It sounds like a great idea and a decent machine to be sure. If it had a little bit more sport it would probably be better but I'm sure it's sporty enough for the average weekend warrior which is what 90% of riders are anyway.

People who make comments about "power robbing auto tranny" have apparently only ridden overweight Polaris' with CVTs. Any machine with decent power will do fine with a CVT. Plus they're easier to wheelie. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

A water cooled is way more reliable.
Ganggreen what mods does your 350 have?
My old stock 2000 400 4x4 kodiak would walk away from the 2 stock 350 wolvys I rode with.
The CVT takes some getting use to.....it does have lag when you 1st punch it...........but it doesnt rob power like your going on and on about it.

 

I have never ever heard of a 350 Wolverine overheating so cooling is not the issue.

CVT robs 30% of a bikes final power output. No clutch kit in the world can compare with a constant mesh "direct drive" tranny. ADD to the fact the 06 weighs 40 pounds MORE to older model and all you have is an overweight go-cart!

 

You can overheat any air cooled motor.
the 04 may weigh 40 lbs more but it also 73 cc's bigger.
Why didnt you answer my question about the mods on your 350?
And where are you getting this "30%" number? pulling it out of thin air?

 

I HAVE A 2004 (350) WOLVERINE AND MY BROTHER INLAW GOT A NEW 450 WOLVERINE . I WIEGH IN AT 250 LBS , HE IS 260, IN 4X4 I CAN BEAT HIM UP TO 4 GEAR THEN HE PASSES ME RIGHT WHEN I GO INTO 5 TH GEAR . BOTH BIKES ARE STOCK . IN 2WD HE WINS IN ALL SHIFT POINTS. GOING DOWN STEEP HILLS HE HAS TO USE THE BREAKS WHERE I DO NOT HAVE TOO. UP HILLS IT IS A TIE. IN THE MUD HE STAYS A LOT DRYER THEN I. IN THE SNOW (3')DEEP HIS BIKE GETS STUCK AND CAN NOT BREAK TAIL WHERE I CAN ON THE 350 ( I THINK THAT IS ALL DRIVER).IF I HAD A WARN 424 I THINK THE 2WD RACE WOULD BE ALOT CLOSER. AND I THINK THAT THE 450 LOOKS BETTER THNAN THE 350 . BUT WE BOTH THINK THAT HAVING A REAR RACK IS A BIG PLUS. I THINK BOTH BIKES ARE A GOOD CHOICE .I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A 450 BECAUSE IT FITS ME BETTER ,THE SEAT FEELS BETTER SO DOES THE HANDLEBARS.BUT I WELL STAY WITH THE 350. ITS PAD OFF . LATER

 

I have the 450 and absolutely love it. I recently had a 400ex and before that I had a Wolverine 350. The 450 is much more fun to ride than the older 350. I hated the auto at first, but the more I ride it the more I like it. I can keep up with my buddies and their sporty rides, and also go with other friends on rocky and muddy terrain and keep up just fine. I wish the floor boards were different. I have cracked both sides of mine. That and the fact that there is no aftermarket stuff yet is the only 2 complaints I have about it.

 

I don't want to start a big argument here, but gangrene, I must disagree with you. Technology always dominates. Thus the reason that you live in a house with electricity and running water. If you took 2 riders with the same ability, put one on the old 350 Wolverine, and 1 on the new 450, it would be no contest. Not even close. Again, I stress the part that the 2 riders have the same ability. I probably have 10 hours or more of experience on the old 350's, I used to sell them. Now I own the 450, and I can tell you, the 450 is 3 times the machine that the 350 was. Now that my 450 is broken in and I have had some time to take it through its paces, I have found many advantages over the old 350. Superior suspension, WAY superior engine, superior cooling, superior transmission, superior 4WD system (by far), superior tires, superior chassis. It reminds me of comparing a new Corvette C-6 to a 1990 Corvette
C-4. No comparison. That is my take.

 

Both of my wolverines are stock.

I consider myself a expert level rider. Been riding for 16 years now. Including mx racing. There is nothing about the 450 I like better than the 350. So your telling me that we need to convert the raptor 700r, 450r, yfz450 to fully auto trannies?!!!! What a joke, you would get laughed right off the track!

The 30% figure comes from a test awhile back from a popular mechanics mag. My brother and I have raced both of them up oldsmobile hill (glamis) we are the same weight and the 450 loses everytime by alot. Why do you think all these machines come with 400-800cc engines? Cause the stupid cvt robs so much power! Can you imagine 800 Outlander with a traditional mesh trany?!! That thing would put out big juice!!

 

Hmmmmmm....an expert with a stock quad.

 

I keep these stock because they are utility playbikes. I also have a KX500 trke, LT500R, 250r's, Banshee, Honda 4x4's.