I watche that same video myself last night. I like the looks of the Kodiak 450, especially this special edition model with eps and the nice wheel and tire combo, which probably adds 2K to the price. By that point, you lose the bargain aspect of the machine. Its a good contender in the 450cc class but if that's what class machine I were going to get, I'd probably give the Outlander 450L a slight edge since it has considerably more power. It doesn't have traditional diff-lock but does have the visco-lock system which in most cases seems to work pretty well. I'm disappointed that Kawasaki never built a Brute Force in the 450-500cc class. You either have the small Brute Force 300 or you step up to the 750 now.

 

It's a 2016, so it's being sold at a reduced price, not much more than what I can buy a 2018 Base Kodiak for.
The 450 Kodiak has a 1,322 Lb towing capacity, so it's probably a good little worker but if you look under the front ends of 450 Kodiak and the 700 Kodiak side by side, you can see the real difference in the "A" arms and the ground clearance. For off-trail overland riding, this is something to consider.

 

i haven't been on this site for months.. but I for one as a proud owner of a 2007 Grizzly 450 would NEVER buy this 2018 Kodiak 450.

My reasons:
1) NO DIFF LOCK!
2) It is basically the exact same size as a Kodiak 700 - I'd just get the 700.

Yes the 700 cost more but I'd get the 700 SE with Diff lock.. the new 450 is NOT the small 450 from 2014 and older... so why bother.. I bought my Grizz 450 because of the size and difflock


So when it comes time to replace my 2007 Grizz 450 it will be one of 3 Yamaha Vehicles

1: Kodiak 700 SE w/EPS and Diff-lock
2: Grizzly 700 w/EPS
3: Wolverine 2x when Yamaha stuffs the new 847cc twin in it... Though I'd buy just a regular 2 seater with the 708cc single..

 

No, it isn't. The Rancher is the same size as the Foreman, and the Polaris Sportsman 450 and 570 are the same size. Yamaha uses the size difference between the 450 and 700 as a selling point. When you look at the Kodiak 450 and 700 side by side and underneath, you'll see that they are different machines. The 700 has a more heavy duty undercarriage from what I can see, and it IS larger. You can compare the specs on Yamaha's website.
https://www.yamahamotorsports.com/ut...els/kodiak-450
I think the 450 Kodiak is meant to compete with the Honda Rancher.

 

Yes it is.. But then again I have not been to a Yamaha dealer to see a 2018 Kodiak 450 right next to a 2018 Kodiak 700.

But on Yamaha's website when you compare a 2018 Kodiak 450 EPS vs a 2018 Kodiak 700 EPS here are the dimensions:

Kodiak 450 EPS L x W x H 80.1 in x 46.5 in x 45.7 in
Kodiak 700 EPS L x W x H 81.5 in x 46.5 in x 48.8 in

• Difference in Length = 1.4 inches
• Difference in Width = ZERO
• Difference in Height = 2.3 inches

So as far as I am concerned they Basically the exact same size.. Here is the link to Yamaha's website where I got my information

https://www.yamahamotorsports.com/ut...0ab6452c55d27e

So yes.. yes they are BASICALLY the same size...

 

^^^ I DID compare the Kodiak 450 and 700 side by side in a dealer's showroom. They're completely different machines. Look underneath at the suspension and control linkage. Sit on them and bounce around. The 450 feels and looks smaller. The bodies are different too with different locations for battery, fuel, storage, ect. The 450 looks like a nice ATV but to me the 700 looks a lot stronger.

 

Do yourself a favor and look at the Kymco lineup, they are not Chinese made but are designed and engineered by American engineers and quality control is also done by American inginiuty, they are produced in Tiawan but there quality is second to none. They have a 433cc efi engine that is one of the fastest in its class and has a reputation for being very reliable. I have this same engine in my UTV and it runs very well and is quite fast for its size. 2yrs and 800 miles =O issues! They have factory service here in the USA...fast growing company, been building quality offroad machines for more than 20 yrs.

 

^^^ Thanks for the suggestion but I checked, and none of my local dealers sell Kymco ATVs.

 

Kymco builds the 450cc and 700cc singles for Arctic Cat. The Prowler 500 for example, is basically an identical machine to the Kymco 450i utv. Same goes for the 450cc and 700cc Arctic Cat Alterra atvs, basically identical to the Kymco models. At one time, the Kymco versions were noticeably less expensive but with Textron buying out Arctic Cat earlier this year, the remaining Arctic Cat stock has been discounted quite a bit. The 2017 models are still Arctic Cat, they are Textron models for 2018. If your local Arctic Cat dealer still has 2016 and 2017 new Arctic Cat models in stock, you should be able to score a good deal.

 

^^^ Earlier this year a northern Michigan dealer was selling Arctic Cat 500 ATVs for $5,000.00 OTD. I've looked at them but I was more impressed with the way Hondas and Yamahas are built. I'll wait and see what Textron is going to do with the ATVs.