I am looking for an honest opinion on the new Kodiak. I am selling a sport machine, to buy a four wheel drive machine. I am leaning towards the Polaris Sportsman 500, but the Kodiak has really sparked some interest. I like Polaris, but am willing to give Yamaha a try. I know they are reliable and built well. Will I have problems keeping up with the Sportsman on the trails? Does it have good power and throttle response. Will I be able to pull my 16 foot Tracker boat around the yard? Will I get stuck when I am hunting? This is a very hard decision for me, because I like the Sportsman a lot. I have plenty of riding time on one, but have never ridden a Kodiak or even seen one on the trail yet.

 

There are a well built machine. I pull a 16' lowboy and the only problem is trying to stop the bike with a lot of weight it easy to get started, plenty of power. It is sporty to ride and easy to handle. As for as getting stuck I think that you would have no problems, just use the front brake a little and the wheels pull even. I have rode with other machines and have no problems keeping up. The only problem might be at top speeds. When you get a chance take a ride on one I think it will suprise you. We went to buy 2 Grizzlys and ended up with 2 Kodiaks we both love our bikes!

 

My friend just bought a 2000 Kodiak and we went riding and swaped bikes for a while.My bike is 5mph faster but we had a hard time finding a place to open them up so do not go by that.The SP has a smoother ride and his bike was better at high speed trail riding because of the smaller size and in 2wd mode could really fish tail nice around corners with less effort.The 500 will out accelerate the 400 but the number of places he would need the extra squeeze of the throttle is not worth talking about on our trails.I liked the looks of his bike better especially in that Yamaha blue which is the nicest color I have ever seen on a bike.I don't think I will ever be going places where he can't follow.

 

Thanks a lot for the responses. I have a lot of considering to do. I will let you know how it turned out.

 

I have never driven a Kodiak but have heard nothing but great reports coming from owners,magazines(ATV Action October '99 Issue shootout against polaris explorer 400,Kawasaki Prairie 400)ATV Magazines ATV of the Year.I know when I can find the extra ca$h I will be purchasing one for my wife,so she can go riding with me and the Grizz!Just my opinon,Good Luck!!

 

If you are selling a sport machine and getting a utility i would stay away from the sp500. Independent rear suspension is killer for work but unstable for play. I would look at the magnum 500 if you like polaris. I personaly have a Y2K Kodiak and Y2K Grizz BOTH have been trouble free. I personaly prefer the grizz never a lack of power. I think that yamaha and polaris are very comparable the main diffrence being yamaha has
taken polaris's auto and MAJORLY improved it. I have never heard of a yamaha belt problem. Yamahas suspension seems more sport tuned compared to polaris's super soft ride. Overall i dont think you could go wrong with ither.

 

Unsable in play?When did that happen?

 

I am in the same situation. The reason I like Polaris though, is because when it is in 4-wheel drive all 4 wheels pull. Is the Kodiak the same way? And does the Kodiak have the 2-wheel drive option?

 

I own a 00 Kodiak and I am very pleased with it. As for the Kodiak 4x4 system compared to the Polaris, the Kodiak is at a disadvantage. The Polaris system drives ALL 4 WHEELS and works very well. The Kodiak will spin the wheel with the least amount of traction. I haven't found this to be a problem though. The On Command 4X4 system on my Kodiak has worked flawlessly. When you switch from 2 to 4 wheel drive a servo motor in the front diffential engages the front end. Hope this helps, I'm sure either quad would suit your needs.

 

I own a y2kodiak and am extremely pleased. I have some buddies who now want to trade their Kawasaki and Polaris on one. Yamaha claims that their 4x4 is more reliable than polaris due to a different system that doesn't utilize magnets. I've never been stuck in mud or deep snow on mine. My buddy has a Polaris and it has been a good quad although he said he's had some belt slippage and replaced a lot of chains(it has 3), cogs and bearings.