ATV's

[del4]

I'm in the market for four wheelers. I was looking at the artic cats at BPS. The next day I was telling someone about them and he said I should buy Honda.
He said Honda is the only brand that will have any service support after the warrantee runs out.
Is this true? What are your recommendations?

 

[Barry J]

This place had a booth at the Louisiana Sportsmans Show. Never shopped there, but they had some good prices. http://www.atvzonemotorsports.com/

 

[Ritten]

I have never had a Honda dealer offer service without payment after the warranty ran out on my Foreman. That being said, the Suzuki, Yamaha, and Can-am dealer were just as willing to take my money to have after warranty services done to the bikes I've had. Honda makes a good bike, but they all have service support. Get the bike that suites your needs the best and then find a dealer who sells it that you trust. Between BR and Hammond you've got a few choices.

 

[4x4demon]

You first need to identify what it is you're going to be using the bike for. Yard work, standard utility stuff a honda will be perfect. If you want to mud ride and go deep with it, there are better options out there. Polaris, can-am, suzuki, yamaha, anything with irs and efi.

 

[drumz2129]

I'm in the market for four wheelers. I was looking at the artic cats at BPS. The next day I was telling someone about them and he said I should buy Honda.
He said Honda is the only brand that will have any service support after the warranty runs out.
Is this true? What are your recommendations?

I have had my 06 Arctic Cat 500m since new and it has been a great bike. If you are looking for a work horse definitely give them a good look at. I use it for all types of activities from work on the property (pulling a 12' trailer when trimming limbs and cutting up trees, spraying fence lines), playing in the mud and water at the ATV parks, and riding the trails at Kisatchie National Forest. The only place it doesnt shine is high speed trail cornering due to the high center of gravity and independent rear suspension but a say bar and front flex kit does help greatly.

My only concern with buying one from BPS would be after the sale support. Do they have an in house mechanic or do they send them to an outside shop? Do you have any other local AC dealers?

That line about honda being the only brand with service support post warranty is a line of bs. Unless you are capable of and willing to do all your post warranty repairs your self, your choice in what you purchase should be 50% ATV preference and 50% on the confidence you have in the dealership. Don't be afraid to ask to speak to a tech or two and check our the shop.

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

So your saying Honda offers free maintenance for life? Does that make sense? How do people that repair Honda make a living? I think any ATV manufacture will provide you with all the product support you are willing to pay for after your Warranty Expires.

 

[Jack]

So your saying Honda offers free maintenance for life? Does that make sense? How do people that repair Honda make a living? I think any ATV manufacture will provide you with all the product support you are willing to pay for after your Warranty Expires.

I think he means Honda is the only one that has support in terms o mechanics available, not free service.

 

[del4]

Jack is correct.

The guy I was talking to was referring to techs were not willing to work on older models and parts were unavailable.

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

From a biz standpoint that doesn't make sense either.

 

[Dishonored]

Hondas are good most hunters I know use a Yamaha and Honda. Suzuki is very good as well. I would stay away from Polaris and Arctic Cat. Pain in the ass to work on. I worked part time in a local ATv shop (Ray Kelly in Saint Amant). My buddy owns St.Amant Cycles and he has told me they are a pain in the ass to service and repair. I mean, you have to take the gas tank off to change a spark plug on them. Which means taking off the front fenders and rack on some models.

Can-Am is argued to be the best. For a reason, they are very good bikes with loads of power and reliability. Parts are not cheap if you have to pay for them later down the road. (Everything eventually breaks, repairs are inevitable)
Averaging double what the other manufactures cost.

I went with a Yamaha after a couple months of looking and the ultranationalist tranny was nice at first but I felt it limited power after owning it a little while. A friend had a 400 big bear and had more noticeable power delivery than my grizzly 450.

Honda would have been my top pick if they were to have offered the IRS on the bike I wanted. If I were to choose again I would look at Honda or Suzuki. Unless I went with the big bear.
If you do not need a 4x4 the Suzuki ozark 4x2 (my dad owns), is a sweet little bike. It is a 2007 and other than regular service has never had an issue. It is very agile, light and has plenty of power for a little bike. Has pulled a many of deer out of places my big 450 couldn't go. It is also still fun to play on some. Has a quad runner suspension setup.

Good luck on your purchase.

 

[CrkdLtr]

I like my Hondas but only if their foot shift. I do not like their Automatic Transmissions. Lots of horror stories there.

Yamaha/Polaris/CanAm - all use a CVT transmission (rubber belt that slips on a pully as RPM increases/decreases). Pros and Cons there as well. Some Yamahas can be had in foot shift.

Just depends on what your pocket book can afford. Most all ATVs are good. Just make sure you get the right size with what you want to do so you're not trying to upgrade it later. Don't cheap out and get a 2wd. You want 4wd even if you never use it because you will need it one day.

Make sure you get no less than a 5000 pound winch. You'll need that extra pulling power at some point.

 

[drumz2129]

I would stay away from Polaris and Arctic Cat. Pain in the ass to work on. I worked part time in a local ATv shop (Ray Kelly in Saint Amant). My buddy owns St.Amant Cycles and he has told me they are a pain in the ass to service and repair. I mean, you have to take the gas tank off to change a spark plug on them. Which means taking off the front fenders and rack on some models.

I won't speak for the Polaris, but your buddy's statement is false when it comes to Arctic Cat ATVs. On ALL arctic cats 2006 and newer, 400cc and UP, the gas tank is under the rear rack of the atv (to keep center of gravity down) and there is no way it would interfere with changing a spark plug. All that is required in changing a plug is removing the seat, pop off a side cover and unplug the boot. Even on my dad's '99 454 bear cat with the tank above the motor, the spark plug is easily accessible.

Of all the ATVs I have worked on, including Hondas, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki, IMO arctic cats are some of the easiest atvs to work on. They are larger and have more room under the plastics, it is not jam packed under there like sardines in a can.

 

[Dishonored]

Depending on models... Keyword.
My statement about the spark plug in particular is referencing the Polaris. Arctic Cat has other problems.

 

[drumz2129]

I like my Hondas but only if their foot shift. I do not like their Automatic Transmissions. Lots of horror stories there.

That is why I went with 500cc on my arctic cat, it was the largest motor they offered with a manual transmission.

Yamaha/Polaris/CanAm - all use a CVT transmission (rubber belt that slips on a pully as RPM increases/decreases). Pros and Cons there as well. Some Yamahas can be had in foot shift.

When it comes to belt drive CVT transmissions on ATVs there are two main types:
Kawasaki, Can-am, and Polaris use a what can be described as a 'slip and go' type belt setup. The primary sheave is coupled directly to the crank shaft of the motor, at an idle the sheave is opened up and allows the belt to remain stationary as the sheave spins with out gripping the belt. As RPMs increase, weights close the gap in the primary sheave, engaging the belt the belt and in turn transmitting power to the secondary sheave then through the final drive. This is simpler setup but requires more maintenance and tends to be harder on the belt.

The type of belt setup that Yamaha, Suzuki, and Arctic Cat uses has a primary wet clutch that transmits power from the crank shaft to the primary sheave. This wet clutch is just like what is used on manual foot shift transmissions that have no hand lever to operate the clutch (mainly racing bikes). At an idle, the primary sheave does not spin because the weights in the wet clutch pull in. This lets the belt stays engaged to the primary sheave and allows smoother take offs with less shock being placed on the belt and a greatly reduced chance of slipping.

Just depends on what your pocket book can afford. Most all ATVs are good. Just make sure you get the right size with what you want to do so you're not trying to upgrade it later. Don't cheap out and get a 2wd. You want 4wd even if you never use it because you will need it one day.

 

[drumz2129]

as in?

 

[Dishonored]

The Bevel gears.
Electrical problems. (Ever pay attention to how they run the harness on those bikes?)
Seen lots of issues with the diff seals and 4x4 actuators.

Not to mention getting warranty work done by most dealerships. Especially bass pro. Their service for bikes and boats suck.

 

[6cyclone6]

I like the Hondas. The are reliable, easy to find parts for, great dealer network, and great resale value should you need to dump it in the future. That being said, if you want something to dump in deep mud and not do much else, the are options from others that are better suited. I like the simplicity of the manual non cvt, shaft drive solid axle arrangement. It really depends on what matters to you, and what you are looking to use it for though.

 

[edman87k5]

It's not whether you CAN get them serviced or not because all the big brands you can buy every piece, its how often they will fail and how bad it will hit your wallet.
I have never had an artic cat, but have seen a lot of them with blown motors and very low hours. I dont have a lot of experience with the newer bikes as I got away from atvs about 8 years ago, but I loved my old polaris. At the time it came with stuff that cost a lot extra on others (real 4wd, stick stoppers, floorboards, decent factory tires, etc). I have had honda, yamaha, an old suzuki, and kawasaki too. some 4wd,, some sport bikes.
If you are looking to buy new, it is basicly like a car. Look at what is for sale that is 2-3 years old and see how bad the value has fallen. Get on the forums and see what models seem to have more problems than others.
What do you want to do with it? Deep mud? Big power? Durable? Comfortable? Fast? There really isnt any that does all things best, but if you prioritize, you can narrow the field down. Are you wanting the full auto? Belt drive or?
It is hard to beat a honda if you are going to leave it close to stock as far as utility bikes go. Get a honda with manual shift, put better tires on it and forget about it. If you want to mod it for huge power or deer water and mud, there are a lot better choices out there.

 

[del4]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm just going to get a straight forward 2wd. I just want to do some mild trail riding with my daughters.

I have two daughters 12 & 13. Can they ride on their own with me on another four wheeler?

 

[sandman7925]

New big bear 400's can still be had. That's the one.