So basically in April of 2009 I plan on buying a new ATV, but I'm not sure if i want utility or sport. I would prefer sport so I can go off jumps and such, but utility is great for just about every trail. If anyone knows good places in New Hampshire to ride sport ATV's like sand pits could you please let me know. I have a bunch of powerlines around me, are those good sport ATV riding spots? If all I can get in New Hampshire is rocky and muddy trains, then so be it and I'll stick to utility. What do you guys think? Thanks in advance.

 

if you want a utility, and a sport theres a couple options. since you put this on a yamaha thred, theres the yamaha wolverine 450. its auto and a 4x4, not much of a working mechine but it is a 4x4, but with a sport atv ride an look. theres also the honda rancher 420. its a foot shift utility (no clutch lever) that you can get in ether 2x4 or 4x4. it is very sporty and good on the trail. both are fun mechines and best of both worlds IMO.

good luck

 

Hey DiMa, I ride mostly in NH. I am part of Sullivan County ATV. If I were to base riding strictly on our trails I would say get a utility. The quads put out by the major manufacturers are all good machines in my mind. I do highly recommend 4wd. If you wanted a good hybrid of sport and utility there are the Polaris Scrambler, Yamaha Wolverine, and the Can-Am Renegade. Machines with power steering are also available now. I think the Honda has it in the Rancher, Yamaha has it in the Grizzly, and Polaris now has it on the Sportsman XP. If you are looking for sand pits try the Hopkinton Everett riding area in NH. There are a couple of large sandy areas there that are good fun. On the powerline note, you risk getting tickets or confiscation as the land under the powerlines is privately owned and you can't drive on private property in NH without written permission.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I kind of want either sport or utility, not something in between. Moose but what I'm really wondering is that are there enough places in NH to ride a sport atv to make it worthwhile? Even like tracks that I can go to. I know one place in Canaan NH that has a track, but don't really know much about it. And these sand pits in Hopkinton, are those open to the public? Also, these power lines, who would I get permission from in order to legally ride in them? I see a bunch of people riding them often, and it seems like they just do it freely.

 

I ride in NH too... personally I would get a Utility Quad... and honestly.. if you are serious about buying one... why wait until April...

I bought my Yamaha in Dec 2006 and it came with a 2 year warranty and a Warn Winch for $69! I had to install it myself..

As far as quads go, Yamaha makes some nice machines for sure! I run a Grizzly 450, but you can now get the Grizzly 550 and 700 with powersteering.. an option I will definitely get when I eventually replace my Grizzly 450.

 

To "legally" ride the power lines you would have to go to a town hall, find out who owns the land under the power lines and contact each of them. It's better to join a riding club and be able to ride anywhere there are public trails. Hopkinton Everett is open to the public, but your quad would have to be registered in NH. I agree with Crazy Steve that a utility quad is probably the best for riding in NH. There aren't that many wide open trails where you can open it up. And, alot of it is slow, technical rock crawling or mudholes. Generally, most places have a mix. I understand Southern Maine is pretty wide open as that part of the state is pretty flat until you get up into the Western part or Central and Northern Maine. Others may be able to give you a better idea about Maine. I just rode a CanAm Renegade 500 at the ATV/Snowmobiel show up in Rockingham, NH this afternoon. Nice machine. Handles well, great pickup, still has 4wd, low and high range. Tried out a Grizzly too. Power steering is nice. Grizz also had good smooth power. I didn't have time to try out the new Polaris' machines they had. I'm very happy with mine for now. All the top names make great machines. On board storage, strength, and ride is Polaris strenght. Smooth engine, power steering is Yamaha. Best, in class power, is CanAm. Reliability is Hondas claim to fame. I know less about Suzuki and Kawasaki but they both get great reviews. Know even less about Arctic Cat.

 

I wish I had known about that Rockingham show, I definitely would have gone. The utility ATV I plan on buying is the Grizzly 550 with power steering. I want to wait to April basically for one reason, I don't want to deal with ridiculous insurance rates. By April I'll just pay it off in full, and have it fully mine then and there. I would also buy this trailer http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn...15476-4X6XG&lpage=none at the same time as the ATV. Moose, on another note, have you ever heard of Beaver Lake? There are countless and countless amounts of trails around it. Definitely trails suitable for an ATV. If you know these trails, are those open to the public?

 

How big/fast of a bike are you looking into? A Yamaha Warrior/Raptor 350 is a sport bike, but they are also known for doing very well in rough terrain and conditions where other sport bikes don't do so well, and they also are damn near bulletproof. However, they are not the fastest quad around (top speed 58-60) or the most nimble, but they get the job done in a wide variety of conditions, and are very torque-y.

 

Beefy I'm looking for a big and decently fast quad. If I went Raptor, I would want something like the 700R. I heard that doesn't do terrible in rough terrain, is that true?

 

I haven't personally ridden a 700 but I have heard raving reviews about them on trails. Steer clear of the 660--it was very light in the front end...very. Yamaha did improve that on the 700, however.