whats everyone think about there or the eiger 4x4 manual shift? I am thinkin bout getting one. i am open to all comments
BigBearFX[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Big Bear - I know from your other messages that you are leaning towards the Eiger. I've got a '02 5-speed, here are the pro's and con's as I see it:

Pro -

Very light steering, in fact, there is very little differance between 2wd and 4wd steering.
Good suspension and ground clearance, plus that full length skid plate works great.
Very peppy - low and mid-range power is excellent, high is good (keep in mind I always ride in company with a Prairie 650 so he ALWAYS burns me on long straight roads)
Seamless shifting between 2wd and 4wd - it's smooth, instant and simple.
Overall simplicity - the Eiger has few 'gadets' so there is less to go wrong.
4 gallon tank, 30MPG - do the math, you get an easy 100 mile + range.
If you ever need it for working, there is always that low range selector.
Good price - in fact they lowered it from last year.

Con -

There was a recall on the first few '02 models made - auto clutch I think - but that was only the first ones and was fixed.
Shifting from R back to H can be a bit sticky at first but it does loosen up.
Mine (and others posting here) has an occasional backfire problem - went away after break-in.
Like most 'zuki's, the Eiger is a bit cold blooded. No problem to start but takes a minute or two to really run well.

Comments -

I've had mine for almost a year and of the six quads I've owned it is by far my favorite. It is flat out fun to ride - you can kick out the rear end at will. I've run through many large and mucky mud holes (stock tires) and have gotten stuck once (when I was trying to see if anything could stop it). As I said above, I run with a P650 and have no trouble keeping up on any trails - once we hit an open road it's a different story! It's a smooth running bike, comfortable seat and with it's easy steering makes it good for an all day ride. I did some damage to my right arm a couple of years ago and it was starting to limit my riding time. I've had no arm problems on the Eiger. All in all the Eiger is ultra reliable and stays on the sporty side of sport/ utility. I've heard of a variety of prices but I got mine for $4890 + tax.

Jaybee

 

thanx jaybeecon55 i apriciate your posts. Im just trying to get more peoples opinions than just one, dont get me wrong i like having your posts but i just trying to get alot of other ppls posts
BigBearFX

 

My friend has the eiger and he loves it. I rode it and it is a very sporty machine. I bought the 450 Kodiak about the same time and paid way more. I am faster on top than he is but he keeps up with me anywhere else. The only really thing that mine has over his, not including the lcd and auto, is the diff lock feature. Just my 2 cents. But I love my Kodiak and would not trade for eiger, but I like eiger.

 

The Eiger is a great machine, Suzuki has certainly made a come back in the atv industry. Mine has been great and no problems with a little over 200 miles on it. Being the machine weighing 577 pounds and only a 400cc (actually 376cc) when shifting gears it really pulls hard. The Eiger has plenty of power and is fast!

 

I bought a 2002 Eiger 400 4X4 "shifter model. I was also considering the Yamaha Big Bear. Features I wanted was the ability to shift into and out of 4WD, its much easier to corner tight if you can run in just 2WD vs an AWD setup. What helped me make up my mind was the standard features like speedo ***'y etc, this was all options on the Yamaha. The Suzuki Eiger was priced much less, ($4999, vs $5399 for manual shift Yamaha) even with the extras. I have 350 miles on mine so far. As mentioned, it can be sticky going from REV to FWD, but once warmed, all one needs to do is set down the base idle and this is fixed. I did replace all my tires with the new Maxxis ones, the original tires have a habit of developing holes too easily for my taste. I have added a Warn® 2500 lb winch and also added a grate/catwalk behind my front brush gaurd, this makes the front look real tough. I can email a picture of the finished product if anyone is interested. I also added the factory "horn kit", got some ribbing from co-riders, but when you hear those 2 wheelers buzzing through the trails coming your way, one quick blast of the horn, lets them know youre there and they slow down. Its been a great safety feature. It also has brake lights, while the Yam only had running also. I picked the shifter model because engien braking is better than the auto version, but they claimed this was eleviated witht he auto rig. The front diff is a gear type limited slip, so it can pull stumps out if needed. I wanted a utility quad, not a behemoth and a reasonable price, after lots of research on the net, checking prices etc, I ended up with the 2002 Eiger, LTF-400-F in "hunter green"

 

At the ripe old age of 60 I decided I needed a 4wheeler. I rode almost all including the Honda, Yamaha, Polaris and found the Eiger was the most comfortable. Friend of mine has the Polaris 700 twin and yes he can spin his tires with all that power. But I don't care to ride 60 mph on the open road. Stupid if you ask me. 4 wheelers can get you hurt and I really find that 25 or 30 is plenty fast enough. I bought the Eigher. Only things so far I would change would be some extra lights on the gear indicator. Only the neutral light comes on. You have to know by the sound of your motor what gear you are in. The machine is a bit cold natured. As said by others it will warm in a moment and then it is fine. Don't let these small negatives make you pass on a great machine. It is very easy to steer in 2 or 4wd. I rode several Hondas for 3 to 4 hours at a time (borrowed friends) and at the end of the ride I felt beat to death. Never have had a bit of trouble with the Eiger. Buy it!

 

jaybeecon, I have the full cure for this sticking shifting from reverese to forward with your manual shifter Eiger 400. I stumbled upon it this morning. I have the same trouble, especially when its cold and I'm on choke which gives it a fast idle, so as I'm jockying the thing around in my garage, shifted it to reverese, then I remebered when holding the shift lever down (left foot one) it goes into a neutral. So as its in "R", before you pop it to forward, hold the shift lever down with your left foot, now the shifter will slide effortlessly into "FWD", then you can let up, then pull up again for 1st. Also when going into reverese, especially cold, to reduce the shift shock, try this: To go to reverse, you must be in neutral anyway, now push down on the shift lever (left foot) and hold it down, then pull the hand operated shift **** to reverse, now slowly let up with your left foot, it will apply when you release it like a regular clutch. You folks have to try this! What a fantastic find. Anyone else with a manual shifted Eiger has to see this. ANd if you email me personally, I can send you a picture of my brush gaurd I installed onto by front bars.