ATV Florida Forum

After spending Saturday at L-Cross on my Raptor, it's clear I need a 4x4 to have some more fun at these mud fests. I might be in my mid 40's but trust me, I can't give up the adrenaline rush associated with racing a sport quad around a track. Started on 2 wheelers in the late.......well never mind.

Been a country boy all my life.  I live 15 miles from the closest town but like everyone else out there, I'm running out of room to ride so thought I'd try out a mudfest in the area. Had a great time, just need to spice up the toy box a little.

I am looking at several models and want some opinions from you guys / gals about which quad is best. Keep in mind, I'm a racer at heart so I think it needs to be a 650 or 700. Machines I'm looking at------Brute Force, Prairie, Twin Peaks, King Quad.

What ya'll think?

It is hard to say, I have a variety and still like my 400 big bear. Whatever you get I'm sure will do the job. 6 to 1 and half a dozen or another, close your eyes and pick 1 out of a jar and go from there.

If I were buying a new quad right now, I would get the new Honda Rincon. With the gear reduction kit available, it should be one bad ass machine. New one has a 700cc engine.

http://powersports.honda.com/atvs/utility/model.asp?ModelName=FourTrax+Rincon&ModelYear=2006&ModelId=TRX680FA6

Do a comparison on each model, check out the specs, price and talk to people.  Make sure you can get the most for your buck.  Also, search the internet first to see how easy and expensive it is for replacement parts whether you want stock or aftermarket.   I personally am a fan of Yamaha productions but I've seen many bikes keep up just as well.

may be the grizzly to keep yamaha in the family, no affence.

IF YOU REALLY JUST WANT SPEED GO WITH A BOMB, BUT IN MY OPINION THE BRUTEFORCE 650 IS PLENTY FAST AND SPORTY, I LIKE THE FACT THAT IT DOES NOT HAVE I.R.S. BECAUSE SOME TIMES IF YOU GET STUCK IN THE MUD IT IS EASIER TO PULL OUT STRAIGHT AXLES, AND THE 650 IS PRETTY TORKY LIKE A SPORT BIKE. PRICE NOT BAD TOO.

I have an Eiger (Suzuki) now, but if I had to buy another one, I'd look hard at the Arctic Cat.

Well I've been do'n a bunch of looking around and have found some good deals. Didn't think about the straight axle factor brutforceski, you make a good point. I do have to say I was impressed the way the IRS could cadillac around though. I tried out a new Brute yesterday with IRS and it was nice but when the IRS machines got stuck on Saturday....they were stuck.

The Honda has certainly proven itself over the years Moose. One of my bikes is an 85 ATC 350x. Can't kill the dang thing. Been ride'n it since 86.

I know they are all great machines, just want the most bang for my buck. (vesatility)

A bigbear 400 is a great bike for muding almost never gets stuck but flings the mud like crazy. really reliable I love to race  my sport bike but when i do go mudding i take the BIG BEAR its a great bike.

pfffttttt 06 wolverine 450 ;)

iv heard the bomb 800 is a beast in the mud

elder,
Im gonna try to send you some pics, of the twin-peaks 700 i have and also I have got a 2003 wolverine with 25" mudlites on it for $2800.00

may be the honda forman 500 has a crap load of tourqe.and tears through the mud.

heres the web site for the forman 500, my neighbor has one of these and its a beast!! it will go through anything.

http://powersports.honda.com/atvs/utility/model.asp?ModelName=FourTrax+Foreman+4X4&ModelYear=2006&ModelId=TRX500FM6ll


 and my dad was looking at the newspaper and he found an honda dealership article and has the 500 for 3300 instead of 5700, at rick case honda this deal is at. and i think they r 06 or 05 but still a great deal.

I like the ride of the rincon but in the mud the problem I see over and over w/ my friends is that the radiator gets clogged easily and is difficult to clean.

The brute force is a beast but I know a few friends of mine went w/ the king quads instead.  I'm not sure the reason but they were looking at both.

As for the Artic Cats.  My vote is still out on them.  Half that I've seen run great and the other half run like crap in the water and mud.  I've towed several out w/ my wolverine.

Honda foreman is a relatively slow bike comparitively speaking but they are right on about how it does in the mud and with towing.  If you were going to go w/ a honda I'd check out the rubicon.

Suzuki Vinson is a great machine.  I've got friends that have them and they do well.  I forget if they have IRS though.  There is a vinson for sale on this site that already has a snorkel and aftermarket wheels and tires.  It's a good bike if you want it.

What ever you get make sure you put some good aftermarket tires on it. 

Someone said they have a wolverine for sale.  There's a chick on this site looking for one.  I'll let her know.

id go wit a brute force those things r crazyyyyy!!!

The Vinson is straight axle. They are great in the mud! Mine has never overheated or left me stranded. In fact this weekend at RR a guy we were riding with had his battery fall off his sport bike and it wouldn't run without run(his battery busted and tore the terminal off), so I pulled the battery out of my Vinson, turned it to Run and pull started it. It ran fine all day without a battery!! The fan even came on when it was supposed to. The Suzuki's are very die hard machines! I am a little over 300lbs and I jump the bike and wheelie it, still hasnt broke. In the mud its great! I have stock size tires but went with a more aggressive tread(Swamp Lite) I wouldn't buy any other bike.

Great info!

What ever I get, I'll probably have it for a while as I don't like to part with my toys to easily. That's why I'm trying to do some homework. I have always rode sport bikes and with the design of these new utilities I have to say mudd'n is something I HAVE to get into. The first real mud hole we came to was a major challenge just getting my Raptor turned around and back to "solid" ground. Following the group was out of the question. ???
Tore up a bunch of Chevy, Ford and Jeep 4x4s in my day but found out Saturday that I have to get a 4x4 quad.  Pledger, I recieved the pics of the Twin Peaks, looks like a nice machine. I just haven't heard much talk about them. It looks real nice.

I sure do appreciate all the opinions and info. Keep it coming.
Bo