Hey guys..
Down the road from me someone is selling a Warrior for cheap. It is an '87 with 4 new tires,rebuilt motor, White Bro's Exhaust. New shocks, new plastics. They are asking $1000 for it. I am a skilled rider i just never owned an ATV before. My good friend has a 250ex and i love riding it but i would like something bigger.

Heres my questions?

%50 of people say that the Warrior is the most reliable quad.
%50 of people say that it breaks more than any other quad.

Now this confuses me so give me your opinions on this.

Secondly, for 350cc of Warrior and all new parts i think 1,000 bucks is good what do you guys think?

Lastly, I want to go look at it and ride it, what specific things should i look for that might break on this ATV or just things to look for ETC?

Also, I'm pretty sure the Warrior is manual clutch correct? Does anyone know the shift pattern?

Thanks


EDIT: Keep in mind I'm just happy that i finally have room to store a quad. All i want this quad to do is be mildy fast, be able to go through light snow,mud, water....and take on some light trails in the woods. I'm not concerned about popping wheelies or smoking the tires or anything.

 

well a thousand sounds decently reasonable but I would try to get him to come down some as the quad is 19 years old. Since the motor was just rebuilt I would listen for any abnormal sounds or vibrations from the engine. The parts if new would probably be close to 1000 so I guess its not bad. If i remember correctly it is a 5 up tranny with all the way down being neutral. And yes there is a clutch on the warrior. Many of my friends have warriors and I have a wolverine(same 350cc engine) if the guy did the motor work correctly it should be very reliable. Hope this helps

 

Thanks, what exactly sounds should i listen for, like if it knocks? I never rode, nor heard a warrior so im not sure what it is suppose to sound like.

I'm probally thinking of the wrong year, but i thought with warriors 1st gear is all the way down, neutral is between 1st and 2nd and 2nd-6th was up? Actually i really hope im wrong about this because 5 up trannys are my favorite

I probally either heard totally wrong or just messed it up......I believe you but i want to make sure of the shift pattern before i ride it.

Actually Rousch, he wanted $1300 and i was going to tell him I would give him $1000 or nothing.

 

I have 2 warriors that have never broke down by fault of their own.. Either I installed sompin wrong or I crashed.

 

$1000 is great as long as it's in good shape. When properly cared for warriors are one of the most reliable quads out there, but if you happen to buy one that was severely neglected (like I did) you're likely to have problems.

Things to look out for is most importantly the frame. Inspect it for any bends that look out of place, look for any cracked paint or rusted spots that could be signs of excessive stress in that area, and make sure the wheels are straight up and down and that everything lines up. The biggest problem areas on the frame are at the swingarm bolt, at the base of the subframe, from jumping it too hard. It wouldn't be a bad idea to get someone to lift up the front end and shake the wheels to make sure the ball joints and a-arm pivots are good.

And of course when you start it up watch for smoke. Maybe take a philips screwdriver along and check the air filter, the condition of the air filter can be a good indication of how well the quad was maintained. If it looks like a rat nest inside the airbox or if the filter is completely missing (hey, it happens sometimes) the quad was probably neglected, and there could be trouble ahead.

I hope that helps, let us know what you decide.

 

Sorry Kraftwerk, The warrior is 6speed. I havent riden one in a while. And I beleive it is one down 5 up as usually thats what it is. Some sounds Id look for is pinging, knocking, or a high idle. Any backfiring when reved is not good either. I would blue book the warrior at kbb.com and check those prices. Sorry about that again.

 

Recon- Thanks alot I will remember everything you said and keep that in mind when I go. And when i lift it up and shake the wheels they shouldn't really have much give to the left or right correct?

Rousch- I'll remember that when i go thanks, and about the pattern its no problem.


I'm either going to go today or tommorow, i think it would be a good idea to take a picture of it or audio clip so you guys can help me work out the price....Does that sound good?

Edit: i dont see anywhere for ATVS on KBB, Just checked your guys profiles, Nice Warrior Recon,i bet its fun to get that sideways, and nice raptor/wolverine rousch.

 

KBB Warrior Value
This is what I found for the warrior, seems high though. Good luck

 

The best thing to do is crouch down at the side of the wheel, then when the front is lifted grab the top of the tire and push in and pull out. It shouldn't move much more than maybe a couple mm, and any rattling or clunking sounds when you do that is a bad sign. It should just have a good solid feel to it.

 

Recon-Thanks, I will do exactly that.
Rousch- I guess if i get it for $1000 thats a good deal compared to what KBB says.


Well guys, thanks alot for the help. I am going to call the guy right now and I'll let you know what he says. If i go tonight i will get back to you guys...