easy now, lets not get our panties in a bunch. polaris outsources many of its engines and parts from asia anyway, so lets not get too crazy about where everything is made. honda and a few other companies have factories in the US as well.

cant we all just get along?

 

chuckinnc,
<< Im looking for a good low speed 4x4. I have alot of hills & heavy wooded areas that require low speeds but want to buy a new ATV. I like the idea of the Large 650-700 ones but dont know if they pull good at low speeds? I prefer changing gears & are there any hi/lo gear transmission ATVs still made or have been made in the past few years ?>>

as far as working with one, I survey off of mine, & haul quite a bit of stuff, sometimes pick my way, othertimes run 50 mph picking stuff up..but it is an automatic..

if you are looking for large displacement 4x4, manual transmission, Id say the list would be polaris models, bombardier traxter, quest, artic cat 500, suzuki king quad 500, there may be a few more models, (yamaha big bear, some honda& suzuki models that I'm not familiar with) but each has their own preference, some of them are more roomy than others, some have better features than others, some have independent suspension, some have solid axles, the main thing is dealer support, and what you are most comfortable with. check out the manufacturer's web sites, and try to get a list of what is important, and compare them to each other, then take a ride on them before you buy, that is really the only way..you need to satisfy yourself

there are some automatics as well, prarie, polaris, grizzly, and others.

I agree, this needs to be a CIVIL discussion, otherwise, chuck won't get his questions answered, and this thread will all be about flames..

all the quads pretty much try to compete with one another, and it is a buyers choice in the market that you are looking at.

 

Get a Honda Forman. Cheaper $$ has manual or electric shift. STAY away from belt drives. Sooner or later your gonna smoke the belt. I have an 02 Forman and even with the STOCK tires I have pulled many an ATV from the mud and have made it thru with no problems. I like to rock crawl with mine, Im not much of a speed demon but it will go 45 to 50 level flat ground. Save your money buy some extra beer. I ride double on mine ( I know your not suppose too butttttt) engine power has never been an issue.

 

To get the most bang for your buck don't count out the arctic cat 500 or 400.They both have five speeds with high and low ranges available.They have great low end power and with suzuki motors you are sure to have good reliability.They are heavy which will help you pull more and disk brakes will get you stopped again.Usually $1000 to $1500 cheaper than the competition.

 

Looked at a AC 500i, lime green with the chrome wheel kit and mud tires. Great looking ATV. If I wanted a foot shift, I would consider one of them.

 

I retired my faithful 96 Big Bear for an Arctic Cat 500i last summer, partially for fun, and partially for farm work. Definite difference in pulling power, the big Cat will drag a pretty fair sized tree. A lot better than the bear. It hauls 600+ pound trailers loaded with cut oak up and down hills. Engine braking is great with the 5 spd manual - put it in low range, and it crawls down a hill.

The Cat is about the only IRS quad that can be had with a manual transmission (one of the reasons I bought it). My farm is mostly steep hills, dense woods and lots of limestone rocks, and the 12" ground clearance comes in handy. It goes places my bear could only dream of.

I looked at pretty much all of the big bore quads last summer - P650, grizzly, sportsman 500 and 700, they were all terrific. The Cat just looked a little more solidly built. Not a lot of fancy electronics, but plenty of attention put into details that matter - high snorkel, brush guards, skid plates, long suspension travel, etc... It's been a real workhorse, and still fun on a trail. 500 miles this year, several heavy trees moved, a lot of firewood hauled, and so far nothing has broken.

My Cat Photos

 

HI GUY'S:
The best puller of all is the Kawi P650 with about 160+ lbs stacked on the racks. The P650 is too light (604lbs) to really compete in pulling vs. either the POL700 , Bomb Quest or Traxter. They all outweigh the P650 by at least 140lbs. The p650's engine has both more torque and horsepower but the machine suffers from light weight. If you want a Good puller ( the best stock) buy the Bombardier traxter. At The Indy 500( I think) ...Bomardier hooked up the Traxter to an 18wheeler and towed it! Truck and trailer! They also hooked on to a Pol700 and proceeded to tow it around the track...NUFF SAID!

ROB

 

LOL ok Kawirob let me get this right they hooked up to a 700 back to back and pulled it around the track right.And Im taking it that you saw this right????

 

BILL35:
The pics and accompaning story was in a mag...can't remember which one (although I still have it somewhere and will try to dig it out) . They said the Traxter rounded the first turn with the POL in tow. They also showed the pics of the Tracter trailer being towed! They also had the ds650 with different sprockets and stock everything else go out on the track and paced the indy pace car at over 90mph! There was a write up and I also saw various threads on the forums that verify this. It makes sense really( Traxter vs Pol700 ) The Traxter weighs more than the 700 and has as much if not more power. The Bomb quest out weighs the POl 700 and has more power to boot. Dirt wheels dynoed them all and the KawiP650 had the most hp and then came the quest. The sled pulls resulted in the Bomb quest handily beating all the other big bores. I'd put my money on the Bomb's any day of the week in any kind of pulling contest.


ROB

 

The rubicon is an automatic with no belt drive and it does have low range.