Yes, but speed and racing isn't the only thing a quad should be good at. Handling, rock-crawling, off-camber, stability, towing, ergonomics, value, etc.....

Hey, look I am not trying to bash Can-am nor argue that the 500 is gonna be the fastest. And the 400 has GREAT power for a 400cc bike. My point, all these quads have pros and cons, and each offers something for someone that the others don't. I really like Can-am, might get one someday.

Geez, the OP said he is going to be hunting a lot with the quad, so I really doubt top speed is much of a factor, especially if he is considering the Big Bear 400. So I am not sure why the big speed discussion. I think he simply needs to try them out and see which one he likes best.

 

Well put Krait! I dont understand why everyone thinks that speed is the only thing that matters on an atv!! Honestly its the ast thing i am concerned about. I like that capability of my quad, not its speed!!

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: JMR866

Yes the viscos isn't as good as a locker but how many actually ride technical trails? A 2wd atv can go almost any where a 4wd can go. Honda only has 3 wheel drive and they sell a lot of them.</end quote></div>

Wasn't going to chime in.. but [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Ok.. Well a 2wd ATV would not hang in some of the technical trails I ride... not gonna happen.. There are even 3wd Hondas that can sometimes hang with me... though I am not afraid of denting a rim or scratching my plastic either...

I ride technical terrain as often as possible... hence the reason for buying a 4x4 Quad that had a Positive Locking 4wd setup - which my Grizzly 450 has. I have skidplates galore on my quad (some thick custom ones and some Yamaha Aluminum's ( which are mediocre compared to my custom ones [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img])

People should not be buying a utility Quad if they want a speed demon... The majority go cruising, mudding and others like me like the tough and rough stuff! Even when I ride with others that like to go fast.. I'll do about 40-45 max and be happy...

Also for the Price of a Can-Am 400XT (MSRP $7749 - but that does include a 3000lb winch) you could buy a Grizzly 550 with EPS MSRP $7799) or get the Grizzly 550 w/o EPS for $7099...

 

pick a quad with a good track record, make a friend at a dealership and pic their brain, its what i did and the guy who im friends with is a really cool dude with alot of knowledge, i frequent that establishment quite a bit seeing that im buying a quad soon, just keep in mind most of it is personal preference. whatever you decide will be your descision. The atv industry is full of a bunch of here say with many biased opinions so its sometimes really hard to base a descision of a forum discussion. Although this is one of the best sites ive found for gathering information to make an educated descision. Look for leftovers and by all means get what you want.....its been said a bunch all those quads are good bikes and im sure youd be happy with any of them so when you get one post a pic so i can be jealous and congratulate on the wicked new quad purchase.


Josh

 

i would 1st off suggest an Arcit Cat 400. They are priced right, have 12" of ground clearance so you dont get stuck in the mud ruts and they have great power. All of my relatives have AC 400s and they keep up with the big dogs just fine and when play times over and its time to work they work with the best of them. if AC is out of the question i would go for a Yamaha Grizzly 450 or Can Am Outlander 400. Both of which you lose in the ground clearance area by at least 2 inches. AC even makes a nice camo color in the 400 as well.

 

If you want a mid-size instead of a full-size there's the Sportsman 400. It's actually a 455cc engine in a Sportsman 300 frame. Same frame, 52% bigger engine.