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Bought a new 600 Polaris eleven years ago. Run tracks in the winter, factory tires in the summer. If you install mud tires and go looking for a challenge then you will have problems with most any make sooner or later. I have blown a couple of belts over the years and now carry a spare, but anyone can hop on and drive without learning how to use a clutch and gears.
Around here the bike gets used 12 months of the year, often by visitors. My next bike will be a smaller (500) Polaris....
dad is selling a 2002 Honda rubicon fourman 500 .4x4 with all the goodys .let me know if you want more info Dutch
I always get a kick out of reading the threads having to do with Opinion. How 1 brand is better then the other, how so many cc's is better then another amount and the classic one about guys saying they pull moose out of the bush with their small-mid size quad without help....
Here's what I can tell you. At our moose camp we have Honda's, Yamaha's, Suzuki and Arctic Cat. No one has ever experienced an issue with their quad.
Some guys don't do any work with theirs and some guys do all the work. Half the bikes are road queens...
No one, weather big quad or small quad has the ability to pull an adult moose out of the bush we hunt on their own. Hell I can pull a moose down a gravel road with a rope around my waist but that to me doesn't qualify as bush... I posted video about this last year and asked other guys to do the same, no one did...
You can never go wrong with more power so in my mind, bigger is better. Regardless of how big you go, your quad will still fit in the bed of your truck.
The limitations of where a quad can and can't go versus another quad is usually determined by 3 factors. Tires, horsepower and 4x4 capability.
As for longevity, I believe it comes down to how the machine was treated as opposed to who made it.... Every quad will fail under certain circumstances....
If I was in your shoes I'd really focus on the condition of the machine to see how it's been used and do a compression test and a road test. I would put a lot more merit on those guidelines then who made the machine...
one thing i would suggest is power steering , i wish i had it on mine , next machine i buy will have it for sure
If you want to see some quads working go to page 2 and click on my videos....
http://www.oodmag.com/community/show...moose!!!/page2
I've pushed small bikes out of holes lots. One time buddy got stuck in his Kawi in a deep hole. His son tried pulling him out with a Yamaha 350. It wouldn't budge. I pulled him out with my 700 like it wasn't even there. He is on this board and can confirm this if he reads this.
There's definitely a difference in capabilities between small and large bikes but as they say, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink..lol.
I have a friend on this forum with a brand new Honda just over 400 cc's. Small Honda doesn't compare to my ac700 in snow or on ice. the reason? I have better tires and way more power.... It has nothing to do with the makes of the machines...
You know I have to recommend a 3 wheeler! Those 3 factors are great, but a trike will have a much smaller turning radius, doesn't need 4x4 and will take alot less room in the bed of your truck. For hunting woods without trails, many will agree a 3 wheeler is your best choice.Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffBondar
Find a shaft driven Honda BigRed if you can, they can haul quite a bit.
Well, sorry to bust your bubble but I have done it several times with a Yamaha Big Bear 350. One time on a particular large cow we had to actually sit a guy on the front rack to keep the front end down. It was a bit hairy but we got the moose out across a cut to the road. All you need is traction and with ITP Mudlites there is plenty of that. Choose to believe what you want but someday you may accumulate enough experience to even do it yourself.......:rolleye:Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffBondar
In fact many years ago we actually dragged moose with 2 wheel drived Honda Big Red trikes and I think they were only 250cc but that is a long time ago I forget and it wasn't my bike. By all means do carry on with your "experience" though.
Where's the proof? Did you even look at the videos I posted? It is at times impossible to drive with an empty quad let alone with a 1000# moose attached. Like I said, "the bush" for me is not a gravel road. "The bush" would not allow for someone to sit on the front rack. You claims are however enjoyable to read, like a 1/2 tonne pulling an 18 wheeler rig down the highway....Quote:
Originally Posted by terrym