I'm going to be buying a new ATV in the next month. I have it narrowed down to these two machines.

I have test driven them both, just around a parking lot.

I currently own a 550 arctic cat. I put 27in mud bugs with a aggressive clutch kit it. I REALLY like the low end torque it has.

My main uses for the ATV are:
-hauling big loads of wet firewood (600-1000lbs)
-hunting
- LOTS of deep soggy muskeg
-putting around trails with mud
-trapping- pulling a 300lbs sled through deep snow in -20
-towing a 17ft lund rebel with 50hp 4 stroke into back lakes. Trails are hilly


HONDA

I really like the honda, however I have to concerns

1) The torque sensing 4wd system. I have riden with honda guys before and it seems this system doesn't engage fast enough. With other machines while you are in 4wd, it is always in 4wd. The honda is in 2wd until the system senses it needs to engage in 4wd. To me this is not good, because I don't need to start to get stuck before it get 4wd. THe honda needs to feel slippage in order to go into 4wd. In mud and muskeg this doesn't seem ideal.

2) Im not sure the Honda has the power I need. I will be putting on 27/28 inch wider more agrressive tires. Can the honda turn these easily in muskeg? I'm taking up to the fenders muskeg.

I also haul a lot of weight with my quad. A tub trailer often with 600-1000lbs and I use the quad to haul a 17 foot lund rebel with a heavy 50 hp 4stroke outboard.

Can the honda do all this without a gear reducing kit?

I know the DCT has a low range, but I checked and the gear ration is actually slightly bigger than the old foreman 500 foot shifts.


Yamaha

concerns

1) The ride seems weird to me. The suspension just has too much give. Im told even with it set to the firmest setting it will still feel this way. I am wondering how much torque is lost when in low range and I push the throttle and the suspension just squats before the torque can turn the tires.

2) Is the yamaha as reliable as the honda?

3) Does it have a pull start back up?

 

I love Honda's but I won't buy another till they get a CVT tranny. Jerky shifting and loss of momentum is why. Betting on it having the power you think may be a poor bet from what I've seen.
Reliability? IMO, Both have been good.
I'd rather have a softer suspension. It'll ride better than the Honda. When it's sqattin, it's grabbing traction.
My vote is obviously for the Grizzly.

 

I'd personally go with the Grizzly too just because it makes nearly double the Hp while weighing the same but I think you are confusing Honda with Polaris when you explained the 4wd system. When the rubicon is in 4wd, it's always engaged and has a separate button to press for the front differential lock. Polaris has the AWD system that must sense the rear wheels spinning before it engages the front wheels.

 

While Honda has a great reputation, they have had numerous issues with their electronic shift transmissions. For that reason alone I would steer away from Honda. As the others have stated the Griz does have more power!!

 

Yamaha reliability is equal with Honda. The Grizzly 700 has 48hp while the Rubicon has only 29hp. The Rubicon has that awesome transmission, but the Yamaha has the best CVT system out there that keeps the belt engaged all the time. The Yamaha also will have a more plush ride. Between the two, hands down the Grizzly 700 in my book.

IMHO, the Yamaha Grizzly 700 along with the Suzuki KQ750 are probably the two best all around quads out there. I have a 2009 Suzuki KQ750 and it still is trouble free. I just purchased a Can Am Outlander 650 DPS Max so my soon to be 5 year old son can go with me legally on the national forest. Yamaha and Suzuki don't make two-up ATV's or I would have purchased there.

Either way, both quads will be very reliable. The Yamaha will have much more power and a better ride.

 

Do not think about the 750 King Quad, it feels soft but less "top heavy" than the Yam and seems lower, but the frame will not stand towing heavy loads. A problem with IRS quads is there has to be some direct relationship with the road, and on both KQ and Yam this is done by fitting a rear anti-roll bar. Suzuki must have found it still rolled too much and ended up with a tubular bar, which has no give so acts like a swinging arm (rather defeating the point of IRS) but the frame is too weak round the roll bar mounts, and you end up with two bits of lower frame tube dangling off the anti-roll bar. I've not ridden a big Grizzly but the 550 seems a bit big and numb compared to the Hondas. The main problem with the Honda is that extremely complex gearbox and accompanying electronics. Honda can "lay eggs" with regards to reliability, we are still suffering the effects of fixing the awful old model 420 rear axles. The DCT auto seems to be reliable, so far.

Regarding power, it depends on how much you really need, Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha all make a lot of bikes in the 400 to 500 range, presumably because most buyers find that size powerful enough.

 

I've not had any frame problems with my 2009 KQ750 when towing heavy loads. I have towed a 16' lowboy trailer with two rows of 50# square bales with no problems. Now the back end does squat, but I put the shocks on the hardest setting when doing this and it works good. I've towed many things since buying it new and towed in some tough situations at the deer lease with no problems.

 

We have sold about twelve 450 King Quads, a couple of 700s and one 750. All have broken their frames round the anti roll bar mounting, and several 450s have broken lower frame tubes at foot peg mounts and near the front lower A arms, one of the 700s broke in two. A testament to how much the owners like them is several still bought new ones. So far the 500 seems slightly less prone to frame cracks, but some of them have cracked round the roll bar mounts.

I was severely testing fate with "The DCT auto seems to be reliable, so far" as the only DCT 420 we have sold came in yesterday, jammed in gear.

 

The dct auto honda has now is something they're really proud of. Its great when it works because it allows you to either let the machine shift for you or you can opt for push button electric shifting. But sooner or later, its going to need service. And unlike a cvt auto that only needs a $100 belt replaced, the dct auto will cost a lot more to fix. That is quite unfortunate that Suzuki still hasn't addressed the weak frame issue in the King Quad. I've never really entertained the idea of buying one and hearing this I'll steer clear of them.

 

I can only go off of my experience with mine that I purchased new in 2009. I have used it since then on the farm for towing, at the deer lease for towing, trail riding, off camber riding and mud ridding and it has held up flawlessly. Maybe others are ridding their like they stole them, but I don't baby mine nor abuse it. I use is as it was intended.