Hey All,

New to the forum and to the sport! Looking at getting an entry level atv and I see the best deals are on these models... I had a little Yamaha Blaster but sold it and am now looking for an upgrade.

My questions:

How does the Yamaha Kodiak 450 compare to the Polaris models? I assume the 570 has more pickup and power, but how does the 450HO compare? It would be basically for field or trail riding...

The Yamaha 450 is about $500 more than a 570 so price is definitely a factor... Thanks!

 

Friend of mine loves his 450 HO , so, if price is a factor, you should look at one of those. Personally, I'd never touch another Polaris, as I had a bad experience with a money pit one. But they do have nice features, maybe the best ride. Yamaha, you might be paying a bit for the name, I'd be inclined to spend a few more bucks for the Yamaha

 

thanks for the info! Do you know what the acceleration is like comparing the 450HO and the Kodiak? I'm not an engine guy, so I assume they are similar but that is also a factor. I don't care so much about top speed, I just want the pickup and go. Thanks!

 

I bought a Kodiak 450 back in 2004 and am still riding it - had it out this morning plowing snow. It's been a great vehicle for us. Not sure how to address you question about acceleration - it is great for me but remember that they aren't designed as much for speed as for utility and ruggedness.

 

Don't know about the new Kodiak, but old ones never seemed to have the variator ratio just right, they seemed to change up at higher revs than they should, so acceleration wasn't good, the 550 Grizzly was much better that way, certainly it will be totally different to a Blaster. Best way is to try one and see.

 

I'd look at the Can Am Outlander 450L as well too. Its got more power than either of the other 450 models and is about the same price. I know a co-worker who has a dps model and really likes his and is really impressed with the power. Arctic Cat has the VLX 700. Its a lot like some older quads in that it doesn't have a speedometer or odometer, only a neutral light on the dash. If not having a full display dash is ok, its quite a bargain. Its a 700cc quad that costs about the same as the 450cc models. You get a lot more power for the money. With Textron having bought out Arctic Cat earlier this year, most of the 2017 Arctic Cat models I have noticed are getting discounted to make way for the 2018 Textron models. Many of them are basically the same model, just with the Textron name instead of Arctic Cat.

 

I have the 2018 Kodiak 450 and my cousin has the polaris 570 and we raced and I kept up right side by side with him the whole time during the take off