View Full Version : School me on ATVs
So I took the kids ATVing when we went on break. They all loved it but best of all my tween loved it and I want to get him active.
Would love to pick up 2 ATVs with 2 person capacity each. This is what we rented and it worked well enough. I don?t think I can store more than 2 ATVs though plus towing 4 ATVs with my truck was iffy.
Used is fine and I can do some work to get them up to par.
What should I look for? Brands to avoid? Features that are must have? Trailer issues and recommendations?
Thank you.
SouthPaw
08-25-2020, 17:08
Stay away from anything chinese. What's your budget?
I used to ride quite a bit and with a diverse group of people. Seems like any time we had trouble with any of the machines it was always a Polaris or Arctic Cat. I don?t think I ever remember a Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, or Yamaha giving us any trouble.
I have two matching Kawasaki?s that would probably work great for you but they aren?t really made for riding two-up and I would have to discuss it with the wife before I could decide if I was willing to part with them.
kidicarus13
08-25-2020, 18:43
The Japs have motorcycles and ATVs mastered. Boring reliable with only basic maintenance.
The Japs have motorcycles and ATVs mastered. Boring reliable with only basic maintenance.
Plus, you meet the nicest people on a Honda.
kidicarus13
08-25-2020, 19:01
. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200826/40e382673936e61791e2b2c3d7cb4ee1.jpg
This is my Polish ATV at my favorite mud hole. (Fine. It?s a Kawasaki. I affectionately refer to it as a Kawalski.)
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200826/bd3ce036a42a5a65838750348446630b.jpg
Ignore the red cooler bungeed to the front rack. It was the quickest way I could think of to haul beverages.
I have a polaris RZR. Never again.
A friends Artic cat 550 utility atv has been rolled multiple times, has 2500+ hard miles on it, and the only thing we have ever replaced (other than body work) was a spring perch.
Great-Kazoo
08-25-2020, 20:26
I'd check parts (as in engine & electric) availability before buying an older yamaha. They like putting parts in OBS status. Even on older, popular, models.
I?ve had over 100 Atvs over the years so I might be able to provide a little insight with personal opinions interjected.
First off I?d look for somewhat newer ones with fuel injection due to our large changes in altitude available in CO. Carb can be done but need to be jetted correctly and at a mid range altitude.
Yamaha Grizzly/Kodiak: no 2 seat option but you can add foot pegs and a rear seat without issue but lose the rear rack storage. Amazing machines. Great overall power. I used to call them my 4wd raptors as I could do tricks on them like no other machine.
Kawasaki brute force or before that prairie: solid machines, more of a work/utility type atv. Not as comfortable as others. Plastic on the ones I?ve had or seen seemed to break easy. The earlier ones mid 2000s had carb issues and having to sync them was somewhat difficult. Don?t think they make a 2up model so you are in the same boat as Yamaha.
Honda anything:
One of my first Atvs to ride on the farm. These are solid work machines. They last. The aren?t as comfortable but they are solid. Newer ones with IRS (independent rear suspension) are a huge upgrade over the old solid axle. The rubicon (500cc) or Rincon (650/680cc) are excellent. Rincon 680 fuel injected is amazing. Little harder shifting than about any other brand but they have steel shaft, no CVT, no belts to worry about and are straight up workhorses that are fuel injected with IRS and will really keep their value. I?ve seen these with 30,000 miles (yes you read that right) with nothing but basic fluids and tires for maintenance. Same as grizzly for adding a second seat.
Polaris sportsman: the most owned machine out there. Overall good machines, more on the clunkier side, strange noises, funny valve sounds, probably have about the most electrical issues from what ive seen, several with messed up displays and unknown mileage due to that. Squeakier than most, more often on belt changes, cheaper plastics/dips (camo has severe issues from about 01-07 turning purple). Solid engines, IRS, newerish ones have done really well on 2up models.
Arctic cat: have 2 up models, good suspension, underpowered in equal CC to other brands. My issue was very tipsy, too high of center of gravity and much more likely to roll over. I believe the new tracker brand at bass pro is a rebranded arctic cat but research that if you are looking at those.
Canam outlander. This IMO is the Cadillac of ATVs. 2up models over multiple CC ranges. Super comfortable. Best security for theft prevention. Newer ones have tri mode dynamic power steering so your kids, wife and you can all drive it comfortably. They ride amazing. Usually marketed as highest HP in its class and I would personally agree. Tons of power but very controllable, even have different keys for reduced power modes. Excellent 4wd system with viscolock.
Suzuki kingquad: my very first atv in 1993. Didn?t change the oil from probably about 10 years. Still ran perfect. Newer models are excellent, lots of power, had a FI one in I think 07. Handled like the grizzly, lots of power very controllable. Not sure on 2up models currently but at that time they didn?t offer any so you are looking at foot pegs and rear seat on rack.
I will 2nd 3rd and 4th I?m staying away from Chinese. Price is right but they WILL break down. A lot. And at the wrong time. Or for your kids it will turn into a not fun thing to have if you get the cheaper taotao models. Have had a couple and a couple buddies have had them. Easy to work on but you are constantly working on them. Cheap parts but they can take months off ebay to get or cost a lot more to get quick.
EPS (Electric Power Steering) is great for taking away bump steer and reduces rider fatigue, especially for women and younger kids.
Bailey Guns
08-26-2020, 12:05
EPS (Electric Power Steering) is great for taking away bump steer and reduces rider fatigue, especially for women and younger kids.
I don't know anything about ATVs. But you're right about EPS. I'm on my third Mule and it has EPS. Steering is far and away better than the other 2. I'll never go without EPS again on this type of vehicle.
chuckchili
08-26-2020, 22:49
My advice would be patient and wait for good deals to come along. The winter may be the best time to buy. If I was in the market to buy another, would absolutely insist on fuel injection and would look very hard at models with power steering. If I were to need a trailer for two four wheelers, I would look at a used Echo two-place. They seem well made, light and have good resale value. You can find them pretty regularly on CL for less than a grand.
Will agree with the echo trailers, I’ve had 3 and really like them. Move around by hand, good clearance, good strength, plenty of tie downs. Would get a little better tires than stock but that goes for about all trailers. For the 2 up models, look for the extra wide style so you can side load them.
Steel decks so no wood to warp or rot. Integrated ramps hold 2k pounds no problem.
My advice would be patient and wait for good deals to come along. The winter may be the best time to buy. If I was in the market to buy another, would absolutely insist on fuel injection and would look very hard at models with power steering. If I were to need a trailer for two four wheelers, I would look at a used Echo two-place. They seem well made, light and have good resale value. You can find them pretty regularly on CL for less than a grand.
Waiting is wise right now. With C19 everyone is out doing stuff and the prices are high on all toys.
Twice I've tried to buy a used echo trailer but the idiots on FB marketplace put in a cell contact only the FB blocked and wouldn't respond to any messages. Grrr.
In the end, I think I'm just going to get a 14' 3-place for not much more money. I can then load 2 rear ramp load if needed.
Thanks for all the info. Did not even know Chinese ATVs were an option, but staying away from them. What I see on CL is about $4500 for used ones. I think they are the older ones without FI. The offerings look sparse and I guess everyone is Covid riding out there.
Thanks for all the info. Did not even know Chinese ATVs were an option, but staying away from them. What I see on CL is about $4500 for used ones. I think they are the older ones without FI. The offerings look sparse and I guess everyone is Covid riding out there.
For small bore machines, you can do a new one for $1k more. Not sure you'll get EPS for that.
Since you?re looking for opinions I?ll toss more your way and disagree with most of the other guys here.
You don?t need to spend $4K on a machine. You don?t need electronic steering. You don?t need fuel injection either. You also don?t really some 700cc behemoth of a machine.
I suppose those things are nice and if it?s what you want and it?s in your budget I definitely wouldn?t talk you out of it.
I?ve ridden hundreds and hundreds of miles of mountain trails on a carbureted, 300cc machine with a solid rear axle and no electronic steering and not only is it perfectly doable but it?s perfectly fun.
I don?t ride too many trails where a guy would want to go fifty miles an hour on a large, heavy machine. 95% of my riding is slow, technical stuff and my ATV is perfectly fine. The other 5% is typically on some sort of decent fire road getting to and from the trails and I?m perfectly happy to tool along at 30-35 mph on those trails. Even without the fuel injection I?ve ridden up over 12,000 feet with no problems and in temperatures from about 15 to 95 degrees and the thing always starts right up and runs and idles just fine.
Like I said, the fancy stuff and bells and whistles are fine and I?m sure some of that stuff is nice but if I had a dollar for every time I?ve towed one of those things back to camp with my little dinosaur I could probably buy a vente chai latte from Starbucks.
buffalobo
08-27-2020, 15:16
Since you?re looking for opinions I?ll toss more your way and disagree with most of the other guys here.
You don?t need to spend $4K on a machine. You don?t need electronic steering. You don?t need fuel injection either. You also don?t really some 700cc behemoth of a machine.
I suppose those things are nice and if it?s what you want and it?s in your budget I definitely wouldn?t talk you out of it.
I?ve ridden hundreds and hundreds of miles of mountain trails on a carbureted, 300cc machine with a solid rear axle and no electronic steering and not only is it perfectly doable but it?s perfectly fun.
I don?t ride too many trails where a guy would want to go fifty miles an hour on a large, heavy machine. 95% of my riding is slow, technical stuff and my ATV is perfectly fine. The other 5% is typically on some sort of decent fire road getting to and from the trails and I?m perfectly happy to tool along at 30-35 mph on those trails. Even without the fuel injection I?ve ridden up over 12,000 feet with no problems and in temperatures from about 15 to 95 degrees and the thing always starts right up and runs and idles just fine.
Like I said, the fancy stuff and bells and whistles are fine and I?m sure some of that stuff is nice but if I had a dollar for every time I?ve towed one of those things back to camp with my little dinosaur I could probably buy a vente chai latte from Starbucks.
+1. We went with the mid size and smaller because the minions and wives want to ride their own and while we like to ride the forest trails most of our riding is out here on the prairie on home made motocross tracks and mud holes.
BushMasterBoy
08-27-2020, 15:45
You can get the Kawasaki mule in a diesel. That's all I know.
colorider
08-28-2020, 07:48
The best advice I can give ya is don’t buy an atv at all. Boring and dangerous. Dirt bikes are a LOT more fun and less likely to tip over and squish ya. Lol lol lol.
The best advice I can give ya is don’t buy an atv at all. Boring and dangerous. Dirt bikes are a LOT more fun and less likely to tip over and squish ya. Lol lol lol.
Lol. I would generally agree with you but for slow, technical trails in the mountains it's just easier on an ATV.
We were going up a steep trail somewhere near Vega state park that was about five feet wide and was just basketball sized rocks with a wall on the left and a huge drop off on the right side of the trail. I consider myself a decent motorcyclist (did amateur motocross in my younger days) and I don't think I would have bothered trying to ride that Boulder field of a trail.
Crossing three foot deep streams with raging waters is way easier on an ATV as well. At least for me. There's a place we ride near Copper Mountain where there were a lot of these types of crossings on the trails.
Lol. I would generally agree with you but for slow, technical trails in the mountains it's just easier on an ATV.
We were going up a steep trail somewhere near Vega state park that was about five feet wide and was just basketball sized rocks with a wall on the left and a huge drop off on the right side of the trail. I consider myself a decent motorcyclist (did amateur motocross in my younger days) and I don't think I would have bothered trying to ride that Boulder field of a trail.
Crossing three foot deep streams with raging waters is way easier on an ATV as well. At least for me. There's a place we ride near Copper Mountain where there were a lot of these types of crossings on the trails.
Agreed. The TW200 I had *could* do it, but on really rocky portions it was hard to stay on a line. That wouldn't necessarily be a problem were it not for the 100 foot drop off to the side. An ATV would crawl over the same trail with no problem and far less worry about being pitched off the line and over the side.
The TW200 is kind of it?s own animal. Almost like a dirt bike and an ATV had a love child.
There is a lot of truth to dirtbikes being a lot safer statistically. The convenience of the ATV and the cc size makes it easy for people to be going 60+ mph on a road that has no business of 4 wheels going 60 mph which is one of the contributing factors I think. That said, it always sucked donkey nuts to have the only dirtbike in a group of friends who rode ATV's.
Where we going this weekend? Oh great, crawling rocks down the flooded stream, eh? Oh great, going down the boulder strewn canyon for two miles, eh?
$#$$ your life when that happens. That's been many years, but maybe the extra work required to dirtbike also reduces those fatal and near- fatal accidents :p... but you'll also get banged up enough in far more small hits that there may end up being marginal long term difference.
ETA: KLX 220 for me. Then I got a 500 pound enduro and just flat out couldn't do that crap anymore, exceeding even my capacity for life sucking.
I think a lot of the fatality issue is people speeding on ATVs and then trying to turn, the tires grabbing, and a few hundred pound machine smashing down on their torso and head.
On a motorcycle, a high side crash is more likely to pitch the rider away from the vehicle, whereas an ATV is generally gonna come with you.
And to seriously reiterate to everyone with ATVs, don't fool yourself into thinking the majority of fatal accidents are coming from a hill climb on a boulder field. I personally know two separate that flipped on a flat road. It literally is too comfortable to go too fast... it works 99.5% of rides, but the times you get tossed going 60 with a 800 pound vehicle are very fatal, and even when they're not, you're body will remember that accident every day. Error on the side of being soft on the throttle.
ETA: Posted prior to seeing CS1983's reply - agree on all points.
That said, it always sucked donkey nuts to have the only dirtbike in a group of friends who rode ATV's.
I will fully agree with this statement. Did it a few times before I decided that if I wanted to ride with my ATV buddies that I probably needed an ATV.
Most of my frustration was that on the dirt bike momentum was my friend. Steep hill with ruts? Hit it hard and fast and get up it. Solid plan until the ATV guys decide to just stop half way up the hill in front of you because one of them saw a deer or something.
And to seriously reiterate to everyone with ATVs, don't fool yourself into thinking the majority of fatal accidents are coming from a hill climb on a boulder field. I personally know two separate that flipped on a flat road. It literally is too comfortable to go too fast... it works 99.5% of rides, but the times you get tossed going 60 with a 800 pound vehicle are very fatal, and even when they're not, you're body will remember that accident every day. Error on the side of being soft on the throttle.
ETA: Posted prior to seeing CS1983's reply - agree on all points.
Almost died on a ATV on flat ground when I met a fence. No bueno
I will fully agree with this statement. Did it a few times before I decided that if I wanted to ride with my ATV buddies that I probably needed an ATV.
Most of my frustration was that on the dirt bike momentum was my friend. Steep hill with ruts? Hit it hard and fast and get up it. Solid plan until the ATV guys decide to just stop half way up the hill in front of you because one of them saw a deer or something.
Oh jeezus. That brings back flashbacks. I quickly got the sense to make sure I had the entire hill free, or enough of it, but even on level roads, they'd be going 45-50mph and then just stone cold stop. Sometimes locking their wheels. "whoa check that out"
What the f'n hell. How many times I had both wheels locked on a dirt/gravel road sliding all over the place and narrowly missing hitting them, and it was every f$#$ing trip. One memory in particular stands out..... ugh. Glad I don't do that anymore.
It literally is too comfortable to go too fast... it works 99.5% of rides, but the times you get tossed going 60 with a 800 pound vehicle are very fatal, and even when they're not, you're body will remember that accident every day. Error on the side of being soft on the throttle.
This is another reason I like my smaller displacement machine. First, I don?t think it goes much over 35 mph wide open. Second, I think it comes in at under 450 lbs.
Having a docile machine keeps me from giving into the temptation of shenanigans and lets me relax and enjoy the ride. Should things get a little squirrelly, getting my rig back under control isn?t too difficult.
BlasterBob
08-28-2020, 10:20
A friend of mine had been frequently riding in a large field with some rather tall weeds. Naturally he rode pretty fast due to flat ground and remembered where there may be some hazards that required more attention. What he did not know was that there was a freshly dug basement for a new house. Of course he drove right straight into that deep pit head first but luckily didn?t get hurt ?too? bad but swore off ATV riding ever again. Stupid driving can cause stupid bodily harm. We had three, like new Honda ATV?s when moved out of Trinidad to Illinois five years ago. They all remained with the new owners of our ranch, which had 35 acres of trails that we had cut.
We REALLY enjoyed our own personal trails any time we had the urge to take a spin. Visiting company always loved the ATV riding.
[blaster]
Here's my experience with ATVs.
Not for the squeamish
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ezhLtv6QkBxX1Jb6A
buffalobo
08-28-2020, 11:15
Not to offend or scold anyone but common sense and personal responsibility are the keys to riding safely and having fun.
The whole play stupid games, win stupid prizes applies directly to many of the issues brought up in this thread.
A person riding beyond their ability is a danger to themselves and others, whether on ATV or dirt bike.
buffalobo
08-28-2020, 11:21
Here's my experience with ATVs.
Not for the squeamish
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ezhLtv6QkBxX1Jb6ASimilar incident for a close friend in high school riding too fast on snowmobile parallel to barb wire fence. World class beauty scarred ugly for life and nearly died. She knew fence was there and knew she was riding too fast.
A person riding beyond their ability is a danger to themselves and others, whether on ATV or dirt bike.
Yeah. Same goes for cars, boats, airplanes, and pretty much any other mode of transportation.
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