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Shop around, mainly for 4x4 ATV seekers...Jul 04 '00 (Updated Mar 26 '01) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Bottom line is, research all avenues, check into every detail thoroughly and remember, just because your friend says it's a good machine, doesn't make it a good machine for you. I think phungus did a great job on his review, but there are a few things I wanted to add so I'm writing my own review. Well here goes........ Where will you ride? During my time in military and shortly there after, I had the opportunity to travel all over the U.S. From the desserts to mountains, trails to sand dunes, I found there were many different terrains to consider when riding an ATV. Outside of stating the obvious, I guess what I'm trying to say is that the location and the terrain you'll be riding on is probably just as important as what you'll be using the four-wheeler for when deciding which type to buy. If you live in the dessert and your looking for a sport machine, then you can pretty much rule out any of the overweight, powerful, 4x4 machines such as the Polaris Magnum and sportsman series, the Arctic Cat utility series, Yamaha Grizzly 600cc, etc (which just so happen to be the most expensive, roughly $6000-$7500 new). In this case you may want to consider the Yamaha Banshee, Honda 400EX, Bombardier 650DS, etc. These ATVs are light weight, have great suspension (especially the DS650!), and really get up and go. Therefore they would be great machines to go dune hopping on. On the other hand, if you live on a farm or out in the country, you may want to consider a utility machine that can haul a trailer using a tow hitch, or pull logs, etc using a winch. These machines are also good for hunting and camping because of the decent amount of front and rear rack space that they offer for hauling supplies. In this case, the Polaris Sportsman/Magnum series, Arctic Cat utility series, Yamaha Grizzly, etc. may be more appropriate. Those of us who live in the hills (PA,WV,NY,TN,CO,MT,SD,ND,CA,etc...), we also have unique challenges to face. I personally find the 4x4 function of my Polaris Scrambler 400 ATV to be an absolute dream. There are very few two-wheel drive machines that can go where my machine will go. Here in Potter County, PA it is very muddy and wet in the spring/summer/fall and also the hills are very steep. Although there are alternate trail routes that the motorcycles and two-wheel drive ATVs have carved out to get to the top of the hills, there's no better way to get there then straight up! Also, you have to look at the many features these machines offer. For instance, the Polaris Sportsman/Magnum series ATVs ride like Cadillacs! They have great suspension (independent front and rear), plenty of power in the 500cc class (335cc has a lot less power), and can perform any utility function that you can imagine. The draw backs are that, number one, they are extremely expensive! I believe a Polaris 500cc Sportsman 4x4 ATV is currently going for a little over $7000.00 compared to a Yamaha Banshee, which I believe has an MSRP of around $5500!! That's quite a large chunk of change if you ask me. Second, the machine is extremely heavy, it weighs in at nearly 700 lbs! Which makes transporting the machine very difficult and also slows it down (top speed is realistically 48-54 mph, maybe 56+ going down hill, or so my friends claim :-). But, as stated before, if you want the ultimate utility machine and you are willing to pay for it, this is the ATV for you. Other features I would recommend looking into if your looking for a four-wheel drive ATV are whether or not it is full time four-wheel drive or on demand four-wheel drive. Also, whether or not it is a "true" four wheel drive or not (Do all four wheels provide torque?). As you have already noticed from the previous paragraphs, I'm very fond of the Polaris 4x4 ATVs. I have been shopping for an ATV for over a year now. I used to own ATVs like the Suzuki quad racer, 400EX, etc. while I lived in Alaska, but I found through research that these machines would not suit my needs here in PA. All in all, you should weigh all the facts before deciding on an ATV. There's no use in buying, let's say, a 200cc Blaster, or a Warrior when you need an ATV that you want for hunting/fishing and utility use and you live in a very mountainous area just to save a few bucks (it would actually amount to a few thousand dollars!). You may save money but you'll never get performance out of the machine that you were initially looking for. For those with a limited budget, never fear!! Just because you don't have $7000+ laying around to put into an ATV doesn't mean you can't own a 4x4 utility machine. There are other sensible options other then the Polaris Sportsman/Magnum 500cc, Yamaha Grizzly 600 etc. If you willing to give up a little power, you can climb onto a 335cc Polaris 4x4 Sportsman or an Arctic Cat series 4x4 for around $1500 to $2000 less. My main advise to you when shopping for an ATV is to SHOP AROUND! Don't let a dealer talk you into something that's not right for you, you'll regret it in the long run. Talk to someone that already owns an ATV in your area (the "in your area" part of this suggestion is the most important part!). There's no use in talking to someone who rides ATVs in Arizona, when your looking for an ATV to use in Maine or visa versa. Compare all the models and decide whether the more expensive ones are worth it to you or not. Remember, if you buy a Yamaha Banshee and you have future needs for a utility machine to tow a trailer, push a plow or drag some dead trees off you property, then you may be wasting your money. One thing about the ATV industry is that if you stick with big name companies (Yamaha, Polaris, Arctic Cat, Honda, Suzuki,even Bombardier) and you stick with an ATV model from these companies that they've been producing for many years now, then you are sure to get what you pay for. For example, if you pay $1000 less for one model versus another similar model from another company, then there are probably options you are overlooking(i.e. full time four-wheel drive Vs on-demand four-wheel drive, true four-wheel drive Vs the traditional "slip differential" four wheel drive, accessories such as racks, speedometer, hitches, winches, etc.). Contact me, I'd be glade to hear from you! If you have any questions regarding ATVs and you'd like to ask me, I'd be more then happy to answer them as best that I can. Just e-mail me at jdedik@excite.com and also, be sure to check out my epinion on Buying a New ATV. This gives a pretty good summary of my total ATV buying exerience. Good luck, god bless and many happy and safe trails to all!  |
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