<br><br>As I said &quot;Polaris has the best ride.&quot; I have never been let down by Hondas. I've owned Yamaha (OK) , Kawasaki (Maintenance intensive) &amp; 1 Polaris (Seemed like it always had something wrong with it). My hunting buds that have Polaris (2 Sportsman 500's &amp; 2 700's) have had to be towed more than a few times out of the woods by my Honda. Problems ranging from burn't out ignition switches (The brand new 700 with 60 miles on it) to fried belts to blown up CV joints. I met a farmer at the feed store a few weeks back who had a Foreman 400 on the trailer with 31 000 miles on the odometer. I asked him about it &amp; he told me it has used up 5 sets of tires, both front axles have had new CV boots, 1 clutch, 2 sets of brakes &amp; regular tune-up maintenance. Never had a breakdown in the field &amp; won't even consider another brand of 4-wheeler. I'm sure some people have much better service from their Polaris's than the ones I'm aquainted with. I just haven't met any yet.

 

WEll I will give you my .02 cent worth. At are shop were have Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki,Bombardier. And have had polaris and there is a reason they dropped them. I have heard that they have gotten better. Not to knock anyone or there toys. Just experiences that's all. It is good to see that most of everyone Polaris experience is good . Suzuki's eiger is a pretty good 4 wheeler. An improvement over the Lt's. I dislike Bombardier. Have not seen many problems or anything but we have not sold many to have problems. Built 2 today and really don't care for them. Kawasaki has great 4 wheelers I highly recommend them. Many different models and options. But I am a really big Yamaha fan. I love there products. We sell a few 4 wheelers to businesses. Construction Co. and such. And they get run hard. Really hard. I have seen them cought on fire, rolled off of hills, ran into a tree @ 45 plus. It's crazy the things that you see. Not really any particular problems that we have seen with the Kaws or the Yamahas. Just regular stuff. Services, tires and such. But Honda makes great products too. Don't work on them but a good friend of mine does. See if the dealer will let you test ride before you buy. Some might not some will. I bet if you hop on a new Kodiak or Grizzly you might be buying one. And have no regrets. <br>http://www.yamaha-motor.com/products...atv&amp;cid=29 <br><br>Good luck with whatever you buy. And I hope you are extremely happy with your purchase. And have fun. -Anthony

 

[quote author=ridofpwrstroke link=board=10;threadid=17232;start=0#161537 date=1058565140]<br>Polaris in a heartbeat. I bought my wife a sportsman 500 and she loves it. It is very easy to drive and very comfortable. Best ride on the market. I have owned a yamaha grizzly and a honda 450 es without the 2wd/4wd switch and it rode like a tank. WORSE than a tank. It would pull anything but it hurt your butt. Opinions are like azzholes, everybody has one. Everyone on here has different ones. I personally have never got water into my 500 sportsman but I have in my 660 grizzly. I think honda's will run forever but the Brakes(DRUM, even in the new rincon) suck. They are triple sealed to keep water in and then dont work. The polaris is so easy to drive with one brake lever, a 4wd switch that you can just leave in 4 wd and the machine will go into 4wd when it needs it so the machine is easy to turn, independant rear suspension soaks up all the bumps. Plus the polaris has true four wheel drive, my honda didnt and when you need it you wont have it. I am trying to sell my grizzly 660 for a 700 sportsman. <br>[/quote]<br><br>The new Rincon has disks all around. I challenge anything out there to a head to head with one in the nasties. Im darn sure it will come out on top.

 

I have never ridden the Rincon, but have ridden with people that say they don't like the way it is geared. Their opinion is that it is not geared for mud and swamping. These people that have stated this are mudders to the core (one owns a company in Louisiana that designs and sells aftermarket stuff for ATVs: High Lifter). Again, that is their opinion, mine is that the Rincon is too much $$ and too much bike for my wife.<br><br>

 

<br><br>IT DOES, I would check the honda website and check. I just did and the fronts got drums. Triple sealed to keep the water and mud in. You might just check your honda in the front. I bet you they are drums! Some day they will get it right.

 

I have a Grizzly 660 and that thing can not be stopped. Has locking diff....Honda's and Polaris' do NOT. The Grizz is plenty fast (65-70 MPH), sporty, 2wd/4wd, IRS<br><br>I owned a Polaris Sportsman . <br><br>Honda has a new Rancher 400 with GPS built in that's pretty nice too.

 

Thank you all for your replies. They are greatly appreciated.
I have narrowed it down to the Yamaha Kodiak 450 or the Polaris Sportsmen 400.

Disclaimer: These are my own personal reasons, thoughts and opinions for narrowing down my search based on what my intended use of the ATV will be and a price limit. Just as in trucks, all of the manufacturers make fine products that suit different people's different needs.
That said,
I have ruled out Artic Cat and Bombardier because there is not a lot of dealer support in my area and have seen very few on the trails around here. I ruled out the Honda's because of their electronic shift (ESP, HondaMatic) and their 4-wheel drive system (on the models in my price range). I like Hondas, I pilot an XR-250 that is absolutely bulletproof, but that is used for a much different purpose. I ruled out the Yamaha Bruin 4x4 and the Yamaha Kodiak 400 because of lack of a low range in the tranny. Also, the Kodiak 400 has rear drum brakes.

Polaris Sportsmen 400:
pros: Low range, independent rear suspension, disc brakes on both axles, one lever actuates all brakes, true 4x4 system, valves easy to adjust
cons: No engine braking, history of tranny belts seperating. (early belts had a distinct splice, this has been corrected with a &quot;spliceless&quot; belt, operator error can also lead to premature belt failure: ie using high range when you should actually be in low, not a con but a reason why some people might have had problems).

Yamaha Kodiak 450:
pros: All wheel engine braking, low range, disc brakes on both axles, 4x4 with locking front diff (with override)
cons: Solid rear axle

Notes: Both are liquid cooled, the Polaris 400 is actually a 425 cc engine, while the Yamaha Kodiak 450 is actually a 421 cc engine. The Polaris lists for $300 less then the Yamaha.

Currently leaning towards the Polaris because of the IRS (engine braking is not a big deal to me, won't be doing much down hill or woods racing with it, got the XR for that)

As you can see, I haven't put alot of thought or research into this purchase yet . Still on the fence

 

The Polaris Explorer I had was a true four wheel drive.

 

It is my (albeit limited) understanding that all 4x4 Polaris models are a &quot;true&quot; 4x4 system. The front is not a limited slip (like Honda uses on some models).

 

[quote author=PADZZ link=board=10;threadid=17232;start=15#163403 date=1059009383]<br>I have a Grizzly 660 and that thing can not be stopped. Has locking diff....Honda's and Polaris' do NOT. <br>[/quote]<br><br>I beg to differ, Polaris was the first to offer true 4wd. (not if you count Suzuki's Kind quad) When a Polaris ingauges 4wd it's to both the front tires. Polaris just does it without a diff lock. ;D<br><br>Hotdram, the rear engine braking is really a blessing not to have. There is a way you can trick the system and get 4wheel engine breaking but you better have some huge arms cuase it's almost inmpossible to control it on a steep down hill. Polaris's have good enough breaks you just need to use a little pressure on the brake lever and let the engine do the rest of the work. I've never been scared of my Polaris's on any steep down hill. 8) <br><br>I'm sure you'll be happy with any quad you get but if it where me I'd go with the Polaris 400 Sportsman or the new Suzuki Vinson 500. They say that new Vinson is a great quad with really good trail maners. The down side is it has a solid rear axle, and a limited slip front diff. <br><br>Good Luck<br><br>DB

 

Our Polaris has engine braking. And it works good to. I've been in low kinda cruising around about 5 mph and when I let off the gas, I almost get thrown over the handle bars. It's really nice.

 

What is really nice, engine braking or geting thrown over the handle bars? ;D<br><br>Just wondering...

 

I think Polaris' 'True' 4X4 really isn't the same to the locking diffs found on the Grizzly, Kodiak and the Prarie. Meaning all 4 wheels get the same power to each...there's also some lag on the Polaris....fronts won't turn til the rears slip.

Also, the Grizz has 4 wheel Engine braking where the Polaris' are just rear, which is more dangerous than helpful IMHO.

BUT, if I was looking at a 4X4 in the 400CC range if would either be the Kodiak or the Suzuki Eiger.

Of course, IRS is really nice too...but the Polaris is a freaking TANK! Good thing you got a CTD to haul that around

 

PADZZ is correct. The Polaris fronts won't start turning (when in 4x4 mode) until the rear wheels slip 1/4 turn. Also, the Polaris &quot;tanks&quot; are a bit heavier. My understanding is that the Japanese manufacturers have a &quot;gentlemen's&quot; agreement not to import anything over here that weighs more than 600 lbs. The Yamaha dealer told me that when he sells Grizzly's he gives you a &quot;gift&quot; of a trailer hitch to install yourself. Yamaha doesn't put it on because that would bring the weight in at over 600 lbs. I believe this goes back to when they stopped selling 3-wheelers over here.<br>Polaris is made in the U.S., therefore they are not part of the &quot;agreement&quot;. (This is my understanding)

 

I own a grizzly 660 and dont buy it. It vapor locks, sputterers and because it is less than 600 lbs, look at the drivetrain. A magnum 330 has twice the shafts as the grizzly and kodiak. A friend I ride with has a 450. It is going to be faster than your polaris but it kills him in the bumps. The 4wd system on the kodiak is more complicated than the polaris. That was one of the reasons I bought the polaris for my wife. Her harderst decision is whether to go in high range or low. The 4wd system is so easy to use. I have bigger tires on my grizzly, but there is some situations where I am in 4wd and still spin all three tires. Then I have to get the dif lock to engage and by that point I am stuck. Then have to back up to get momentum. My wife can just go right over because when it needs it the machine locks ALL 4 wheels. Plus when it doesnt need it the 4wd just turns off. Alot of people dont like the one handed brake lever but it makes riding easier. Plus the suspension on the polaris is far superior. You and your wife will love that.