thinking about a new atv any suggestions?

[hooked79]

i currently have a 2010 sportsman 550xp

i like it it rides nice handles good

but i am looking for more power

and more durable so far i have bent a rim and just recently

bent a piece of the supension i dont beat it but do catch some minor air

here and there

i was thinking about a 2012 brute force 750

but i rilly like the artic cat thunder cat 1000

there built in mn i like that seem to have good power can also get a mud pro package and i do like the mud

but i also will be useing it in the winter on the ice alot

i know most will say get the can am and they are nice my buddy has a new 800 can am and i took it for a spin it had good power but i dont see how it is worth the 12k he paid for it

i will be trading mine in on one and most likly wont be brand new

[NAMASafetyDirector]

If the only thing you dont like about your 550 is the lack of power I would strongly reccomend trying to take a ride on the 850 Sportsman. Plenty of power there! They run beautifull and work great in any situation. Get one with EPS and I'll gaurantee you will love it. As far as the bent rim and maybe a control arm, that's something that could and will happen to any machine given the right circumstances, In my honest opinion I would rather see a wheel bend or a control arm rather than have something too robust that it transfers the shock to the frame and bend that! Especially when the warranty is up, way cheaper to buy a rim or control arm than pay the dealer for a frame swap! Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide!

[PurpleFloyd]

OK.

If Can Am is out of the question then I don't have a number one choice. I have owned several Polaris ATV's as well as Kawasaki, Yamaha and Honda. Polaris ATV's of mine and friends/relatives have more breakdowns and quality problems than the Kawasakis, Yamaha's,Honda's or Can Am's. The suspension is top notch and they ride silky smooth, but I promised myself I would not own another one when I sold the RZR this spring.

Have you looked into the Yamaha's? They are a good choice IMHO if you want a great ride, power and dependability.

[Carpenter]

+1 on the 850xp. Also +1 on stuff happens to any machine.

I have the 550xp and love it. If tracks ever become legal on snowmobile trails ill be upgrading to the 850 xp, eps and tracks. Riding buddy just got the 850 and he can put it on 2 wheels like nothing. Says it handles like our 550s. Havent riden it yet, so dont know 1st hand. Dont want to ride it as itll cost me the price to upgrade

[hooked79]

i understand about break downs and i am hard on stuff

sometimes i forget i am 250lbs and like to catch air

i am suprissed not much lover for the artic cats

i have asked around at work and no one said anything good about them?

i would think for a atv that is built in mn that would be the 1st choice

but like i sadi i want a good one so i am doing my homework

850 xp is an option but still dont know how i feel about polaris

i rode a buddys razor this summer and it rode and handled like a homeaid go kart i might look into a can am also depends on what i can get for trade in on mine

the wife has 07 grizzly 450 great atv runs mint but for me i dont like how it sits maybe a 700 is better? but i wish they made a 2cyl

i am power addict so i want something that will give me that rush but yet rides good and can take the kids for rides

my buddys 2012 can am 800 seemed like it had good power but i put about 2 miles on it and got bored

[NAMASafetyDirector]

With all that said, I can only reccomend one other machine. Take a good look at the new Polaris Scrambler 850 H.O. It's been blowing away all the competitors and flat out flies. Had a chance to demo one about a week ago. Sounds like it rolls about 75+ down the road faster with a tailwind. I never ran it that hard but I know it will pull the front end at will for about as long as your skills will allow. Anyway, check out the reviews and see what you think!

[hooked79]

frickin ugly but they do see to be what i am looking for

price is good for a new one i might have to check one out and test drive it even thou there fugly

i was thinking about a can am but made in mexico? i relize alot of ppl think they are great but i chose to support companys that keep jobs in the USA

[rundrave]

I was a huge scrambler fan, still own my 2004 and its been a great quad. Its far from a great quad but I just love them and the concept of keeping it simple. I have been waiting for Polaris to redesign it for years, and always said I would be the first in line to buy a new one if and when it ever came out. Needless to say I am slightly disappointed in the result.

I give Polaris some credit for at least doing something but its not what I would call new. For starters its simply a Sportsman 850 with different plastics and 30lbs lighter not to mention its just looks ugly.

I have yet to ride one, but maybe the wider stance and the seat being 1" lower will make the ergonomics feel sportier than the sportsman?

[Dave S]

Having had a Kawi with the V-Twin, a Brute 750 would be a good alternative to the 550 you're currently riding.

Although the Kawi is down on power, it doesn't feel like it. You're not going ot win any races but it's definitely no slouch either.

[hooked79]

the brute forces were underpowerd i was told but the 2012 models

stepped it up i guess? some say they will keep up with a can am 800

i did some you tube reseach and it seems it will keep up untill top speed

witch i dont care if it only dose 60 as long as it gets there fast

i have done some more reserch today and i am intersted in the thunder cat 1000 reviews are good seems like they have alot of power and best ground clearnice of any 4x4 work quad i guess i need to test drive all the above and see what is right for me

[CaptainMusky]

I have ridden about every brand of ATV out there today and there are some really really nice machines out there.

I currently own a 2007 Arctic Cat 650 TRV. This is a two rider machine with the passenger seated behind the driver, NOT a side by side. My dad has the exact same machine (only green) and he has 44,000 (yes forty-four thousand) miles on it.

The 650 was the first engine that Arctic Cat built inhouse. They now build the 450, 550, 650 (discontinued), 700 and 1000 mills in St Cloud.

They are tanks but are built pretty much bulletproof.

For 2013 Arctic Cat made several changes to improve trail riding of their machines. They added a rear sway bar and some other calibrations to make them more trail friendly. They have always been work horses, but admittedly not the best trail manners.

The clutch system that AC uses is the best design for an ATV. Not saying specifically that their's is the best, BUT utilizing a wet clutch rather and a clutch system similar to snowmobiles is MUCH more durable. Belts last forever. My dad had 25,000 miles on his first belt. Replaced it because he felt he should. Not knocking Polaris, but YOU WILL NOT find one that would come even remotely close to 5000 miles let alone 5 times that.

Consider the power steering, pretty much every make has it now in various models. I havent ridden a Can Am with power steering, but the AC and Pol have a much better system that Yamaha. The yamaha didnt seem to compenstate well at higher speeds and was very twitchy and I think it would be dangerous because it was so reactive. Where the Polaris and Arctic Cat systems were very similar and were much more predictable.

If you are in to mudding, there are really only two options that Can Am model and the Mud Pro. You could certainly make about any machine into one, but then you have no factory warranty.

[LMITOUT]

Have you looked into the Yamaha's? They are a good choice IMHO if you want a great ride, power and dependability.

+1

[Riich]

Consider the power steering, pretty much every make has it now in various models. I havent ridden a Can Am with power steering, but the AC and Pol have a much better system that Yamaha. The yamaha didnt seem to compenstate well at higher speeds and was very twitchy and I think it would be dangerous because it was so reactive.

I couldn't disagree more. I love the power steering on my Grizzly. Twitchy? Dangerous? Sorry, you lost me there.

[CaptainMusky]

Sorry I will try to speak more clearly. Unless Yamaha has recalibrated their power steering system from the grizzly I rode 3 yrs ago it did NOT compensate for increased speed. Slow driving it was great but you get up to higher speeds and it was too reactive. Magazines have complained about this as well. Its about the only thing to nit pick on it but it is noticeable especially if you have spent any time on other brands. Plus I believe its belt driven vs servo controlled electronic. This may not seem like a big deal but you can simply turn the key on with the cats or Polaris and the power steering is active.

[walleye-]

I can tell you I wont ever buy a polaris again.....bought a new 08 efi and nothing but problems.. efi sensor went out, for some reason the thing isnt charging right always have a dead battery even bought new battery same problem if I drive with lights on it drains..The tach isnt working anymore...And now the electric start isnt working I have to pull start it. All this with only 450 miles on it.