Thinking of moving to a utility quad from my warrior. If you switched from a sport to a utility what where your reasons for making the switch. Thx for any input

 

i rode my NEW KFX400 2 times before deciding to get a 4x4 quad - since where we ride there are lots of rocks, water, mud and just technical terrain. So, I bought a Brute Force 650. I also like how you can stay relatively clean and dry if playing in mud or water.

Tonight I took the KFX for a spin and I had forgotten how light and agile it is. Next time out, I may bring it out.

I'd say it mostly depends on the type of rider you are and the terrain you ride.

 

For me, the Raptor just got boaring. Sure it was fast and I raced it once in a while, but I like to get off the trail once in a while and sometimes even the trail is impassable for a sport quad. Ute's are just more versatile than the sport quads and my Grizzly is almost as fast as my Raptor was anyway.

 

This may not be exactly the same thing, but I switched from a dual-sport motorcycle to a utility quad. The bike was much faster and had the added benefit of being street legal, but it was a dog on tight trails, and I was often very tired at the end of a day of riding. I considered a sport ATV, but the idea of having 4WD available and the ability to carry a lot of stuff for work or play appealed more than go-fast ability.

I took my Polaris ATP 500 H.O. out for it's inaugural ride this last saturday. The trail was blocked in several places by fallen trees, some of which were too large to lift and move off the trail. I suppose we could have hooked up ropes to our ATVs and pulled the trees out of the way, but instead, we would either go around, or in some cases over the offending obstacle. My ATP, in low with the 4WD engaged, will crawl over a pretty big log, and is very manageable in the rough terrain when we rode around obstacles. My friend has a five year-old Polaris Sportsman that is even more capable in the rough terrain department, but isn't made to haul as much stuff.

I was pleased to see that the ATP can go from 0MPH up to about 30MPH pretty quickly, so catching up with someone on the trail isn't particularly hard. The ATP has a swing-arm rear suspension, so it doesn't corner like a Sportsman, which has the independent front and rear.

Part of the appeal for a utility for me is that I can also use my ATP to haul stuff around my house, for landscaping and the garden, and to haul gear, firewood and deer, when I'm out hunting or camping. I'm also getting a snowplow installed on my ATP, so I can use it to clear the driveway this winter. My son's little sport quad got stuck in the sand a lot, and couldn't go over anything. Thank God it's so light we could push it or lift it over obstacles. The utility machines were like tanks in low gear.

That's my experience. If you like to go fast, or race, or jump, a utility is not for you. My 500cc utility weighs 738 pounds dry, so it won't win any races on the trail. It will however, go almost anywhere and carry anything that you have any business putting on an ATV.

SP

 

You stay clean. It is easy to just putt around in the woods. They are quiet. You can hook up a cart to them. You can pull logs. They are comfortable to ride two and not really change the handling. You have a place to store things or tie stuff down. You may not have to shift. You can go as slow as you want through mud and up steep slopes.
I rode a sport quad for 15 years and find myself putting hours on the utility. My wife and I like just casual trail riding. She does have a speed streak, so she takes the Twin Peaks.

 

Thanks for the replies, thinking seriously to switching. One group I ride with is all utilites and other group is all sport quads, but dont think there is much we do I couldnt do on a utility. Have a warrior with just a pipe and jetted so dont really race lol. Ill get out there for fun but thats about it. Ill do some little jumps but not sure if its age , wife or kids but dont have the nerve of my younger days so racing and jumping is a very little part of my riding. I mainly enjoy riding the trails and fairly good speeds so i guess my only concern is how a utility would handle following sport quads through the trails. Im dont want a big tank, not a big guy (5'7" 155lbs) I think at this point im leaning towards something like a Kodiak 450 any other thoughts thx

 

its a total different ride if uve never done it. man i got a 4x4 kodiak 400 2003 and its nice...light(Rreal light) i can jump with it wheelies everyting u could want to do on one and thru mud...it takes it like a chammp never gotten stuck and ive been up to my shoulders in MUD..lil word of advide unless ur all the time into mudd boggin DO NOT get a POLARIS they are the HEAVIEST BIKES AROUND..its unbvelieveablt how heavy they are

i want to switch back to my dirtbike now b/c im sick of the 4x4.u get sick of everything time after time you just have tio mix iit up..try n keep the sport and get a 4x4

my opinion cyah

 

bberck,

I am close to your situation except I am coming from a fast waverunner vs a Warrior (but I have ridden Warrior's). I have 2 kids, 6'5, 255lbs and my first post here this past summer started out asking sport vs ute. I can tell you that although I don't own an atv (yet!) that I am sold on a ute for sure. I am on here everyday reading...I love this stuff and can't wait to get mine! As of right now I really want an '06 KQ for its sportiness and features as well as price compared to others in its class. I have/and am considering though the Honda Rincon and the 500cc models from both of those companies. Being young still I want some speed but I also want comfort. Most of the big bores weigh in at 600lbs except most of the Polaris and Artic Cats are much heavier. (and some BRP's)

For instance the Kodiak 400 weighs 578 lbs and the Kodiak 450 weighs 591 lbs.....so they are right at what so many larger cc utes are at. It seems like you are a Yamaha fan and I hear good things about the Kodiak and their Grizz but the Grizz (and Kodiak, I think) haven't been updated in yrs....so you could use the argument that they are proven or you could get new features....no right or wrong.

This is no sales pitch because like I said I don't even own a quad yet but at 600 lbs I am really considering an '06 KQ with a diff locker, IRS, EFI, 604 lbs, cheapest price by far, better tie rods on the '06, a fixed reverse, low center of gravity and an overall sporty type ride for a big ute. It isn't the only quad I am considering but those are some features I want and if weight is a huge factor I just wanted to point out that most of the 400cc & 500cc weigh just about the same and in some cases MORE!

 

dito....every part, even the raptor getting boaring..but i kept mine just cause all my friends have them....but man i love my grizzly

 

Schoolboy,
Great looking Grizzly. Did you put a clutch kit in with those tires?