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what kind of 4 wheelers are the best guys

7K views 58 replies 35 participants last post by  440racer 
#1 ·
i am wanting to buy a 4 wheeler but dont know much about which ones are good and which ones are a nighmare any info helpfull thanx guys
 
#4 ·
Oh oh... now this is something I can help out with. I started to feel a little out of place in this sled forum (I have never even sat on a sled). But quads are a different story.

Lars what kind of quad are you looking for and how much riding experience do you have? One other thing to know is what kind of riding you will be doing. You won't want to get a big utility if all you do is light trail riding or get a sport quad when you live in a soggy environment.
 
#6 ·
I assume that the roads you ride are relatively smooth, but can have a few mud holes and bad conditions. So a 4x4 would answer part of the question. Since you will not be doing any tough pulling, then you can get away with a quad around 400cc. Then it comes down to what kind of transmission you want and how much money you want to spend. Honda has the 2004 Rancher AT coming out in the Spring that will have the same new transmission as the Rincon. It is an automatic transmission that shifts trough 3 gears... much like a car. Besides that, you may try looking at the Polaris Magnum 400. Both of those should do what you want. Best thing to do would be to drop by a dealer and take a ride on both models.
 
#7 ·
A polaris scrambler is also a good quad for both purposes, 4x4 2 stroke. Will get up and go, and if you run into mud or whatever you can still have 4x4. Kind of the best of both worlds, got the suspension set up of a sport quad which IMO would be best on the logging road...or trail riding for that matter.
 
#8 ·
dont forget about the Yamaha wolvarine...i meen if you want a quad that has 4wd and will boogi..the Wolvarine is a 350 fultime 4wd...but dont be fooled by the 4wd they have the same top end as a Warrior.the 1st gears on them are for pulling and stuff and the rest are for playing around so this might not be quite your looking for but it might be worth checking out.
 
#9 ·
A lot of the places i ride don't have mud. I was actually thinking of a something more along the lines of a banshee or raptor, but i've heard that its really hard to go slow with them, which would be a problem since all of our logging roads are deactivated and have cross ditches in them up to 6' deep. That scrambler sounds very interesting though.
 
#10 ·
if you looking for a sport quad, Polaris Predetor! more HP at the rear wheel than a raptor, better handling and suspension than as 400EX, and cheaper than a raptor and 300 bucks more than an 400EX. there the best sport ATV buy in my eyes.
 
#11 ·
dont forget that the predater is new and it may have bugs in it and that you may want to wait a year or to before you get a predater. the new Suzuki z400 in my opinion is the best quaud out there. It was imediatly out performing most bikes when it first came out. you might want to seriesly consider that one.
 
#12 ·
the predator has been in production for 3 years. i rode one and it is great. just no reverse. but they sell an aftermarket kit for about 300 bucks to make it reverse. And all the talk about having a weak axle and a-arms is just talk from people who jump them 50-60 feet in the air. so that will happen on any quad. Right now if i wanted a sport quad i`d get the predator. But as for a sport quad i would keep my prairie 650 tons of low end and pretty fast too. But it also will go anywhere. But if i wanted one in the middle i would go for a Sportsman 500 or a Kodiak 400 or 450(no big difference except for price). But out of all quads if i had to choose one it`d be a prairie 650 theyre awesome.(which i do own) Hope this helps a lil bit.
 
#17 ·
Originally posted by chipper10shawn
[br]They werent brought into market but they were in "Production" for 3 years.
Do you mean they were developing them for three years? Cause I highly doubt that they would produce them but wouldn't sell them. Then they would have a warehouse full of machines that range from 1-3 years old that they have to get rid of while they are trying to sell the new ones. Sounds kinda dumb to me.
 
#18 ·
i ride on alot of logging roads also as well as every other riding condition there is weather it be sand pits to the power lines and i have a 2002 scrambler 400 2x4 2-stroke and the 4x4 scramblers are a 500 4-stroke i think either one would be perfect for you no shifting involved but still has just as much bottom end as all the manual transmissons.ive put a few mods into my atv and it smokes most new 4wheelers..and the polaris 4-wheelers are the strongest out there,ive had a kid on a 2002 banshee hit me going 80 plus mph he hit my foot rest and drove right up over my front fender flip 3 times 15ft in the air and all he did to my machine was put a small dent in the foot rest and left a little rubber mark on the fender didnt brake a thing..his machine was recked..bottom line is if your looking for a kick a@@ all around atv the scrambler is your best bet,and just remember the 400 2-strokes can be modified alot more than the 500 4x4's..you can actually make the 400 scrambler smoke a stock banshee and that's all just push the gas and go power just like a sled[:)]hope this helps
 
#19 ·
i have done some research and hears what i have come up with i been hearin that the honda 400 ex is the machine i have talked to alot of people where im from and they say they are real good machines very reliable and fast what do u guys think of the 400ex
 
#20 ·
i have a buddy who has a 2002 400 ex with a few mods and im not really impressed its a nice machine but i dont like the ride all that much over the woops it either nose dives or the rear end is all over the place.out riding he cant make all the hills i can make with the scrambler and he doesnt win when we race.if you want the badest machine out there then go get a cannondale it will spank them all
 
#21 ·
400 ex is a good machine but wil get it s butt handed to it in a nice little baggy when it goes up against some of the other machines. The banshee is a good choice not much bottom end but a set of pipes will fix that. they handle well and are easy to find if your looking for used. The raptor is just as fast as the banshee but a little to tall and tippy. they are a good chose the predator looks like a good machine but yet to ride one.
 
#25 ·
honda's are incredibly tough. i had a 86 three wheeler, and never had a problem. now i have a 99300 4X4. For toughness i don't think they can be beat. My next one will probably be a grizzly 660, becuase i want an automatic. My friend put over 9000kilometers on his new one with no problems. that is in one year, and very hard miles.
 
#26 ·
chase73: Nice machines! My buddy has a moddified Banshee and they are insanely fast!!! Just a couple seconds of riding one and the water in my eyes get's blown right out until i can't see....LOL. Oh yeah, and they spin WAAYYY too much, it doesn't matter what gear your in. It's a pretty high-maintenance machine, but you pay for performance!

I agree the Honda's are tough. I also have a Honda BIG RED 3 wheeler and it runs like a champ, even though it's 18 years old.

Polaris Scrammblers are fun machines too. I am impressed at how much mud i was able to take one through! Push button 4WD is a nice feature.

There are no "BEST" four wheelers, it's all a matter of preference and what's works best for you. Clearly some are better, but that's the benefit of having choices.
 
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