Well guys I have narrowed it down to a Yamaha I went to look at them at the local dealer and they are sweet the only thing I don't like about the Kodiak is no low range that is why I thought Big Bear ,but its not liquid cooled like I wanted but I would like a auto. I also looked at the Wolverine and considered it too. Most of the riding I do will be in pretty good mud and some water crossings and steep hills so I got to have some breaking to get down the other side. Help me out guys.

 

BigBear and wolverine are out if you want an auto. All three machines are very capable of doing what you want to do, and they will all do it well. You've got to decide what you want though. If your also looking for speed count the BigBear out it's not geared for high speed. I like the Kodiak but pushed toward the Wolverine or BigBear due to my fear of the belt and having to maybe deal with slippage issues. But thats just me. The Wolverine has taller gears then the BigBear and is locked in 4wd. The BigBear has in and out 4wd as does the Kodiak. The Kodiak does not have a low range because it really does not need it. My BigBear can crawl down an incline at a pace slower then a turtle. I can't tell you about the others. Best thing to do is ride all three and try to get your pros and cons out of each machine for your kind of riding. If money plays into it at all the BigBear is priced right and will do just about anything you ask it too. Good luck with whatever you get. I'm sure you'll be happy with whatever it is.

 

When did they put low range back on the Big Bear. My buddy has a 00 it doesn't have low range. I just checked the Yamaha site and couldn't find any mention of low range on the BB anywhere. I know here in Canada there is a Big Bear Professional that has the low range or at least did.

 

An 02 US BigBear does not have low range the 1st and 2nd gear are low enough you would never need it.

 

Muddman,

The Kodiak 450 has a low range. You must have been looking at the Kodiak 400.

If you buy an older Kodiak 400 like the 2001 then you will have both a low and high range.

/NotuRaptor

 

The 02 also have Hi/Low Range. No diff-lock though.

 

My wife and I just bought two kodiaks. I got the 450 and she got a 400. I was also concerned about the 400 not having lo range when we bought hers. If your only concern with not having lo range is engine breaking don't worry. We both rode auto clutch 5 speed hondas before we bought the kodiaks and wondered about engine breaking with an automatic. I am very impressed with yamaha's system. We haven't ridden on any really steep hills with them yet but so far I haven't put mine in lo range for trail riding. I think the biggest use for lo range is for utility work or if you put oversize tires on for deep mud or snow.
I read a recent magazine article where they tested the 400 kodiak and commented on no lo range. They were concerned about not making it up steep hills without the lo range. They ended the test without being able to find a hill that it wouldn't go up[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] Good Luck and have fun shopping!

 

I could with the 450 because I want a auto ,and if if ever did go with bigger tires I would have low range and it has the locking front differential. I know it is a little more that the 400. Is it worth that much more only about 20 more cc's and a locking front and low range and digital guages. Thanks and what is the top speed of a 400 and a 450 kodiak. Also how much did yall pay for your Kodiaks

 

And a rear disk brake instead of drum also.

 

I paid $5499.00 Out the door with a plow for my 400 4x4.

As far as the auto tranny on the Kodiak, I have been in water up to my seat with no slippage at all. I believe Yamaha uses a notched belt which would help significantly with any belt slippage. This is my first bike with an Automatic Transmission and I will never go back to manual shifting, I don't miss it one bit. That's my personal preference though. The auto tranny stay's right in the sweet spot of the powerband in whatever riding situation you are in.

The engine breaking from my experience is just as good as any auto/manual ATV engine breaking I have ridden in the past. As far as top end speed, there is no difference from what I can tell from the 400 to the 450, although the 450 obviously would have a little more overall power. I have the 2003 Kodiak 400, my Buddy has the 2003 450, we haven't been able to tell any difference in speed between the two when out riding.

Bottom Line, make sure you ride all three. Before I bought my Kodiak, I was dead set on getting a Wolverine. That was until I was able to ride both the kodiak and wolverine together and compare the two. After riding both, I liked the automatic transmission, and didn't like the fact that you could not take the Wolverine out of four wheel drive. I ended up changing my mind and buying the Kodiak. I use mine for trail riding.