Hunting ATV

[srupp]

This month I will be receiving my 2019 Honda Rubicon. .500 cc..independent rear suspension, high..low gear ranges, power steering, fuel injection, in 25 years never been stuck or stranded...reliable. .im pretty big..no problems in going where I need.
Go for steel gears not belts.not a fan of the Rincon. ..
Good luck.
Srupp

[Takla]

Bought my first Suzuki King quad in 92' hunting off the alaska hwy 30 k in and it never failed us,hauled out at least 2 Big Bull moose every yr,thru a few tires here and there hauling out moose halves thru submerged swamped logged out area's but other than that never missed a beat and always got us out the parked trucks.Retired that one in 08' and bought a brand new Suzuki KQ 750 cc and made the mistake of selling it a coupe yrs back when Dad passed and figured i wouldnt be hunting much anylonger but im happy to report just bought another 750cc KQ a couple months back,used with 130 hrs on it in great condition ...gonna need it with 2 bull draws this yr

[beaverhunter69]

Thanks for all the replies, guys. Lots of positive comments about Honda. From what I gather, both the Honda 420 and 500 have about the same amount of power, and they seem to be pretty far behind most of the other machines out there. I like the idea of the 5 speed transmission, but how does the Honda perform in the bush, with the weight of some gear, going through mud and up steeps hills, etc.? For the guys who are running them, would you say there's enough power there, or do you always wish for more?

Top speed is just about 88-90km/h full throttle pinned, but you will only be doing that on logging roads, and not trails, is that fast enough? Up to you to judge.

In my opinion you can haul pretty much anything out of the bush with them, I run a honda foreman 500, multiple times I have had a deer on the front rack while riding 2 up with my bro plus all our gear that's a lot of weight and no issues. I run mud bugs for tires and they handle any sort of trail and are great in the mud.

And I have seen pics of guys hauling out moose with 350's.

[Ubertuber]

My first ATV was a 1998 Kawasaki Bayou 400 4x4 manual 5 speed. This thing wasn't the most powerful ATV, but due to it's light weight, it was more than capable of doing what I asked, and I asked a lot. It was very dependable, got great mileage, and was a very stable ride. I sold it to my neighbor and he is still using it. Top speed 50kph.

My second ATV was a Yamaha Kodiak 499 automatic belt drive. Nice running motor, but had a tippy and a squirrly ride. My buddies that owned similar machines thought it rode just fine, but it sucked compared to the old Kawasaki. I was new to belt drives, so didn't put much thought into if I liked it or not. Top speed 60kph

My next ATV was a 2010 Yamaha Grizzly 700. Nice machine for sure, but it was a pig on fuel despite being fuel injected. Normally I don't care too much about mileage, but when the nearest gas station is 5+ hours away, it becomes an issue. It drank 4/5th a gerry can per fill. This is when I realized how shitty the belt drive was for me. I always had to be on the throttle no matter going up a hill (obvious) or down a hill. So, for me, always having to spool up the transmission and rev the motor just to go down a hill or a deactivation became an annoyance. I recalled my old Kawasaki manual transmission where I could upshift to 4th or 5th and just idle down the road or hills, or go through a deactivation in 1st while barely on the throttle. Nice and quiet. No need to rev the shit out of the motor while going down a hill. Top speed 90+ kph

After deciding I wanted an actual transmission, not a belt drive, I looked at Hondas. I read the naysayers regarding the solid axle Honda's, but lo and behold they have independent suspension on some models. Honda motor, manual transmission, independent suspension, power steering, diff lock, fuel injected. Looked pretty good to me.
I've had the Honda Rubicon for 2 years now and am very happy with it. Now I can upshift into 5th and idle on down the hills. It gets crazy good mileage too. Top speed 70+ kph.

All four ATV's were capable of handling what I threw at it. Pulling moose, carrying gear, steep hills, and mud. No problem.

[northof49]

I have only ever used hondas for 30yrs for work and play and never an issue. Have used my ‘94 350 for years overloaded with 2 quarters, gear and rider many times. Always worked like a charm. Last fall picked up another honda 500. Went with solid rear axle and manual gear jammer. KISS principle.....keep it simple stupid. Will outlast me and will be trouble free.

[ACE]

Have a pair of '99 Honda 450 Foremans .... They came in three colours ..... mustard, ketchup, and relish!
Both are solid rear axles with dual rear shocks.
One is an ES, and the other is a S model.
Have spent my quad time towing other quads with broken belts. Many carry extra belts with them. Honda owner/riders don't carry extra gears with them.
Honda may not be the fastest, most powerful or glamorous quads ..... but, they are dependable, with a proven design. You really can't go wrong with Honda.

[barry1974w]

I currently run a kodiak 450 and a griz 550, I’ve been very happy with both to this point. I’ve never had belt issues with these machines, but I have been with others that have had problems. I used Polaris ATV’s at work for years, the price point is attractive, but I don’t like them. Can am goes like hell, but the price is scary.
My buddy used to have a kodiak 450 and his partner had a rancher 420, on the same mountain trips the Yamaha would use almost exactly twice as much gas as the Honda. It’s something to consider.
My dad has a 91 four trax 300, tires, the occasional spark plus just cause, oil changes, and I had to reupholster the seat for him. That’s it, ever..... And I’ve used that old machine to haul some huge loads, first gear and go. Once had two buddies sitting on the front rack to try to keep the tires close to the ground while towing a huge bull moose through a clear cut.
It’s all your preference and budget. You should be happy enough with anything as long as you stick to big brands. If buying used try to stay away from bikes that have been used for hard core mudding or work.

my .02

[Brno22F]

Thanks for all the replies, guys. Lots of positive comments about Honda. From what I gather, both the Honda 420 and 500 have about the same amount of power, and they seem to be pretty far behind most of the other machines out there. I like the idea of the 5 speed transmission, but how does the Honda perform in the bush, with the weight of some gear, going through mud and up steeps hills, etc.? For the guys who are running them, would you say there's enough power there, or do you always wish for more?

Every tree planting outfit I have worked with over the last 10 years runs Hondas. They get used really hard packing boxes of trees onto cut blocks, through the slash and through water bars and trenches where culverts have bee removed. TOUGH, RELIABLE and almost bomb proof. They handle the weight just fine. They just don't ride as nice as some of the other machines out there.
I have a 420 Honda myself for hunting and chores around the property. Another plus to this machine is the relatively small size. It can be man handled where a lot of the 600-700 size machines are too big for such efforts unless you are Hulk Hogan.

[Wentrot]

I have a Yamaha kodiak 700. Great machine. Mind you it’s my first ATV so can’t compare to others.

[Farmer001]

2007 rubicon, solid axle. 12000 miles with no major issues. Bushings/ steering linkage getting sloppy, 2 sets of tires that's it If I was to do it again , power steering and fuel injection. Very stable and predictable in off camber situations as compared to independent suspension bikes. With that rides like a tank and you can't go as fast as the others down the trail. Takes a lot to tip over compared to a buddy's grizzly that I can flop over looking at it for some reason. Holdback going down steep inclines is unreal in low gear loaded with a critter parts hanging/ strapped to every place. Just never get water into oil or your gonna pay.