if I won't be doing any serious mudding, will belt drive be a problem?
many people are biased towards chain driven bikes, is this just because of belt slippage?

 

I think you may be referring to a shaft drive, not belt drive?
motorcycles have belt drives- I've never seen a belt driven atv tho-

utility atv's typically have shaft driven drive-trains due to the possibility of smashing & breaking a chain in rough terrain. All of the larger utilities use IRS (independent rear suspension) because they require more ground clearance over rough terrain.

sport quads usually have chain driven drive-trains that utilize a lower hanging SRA (solid rear axle) which helps keep the center of gravity low while zipping around on typically flatter surfaces like tracks, smooth trails and pits.

there are cases like the (older) 4x4 scramblers (junk IMO) and a few other (usually smaller) utilities having chain drives. But chains & sprockets are not desirable when rock climbing, mudding or thrashing your atv aroubd on a rough trail.

there are a couple different clutches for atv's / quads.
CVT (belt clutch) or manual clutch that uses friction plates and requires a clutch lever to shift through the gears.

I've owned many of both- it's my opinion that the CVT is much better at enabling the rider to enjoy the ride- CVT's are very durable & reliable- "gas & go". Some people will tell you how easily CVT belts slip or break- but they are wrong. It basically comes down to operator error- like riding in high gear when they should be in low, or pinning the throttle in high gear when stuck or climbing a tall hill.

I've owned a couple dozen CVT atv's and have never, not once, had a belt break or leave me stranded- and I run large over-sized tires on all my atv's and I'm not the most gentle rider.

manual clutch's are great if you're riding track, smoother trail or pit style terrain, but can get annoying and easily burnt out on rough terrain.

it all depends on what kind of riding you're planning on doing- which you didn't mention- and how comfortable you want to be while riding rough terrain. Around me here in new england- there's really not a lot of places to ride a sport quad- so utility atv's a more common- but if you're near a desert or dunes- you may enjoy the SRA sport quad more.

 

thanks!
that helps me a lot
I don't live near any dunes or deserts. The property where I live is mainly fields and flat stuff, but there are several woods areas that I want to explore - possibly make some trails.
thanks for your help, now I understand a bit more about atvs
I know for sure that I don't want a sport quad, just because I know that my riding style would fit a sport/utility atv better.
have you ever owned/ridden a suzuki vinson 500 manual? if so what some likes and dislikes?

 

The Suzuki Vinson "manual" is really a semi-automatic clutch. That means you shift using a foot lever but you don't have to pull in a clutch handle like a full manual clutched sport quad. They're a pretty good quad from what I've seen of them. I believe it comes with a straight rear axle so the ride will be a little less soft than a machine with IRS (Independent rear suspension). Straight rear axle usually has less ground clearance than a similarly equipped IRS quad but is a little better at sliding around corners and some say, towing.

Also, if you have a CVT transmission, as Beergut said, it's owner operated abuse that is most of the cause of belt breakage. Usually running in high gear in mud, snow, or on steep technical climbs. That puts a major strain on the belt. If you run in low gear in those circumstances it's pretty unlikely you would ever burn out a belt. Only one I've personally seen burn a belt was my son. He was riding in high gear all day where most of the riding was on slow technical rocky hills. If he had been in low it probably wouldn't have happened.

I've had plenty of times where I tried to help out people who were stuck in sand, snow, or mud (even cars). I've always told them, "I'll either pull you out or I'll dig 4 holes in the ground." Any time I didn't get them out it dug those 4 holes.

 

I tried pulling a big tree down and it just dug 4 holes like Moose said. I buried it almost to the frame before I stopped. I have broken 2 belts about 100 miles after they were burned up by abuse. That was a long time ago and I don't have problems anymore.

 

Thing chains have over shaft drives is they are much cheaper to replace, I recently spent 50 dollars on a chain and sprocket set for my 400ex and that should last me a good few years at least. If you got a good skid plate, you don't have to worry about smashing it up on the rocks. My Dad's got a Grizzly 660 and it is all independent suspension with a shaft drive I believe and it has never given any issues, it is a 03 and now going on it's 10th year of service to us. Thing I like about shaft drives over chains is that they are quiet, when my chain gets loose and starts rattling on the skid plate it drives me up a wall, but you never have to worry about any of that with a shaft drive. Chains love to eat shoelaces too so tuck them into your shoes before you take off! Gone through 4 sets of laces, 3 on my shoes and one on my boots, I am trained to tuck them in now though needless to say.

 

have to disagree with you there

been riding for 29 years- probably spent a small fortune on chains & sprockets.... I've never ever had to replace a single drive shaft.
The reason sport quads use chains is because of the weight issue- the tranny is more compact and lighter when compared to the gearbox for a shaft drive- which also needs a heavy differential in the rear as well-

a lot less moving parts and a lot lighter bolting a sprocket onto a SRA.

 

Shaft drive is more maintenance free, no chain adjusting and sprockets to ware out.The gears on the shaft are internal and not getting ground by sand and mud like exposed chains and sprockets.

Yes belt drive ATVs are the best mudders now, all the power house 4x4s are only belt drive now.
The largest 4x4s that are not belt is the Honda 500 Foreman and 680 Rincon, both are low on power for there displacement.

If you want a 4x4 that over 40hp you have no choice but to go belt now.

 

Yeah, I am not the biggest fan of chains, but am probably going to get a 700xx if I ever upgrade, they are shaft drive I believe. I know they don't have chains, but I have never seen one in person, aren't very common.

 

The Raptor 700 is chain drive.http://www.atvreviewnetwork.com/enth...cleCode=195816

Sport Bikes like chain drive because there lighter and lose Little less HP to the rear wheels and can change there gear ratio easier with teeth counts.
For off road you want shaft drive ,can you imagine a 4x4 truck with chains to the drive axles rather then shaft with diffs. LOL

Not sure of any sport shaft drive ATVs.