It is interesting the conspiracy theories that abound in discussion forums.

For you conspiracy theorists, ATV Action (which is operated by the same company as Dirt Wheels) just did a sub-$7000 shoot out. It was mostly 500cc machines, but also included the Brute Force 650 since it costs less than $7K. In the past, they and others have always ranked the Suzuki Vinson as tops in this class. This year the rankings were 1) BF 650 (praising its speed and handling) 2) Polaris Sportsman 500 (saying it was much improved over previous years) 3) Suzuki Vinson (dropping down the list not for shortcomings, but because of the increased quality of other machines) and 4) the Honda Foreman 500 (not as fast an powerful as the rest, but stil a good quad). The BF, Vinson and Sportsman each won different sections of the analysis. Only the Honda really lagged behind in every category. Artic Cat and Bombardier machines were not included.

If the big-bucks of Suzuki or Honda were influential, surely they would have fared better in the review. They concluded that any of these machines would be a great ATV and the differences are mostly minor (that point may reflect a little industry politics of don't beat up too hard on any one manufacturer). The same issue had a review of the Bombardier DS 90. Bombardier usually get glowing reviews. They ripped this machine apart for its many shortcomings and design problems. Yet, there were some nice big ads for other Bombardier machines in the magazine. There were also some nice big ads for Artic Cat, which was not reviewed with the other machines.

For the most part, I find that these shootout comparisons do a good job of reviewing the positive and negative aspects of the machines. I love my Vinson, so think it should be at the top. But I also recognize it does not have the power of a BF 650 or the IRS of the Sportsman. I don't know about the new engines in the Sportsman or the Foreman, as I've not ridden them..

When I was buying an ATV I found the articles to be very helpful. You really need to read all of the different reviews to get a sense of the strengths and weaknesses of each machine. For instance, an IRS machine will do very well in reviews that were focused on slower, technical trails with rocks and mud. The SRA quads will do well in reviews where cornering at speed is a concern and stability (side hills, etc.) is a concern. So, one review will not give you everything. Read all of the magazines shoot outs, watch Doug Meyer (or read the reviews on his website) and think about what aspects of the machine are important to you.

It is wonderful advice to go and ride the machines. But, if you don't have friends who own them, how would you do this? The dealers in my area let you run around the parking lot, but that's about it. There is no dealer-provided opportunity to ride on a track, much less real-world trails. What one is left with are the reviews and word of mouth (like these forums). This is a frustrating part of the industry. A dealer would not sell you a $3,000 used car without letting you drive it. But, they expect you to pay $7,000 or more for an ATV without a chance to run its paces.

I can't change the world on this issue. Hopefully dealers will one day be more concerned about their customers on this point.

Bottomline: Buy an ATV and ride it alot. Get what you want and to hell with the conspiracy theorists.

 

Just remember.....THAT IS YOUR OWN OPINION.......we all have the right to be wrong sometimes and it seems that you are excersing your right now. I have rode both quads and the 750BF wins hands down over the sp800. That doesn't mean the sp800 is bad....but on the contrary, it is a very good quad. But the BF750 is much better and mostly due to the v-twin motor.

 

my power wheels atv will beat them all

 

My good man; you have not only hit the nail on the head, you have driven it clean through the board and out the other side.

This is indeed a problem for those trying to decide what ATV to buy. Dealers really need some sort of "loaner" program where a person who can demonstrate the financial ability to actually buy an ATV can post the necessary collateral to take a loaner or rental ATV home for the weekend or for a day or two. Barring that at least have a place near the dealership where a person can do something other than ride across the parking lot, over grass and maybe through a mowed ditch. You can't tell dick about the handling and ride characteristics doing that.

With top of the line ATVs costing over 7000 and side by side machines going for what? 10 grand? there has to be a better way of letting a potential buyer do something other than drive it around the parking lot. Hmmmm seems like I remember reading in my fourtrax manual that it was specifically forbidden to ride on pavement anyway. (yeah I know we all do it but I'm making a point)

Any dealers listening might want to think about doing something long those lines. As a potential buyer I'm getting tired of not being able to even get a salesmen to start one up let ride one in the dirt. It is damned aggravating. If I have one more salesman start with the "We'll start the sales paperwork and you can ride it around the parking lot....it's great you'll love it" line I swear to god I'm gonna kick him in the *****.

 

My guess is insurance will not let many dealers to allow test rides. When i got my first dirt bike (1985ish) the dealer had a 100 yard straight run of bumps, logs, small (2 foot) hills. That they let you go down ... BUT you had to be 25 or older, have a valid drivers license, proof of car insurance, proof of medical insurance, helment, riding gear, boots, and another adult to with you, as well as you and your friend had to sign a wavier. LOL after all that it wasn't much of a test ride ... but i'm sure it's all caused by the insurance company.
Any way i wasn't old enough to take the test ride ... my dad went [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] of course.

 

nice work..use that intimidation to your advantage[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]lol

 

I think it's kind of strange that when ATV Television scores the Polaris no matter what cc or year, they splice in the same comments and score from the 2004 SP400. Even the vidio is the blue 2004SP400. That being said, I don't care what ATV you get or like, just ride and have fun. I would rather ride with someone with a another brand than not ride at all. I purchased my Polaris because I live in a small town and there is a local Polaris dealer. I have had the chance to ride several quads, and they all have their + and -. Just get one and get used to it and let it work for you. I ride with a guy with a 1986 honda and we have a great time.

 

well you must be blind or cant read i sed " i am tired of people saying stuff is crap and i dont like it cuz dirtwheels dont bla bla bla bla!!!!!!" like i sed befor ride what you like and forget about it and dont wory about other peopls brand favorits. and i still think that in the big bore world 800 is 1 and the bf is 2 praire is 3 and the king is 4 so there....

 

well thats your opinion lol

 

To be honest, the single lever braking and buldging belt cover never bothered me until I rode my Brute Force 650. Now I go back to the Scrambler and it feels like a little toy. I'm not ripping on it. I love the Scrambler, but now that I rode the Brute I'll never go back. I was in the same boat...I was going to just mod the heck out of my Scambler but it just isn't worth it. The Scrambler does fly through the trees a bit easier because of its smaller size and the smaller fenders. Other than that the Brute has it beat for my type of riding.

Anyways, back to the topic. A local Polaris dealer does have a dirt track that you can take the quad for a test ride on, but what is the point if you can't do the same with the other brand you are comparing it to? It's just too much for the dealers to handle, especially in urban areas where space is limited and tons of morons want a test ride. Also, unless you are a frequent customer or a good friend I doubt a dealer would let someone take the quad home for a day. Too much could go wrong in that situation IMO. I'm all for letting someone test ride before they purchase. It's logical to test out what you want to buy but there is just too much liability. That's where threads like this come into play. We simply have to push for the most HONEST and ACCURATE reviews as possible. I know a lot of people that believe what they read in Dirt Wheels and I always tell them to not take it to heart 100%. Even if they are 100% honest the comparisons still come down to the user's application, terrain, skill and preference.

If you are looking for a quad you need all three sources to be an educated comsumer:
1. Media -- Read the reviews and gather info on the ATV's you are interested in.
2. Word of mouth -- That's where the forums come into play. Question the articles and all the negatives you've read about in the magazines and get some opinions from people who actually own the quad. Discount the morons who display biased opinions with no facts or actual thought.
3. Test ride! (If possible) Even if it's on pavement or for a short distance you can still somewhat get a "feel" for the quad. Maybe only one dealer will let you test ride. That makes you happy and you've most likely found the better dealer to deal with. You'll like the quad a lot better if you are happy with who you are buying it from.

I think that is a pretty solid method of buying a new ATV. Just don't rush into it and make your decision solely on the magazines you've read and lame TV shows you've watched[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img].

BTW,
Brute650, my HMF system really woke up the 650. This thing really rips now! If you are looking for more power I highly recommend it. It's also (obviously) much lighter and better looking than the stocker.