Looking for a used quad

I was on my Foreman today yarding some oak up out of the draw with a snatch block.
Still amazes me what that machine can pull provided ground conditions are in its favor

 

Actually the gear lever and handlebar wear are really good indicators, I agree.

Used ads frequently advertise "new" tires but not the other things.

 

tires on quads especially the OEMS are a consumable. I wore the front Dunlops off mine with under 600mi - asphalt does that to them.
Found a used set of maxis bighorns mounted on ITP wheels and they wear like iron

 

You will wear out ATV tires on the road in like a year. I have worn mine out from about half tread in about 3 years of very light riding mostly streets. They were probably 10 years old or original though when I did that. So yes they will wear out in a year on the street. But you can also buy new tires and tires mean nothing to me, since old men drive them on the road too and the street don't care of your 8 or 80 it wears um out. I wore mine out but didn't abuse the atv.

 

I have heard that. There also pricey

 

2003
Didn't know anything about quads when I got it. I knew Yamaha made good machines. But after riding a Polaris, I couldn't stand to ride the Kodiak again. What a gut busting ride!

 

When I go look at a quad I couldn't care less if it has worn tires, seat, hand grips, etc...all of that stuff can be torn up pretty quickly and doesn't necessarily mean abuse or automatically send up a red flag for me. If the bike is torn up and dirty I figure, "hey, they aren't trying to hide anything" and then it is up to me to evaluate if it is still a good deal for the price or not.
On the other hand, it may be spotless and look new, sounds good right? Well, to me it depends, it may have been cleaned up and "reconditioned" (cosmetically) by someone who is really good. Someone who is very familiar with this stuff can tell the difference between a low hour creampuff or a reconditioned bike...but the average person very well may not.
A little tip I like to give people when they are going to check out a used quad is to look at it underneath...closely. Get the owners permission to stand it up (you will probably need help too) Turn off the fuel valve if it has one, set the parking brake, grab the front bumper and pick up the front end, standing it straight up onto the rear grab bar, this won't hurt a thing (it will stand there like that just fine, but just know that it may pee a few ounces of fuel out of the carb vent line)
Now you can really check things out, even a reconditioned bike very seldom has been spruced up much on the bottom. You can tell if it has been mudded hard, they are often still mud packed or mud stained "up underneath", stand back and look at the frame, anything bent? I have found more than one tweaked frame this way. It will allow you to check wheel/axle bearings, suspension linkages and bushings/bearings, steering joints, engine cases (leaks?) differential seals, CV joints, etc. Good time to check the serial number and year tag too. Does everything match the title? (Four wheeler theft is common) I can't count the number of times I have found the bike was actually older than the owner said. (honest mistake, or not?) Some models look about the same for years so it can be hard to tell without checking the ID tag. I just recently bought a bike that turned out to be two years older than was advertised. (it was still a good deal)
Obviously you still need to ride it to check the engine, transmission, clutch, etc, etc.
Sorry, got long winded...anyways, my two cents on the matter...

 

Another thing is to pay attention to the condition of their other equipment/vehicles. May not tell if it had been run hard but can tell you a lot on maintenence. You would be suprised on how many vehicles for sale are seriously low on oil or the oil looks like tar.

Gary

 

4 wheelers have titles?? I don't have one for mine if you asked me about one I would tell you I don't have one and I never have. You would probalbly think I'm lieing and it's stolen. Well I'm not and it's not. I just don't have one. I'm no ATV expert, this is the only one I have owned.

 

What year is yours? The older ones didn't...but it was something like 1988 or 90 when they started, at least here in Ohio...and I thought it was nationally.
Prior to having titles there was almost nothing that could be done if your quad was stolen...many people didn't even have their serial number recorded. My nephews quad stolen right out of my garage, and he did get it back, but the sheriffs department said that happens very seldom, most of the time they were just gone. This was a case where he had bought it used from a dealer and they had the serial number listed on the bill of sale so the law had the serial number. We got it back because someone tried to resell it (supposedly the third time in a week it had been "sold") and they were asking $500 for a $2500 bike, someone went to look at it and got suspicious because of the price, called the number in to check on it and BAM, cops went and got the guy. Never did do much to him though because he agreed to rat out the guy he bought it from...but things pretty much died after that.

 

It's an 89. But even if it had one it may have stayed with the original owner or something? Cause you don't need them for anything g here...Maybe financing or something? Just like trailers, like utility trailers or whatever, titles are about pointless here, hardly anyone has them or keeps them since you don't need them here.

 

In my state, they are treated just as snowmobiles. There's no title per say. If you register a quad to ride on state land, you get a little card that has the ATVs VIN on it. If you ride on your own land, or non state land, or private trails, you used to not need to register it. That has changed though and now even if you never use it off of your land, you need a non expiring registration. I know that this last part is a newer law, and most of older ATVs not used on trails are not registered.

We keep the VIN, and a bill of sale, that's about it. Some are registered then too. Even still in Wisconsin, there are no titles for ATVs or utv's.

 

As long as you know your state's rules, regarding registration, title or not, that's all you can do. Different states have different rules.

 

I could register my atv to ride on forest service, i just never have (i dont ride there though) , well sometimes the public dirt roads behind the house but not the trails.

I have never looked into what USFS requires to register. I ride roads and on my farm when i go there. The deputies around here wave at me when i pasd them on the roads in town

 

Wasn't trying to belittle anyone else's input...if it came across that way, sorry.

Sounds like each state handles the title/registration issue on ATVs differently

 

BTW...here is the Kijiji ad.

YAMAHA KODIAK 4x4 | ATVs | Oshawa / Durham Region | Kijiji

 

Exactly. The states that require titles are pushing the barriers. Quads are not street legal, just like dirt bikes and sleds, and therefore don't come with titles. MSO is about the extent of what they get, and from there the registration takes over. If a state gives a title with registration for a new machine, then that's what they do. The problem arises when most states don't give titles upon new registration. Then there's many states that don't, or didn't used to issue registration when a machine want intended for non public trail or land use. How can you issue a new registration on a used quad that had no title ever? Or even registration? The best they can do is apply for a registration and or title and make sure it's not stolen or has a lien on it.

 

It looks like a clean machine from what I can see, although there's only 1 picture.