There is a post on the Polaris board about the sportsman being dethroned. It may be the King for Polaris but hardly for other makes and models. It's a nice bike and all, plush ride and good mudder but some feel it's top heavy and not real quick. All bikes have their pros and cons, attributes and shortcomings. I think the ultimate ATV is a personal choice. For my type of riding the new Kodiak does well. It's fast, low center of gravity for hills, killer engine brake, 4x4 on command and so far dependable. What are some other personal opinions?? After all, there are more quads then the sportsman and the rubicon out there.

I just think that polaris in general makes the best Awd system so far for atv's and the technology is on all of our 4x4's. I think polaris
atv's have nice comfortable seats and nice foot rests, so the atv's are nice to ride.

each of the other brands must have wonderfull features to or so many would not be sold.

It looks like all the companys have a nice war going on with each one comming out with new models with major new additions. I plan to keep my atv for a while but those of you going into the stores
and looking at these new atv's and maybe buying. It sure sounds like tough choices with so many nice atv's either comming out or are out already. It will be fun to see these new machines in the field. rangerchet polaris xpedition 425 cc 5-speed

LT500

I do like the big seats on Polaris's, probably makes doubling easy. The recent ATV action listed the ATV of the year as the DS 650 with the 2000 kodiak and expedition 425 as runner ups. Comparing those utillity bikes to a DS 650 is like apples and oranges though.

I think if the 2000 kodiak had a lockable front dif it would have no competition for king of atv's. I get stuck everytime I go riding and the situation is almost always the same, the rear gets hung up in a mud hole and the front has lots of traction on ONE tire. sometimes I can stand on the front rack and do the throttle at the same time and that works, and if not out comes the winch and i'm gone. On the plus side I had water up over the hood of the machine today (damn near to the handle bars) and no slipping what so ever. My only other complaint is that you can't unlock the rear dif. My bear claws do a real number on the yard even in 2wd.

http://www.geocities.com/y2kerplunk/kodiakleft.jpg

So much of what people buy depends on location. Around my neck of the woods all I see are Hondas and Polaris'. It can be easily argued that the reason you see so many of them is because of there quality. My old machine was a Honda. One day while bumming around an old friends cabin we met a fellow who had a Suzuki. That was the first Suzuki I had seen on a trail in 3 years of riding. 3 months ago when I went to buy a new machine I wanted to look for a Suzuki but I could only find 3 Dealers in the state. I am sure there are more but they are not easily found, Where as Honda and Polaris machines are sold at just about every big boy toy shop. My point simply is that people buy what they see. Of my friends that ride, I am the only one not on a Honda, why? Simple my friend's Dad owned one and once we all got to the point that we could afford our own we went to the local shop and bought what we saw everyday.

Stuck every time? I've never been stuck in hellacious holes. Once, I couldn't go forward because of a wet, slick clay bank but I was able to back out in 4x4.

You made a good point earlier about the DS650 and the Kodiak being like apples and oranges,they should have differnt catagories for this Quad of the year.
Me I like Polaris so thats my favorite quad but the Kodiak is a great machine my brother and I swap bikes all the time,and I thought for sure the Kodiak would win atv of the year hands down.

The king would easily be the Yamaha Grizzly with the biggest utility sport engine and the fastest.
It has low maintence on top of that for less to go wrong.
I have a 2000 and have 1300km's and not a glitch except for one light bulb blowing. It is very torguey and can move like a bat out of hell. Rock tuff is what everyone wants and that is the Grizzly.

Ride on and get home!

Well.. if you seen the trails I ride in you'd understand.. Some of the mud holes look like they have been made by skidders getting stuck, I don't think too many people get through the places that I get stuck in, but sometimes I can tell if i had that one extra tire turning I'd get through.