I'm thinking about getting a couple atv's for me and the lady but the problem is, I know NOTHING about them lol. I have a lower budget so cost is important and I'm not opposed to having older rigs if necessary. Wants: 4x4, quality, parts availability, decent price. What should I be looking for as far as models, brands etc.? Any brands/models I should avoid? I don't need the most powerful beast on the planet just one that will get me to places my Bronco won't. Looking to hopefully spend under $3k on each one, closer to $2k would be SCHWEET lol Thanks guys
Good luck. We've had 3 now and all Yamaha. Been very happy with all of them. Still my favorite is a Timberwolf we bought in the early 90's (my niece still has it!). It was small but still did a good job hauling wood but was too small for jobs like plowing snow as it had no 4 wheel drive. Best thing about it was that you could still shift it rather than the automatics they all seem to have now. It was really nice for tooling around in the woods and was quiet enough that I could go right past deer that were laying down. One time I was so close I actually touched a doe as I was passing her. She did not get up either which really surprised me. If you intend to plow snow or do any heavy work then you need a 4 wheel drive; otherwise I'd not get that. btw, the one I wrote about above was only a 250 but the one we have now is a 700. Deer do not like the bigger one. We looked hard at the Honda line but they are much harsher ride so that is why we stayed with Yamaha. I think they both are about the same for how they hold up.
We bought a new Suzuki King Quad 300 in 1994 when we moved to the family farm for 13 years. It was used almost every day there. I changed the oil every once in a while along with a plug. Gave it to my son in 2010 and it still runs like a top. He loves it. Service guys like it too and say the new ones aren't built as well. Bet you could find em.
Thanks for the input guys! I'll probably only be able to afford 1 this summer and one over the winter but hope to have 2 on a trailer by next summer. Also, I don't have a garage. Any outdoor storage tips? I could probably park them under my deck and put a drainage system under to shed water away from them during the winter and do lattice around most of the sides. Gotta protect the investment
I think everyone new should start with an Honda atc 90 (look it up) to learn about pain!Older non automatic ones are less maint. and trouble,almost any yamaha is fine,stay away from anything that has been modded,early suzuki independent rear suspension ones like to flip on side hills,a lot of yamaha grizzlys have the crap run out of them.Just some thoughts from a mechanic,and my closest neighbor is an atv mechanic.
Try craigslist for sure. Yamaha, Honda, Polaris, suzuki, all pretty good. I've had all four with no complaints.
Just saw one of those on CL, a 1991 for $1900 with a rebuilt carb and new tires all around. That is right up my alley. Thanks for the suggestions everyone, it is tough to shop and hunt for stuff like this when you no nothing about what you are looking for. I took a super quick gander at an atv magazine but they seem to assume everyone has 7k to toss at one of these things and I literally just want one that works and works well lol
That is high price for oldie.Suggest spend some time on some atv forums to get a feel for pricing,ignore prices on ebay and cl,they are always high.I bought my 96 kodiak 6-7 years ago for 500.Cant kill it,just keeps going.
Thanks badbob! I'll look up some atv forums when I have time. I'm sure there are a few local ones here in CO, maybe I can find a deal if I keep my eyes out.
They really have improved the ride quality and power on the newer machines. If you are just looking for something to use around the property an older bike will be just fine. If you are going to be trail riding with others, you may want to get something newer. We had a few 4 wheelers when I was growing up. I'm pretty sure my Dad still has the Moto 4. I don't think I'd be able to ride that machine for long without needing to get put in traction! I rode a newer Honda Foreman (I think it was) and wow it soaked up bumps! It was a BIG machine though. I didn't mind the auto transmission. It was a 700cc I believe and it was NOTHING to do 50mph on it. The other bike I rode recently had a "semi automatic" i think Honda calls it. It was a manual trans, but it used an electric motor to shift. "ES" I didn't like that at all, seemed like it was never shifting when it needed to. I'm 5ft 10, around 200lbs and there wasn't much I could do to effect traction or stability.... Kinda like leaning over in your pickup truck isn't going to do much! Get stuck and it would take several guys to lift it. Used a Polaris 6x6 to skid logs a few days ago and wow its a beast! The 91 for 1900$ is expensive. I'd look into something in the late 90s for more modern design.
I paid $1,300 for my 03 Big Bear 400 4x4 with a Plow. Runs great and does all I need. I had a Honda Rubicon 500 4x4 and it was an awesome machine. But it was in a different time and things needed to be sold (08-09). Look around and any machine 300 cc and over will do a lot of work. The new machines that are over 500 cc are great ATV's, but they are mainly "dual sport". So if you want to blaze a trail also, then look at a higher displacement.
A Honda Rancher 350 is a stout little machine, very common, inexpensive, and ultra reliable. It will do anything you want to do, just not as fast as some other bikes. If not that, look for a Honda Foreman. Yes, I'm a Honda guy...and for good reason.
When you find something, pop in on here to see if the asking price is worth it, and we can certainly let you know what to look for when looking at a specific model. Good luck
I'd be looking for a Honda first, Yamaha second. Both of those have held up well for me. The Honda will have more power per cc than the yamer. I'd stay away from Arctic Cat. I had nothing but trouble with the one I had and parts were expensive.
The one like Dex has is the right way to go. Shop around. You come across one where someone needs cash. My sons have them and use them frequently. Can be a real workhorse. There are other options like:
