How could anyone take these magazine shootouts seriously as to what is the best quad?

 

You all have very valid points. I think you guys should all send emails to DW stating these very things. This may encourage them to do a "what can it really do" test.

Just my .02 of course!!

 

In the January issue they compared every quad to the 650 Prairie. They did say it was a close call between the prairie and the griz. I think in the next edition the 650 rincon will win even if it does not go as fast or does has drum brakes. DW is all about honda. I own a 650 Prairie and i truthfully believe it is better in some areas(no rev. limit in locked differential, dont have to stop to lock diff., pop wheelie over trees in the path, has the best braking power, better in deep water) and worse in others(ground clearence, slow riding suspension). DW will praise honda for anything they come up with. It is a no win situation on learning about what you want. I would like to see them all have the same bad tires and rims for a mud digging contest. I would also like to know stuff like which one has the easiest access to the oil filter and can go a whole day on one tank of gas. Or what about how good the stock air filters keep out dirt. Just a few words for ya.

Ryan

 

650mudrider,

I couldn't agree more, those types of comparisons would, I think, serve the buying publics interest better.

SilverBear

 

650 MudRider, you bring up a good point on the gas mileage. Its hard for us to compare because we all have different terrain and riding styles. But during a head-to-head comparison where all the bikes are ridden over the same trail and the riders keep switching, that would be a good fuel mileage test. I wish they would report mileage comparisons on those tests.

 

First, how many of you actually monitor fuel economy that close. I look at it from time to time, but I don't particularly pay any attention. Five bucks is five bucks. Filling up the tank doesn't exactly break the bank, and where I can go twice as far on my 300, I can have twice the fun on the 660. I think fuel economy as a valid differentiating idea is a moot point. (damn, that sounded like Tree Farmer or something, forget that I said all that)

Second, and this goes back to preference issues determining what is better or worse. I can't find any downplay to the rev limiter to the locker. I can see that point for spinning wheels in mud, but how fast can you pull them in in thick stuff before your gearing bogs? Its not a rev limiter, its a speed limiter. All of my thick mudding was done on a manual quad in first gear, because the engine bogs out in the thick stuff in a higher gear. First on my AC500 was not 20mph, thus eliminating any problems that my 660 locked speed limit might give me. On that, you can say that the AC doesn't have the power the 660 has, but then again the AC is a low geared bike with a ton of torque down low for pulling situations. (Its just not fast in racing terms) Can you get the tires to turn 30mph in thick *** gumbo mud 2 ft. deep?? I couldn't. If I shifted on up, and got them turning that fast, I was normally already high centered, and had already dug out ruts to where the tires were churning in nothing other than muddy water.

Third point- preference issue once again. You have to stop to lock the differential. Thats no different than saying you have to hold a lever all the time to keep the differential locked. Can this construe one to be better than the other?

Last- totally preference. What do you want, a soft ride through the woods or a setup that favors hard cornering and performance type riding? This depends on the person totally. Can't say the 660 is better cause it rides better. There is almost always a counterpoint to nullify the original.

What you can say is the Prairie outruns the 660 and 700, and they have more ground clearance. Most of the rest is preference for riding styles.

As far as the magazine crap goes, I think we are all pretty much on the same page there.

 

Some good points, Andy, and I agree mostly.
As far as the gas thing goes though, I'm worried about range more than dollars, even though a tank of gas is more like $20.00 here. Our trails here can go on for hundreds of miles so even day trips can go beyond a tankful. For hunting trips it can mean packing a lot of (heavy!) fuel. Getting an extra 10 or 20 miles out of a tankful can mean a few less jerry cans to pack on a trip.
Maybe I'm just spoiled by our big wilderness areas, and that's why no one else is worried about it? I'm sure there must be others who do long trips on their quads?

BTW, you mentioned that stopping to engage diff lock is no big deal. Is that because the front diff works so well in regular 4x4 mode that you don't need lock that often? I hope so, cause I would think that if you need it a lot it would be like bringing your car to a complete stop for a stop sign at every block all the way across town.

 

I always enjoy reading the shootouts. I never take them as Gospel. I think they offer decent information for people who don't know as much as others about some of the finer points of ATVing, or those that don't have the time to go out and ride 4-6 different machines. I also think the shootouts are a good place for the first time buyer to find some of the answers to some questions he/she might have.

 

YukonRon,

That's my sentiments on the fuel thing as well. When we go out and the kids are on their 90's I have to know whether to bring extra fuel, or at least a siphon hose. <g> Gas is pretty cheap down here, so price isn't an issue, but distance certainly is.

As for the diff lock, I've only had cause to even use it twice. The first time it got me out of a major jam--I was very impressed. The second time it didn't help because the main problem, reverse limiter-the the weakest link, and I couldn't get out of the mud hole due to the engine cutting out in reverse (mud was over the front racks on the Grizz, left rear wheel was in the air, so forward motion was out of the question) Just as I would start to back out of this hole, the limiter would kick in...and it was the front that was pushing the Grizz out. So I have been real happy the the 4X4 and haven't really had much need for the diff lock..although it is nice to know you have it "just in case".

SilverBear

 

Yukon- look at the original again and you will see what I was meaning. What I was saying is that criticizm of the stop to lock thing doesn't benefit a pro-kawi person anymore than "hold lock lever at all times" benefits a pro-yammer person. Having to stop is kind of a pain at times, but I don't need the locker very often at all. Most situations 4wd will get you through. The yamaha has about as bad of a limited slip as there is too.