Vinson hands down, or you could get a Rancher and make it a 500 or a 650 [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img] [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] The truth is great quads are built not bought. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

G3et a yamaha kodiak 450. It has all thew power and toys u need.

 

There is no best. It depends on what you want to do with it, and how you will use it. Every quad has its advantage over the other, there is no dominant one

 

Although I own an AC 650 V2 and Outty 800 Max, two very close friends just bough new Honda's this summer. I've got seat time on both. One is a Foreman manual (475 actual ccs) and a Rubicon ES (500 actual ccs). Unless you own a Honda, the way they name their units is confusing - at least to me (killed too many brain cells in college). The Foreman manual is weak on power and feels like a 375. I was VERY disappointed. The Rubicon ES is impressive. Plenty of power and I REALLY like their auto transmission. If you are a smaller person (<6') the frame is perfect. It's a little small if you are larger (I'm 6'2").

As a TOTAL package, the Honda is excellent and certainly no one can argue with the resale and durability. Where they fall down is their unwillingness to be the leader in the ATV market and are ALWAYS late to the party (like just now getting disk brakes). For the AVERAGE rider under most conditions, Honda's are a very good choice. If you are an extreme rider and push the limits of your quad's abilities you will find them lacking. It's also very disconcerning their dealers are, generally speaking, so unknowledgeable and arrogant. They sell Honda's and you, the customer, can take it or leave it. There are exceptions of course, but my dealings with Honda dealers has been less than satisfactory.

 

I'll say this in defense of a Honda dealer I'm acquainted with(he sells other brands too). He gets incredibly frustrated with Honda about some of these same things. He's been screaming to his reps for years that he loses sales of his Honda ATVs due to the fact that they do not offer locking differentials and low ranges and to a lesser extent that they don't offer a big bore offering on the top end of the market. The previous two he maintains really cost him on the Honda's with many customers. They'll either switch to the other brand he sells or head on down the road to another dealer. Yes, he sells a lot of Honda ATVs, tons of them, but he loses a huge number too because Honda simply will not listen to him and other dealers and add simple, requested features – locking front differentials and low range transmissions which are the two biggest in our area. He said he can't count the number of customers that like the ATV but are sitting on the thing getting the sales pitch and ask about lockers and low range and get the standard Honda BS cover excuses about why they don't need it and they listen politely and then say “no locker? no low range? oh well...” and then get off go to something else. He tells his reps this but they will not listen. They just spout marketing research crap at him and tell him people don't want that. They of course also point out he sells tons of Hondas without those things on them. Well, yeah, but he's losing lots of sales too but they don't want to hear that. It's not so bad with him though since he can get them to buy a Yamaha from him but if you're a straight Honda dealer that would really be a liability.

Come on Honda get with it. I haven't bought a new Honda since my 300 fourtrax 4x4. I want to but won't until you get your crap together. You almost have it now just bring it home the rest of the way. Locker and low range. Repeat after me. Locker and low range.

 

Roody...I love my Polaris. But then again it suits what I want in a bike. And I guess the biggest thing with any purchase is to make sure that you are satisfied and get what you feel best suits your needs as a quad owner. But overall my Polaris is a great all round bike...sufficient power, good climber & mud runner plus the best ride in the industry. There are bikes out there with more power, bikes that can climb & run mud better but I think that the 500 Sportsman is one of the best all round rides out there.

A bunch of us from work went for a 70 mile ride yesterday over a variety of conditions...smooth trails, tight & rocky trails, mud, beach, some climbing & some deep water. There were 17 bikes in total and with the exception of 2 Hondas (650 Rubicon & older 300), 1 360 Kawasaki & 1 Arctic Cat 650 V-Twin, the rest were Polaris Sportsman. The 360 Kawi got badly stuck in a mudhole (I winched him out) and the AC 650 ran circles around everyone else in the mud (fearless rider on board).

Do your research & buy what you feel best fits your bill. I don't think that you will be disappointed with anything that you buy as all the manufacturers make good product.

 

The 360 Kawi got badly stuck in a mudhole (I winched him out) and the AC 650 ran circles around everyone else in the mud (fearless rider on board).
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Roody 25 has already stated he's buying a BF 650 SRA for 6099 b/c it's cheaper than any of the 450 -500cc class ATV's and it's loads more powerful.

Oh yeah...How can someone say 500cc is plenty of power for a Utility when 700cc is barely enough for me.

 

You shouldnt have to worry about the belts getting wet on the newer quads, and if they do its because of a bad seal. Ive never had a wet belt, and ive been in some deep water! They do a good job of sealing them up on the newer ones.

 

I agree that the BF has a great engine but that's all you're really getting IMO. From what I understand, the BF quads are harder to steer than all the other offerings. I'd never get the girlfriend on one of those things if that's true.

I'm curious to know why you feel a 700cc engine is barely enough for you? They only come 1 size bigger.