self to be increadably reliable throughout the years. The eiger is also avalible in many different configerations to meet your needs. 2 and 4 wheel drive with the 4x4 with selectable between 2 and 4 witch makes it a blast to slide the rear end around in corners. And they also offer both a manual transmission with auto clutch, or a fully automatic transmission. Top speed is about 55-60 we have had my buddys up to about 53 but its still being broken in, and oh yeah its already beaten a kodiak 450, and a sportsman 400. So go with the eiger a far better machine than anything in its class, and being cheaper dosent hurt either.

 

Just because the Eiger might be a little faster, it doesn't make it better. The best one should be a combination of things: power, comfort, ease of use, utility, ability, and price. Go shopping and ride a few of the ones that you are considering. Make a list of the pro's and con's and pick from that list. You can get ideas from this forum but ultimately need to decide for yourself. The Suzuki people will tell you to buy the Eiger, the Honda people will say Rancher, and myself being a Polaris guy is saying Sportsman. So go out and ride these machines and tell us which one/ones you liked.

Good luck!

Polaris, The Way Out

 

i didint say it was the best because it was the fastest, i said it was the best because its got the best of every world. The only thing its missing is IRS and in my OPPINION a solid rearend is better. It makes it possible to slide the backend around in corners, it is more stable in off camber situations with a heavy load on the racks. I also think that in the long run the less moving parts you have the less places you have for something to break. sp600tt is right though its all about what you like the best. I'v riden alot of different machines and in that class i think the eiger is the best but you may think differently.

 

I would check out the new Rancher. It's suppose to have more power than previous years. I have an HO and have rode the 400 many times and think it is under powered for most experienced riders. The eiger is not much of a trail machine on smooth groomed trails it would do fine. Get it out in the ruff stuff and you will bounce all over while an IRS machine will float over most anything in its way. A/C has some good machines, but are slow. I'm not sure what is going on with Bomb, but they might be a good machine to look at.

 

Well my Eiger does great on trails, rides good, and has been a great quad so far. I give mine hell, when Im not in mud I ride it like a sport quad wide open. I do take care of it though, change the oil regulary, and wash it after every ride that is if I go mudding. Very happy with my Suzuki.