They are belt drive like a snowmobile but a shaft turns the wheels not a chain and sproket set up like on Sport ATVs. Most all Utiliy ATVs are Belt drive now,it just takes the chore of shifting grears away.

If you want a manual gear shifting Utility ATV you better move fast because they are becomming as rare as a Italian war hero nowadays.

 

Hondas run a limited slip front end. Their only IRS is the Rincon, and I don't think there are many in your price range.

Getting something that will turn big tires, is in decent shape, IRS, with a locker, under $3000 might be kind of tough...

 

I would not worry about diff lock. My friends Grizzly has it and he barely uses the 4wd button let alone the diff lock option. Pretty hard to stop a regular limited slip 4x4 ATV.

 

That's my opinion, too. I think there has been a time or two (in thousands of miles) where I think a locker would have helped...

Manuals I think will likely always be around, just as they are in cars, but I also think the trend is and will continue to be for most folks to prefer autos.

For a more detailed description of a cvt belt system on a quad, they are generally a v belt running in an enclosure along side the engine. The front pulley is generally driven directly by the engine's crankshaft. The sides of the pulley will pull together as engine RPM rises, causing the belt to run higher on the sides of the pulley- and the tension on the belt causes the sides of the rear pulley to spread, causing the belt to run at a smaller diameter on the rear pulley. This change in diameters is how the belt varies gear ratio.

The rear pulley is generally mounted on the input shaft of a sub-transmission. The sub-transmission contains gears that drive the front and rear drive shafts to power the axles, and also has gears for reverse, and sometimes low range.

The main difference between the belt system on a quad and that of a snowmobile is that on a quad the belt case is more sealed to protect the belt from mud or water which can cause the belt to slip. There is generally a duct to bring in cooling air into the belt case from higher up on the machine.

Some belt drives rely on the belt going slack to allow the machine to sit and idle. Others use a sprague type clutch on the driven pulley so that the belt can retain some tension when the engine idles, and the pulley isn't spinning against the stopped belt when idling. The sprague clutch has a one way type action, so the drive system isn't engaged when the engine is idling and the machine is stopped, but when engine is idling and the quad is moving the belt can drive the engine. In this way the drive system uses engine compression to hold back the quad's speed down hills...

Anyhow, I'd suggest you stop by some dealers, and maybe see if there's a riding club in your area. Having someone with some experience and maybe mechanical skills to go shopping with you could save you some grief.

 

So if the locker isn't extremely important would the irs still be something nice to have if i have the money for it? I just think it looks a lot cooler as well instead of just having an single shaft running across. Looks tougher and gives the extra clearance.... Anyone have an opinion on this?

 

Well, IRS provides more ground clearance, and a smoother ride (all other things being equal). SRA's on the other hand lean less on side hills, have less body roll in corners, power slide better, and generally provide a bit sportier feel.

You'd may as well start browsing dealers and classifieds in your area and see what's in your price range.

 

Ive been looking on ebay and think some of the polaris' on there don't seem like a bad deal but none are very close, they just give me an idea of what i can get.... Something like this would be nice to find, older year with very few miles. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...=p3984.cTODAY.m238.lVI

 

Diff lock makes the ATV have true AWD not 3wd like standard limited slip. A ATV even in 2wd goes most places on a trail so diff lock is used seldom unless your in one crazy situation on a trail. IRS on the other hand, provides a smooth ride over bumps,and bumps show up on a trail like every 10" for the next 100 miles so that feature offers more bang for you buck.

 

I'd agree. Some of the places I ride are nothing but a bunch of big rocks, drops, and big roots. I just can't go as fast on the SRA Foreman on those trails as I can on the Rincon. On flatter smoother stuff, though, a SRA will be better at power sliding around corners sideways. It sounds like you are interested in mud and rough trails...

As far as limited slip, with the Honda anyway I've been in situations where the thing has started to spin 3 wheels, and if you stay on the throttle it will spin the 4th tire... but sometimes by then it's started to dig it's self in and it is too late. I've seen Outlander's front end seem to do the same thing.

Whatever a particular brand calls their limited slip system, IMHO they are no substitute for a locker, but the times where the difference between a locker and limited slip would make the difference between getting through the trail and getting stuck are very few and far between.

 

I agree - a locker is noce to have but not needed very much. On my Eiger, you can lightly feather the front brake and cheat both wheels into turning. When I ride with my son pride makes me staly in 2wd most of the time (He used to ride the Ozark that's only 2wd) While he did have an advantage in lighter weight, there were times that he made it through places that I got stuck with 4wd.

Jaybee