Need new ATV leaning towards Kawasaki

[hillbilly beef man]

We have a 98 honda 400 forman 4x4 We use it to pull a bush hog over 25 acres of land that is too steep for a tractor. It also is used to spread fertilizer and spray rose bushes over the same steep land. We also use it to build fence, feed, and hunt cattle. It has had a rough life to say the least It has 750 hours and 2300 miles on it and we have had to put a solenoid on it is the only repairs that it has needed. This was our first atv, but after the seeing the quality of a Honda machine I would have a hard time buying any other brand if this one ever quits.

 

[GMN]

We have a Honda 450 Foreman 4WD. I would only have a Honda 4 wheeler, I use it every day, in mud and manure, and a 4WD is a must for this kind of use.

We started out with a Polaris, what a joke, nothing but problems, spark plugs having to be changed all the time, piece of junk, since then have had 2 Hondas, used them till they wore out, traded the last one in for the one we have now, got over $3000 on a trade in, can't say enough good about Honda.

GMN

 

[TDR]

Had a Kawasaki 300 Bayou for years, loved the differential on the 2-wheel drive model. Decided I needed a new ATV, went with Honda Rancher since Kawasaki did away with differential in '06. Have been disappointed, I don't know if it is top heavy or suspension is set up different or what but it sure seems to want to turnover easier than the Kawasaki did. Next time I'll go with something else.

 

[Nebraska Sandhills]

have a yamaha kodiak 450 and havent had any problems. 4 wheel drive is a must for us, and since you can lock 4 wheel drive in or out nowadays, not many people turn it down. Neighbors to the south run hondas with no complaints, neighbors to the east run suzuki's and they also seem to really like their machines.

 

[Beefy]

i have a 93 honda 300. it is excellent.

 

[jfont]

I had a polaris, and it was an ok bike on dry ground; but I had belt slipage problems if I went in water for a while.
When I was shopping for a new bike I asked around like you are doing, and I was given some good advice. When you see people driving around with old bikes in the back of their trucks take notice of the brand. "HONDA" I still see people hauling around three wheelers from the late 80's.
I bought a 350, manuel shift rancher, 4x4, and am very pleased with it. My second choice would be a kawasaki.

 

[Cowboy 2.0]

We have an '03 Artic Cat 650 V-Twin. I wouldn't trade it for anything. It has 1000 miles on it and no problems. It has a Kawasaki motor, but it rides a lot better than the Kawasaki's. We also have a '88 220 Kawasaki Bayou. That is one tough 4-wheeler. It has been to Colorado elk hunting every year up until we bought the Cat. No problems other than cleaning out the carb if it sets to long.

 

[simcross]

one point to consider are Kawasaki's built in the plant at Lincoln, Nebraska or do they just build lawn mowers there

 

[brownmule]

i have a mule.belgin 4x4 all terain.. LOL sorry guys..... we dont have a four wheeler yet,, but not because of lack of howling from doug and the girls LOL i am comming over the side of "we really need one mom,, i could feed for ya LOL Rose

 

[COMAIR]

I have two 1996 honda 300s. Both run great. One got flooded with saltwater in Hurricane Ivan. I changed the oil several times, pulled the plug and oiled to get the water off the top of the piston. 1 1/2 years later when the house was rebuilt I charged the battery and it cranked up. I changed the brakes (Rusted up from the salt water) and we have used it every day. Great atvs. The honda dealer told me on the new hondas, the electronic shift does cause problems. But you can get them manual shift as well.

 

[Hasbeen]

I also am looking at new ATVs and would be very interested in opiniions from those of you who live in mountainous areas. I getting too old to be healing bones so I'm looking for something with good stability on hills. I spent a little time on a Honda 500 a couple of days ago and was very impressed. I'm thinking of a Yamaha Rhino. The dump bed would make it very handy to have around and hauling fencing, posts, chain saws etc. up the mountain and I'm told they can go anywhere a 4 wheeler can go but I'm concerned about their center of gravity. They just look to be too high, too easy to flip. Thoughts?

 

[millstreaminn]

Have an Arctic Cat 500 4x4. It's okay. Don't use it much after I got the Kawasaki Mule 4x4. The Mule is GREAT. Able to throw tools in the back and go. Also, w/ bench seat-able to take someone along and talk. Love the Mule.

 

[millstreaminn]

I also am looking at new ATVs and would be very interested in opiniions from those of you who live in mountainous areas. I getting too old to be healing bones so I'm looking for something with good stability on hills. I spent a little time on a Honda 500 a couple of days ago and was very impressed. I'm thinking of a Yamaha Rhino. The dump bed would make it very handy to have around and hauling fencing, posts, chain saws etc. up the mountain and I'm told they can go anywhere a 4 wheeler can go but I'm concerned about their center of gravity. They just look to be too high, too easy to flip. Thoughts?

The Mule will go anywhere my Cat 4x4 will go. Only thing is, is the Mule is a good foot wider. Stability is good. With a roll cage, never felt unsafe in it.

 

[dun]

The Mule will go anywhere my Cat 4x4 will go. Only thing is, is the Mule is a good foot wider. Stability is good. With a roll cage, never felt unsafe in it.

You haven;t really challenged it then. I laid the 4wd one on it's side one day. But that's what happens when you run parallel to a deep ditch and get distracted. Of course I would have laid the truck on it's side in that situation.

dun

 

[Hasbeen]

I also am looking at new ATVs and would be very interested in opiniions from those of you who live in mountainous areas. I getting too old to be healing bones so I'm looking for something with good stability on hills. I spent a little time on a Honda 500 a couple of days ago and was very impressed. I'm thinking of a Yamaha Rhino. The dump bed would make it very handy to have around and hauling fencing, posts, chain saws etc. up the mountain and I'm told they can go anywhere a 4 wheeler can go but I'm concerned about their center of gravity. They just look to be too high, too easy to flip. Thoughts?

The Mule will go anywhere my Cat 4x4 will go. Only thing is, is the Mule is a good foot wider. Stability is good. With a roll cage, never felt unsafe in it.

The Mule and the Gator seem to me to be a lot different profile (lower, wider) than the Rhino.

 

[Rangenerd]

We ran Honda's for years with great luck. Started with the little 60 3 wheelers in the 60's and as the bikes got bigger we got them. (75's, 90's, 100, 110, 125, Big Red, you get the picture). We them went to the 4*4's, also with good luck (for the most part). The last 4*4 we bought had the electronic shift on it, Loved it when it was new, but as it got some miles on it it started to have problems shifting.
When the local honda dealer went out, we switched to the Yamaha big bears. We had nothing but problems. We couldn't keep u-joints in the drivelines, and the axal would strip out inside the back gearbox.
We are now driving Artic Cats. We have had one for about a year and a half with no break downs. We bought the other one this May and have rode it pretty hard (2100 miles in 5 months). It has a squeak in the break but that is it.

 

[marimus]

2005 Yamaha Kodiak 450 4x4 full auto here. For those people who can't imagine needing 4x4 i'll send you some pics of our place.

Zero problems so far, but its early days yet.

I've heard a few complaints about the bigger Grizzly models, mostly about overheating and such.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

I also am looking at new ATVs and would be very interested in opiniions from those of you who live in mountainous areas. I getting too old to be healing bones so I'm looking for something with good stability on hills. I spent a little time on a Honda 500 a couple of days ago and was very impressed.

Hasbeen, should you decide to stick with an ATV, do yourself a favor and try out a Can-Am (formerly Bombardier). The Visco-lok front drive outperforms anything that Polaris or the Japanese bikes have. I don't know how crazy you get when you ride, but around here on trail rides, the Can-Ams are usually the ones towing us other ATV owners out of the muck. During an independent demonstration of ATVs a couple years back at a trade show, the Can-Am was able to pull up and over rocks while maintaining better controlability than the other bikes. Less bump steer and better torque transfer = more capability in the really rough stuff.

Rod

 

[llcupit]

Have a Yamaha Rhino 450 4x4 use it every day checking cows and fence Also strung about a mile and half of fence with it and have had no problems other than the brakes squeeling all the time. A good friend was the dealer when I bought mine and the first thing he told me was that the brakes were going to squeel and that they have. It doesn't seem to have efected the brakes they still stop on a dime.