i was looking at yamaha's today and the salesperson was leading me towards a 2006 braun. I am female, athletic, 5'6" and 190#.....do u think this is a good choice? What should I pay for a new one? Why do most models not come with a gas gauge? (isn't one needed?). I haven't had an atv in 20 yrs.--can't u tell..LOL !!
Thanks for info requested.

 

DO YOU MEAN BRUIN<< IF SO lol the yea it would be a great atv my mom has one 2005 2wd has good power fun not to snappy off bottom but has good mid range ive climbed some steep hills on it with no problem never had any probs with it goes threw pretty deep mud easily never had any problems crosing deep streams ive had it up to the bottom of the seat with no issues and the engine breaking makes brakes allmost no needed id say for the money theres no way you will beat it sure it would be nice to have a grizz 700 but you could allmost buy two bruins for the price of it and it is every bit as good in my EYES< UNLESS YOU NEED ALL THAT EXTRA POWER which i doubt you will good luck on your choice.

 

My wife is about the same build and rides a 2005 Bruin 350 4x4. And she loves it. She says that it feels more stable in the corners than my Kodiak 400 which has independent rear suspension (IRS). And I have to agree with her on that. It does offer a little bit rougher ride on the trails. But she rides 4 - 6 hours in a day and it doesn't seem to bother her. The seat on it is very cush. Out of the hole mine will win. But side to side it will run with mine and keep up at 47mph +/-. She has no problems with steering it in 2wd or 4wd. Having the option to select 2wd/4wd is nice as well. She has run into a couple of ruts which where fairly deep and the solid rear axle almost got her caught up. But she just puches it and rides it out. In fact a couple weeks ago we were riding at Finger Lakes State Park in Missouri which has lots of hills and mud and she was the only one we didn't have to pull out. And yes, she did ride the same holes as the big boys. And go up the same hills we did.

My sister-in-law who is bigger than you rides a 2006 Bruin 350 2wd does very well with her's as well. It does get stuck a little more. But she is inexperienced and doesn't know how to shift weight and when to apply power etc. Because my 17 year old niece who is 5'4" and 125# can ride the heck out of the same quad. She will hit some of the deeper holes, get back in the seat, and come blasting out the other side. And this is 2wd only.

My buddies even have a great time on these things. We don't use them to much around house. Pulling a little trailer for yard work, getting around the farm, etc.

I have seen first hand what women can do on these models. And I would highly recommend either one. But the 4wd is always a nice feature to have, just in case. It all depends on the type of terrain you will be riding on.

For the 2007 models I think Yamaha is changing their names to Grizzly. You may also want to take a look at the 2007 Grizzly (Bruin) 350 4x4 IRS. It offers the size, feel, & horsepower of the 350. But has the IRS that the Grizzly (Kodiak) 400 & up have. Plus it has a front differential locker like the Grizzly (Kodiak) 450 & up have. Which will really give you some grabbing power on the front end. Of couse you are up on the 5k range. Just another option.

 

thank you !!! Now, another question....do u think it will ride smaller trails with another adult on the back??

 

It will do smaller 2 track trails with out a problem. The 2wd version is very light and easy to manuver. The 4wd version feels just a little heavier in the front even in 2wd. But runs the trails well.

As for the passenger I would advise against it. Not just because it is unsafe. Which we all know. But the riding position for your heigth will put you on the back end of the seat. That would leave the rack as the only place for the passenger to sit. The floor board area is not really large enough for 2 sets of feet. And sitting up towards the tank while riding is not very comfortable and just down right sucks.

In my family we have 7 people who ride but only 5 machines. To help this problem I thought I would double up on my Kodiak and my wifes 4x4 Bruin. So last year I put a cargo box with seat on the back of my Kodiak 400 and then one of my sons, 10 & 12, could ride with me while the other was on their atv. Was I wrong. I didn't have the room to really throw my weight around like I needed on the hills or in the mud holes. Their feet were always in the way. The additional weight of them in the rear really affected the way the atv handled. And in one downhill off camber section I had to bail and grab my son as the atv decide to take a small tumble onto it's side then onto the top. So I am now in the process of searching for another atv for the boys.

Hope this helps.

 

thank you to all----plz keep the suggestions coming--I appreciate it. For an additional rider I was going to have a back seat installed...watta think??

 

Dont do it. If you want to hual someone around, get something that is built for two people. These machines just were not made to handle two people at once. Of course, if your just putting from here to there and back its no biggy, but if you are wanting to ride trails with a passenger, your asking for problems.

Here is an option, buy two used quads for about the same price as a new one, and have more fun.

 

I have the 06 bruin 4x4. I love the quad, like many have said, its not very fast or extermely powerful. I have gone everywhere the big bores have gone and had fun doing it. Great machine and cheap. As far as the gas gauge, I just fill up at the begining of each ride. Someone you ride with may have a gas gauge, as I wouldnt go on any far rides alone. I would put skid plates on it. See about a free winch or plow, don't know if they are still running the special or not, I bough mine on New Years Eve 05.
Good Luck.