My daughter is buying a new Big Bear, so I'd like to hear any comments, suggestions, warnings, etc. The beauty of these webpages is that fellow riders can warn you of experiences to avoid, and fixes that can save money, etc. Didn't see any posts about Big Bear, so I'm looking forward to hearing from ya'all......

 

Id give the wolverine a look.. looks to me like a stronger/longer lasting machine.

 

The Big Bear is a nice machine!I drove one a couple months ago at a friends house.Basically the same thing as my 99 kodiak.The Big Bear is a nice maching alot of Power your Daughter will definitly like it.

 

The Wolverine and Big Bear are both mid size, 4-stroke atv's. The Wolverine for sport and trail riding and the Big bear for utility purposes like work or farm chores and is also a good trail machine. Both are manual shift w/automatic clutch.

I have had my 00' 4x4 Big Bear for 14 months. I have many hours on it and it has never let me down. I did extensive research before I plunked down $5k dollars to buy the machine for MY PURPOSES.

For what purpose does your daughter want an atv?
Jumping, racing, and tearing up the trails... I would recommend an atv set up for sport riding, perhaps even a 2 stroke for high performance.
Does she need racks to carry things? If she is conservative and just wants to putt around in the woods and do trail riding/exploring I think a Big Bear or any other mid sized 4-stroke atv would suit her just fine.

Keep in mind that a 4x4 is heavier and harder to steer than 2x4. Take your time to do the research and she will not be disappointed. Any quality machine she buys will last a long time with proper maintenance.

Make sure she buy proper safety equipment, helmet, eye protection, and proper footwear-boots.

 

Just a little piece of advice. If you do go with the Big Bear it would be a good idea to invest a little more money and get a good winch. In the long run it will save alot of heavy pushing or even help someone who may get stuck.

 

If your looking for a utility / hunting machine look no futher. I just bought a 2001 big bear three weeks ago and the bike is really great. I previously owned a 92 big bear which I bought new and I can name on one hand what I had to replace in 8 1/2 years of service and I was never left stranded, it always started no matter how cold and I sometimes went 8-10 miles out in the boonies and only had electric start, needless to say my old friend (92 big bear) was tough. On the new big bear I added a winch, skid and bash plate, moose rear drop rack ,speedometer and odometer kit, and I plan on adding goodyear mudrunner tires. The 2001 big bear is the best bang for your buck on the market today. I researched and test rode them all(honda etc.) and for value and reliablity I stayed with Yamaha and big bear. P.S. the $400.00 winch was only $69.00 with the special winch deal Yamaha has going on now.

 

I have a 00 big bear 2X4 and love it. I use it for hunting and trail riding. It has never let me down. The winch is a good idea especially now that yamaha has it for $69.

 

I'd like to thank everyone who has posted a response. My daughter, who is 18 and picked this model on her own, has been riding my Rubicon and her mom's TrailBoss, and decided to get her own. Before then, she had her own dirtbike (XT125). She can ride real well, and doesn't mind a little sport, but like me (and her mom), is more into the exploring end of trail-riding. So she was adamant about the 4x4, and equally adamant about it being a 4-stroke. I like the looks, and just because I own a Honda doesn't mean that all others are crap. We had ridden a Kodiak and Warrior that my wife's sister owned, and the Big Bear seems awful close to the Kodiak. I think she will be happy with her purchase, and she likes it so far. Her first big ride (outside of the yard) will be this weekend.