Hi everybody,
I still am trying to decide on the type of wheeler I want.I like the Kodiak 450 but the longevity of the belt and concerns over water cooling and leaks in the radiator bother me. On the other hand I like the Honda 450 ES which come standard with floor boards but after reading the forums worry about the ES shift motor freezing up.I want something really reliable and trouble free and won't be able to afford multiple service visits after the initial sale. Another question,would I be better off scrapping the idea of the water cooled,auto tranny Kodiak and the Honda ES 450 and INSTEAD look at the air cooled Honda 450 S or the Yamaha big bear 400 air cooled? My main concern is reliability!!! Any and all comments will be appreciated. One more thing, I'm new to the forum and I think it's great that I can get all your different view points and suggestions to help me in my decision. Thanks for all your responses.
Jack

 

My brother has owned his 450 for a just over a year now, and he's done nothing to it, just add gas and change the oil, filter, and clean the air filter (which every bike requires) My Kodiak has a leaky water pump (from '01 up they fixed that problem) and that was it. The belt has lasted this long and i imagine that it will last a lot longer, but in the spring (when i start to ride more, after the long winter) i'll take the belt cover off and have a look at the belt for wear, if it's good i'll leave it, if not a new one won't hurt.

Overall all bikes require simple maintenance (oil,grease....) and the both of them seem to be reliable, and closely mached performance wise. I suggest that you ask the dealer if they have any DEMO's that they'll lend you for the weekend, that way you'll realy get the feel for the one you like the most, a rip around the lot doesn't tell you much.

 

From personal experience, I would suggest staying away from anything belt drive. The headaches are not worth the convenience of automatic. Stay mechanical. After having an 500sp and a 500 scrambler 4x4 in which I had to replace the front sheave on both bikes (very expensive) due to slipping belts wearing a groove in them, I decided to go back to good old fashioned, reliable, wet clutch drive transmission in my new foreman 450es. Liquid cooled engines and have been around for a while with minimal problems from what I have seen and quite reliable. Really nothing to worry about there.

 

Rincon,
Any problems starting the Kodiak in the winter?The only workout my machine will get is carrying weeds, dirt, pulling our dock out of the water,lugging out deer, carrying ice fishing gear and snow removal. Do you think these machines would last say 10 years without alot of problems? This will be the only brand new vehicle we buy. Thanks all with responses.
jack

 

Mine starts right up, where as the 450 is a little more cold blooded, but on the couple cold days that we've got my choke lever frooze (where it goes into the carb) and it wouldn't start. I believe this problem was from a mild day, then it turned cold overnight and all the moisture frooze.

For overall durability i think the 450 would last longer, the motor is mounted longitudinally and that makes for incredible tourque. A 5 speed, IMO, is better for work, but the KOD is a worker too, but in the long run a lot of work MIGHT take a tole on the belt (MIGHT)

I've heard from peolpe that the motors are very tough on the kodiak's, but the body didn't hold up that well. I've only had mine for ~7 months, and so far it was just the leaky water pump (which was faulty right from the plant) and i haven't put it through a canadian winter yet so i'm not 100% sure how it's gonna hold up. I'll keep you updated on any problems that i have, if any.

 

Rincon,
Thanks 4 the info and keep me posted PLEASE!
Jack

 

That is a tough choice. My brother has a 02 BigBear and it has been great. It is air cooled but that is not been a problem and air cooling has been around for a very very long time. I like his machine as it is just a fun riding, work and trail machine, though it is not fast. If I was looking at Honda I to would like the 450S (ES just seems like something to go wrong since it is electrical and not mechanical.) but still not a big problem. It is similiar to the BigBear with the in out 4wd systems, air cooling, super low first gear, and great worker/trail machine. Either one of those would be a great choice.

The Kodiaks are very nice and do have liquid cooling. It does have a belt and could get wet but from what I read this happens very rarely. Seems to be fairly reliable and is sportier than the other two. IT also has a about 1.5 inches of travel more than than the other two. The Kodiak is auto with high and low range.

Pricing is very close with the Kodiak and the 450ES. The Big Bear will be about 1000 bucks cheaper than either of the others. Hope this helps some.

 

I forgat one more thing, the end of the choke cable (where it goes into the carb) got dirt/mud/water in there and rusted the spring out, needed a new spring. The choke was stuck on, hmmmm mabey that's why i was burning soo much gas!

I'll keep you informed, winter is a com'in

 

Range Rover and Rincon,
Thank you both for the info. It's good to hear your views.
Jack

 

I have a 450s that I bought new in '98 and haven't had a hitch with it. Works flawlessly and starts on the 1st touch of the starter every time. I do alot of recreational riding and a fair bit of work and haven't had to spend a cent outside of routine maintenance.