What quad to buy ?

[gameslayer]

Hello. I am looking to buy a used or new quad. I think I have narrowed down the search to 3 models: the Yamaha Big Bear 400; the Suzuki Eiger 400; and the Kawasawki KVF360. I’d prefer a model with diff lock and oil bathed drums but both price and performance are considerations. From the bit of research I have been doing I think I am leaning towards the Big Bear 400 with high ground clearance, diff lock and oil bathed drums. The Eiger is the cheapest new of the bunch but has no diff lock but I have driven one several times and think it is a good quad. I would like to hear your opinions on my choices and any thoughts or experiences that you have with quads that may aid in my decision. Perhaps one of you have a good deal for me :) all the quads I mentioned can be bought for $6999- $7395 from my research so far
thanks

[tuchodi]

From the 3 you are looking at the Yamaha I think is the best. I dont know if you have looked at the Bombardier units but 2 friends of mine just traded in their older Yamaha's for 2 of the Bombardiers Outlander 400. They have had Quads for about 20 years and have used just about everyone you mentioned and now prefer the Bombardier. I have driven their new ones and they are the best I have driven. Good Luck.

[Kechika]

X2 on the Yammy

[mapguy]

check out the polaris 350

[270WIN]

Check out the suzuki king qaud 450
as the locker and so on. i have had 2 300 king quad andfthey have been great quads

[Spokerider]

quads.ca for more resources.

[gameslayer]

Check out the suzuki king qaud 450
as the locker and so on. i have had 2 300 king quad andfthey have been great quads

I love the king quads as well, 2 of my friends have the 300's and they are great. The only problem is the new 450 is a lot more expensive than all the rest MRSP price lists as 9,399 X 499 PDI freight then .13 tax, you are looking at over 11,000 bucks by the time the smoke clears. I think the wife might beat me like a wet mop and leave me for the ravens. Hmmm I definiatly would have a lot of free time for hunting then .

[CanAm500]

Have you seen the Can-Am's?

Check my Gallery, we just bought a Can-Am Outlander 500 HO MAX XT.

[TRACKnTRAIL]

I have had no troubles with my Yamaha Kodiak.

[WOLVERINE-RIDER]

go for the kodiak 450. Many reasons.go to quads.ca midislandatvclub.com quadconnection.com atvcanada.ca atvbc.ca and ask all the questions you want. You need to be a memeber in a few of them to access the forums.

[HighCountry]

Check out the new Artic Cat 400 also a good Quad.It have the most
gruond clearance.

[huntsooke1]

brute force 650 i just got one and it is unbelievable it will not get stuck enough so i can try the new winch lol. i guess ill have to wait for hunting season and pull the big bugger out of the timber .

[one-shot-wonder]

I have been very impressed with my KVF650.....I realize you are looking at a KVF360 and I have ridden them as well, good rigs. Kawi will never let you down!

[Ferenc]

I have the Big Bear 350 1994 vintage no problems yet ,It will smoke the big bore autos in the tight trails and for every tank of fuel I use they use 3 bought the bear new in 95 and if I was to upgrade it would be the Kodiak 400 in this year range Yamaha all the way!!!!!!!!!!

[NEEHAMA]

85 big red baby!

[Trailmaster]

Go with the big bear, it has all you want, and its a gear jammer, so it will pull good.

[Ubertuber]

The OP didn't ask about Cam-am, Polaris, Artic cats or Bombardier.:rolleyes:

I've had both Yamaha and Kawasaki's. Both are fine machines that won't let you down.
I'd go sit on one, take it for a spin and see which one fits you better. Check out the racks and see if they will accomodate the things you want to add.
Mine were both 400's with more than enough power. The fact that the Kawasaki was always faster than the Yamaha was about the main difference.

[Frango]

Oh man ,this is a Chevy ,Ford thing.So get a Honda.Best tranny, and most reliable machine you can get.

[gameslayer]

I lost a post I sent hours ago ???? Anyway's I was at the yamaha dealer yesterday and discovered there is a kodiac 350 out new as well that is almost the same as the big bear 400. It has an automatic transmission, 38cc smaller engine, a little less beefy front end bush bars, same brakes & suspension and frame , less beefy mud tires, and 1 inch less clearance and carrys 2 liters less fuel. It lists on sale at $6895 and is 500 cheaper than the big bear. The wife would like the automatic Hmmmm what to do??? One good guy member PM me with some great advice and suggest I strongly consider size depending how big I am. Lets just say my buddies would have a beer and contemplate if given a choice to carry a small moose or me. The only thing is the bigeer quads with diff lock are $2000 dollars more so I am force to stay in the 400 zone. The 400 big bear is supposed to be the toughest in it's class but in reality most the quads use I will not need it. Still leaning towards the big bear with 5 deed manual but an automatic would be nice for the wife and kids.

[Schmaus]

85 big red baby!

real men ride trikes!!!!!

[Cdn-Redneck]

Any of the Japanese brands will last for years. I think the Eiger is great value for the dollar.

[ruger#1]

If you buy a new quad .Think about how high it is or how far you are going to have to lift that animal. as far as ground clearance goes,ive been over 16" logs with mine.i have a 95 king quad and as long as i can get my front tires over that log then slide foreward then my front tires will pull me foreward. I use it in the bush, Heck i live in the bush, the new suzukis have kawii motors in them. if it was me i would buy the yamaha.

[gameslayer]

Well I did it
Many sleepless nights I ended up buying a 2005 suzuki king quad 700. It has 200 KM on it came with a 2500 winch and a john deer dump trailer. I have not had a chance to open it up yet. I am looking forward to getting out and playing on it a bit. Now its time to start planning my moose hunt.

[Creeping Death]

i just bought and suzuki eiger 400 and love it so far

[gameslayer]

My buddy has one I like his i just wanted the diff lock and my friends convinced me to get a bigger one

[Dominic Cicuto]

500 honda rubicon !!

[Jagermeister]

I went to visit a old family friend in May. Ken turned 90 and that was the reason for the visit. As I hadn't seen him in a long time, he asked me if I hunted. I told him that I did but not to the extent that I did when I was younger. He told me that he still hunted and was entering some LEH applications. He said that a couple of years ago, BCF&W phoned him up just to confirm that it was true that he was still an active hunter. One thing led to another and he asked me if I rode a quad to which I gave him the affirmative. He told me that he bought his first quad when he was 80 and that was a Yamaha, Big Bear I think he said. Ended up that the dealer pissed him off on some mechanical issue or something to that effect. So he goes and buys a Honda Rubicon. Best damm quad he says. So the long of it is, take the cue from the old fellow, buy the Honda Rubicon.
Ken got turned around (lost) a couple of times and SAR turned out to look for him just as he turned up. Says that he needs to get a GPS and learn how to use that.

[BCBear]

Check out International Motorsports in Delta (always in the buy and sell). Rick imports new quads from Washington..they are brand new and with warranty. Negotiable and less $ than other Honda dealers.

[ratherbefishin]

is there any price advantage to buying a quad in the US?

[Polonez]

good choice on the kingquad .. i have an 06 kingquad 700 and love it. i used to have a 2003 honda foreman 450 ES and this kingquad is soo much more machine!

[Rubicon500]

Go with the rubicon..Lift er up, Slap some mudzillas and you will be laughin.8)
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y200/Alpine85/foreman5002.jpg

[Clint_S]

Have an 05 Honda Rubicon For Sale $6950 firm. Will list it in the Hunting/Shooting gear section.

[fly-fisher01]

I would go for a Yamaha Kodiak.......have had a Polaris 500 and had nothing but problems with the bloody thing....very bulky, hard to turn......really a big beast.....had it in the shop more than I drove it.......got my yamaha and have had it for 4 years and only thing I have done to it is put new tires on it and done it's regular services......it's alot lighter and gets the job done!!!! <(((><

[gameslayer]

good choice on the kingquad .. i have an 06 kingquad 700 and love it. i used to have a 2003 honda foreman 450 ES and this kingquad is soo much more machine!



I am loving the king Quad so far, lots of jam and it runs nice quiet and smooth. It seems to be pretty good on the fuel mileage as well. I bought a back seat for the kids to ride on, they absoluty love it. The wife loves driving it as well. The only problem is everytime she gets on it it comes back covered in mud :). Blasted up thyne mountain a few weeks ago it was fun saw a few does. I am taking it on my 2 week camping trip through Kamloops, Mt Robison, Jasper ( I am guesing being a park I will not be able to ride it) Banff, Still looking Somewere in between Banff and rock creek anyone know some good spots , then Rock Creek some scouting will happen for sure down there maybe a tree stand or two.

[ratherbefishin]

any opinions on a Polaris 600?[there's a 2002 model for sale I'm looking at-doesn't appear abused or used too much]-

[rockrabbitt]

I have an Artic Cat 500 and a Kawi 650 Brute Force they are both awesome machines

[ratherbefishin]

I'd probably choose one of the japanese models-except this one was owned by an older guy in my neighbourhood who just passed away-he didn't use it much, just on his own property.They want $2500 for it.

[M.Dean]

I have a 2000 Kodiak 400 with over 25ooo kms on it, very few problems, bought the new 450 Kodiak last year, like it even more. i,ve hauled lots of game and tons of firewood with both, I vote Yamaha!

[ratherbefishin]

I don't know how long this one had been sitting-it had a flat tire and a dead battery-but I pumped up the tire and hooked up jumpercables-and it started and ran.After hosing it down-the undercarriage looks virtually new-no bumps,dings ,still has the paint on it.The tires look good too-the dial says ''1653'' on it.So-again,probably not my first choice in a quad -but the price was right and it wasn't used that much for a 2002 model.I won't be doing much more than going on logging roads,hopefully hauling out a deer or two-no swamp busting or extreme stuff-thats for my boys.

[trailhunter]

I have the grizzly 700 and i ride it hard all year long.............the highest grown clearance, a real diff lock, smooth comfortable ride, softest seat in on any quad, high and low range and park , power assist steering, fuel injected, more than enough power. And the price should be going down with our high dallar so it should be in your price range.

[Fisher-Dude]

I'd probably choose one of the japanese models-except this one was owned by an older guy in my neighbourhood who just passed away-he didn't use it much, just on his own property.They want $2500 for it.

$2500 for a 2002 with 1653 kms on it? Wow. That was a smokin deal! That quad would be $12,000+ new, and at least $5000 - 6000 used at a dealership!

The 600s are a good buggy. A bit more fuel than the 500s but basically the same drivetrain as the rest of the Sportsmans, and I can tell you from experience they are bullet proof. Good score on your part! You will enjoy it.

[ratherbefishin]

well, it was funny-I didn't even know the guy had died,I had seen the quad parked out front-and I just happened to see someone out front,and since I wanted a quad anyway-stopped to ask them what they liked/didn't like about it[I'd rather rely on that than salespeople who might be biased]So-when I asked-they told me they were just trying to start it-it had been sitting,and if I was interested-it was for sale-I asked how much-they said they wanted $2500,so I said if I could start it-I was interested.After pumping up the tire,putting some gas in and a booster jumpstart,it coughed a couple of times, then ran nicely-so I have my ''new'' quad!Not knowing much about them-and since it has been sitting a while-I think I'll take it to the dealer for service to find out about what basic maintenance it needs.I won;t be doing anything wild,just crawling up logging roads and stuff so hopefully it will serve me well

[Tikka7mm]

I bought the 07 Kodiak 450 camo last season and I love it. I ride it all year round with guys that have the Kawi 660 the yamaha 660 and the new yamaha 700 fuel injected. I can tell you that I can go anywhere they can and sometimes more. I put the heated grips on mine with full alliuminum skid plates and alliuminum A-arm guards front and back. I also added a set of the ITP mud lites and a Warn winch. The thing goes anywhere I point it and it's bullet proof. The problem with the bigger quads is 1.) they are more top heavy and have a higher centre of gravity and 2.) that they can't manuever as easily on tighter trails and 3.) they use more fuel...not much but they do use more. Having said this however, on the straight roads they are always faster by about 15-20km/h...but how fast do you need to go? They also have about an inch and half more clearance. I personally prefer the carbeurated over the fuel injected. In comparison to 3 other Yammy 700's mine tends to be smoother because of the carbeuration. (There is a problem with the neutral switch on the new 700's just in case anyone out there with a 700 is wondering what's wrong with theirs).

[trailhunter]

I bought the 07 Kodiak 450 camo last season and I love it. I ride it all year round with guys that have the Kawi 660 the yamaha 660 and the new yamaha 700 fuel injected. I can tell you that I can go anywhere they can and sometimes more. I put the heated grips on mine with full alliuminum skid plates and alliuminum A-arm guards front and back. I also added a set of the ITP mud lites and a Warn winch. The thing goes anywhere I point it and it's bullet proof. The problem with the bigger quads is 1.) they are more top heavy and have a higher centre of gravity and 2.) that they can't manuever as easily on tighter trails and 3.) they use more fuel...not much but they do use more. Having said this however, on the straight roads they are always faster by about 15-20km/h...but how fast do you need to go? They also have about an inch and half more clearance. I personally prefer the carbeurated over the fuel injected. In comparison to 3 other Yammy 700's mine tends to be smoother because of the carbeuration. (There is a problem with the neutral switch on the new 700's just in case anyone out there with a 700 is wondering what's wrong with theirs).

Yeah the 450 is a nice bike but it going more places than the other bikes has to do with the rider in more cases. And as for the the 700 being top heivy is just a myth. The 700 only weighs 11 lbs more than the 450 ;-)

http://www.powersportsnetwork.com/enthusiasts/new_vehicle_compare.asp?vehicle1=38370&year2=2007&mfg2=2&vehicle2=38368&go=Go

Plus if you like to ride for fun after hunting season it can do cat walks all day long

[M.Dean]

Tikka 7mm, what did you pay for your skid plates, and where did you get them? have the same bike, love it. ride all year around with it. burns more fuel than my 400, but go's a lot more place's! was thinking of the aluminum skid plates cuz i ride in alot of rocky logged out area's. I live in the bush, our quads are our second vehicle!!!

[ratherbefishin]

Fisher-dude-I'd be interested in your experiance with the Polaris sportsman-what you like/don't like.I've read reviews where people said they overheat in bog running-but my intended use will be just logging roads -not racing or extreme stuff.I also need to find out what basic maintenance they require

[Big7]

Oh man ,this is a Chevy ,Ford thing.So get a Honda.Best tranny, and most reliable machine you can get.
I bought a used 92 Kodiak 400 for a personal quad (got it dirt cheap) and it's been great! Having said that, in the forestry consulting world, quads get worked over like rented mules...different people driving them with varrying skill levels and mechanical abilities day in day out and the only quad that we've found that will hold up is a Honda...so I agree with you Frango!

[Tikka7mm]

Tikka 7mm, what did you pay for your skid plates, and where did you get them? have the same bike, love it. ride all year around with it. burns more fuel than my 400, but go's a lot more place's! was thinking of the aluminum skid plates cuz i ride in alot of rocky logged out area's. I live in the bush, our quads are our second vehicle!!!


M.Dean

I can't quite rememeber what I paid for them? I think they were about 300 -350 for front and rear. The A-arm guards are more again but definitley money well spent. I find that you don't slide as well over logs etc once you go to alliuminum and it definitely sounds worse when you hear a rock hit your plate but you get used to it. They're are Yamaha OEM parts so they weren't cheap but they are the best. You get what you pay for as they say.

[Hunterguy]

Don't forget the 700's or anything that is fuel injected, the Yamahas for sure, no pull start or no kick start no start, your walking. BRRRRRRRR.

[Gateholio]

What about these? They look much more comfy. And you can take 2 peopel easily.


http://www.yamaha-motor.com/assets/products/sxs/general/media_content_unit015888aea0.jpg

[The Dawg]

What about these? They look much more comfy. And you can take 2 peopel easily.


http://www.yamaha-motor.com/assets/products/sxs/general/media_content_unit015888aea0.jpg


Those are great...a buddy of mine in the LMD has one...his has a heater, doors and a killer stereo...everything you need for a comfy hunt ;)

[Fisher-Dude]

Fisher-dude-I'd be interested in your experiance with the Polaris sportsman-what you like/don't like.I've read reviews where people said they overheat in bog running-but my intended use will be just logging roads -not racing or extreme stuff.I also need to find out what basic maintenance they require

Likes: Great gas mileage (twice my buddy's Grizzly), smooth ride, great traction with the 4 wheel independent suspension and TRUE 4 wheel drive (no silly diff lock buttons to search for when you are sinking), great single lever brakes (many Japanese bikes have two brake levers for front and rear - WHY?), easy starting and they idle like a dream in cold weather, their A-arms are twice as beefy as the Japanese bikes, they have more payload and towing capacity in their respective classes than the Japanese bikes, and excellent ground clearance. And overall - TOUGH - I've pounded on mine and it still runs great. I've never had any over-heating problems, and I've worked the hell out of it on hot summer days. Air-cooled Japanese bikes - well, look out for that lil red light on the dash!

Neutral: I don't mind the once-a-year maintenance to grease all the pivot points and change the oil. Buy a GOOD QUALITY flexible grease gun hose as well as a CV needle and you can get them all easily. I'd rather grease things than rely on sealed units like the Japanese bikes do - at least I know if there is grease in my pivots and U-joints. The oil is easy to change, just don't torque your plug too tight and make sure you drain the engine sump. Always use synthetic oil. I do my diff and transmission oil every few years depending on how much water it's been in, and hub oil every other year. Some guys don't like greasing them - I think it's because they don't have a good grease hose or CV needle and struggle to reach a couple of the joints, especially the driveline U-joints.

Dislikes: When you have a load on the front rack, it can block your hi-beam light, so you have to drive with your lows. They have comparatively good lighting. It would be nice if they had a few more spots to tie them down into your truck or trailer - if you have a welder buddy, he can put some D-rings on for you.

[OOBuck]

any opinions on a Polaris 600?[there's a 2002 model for sale I'm looking at-doesn't appear abused or used too much]-

Polaris is the only way to go.......

I just bought a 07 700 Sportsman after riding
every popular brand going, including:

Yamaha, w/power steering
Arctic Cat
Suzuki
Kawasaki


By far the Polaris is the nicest machine... might
not be the cheapest on gas but I would have bought
a smaller machine if I was worried about that..

[Jonas111]

Without a doubt it would be CAN AM. I have been a Honda guy my whole life until I drove an Outlander. My Dad has purchased three of the Outlanders for hunting and one Suzuki and the Outlanders are by far more superior.

I myself own the Outlander 800 XT and it has tons of power and still rides extremely smooth. I am super impressed with the ability of these quads and I know that you will not be dissapointed with an Outlander 500 or up. Once you get into the 500 or higher they are all fuel injected. They run much better when you need it in a mud hole or climbing a hill.

Hope this helps!!!