I'm buying a quad sometime before the end of the year, and I've managed to narrow it down to those mentioned above. I plan to use it for a little bit of everything, but it's main uses will be mowing, hunting, and light to moderate trail riding. I live in central Illinois, so mountains do not figure into the equation at all, except for an occassional trip (once or twice/year maybe) to Wisconson or the Missouri Ozarks. I expect my biggest obstacle (other than my wife letting me write the check) will be snow, muddy farm fields, and ditches.

I'm not a daredevil and don't have a deathwish, so being able to go 65 instead of 55 does figure into it either, because that's too darn fast on something so small anyway - IMO. I would find the ability to slog through mud up to the footpegs or drive several miles in 12" of snow (with a passenger) more impressive.

Reliability is probably my #1 priority, followed by performance in mud/snow.

Has anyone heard any rumors about the '05 Honda Foreman (Rubicon) series ? Most of Honda's '05's are out except for the Foreman line. It would be nice to know what's coming before I make a decision.

 

the 05 kodiak 450 with irs should be great for you

 

I don't care what you hear from anyone that says differently because I believe so strongly in this. In utter honesty, from rider to fellow rider, Honda is the definition of reliability. IRS just has more moving parts to service/replace. The Rubicon has the absolute best tranny in the business. Ride one and experience it for yourself. There is a gear for everything. I know exactly what terrain you will be riding and TRUST ME, the Rubicon fits the bill and then some. Plenty of power and torque down low to get you through snow and mud.

 

Without so much as sitting on an ATV of any kind, the Rubicon was my first choice based on reliability alone. I payed a visit to the dealer in Litchfield this past Saturday and rode the Rubicon, Griz, and '04 Kodiak, all that did was confuse the issue. The Honda seemed to to be the smoother running machine, and more stable (for lack of a better way to put it...), but the Yamaha's have the 4x4 options (diff lock, 2x4 - 4x4 switching, etc) that everyone seems to think are necessary.

I live about 25 miles south of Springfield, so I'm not too far from you. Any dealers down your way worth talking to ? The people in Litchfield seemed OK, but most are OK until you start talking about $$. I'm not afraid to drive an hour or two to save a few hundred bucks.

 

red goblin you couldnt have said it any better. ive been waiting for someone to say that for a long time

 

The 05 Kodiak will be much different than the 04. They went to irs.
Usually the irs models will ride smoother and have more ground clearance. The solid axle quads will be better for towing and powersliding.
It gets down to the trannys also, rubber band vs the hydrostatic design of the honda. And the two yamis have a low range, the honda has the single range.
You may never need a diff lock on the honda, the torque sensing diff, that comes with it, works great as is. The tire in front that needs the power, will get it.
The honda is full time 4wd, where the yamis can be 2wd. On a long ride, the ability to go 2wd, saves on gas.
I would say its a toss up, for whether the yami or the honda is more reliable. I would be more concerned about which dealer i got along with better, the yami dealer or the honda dealer. Both should be pretty much problem free.
Seeing how you want to go thru muddy feilds and ditches, id go for the extra ground clearance, thats also an advantage in the winter, for going in the snow.

 

I'm sorry if this upsets some Yamaha fans, because they are solid machines for the most part, but in the tranny department, the Hondamatic can't be outdone. The Rubicon has a low and high range, not to mention the ability to shift for yourself (ESP) or allow 2 different automatic modes. D1 for about 90% of all riding and speedier riding. D2 for a torquier power delivery for pulling, hauling, mudding, etc. dubbledee, you can have the people at the dealership you choose to throw a Warn 424 on your new Rubicon. I've got a friend with a Grizzly who has constant problems with his electronic 4x2-4x4 switch. Matter of fact, his quad was probably at the dealership you were at getting fixed at the same time (I'm assuming you went to Niehaus Cycles.) If you know anything about Warn, they're a company known for reliability and their "un-locker" for the Rubicon is manual (you pull it out for 2x4, push it in for 4x4) so there's nothing electrical to possibly go wrong with it. Believe me, 10 inches of ground clearance that you find on the Rubi is fine and SRA is better than IRS ANYTIME you want to do any kind of work. I would give Holzhauer a call. I believe they're located in Nashville (Illinois), but I'm not sure. Just for the reliability record, if you see me out and about, I'll be riding a 2001 Rubicon with over 5,500 miles on it and no problems to speak of. That's with the previous owner being VERY rough on the machine and doing absolutely no maintanence. Hondas are made to last.

 

Ditto what Redgoblin said. I have on 04 Rubi getting ready for her 600mi service. I love it. I pull a brush mower, yard wagon and push snow. The Rubi is not the ultimate trail machine, however, IMO it is the best all around utility quad for work & trail.

 

Hey dubbledee, not to change the subject because you know my opinion on it, but I'm betting that since you're from a little further north than me, you're a Bears fan, are you not? Excited about this upcoming preseason matchup with the Rams or are you not really into the NFL that much?

 

Generally speaking I'm a Bears fan, but with the way they've been doing over the past 15 years or so, I've been thinking about deserting....I actually bought a Rams sweatshirt last year. Around here it's about a 50/50 split between Bears/Rams, Cubs/Cards.

Back to ATV's.....have you heard anything abouth these guys ?

http://www.abernathycycles.com/

They're about a 4-5 hour drive away, but it would be worth it to save $1200.

Today or tomorrow I'm going to visit the Honda dealer here in Springfield and see if they will let me ride a Rubicon just to finalize my decision - and because it's fun. They're also a Kawasaki dealer, so maybe I'll ride a Prairie too......