Hi everyone,
I know there is a discussion forum about questions on buying an ATV, but there doesn't appear to be much activity, so I figured I would go where the action is and hopefully get alot of responses to make my buying expereince a little easier.
I have never owned an ATV but have always wanted since I was a kid. I haven't ridden one in maybe 5 years, but everytime I did, I was hooked and wanted one. I think now feels about the time that I should own one.
My main concern is about not buying the proper ATV. For example, I would love to meet new people and go trail riding with them, but I am afraid that maybe the ATV I bought just doesn't cut it or won't keep up with them. Plus, I would like plow during the winter time. I live in Massachusetts and the snow we had here was more than we have had in a long time. I want to buy an ATV that can hopefully handle plowing some serious snow.
I first looked at a Honda Foreman Fourtrax 450 ES, which was nice, but I wished it was a complete automatic. A friend of mine said his father bought that same machine but now wishes he would have purchased the Polaris Sportsman 500. So, I went to look at the Sportsman and I really liked everything about it, especially the independant rear suspension and the 4-wheel drive. I then looked at the Prairie 650 which was nice also and was less expensive than the Polaris and had the larger engine. I was still leaning towards the Polaris.
In any case, I don't really know since I didn't test any of them out and I don't even know if you can (can you?). It's hard to get a good grip on what is right for me since every salesman will tout what they sell, so it gets confusing. Plus, I'm not a big guy. I'm 5'9 and weigh about 150 so I would like an ATV that is somewhat easy to ride long hours.
Since I am leaning towards the Polaris (other suggestions are very much welcomed) I was looking at the Sportsman 500 and the Sportsman 600 Twin. I don't want to spend over $7000 so the 600 Twin fits right in there. I was just wondering if it is really worth the extra money to go from the 500 to the 600? I just thing that, even though I gain the extra power, I may lose some of the agility because of the extra weight.
How about maintenance? What is required? I am not very mechanically inclined so keep that in mind! Also, one last question, and I apologize if this sounds stupid, but most dealerships post the MSRP as the price for the ATV. Can I haggle the price or is the price shown the price I have to pay? If I can haggle, what should I know and what is reasonable? On cars, I hear paying 2% over invoice is reasonable.
Anyway, I greatly appreciate any responses I get and for any help in making my decision. I am not in a big rush, but I feel the itch [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]. OK, one very last question. I was wondering where I could find an inexpensive trailer (like a 5'x8') to haul it around in. The cheapest I have found so far is $600 at Lowe's.

Thanks,
Kevin

 

Hey, I own a Prairie 650. I bought it at Cycle Design up off of rte 2 above Quabbin Resivor. Can't remember the town. Where do you live in MA? I have no complains about my purchase. It is rated the best sport/utility quad on the market. It is the best of both worlds. If you're not into sport riding and basiclly want to ride in the woods and be as comfortable as possible I would look at the Honda Rincon. It is pricey but Honda makes good stuff. It doesn't have the power or sporty feel of the Prairie but it rides nice. If you live in anywhere near me I would say come over and ride my quad. I also don't hear to many good things about Polaris quads.

 

Hi,
I live actually close to you in Ludlow. I extremely appreciate the offer and would love to pick your brain. Especially about places to ride in the area and also people to ride with etc. I haven't visited the dealer by Quabbin, only the Kawasaki dealer in Springfield (Baers?). I also went to the Honda dealer in Northampton (Valley Motorsports), the Polaris Dealer in Hadley and Enfield Motorsports. Thanks for everything again and I hope to keep in touch.

Kevin

 

Dont let the non Polaris guys turn you against them.I would recomend either the 400 Sportsman(actually a 425cc) or the 500 Sportsman.The main diferance is the 500 has Engine braking and the 400 doesnt but after you get used to how the 400 acts on down hills you wont miss it.Yet agian the 500 has more power and you can find 02 left overs at agood price.I would stay away from the 700s and 600s for a few years until they get the bugs out.Now the 425 and the 500 are tried and true for depenabillity they do require maintanence but that is part of the fun.

 

Here is my 2 cents. If you are new to the sport I would go out and test ride a few quads. Most dealers should have demo units which you can ride. They can also give you heads up on the features and options. Since you are new to the sport, I would not buy based solely on other peoples recommendations. I ride Honda and have had good luck with them since I was 10, but the same might be said about other manufacturers also. You have to buy what is comfortable to you. My last bit of advice is this- Don't rush out and buy the biggest and baddest quad. The 300-400 cc quads will do enough for most weekend warriors. I don't know if someone new to the sport needs a 500-700cc quad as their first purchase. Ease into it. A good barometer for pricing is E-Bay. Pick a few models you like and search for some completed sales on those quads. Hope this helps.

 

The reason I went north was because I could not get a deal at either Baers or valley. I saved 800.00 dollars off list and no prep charges at cycle Design. I know two guys who live in Ludlow. One has a Prairie 360 and the other has a Grizzly. Don't get me wrong I am not anti Polaris. I just here a lot about people having problems with them. Some here in MA and others on this forum. I live off of Porter rd which is off Stony Hill rd. There is an area behind my house which can take me to the top of Wilbraham Mountain and beyond into Hampden. I have been to the Lithia springs area off of rte 116 in South Hadley and also to October mountain and Pittsfield state forest. The last two are two of the four legal riding areas in this Part of the state. There is plenty of Power lines to ride on. The most popular brand around here is Yamaha. I would be glad to assist you in any way I can. Check my profile for my email. PS do a lot of searching around this forum you'll have all your questions answered. Go to Polaris, Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, suzuki. see what kinds problems people are having with their quads.

 

Thanks for the advice. I know the best bet it to go out and test drive some ATV's however a quick test drive doesn't always give the full story. So, I rely on people who live with their ATV's day in and day out to hopefully give me an honest assessment and hopefully from their make the right decision. I also like the fact of taking my time and doing my homework before making a purchase. Just knowing the fact that I exhausted all my resources gives me a better feeling about my purchase. I do appreciate anyone and everyones response no matter how opinionated or biased it is. I will probably go for a few test drives over the weekend and report back. Thanks again!

Kevin

 

www.atvprice.com it saved me $500. Knowledge is power!

 

Porsche986
just wondering what ATV you ended-up purchasing?

-MT