I am in the market for an atv. I really like the features of the sportsman 500 but am also equally impressed by the yamaha grizzly and kodiak models. I want a dureable atv that will last with minimal maintenance. I would appreciate any advice on what is the best bang for the buck from the atv owners out there in cyber land.

 

FIRST off welcome to the forms and about the atv question i for one do not like polaris cept the predator which isnt a ute but anyway back on topic i would say go with yamaha ive had 3 yams so far an i have nothing but good things to say about them they take a beating im not sure about the new breed of yamahas like the grizz but i would feel safe saying that the kodiak is probally bullet proof its a nice sized atv not to big like the grizz i think the grizz sits too high looks really tippy + you can save a few hunndred by buying the kodiak and with that money you could get your self a really nice set of tires to set it off more [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] and!!!! still have some cash left .But if you do get the kodiak be sure to get the 450 because the 400 doesnt have low gear just foward-rev-neutral and im sure anyone who has a ute atv will tell you how important haveing a LOW Gear is on a auto. But anyways good luck on which ever atv you get let me know which way you go.

 

If you want true 4 wheel drive go Polaris. All quads are about the same for Maintanance, but the polaris has all four wheels driving where the Yam won't spin both front wheels when you are stuck. Climbing over a rock wall I wwent right over it because both front wheels pulled, the Yam I was with got stuck because the drivers side wheel was spinning hard and the one on the ground just sat there. I hade to get off and puch it over the wall. As I said though. Other than the true 4x4 I honestly think they are all the same, try them all and see which is more comfortable for you. That is a major issue when riding for a long time. You want one that fits you well and gives you a nice ride, and this varies by personal preference so the majority of the decision only you can make.

 

ringinghard,

I know polaris is true 4x4 AWD. However just this past weekend the neighbor brought over a double harrow for his tractor and raked my horse arena. After he finished I wanted to see if my little bear would pull it. The thing weighs about 500-600lbs and once it grabs loose dirt gets extremly heavy. Even with my new tires once I got in thick sand my tires started to spin and dig down.

I had a total of 4 ruts and not 3. Which means both front tires were digging. Does our yami's have limited slip or how does this work?

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MTN,

You can tgo wrong with either one. It depends on which one you feel more comfortable with and like better. I'm sure you lean more towards one or the other. That being said IMO YAMAHA wins in my book hands down everytime.

 

a few people i ride with have grizzlys and they got a locked front diff. both spin no matter what. idk if it they put it in aftermarket of if it stock but its got a lockin front diff. id go with the grizzly because its got the biggest motor and ive seen my friends up against other 4x4s and his did the best out of all of them, the were other yamahas, hondas, polaris, and a kawi. there was one pit that nobody could get threw except for them. good luck

 

BigBear3, You got me there. I don't know. It may be due to a limited slip. I have seen some arctic cats I like and yams too. If I was to buy another utility I would have to ride them all again since they all have made big improvements over the years. But my sportsman even being 4 years old is still holding well with no mechanical repairs so far. I bought the Scrambler recently because I found it the best sport quad with 4x4. (I believe it should be the only sport quad with 4x4 since some others are more like utilities than sports.)

 

There is more to any of our experiences than we can say here too. How good a driver was it, tire size, tread, and motor size of these machines. IMO the only way to tell the best machine is to ride them all and decide yourself what fits you individually.

 

The Kodiak 450 and Grizzly have a full locking differential

 

The yamaha kodiak and the grizzly, come with front diff.lock. People say its a pain to stop then engage the diff lock, but when I'm riding and I think that I will need it ahead then I engage it. It is easier to steer with the diff lock not enaged and I like the fact that you can dissengage it, and not have a true 4 wheel drive all the time. I have had my kodiak for a month and it is good.(only 60 km on it).

A buddy has had his 700 sportsman for a few years and he has only needed to replace the starter, which was under warrenty. It is a really nice machine also.

I chose the kodiak because I wanted to get something different, Polaris outnumbers any other by 5-1 around here. I liked the options that the kodiak came with and my dealer was easy to deal with. Like was said before get out there and drive the ones you are thinking about buying. My choice was between the 500 HO and the kodiak, and so far I am not dissapointed with my choice.

 

What do you need to do to lock the differential? Maybe he just didn't know the machine when he got stuck on the wall. It was an 04 so I assume it should have been able to lock both front wheels then.