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Posted by: sugarhead
are You a firefighter by chance ctateusa1
Posted by: OhHell
Dont know where you live but if you plan on any snow riding a 4wd sure makes that nice.
Posted by: MRDS650
Buy a 2wd drive. I ride in a club with mostly 4x4 and I can go anywhere they go. Yes I will go around the big mud holes but that is because i don't want to get dirty. Snow is way more fun on a 2wd. I run a set of Maxxis 4-snows on back in the winter and can usually go further then the 4x4 guys. I have about 4 inches of ground clearance and do fine over most stuff. You will have to ride a little hard when it comes to the deep mud/snow - I just mean you can't be scared to hit it with a little speed.
Posted by: JohnO
What sort of ground clearance do you need? I've been on a 400ex, man what a hotrod, but it wouldn't make it 1/4 mile on my farm before it got stuck. The ground is just too rough for that sort of machine.
Posted by: Scootergptx
Well, you could always put a winch on the 2wd.
Or, you could always ride with someone that has a 4wd, to pull you out.
Posted by: CaptainQuint
4x4 is indispensable. Around here anyway. I don't use it when I'm riding around on the gravel roads and such but when I hit the trails it goes into 4x4. For kicks I've tried running my trails in 2x4. In wet weather you really can't. In bone dry weather it is a chore and something many people may not consider, it really tears the hell out of the trail since you are churning and spinning the rear tires so much to find traction. The same parts of my trails where I don't spin a tire in 4x4, in 2 wheel drive you're spinning the rear tires tearing up the ground. You can climb the hill to one of my back pastures in 4x4 and you can't hardly tell anything has been up the hill other than indentations in the ground cover. You take the same hill in 2 wheel drive and there are ruts and spin marks roost marks and everything else.
It also goes to show why I don't allow sport quads on my trails. I don't even ride them on my own trails. They tear them up no matter how carefully you try to ride.
Posted by: deanz400
how about the Polaris outlaw with irs rear end ,good ground clearance and sporty to .
Posted by: deanz400
the only thing I've seen with a 4x is there weight, it is a hinderance ,where I can get thru in 2-wheel a 4x in 2-wheel won't be able to make the same trail, just because they weigh more . so they have to punch in 4x ,
I do like 4x so not putting them down ,just stating an observation.
Posted by: deanz400
Hey V2 I do remember a hill you had to lock in 4x4 and I made it with my Z ,J/k, I agree totally that 4x4 has great advantages on many trails and mud holes ,i don't use my Z400 for mudding not made for it , so every machine out there does better in some situations then other machines just have to know the limitaions of your machine .
Posted by: Hebs
Identify the type of riding you plan on doing 90% of the time. What quad best suits that type of riding? Now think about where you'll be doing most of your riding. Next weigh the pros and cons of a sport bike and a ute in that environment.
Sportquad pros
Quicker
More nimble
Lighter
More controllabe in the air
Don't hurt half as much as a ute when they roll over you
Sportquad cons
Low ground clearance
Less protection from mud and stuff tossed up by the tires
Will get stuck more more often
Can't carry much on them (say, a cooler/tools/supplies)
Sporty suspensions typically equal rougher ride, faster fatigue
Utility pros
More ground clearance
Good protection from stuff tossed up by the tires
Can carry plenty of extras
Can be used to pull out other quads when they're stuck
IRS and Ute style suspension typically equals softer more plush ride
(easier to ride w/ a girl on the back)
Utility cons
Not as quick as a sport quad
Bulky,heavy
When they do get stuck, they can be a pain to get out. (especially by yourself)
Hurt a lot more when they roll over you
That's just a quick comparison... I for one know that I can't ride my yfz hard for more than an hour before I'm so worn out that I have to take a long break... I can ride my grizzly all day and hardly be tired...
Posted by: Steveo10
Originally posted by: v2rider
Get a 4x4. You will wish you had it more than not.
115%agreed
Posted by: DesertViper
If you are in two wheel drive and can't go any farther, right then is when you know you need four wheel drive.
I would first decide if you want sport, sport/utility, or utility. If you decide on utility I think the 4x4 is worth the extra cost. If you decide on sport/utility I would also go with 4x4, just because there really aren't any two wheel drive sport/utility ATVs. Sport quads can do surprisingly good. I have seen sport quads go places a 4x4 couldn't, like straight up vertical stream banks that are climbed with momentum, and not traction. And I have seen my 17 year old son go through a mud hole on his one wheel drive dirt bike that I had just gotten stuck in with a Grizzly 700 that had 27" tires and the front locker engaged. It helped that the bike didn't have to straddle the ruts I kept getting high centered on, he just picked a rut and went right through on his first try.
Posted by: DesertViper
I've always said, if you don't have traction, use speed.
Posted by: wayout
Originally posted by: brusk
Ok i've only ridden older crappy quads me and my buddy are looking for new ones and unsure if we need a 4x4 or not. We are thinking some sporty 4x4 like a Wolverine or a Renegade 800 would be fun but if 2wd is fine we'd just go get some yfz450's or something. We won't be jumping like some of our crazy friends and won't be doing massive mudding not really into that either. So goofing on having fun around the farm and going through the mountains and maybe small streams with our buddies. So would a YFZ450 or KFX450 with some skid plates and decent tires be ok or should we look at like a Wolv with maybe a BBK or in my buddies case overkill and get the Ren 800 that I'm guessing should be able to go anywhere.
if you ain't got it ,you cain't use it,,,get the best of both worlds,,it sure is nice to push a button and get unstuck.. sport utility.........
Posted by: wayout
Originally posted by: deanz400
how about the Polaris outlaw with irs rear end ,good ground clearance and sporty to .
not 4-wheel drive.................
Posted by: wayout
Originally posted by: brusk
Ok i've only ridden older crappy quads me and my buddy are looking for new ones and unsure if we need a 4x4 or not. We are thinking some sporty 4x4 like a Wolverine or a Renegade 800 would be fun but if 2wd is fine we'd just go get some yfz450's or something. We won't be jumping like some of our crazy friends and won't be doing massive mudding not really into that either. So goofing on having fun around the farm and going through the mountains and maybe small streams with our buddies. So would a YFZ450 or KFX450 with some skid plates and decent tires be ok or should we look at like a Wolv with maybe a BBK or in my buddies case overkill and get the Ren 800 that I'm guessing should be able to go anywhere.
don't get anything with chain drive,all you do is work on those pieces of crab,i don't even know why they even make them, i guess to give somebody something to do,go figure...................
Posted by: v2rider
Get a 4x4. You will wish you had it more than not.
Posted by: v2rider
Quiet down deanz, i dont recall you taking your quad through that giant water hole up at Spider Lake
Posted by: v2rider
If you want to go everywhere the 4x4s go, you can, but you better be in shape and ready for a pounding
I strongly disagree. There are plenty of places a 2 wheel drive will NOT go, no matter what the fitness is of the rider, that a 4x4 can go. On the contrary, i will NEVER jump my 800lb machine 30ft, 8ft high and not fu*k me and my quad up. But i have seen a ds650 do it.
Posted by: v2rider
Originally posted by: deanz400
Hey V2 I do remember a hill you had to lock in 4x4 and I made it with my Z ,J/k, I agree totally that 4x4 has great advantages on many trails and mud holes ,i don't use my Z400 for mudding not made for it , so every machine out there does better in some situations then other machines just have to know the limitaions of your machine .
You had to go there didnt you. But you are right. On the contrary, you also didnt follow me into the giant mud hole did you?
Posted by: mykool61679
400ex is a great all around quad.
Posted by: hoytultratec
Originally posted by: MRDS650
Buy a 2wd drive. I ride in a club with mostly 4x4 and I can go anywhere they go. Yes I will go around the big mud holes but that is because i don't want to get dirty. Snow is way more fun on a 2wd. I run a set of Maxxis 4-snows on back in the winter and can usually go further then the 4x4 guys. I have about 4 inches of ground clearance and do fine over most stuff. You will have to ride a little hard when it comes to the deep mud/snow - I just mean you can't be scared to hit it with a little speed.
i notice you ride pavement and sand anytime you want to come northern wisconsin and show me that your 2wd goes thru more than a 4wd let me know , i hope you were only kidding LOL!
Posted by: Honeyduck96
Something alot of people overlook
...it takes A LOT more energy, fitness, stamina to ride the sport quads properly. If you want to go everywhere the 4x4s go, you can, but you better be in shape and ready for a pounding. If you're getting a little soft in the belly, get a 4x4.
My brother follows us everywhere on his KFX400 (Mudshark rear tires), but he's spent by the end of the ride.
Posted by: caperinmuskoka
Even working around the yard I need 4X4 ...Sometimes the grass is wet and the quad is on a bit of a incline!!
Also had a trailer full of firewood and went to pull away in 2wd low gear but the back two tires were just spinning on the gravel..........Needed 4X4 there just to get the quad moving...........It sure comes in handy.........even if you think you will never need it!!!!...................Caper.........
Posted by: caperinmuskoka
A construction site?..........That can't be a very safe place to ride?.............Caper..........
Posted by: TLC
I see alot of people go through some amazing stuff with 2wd, It,s a chain drive ATV that bothers me more,not only do they have very low ground clearance but a rear sprocket does not hold up to impacts as well a rear differential can on trails. We only ride with 3 chain driven ATVs ,a 91 Honda 200 Fourtraxs,300 Lakota and a 500 Scambler and all 3 have thrown or broke chains when trail riding.
Do they make sporty 2wd ATV with shalf drives? thats what I would look into.
Posted by: ctateusa1
The wolvy is a great quad. I have never had a 4x4 until now. I have done some mods to make it a little better, and I am working on more mods for it right now. I dont regret having the 4x4 at the touch of a button because I cross creeks on it that are up to the handlebars, ride in really rough rocks so the 4x4 can help me crawl over them. And in the snow it is even better.
Posted by: ctateusa1
Originally posted by: sugarhead
are You a firefighter by chance ctateusa1
yhea howd you guess
Posted by: steve1819
if you want my opinion, I would definitely get a sport quad like the 400ex or the 450r.. I have a 400ex and the only reason I picked it over the 450r (besides higher maintenance) is because it has reverse. If I were you I would get a 400ex and put mud/rough trail tires on it, it will be a LOT more fun just riding in the first place as compared to getting a heavy/slow utility with no acceleration, higher costs, and the fact that the first wreck you get in you'll have to spend $800 to get everything fixed that got bent.. it happened to me when I had my despised suzuki eiger 400, I rear-ended someone with barely a 5 mph speed difference and had to replace the left headlight, the entire front plastic fender, the front bumper, the winch mounting plate, and the front rack. Then I got a 250ex and had to replace the handlebars once and I wrecked all the time throughout the 3 years I owned it. So if I were you I would definitely go with a 400ex or a 450r
Posted by: Irishjig
I agree 100% with Honeyduck96 I've been there before, I used to ride a 250 fourstroke Mojave with a bunch of guys on 4x4's, and at the end of the day I was worn out and dirty as he!!. I can only remember one time having trouble and luckily had a 4x4 behind me to push me through. brusk if you do decide to go with two wheel and aren't in to much of a hurry you might want to wait until the new Honda TRX 700 is out, it has independent rear suspention wich = more ground clearance and it's less taxing on your body, and fuel injection. From my experiance it takes buying a few quads before you figure out exactly what the perfect atv for you is. I still don't have it figured out. Good luck. TG
Posted by: WoodRat
Riding in the mountains you will inevitably encounter situations where 4wd will be a big help. CaptainQuint has a good point about spinning tires more in 2wd. 4wd can allow you to walk through wet or rough terrain without tearing up the place a lot of times, when a 2wd machine might have to blast through with momentum and tires spinning to get through the same spot.
Then there is the versatility you get with 4wd. You might just be thinking of trail riding now, but if the need to do some work with the machine is ever needed 4wd is a great asset. 4wd helps me get things done on our place, as illustrated in my photos, and it has certainly helped me get through some places just trail riding. I generally ride around in 2wd, but the ability to shift into 4wd when needed is a huge advantage that I wouldn't want to be without. It just makes the machine a whole lot more useful.
Posted by: HONDA CRUSHER 93
Yamaha Grizzly 700FI (powersteering or not)
Posted by: brusk
Ok i've only ridden older crappy quads me and my buddy are looking for new ones and unsure if we need a 4x4 or not. We are thinking some sporty 4x4 like a Wolverine or a Renegade 800 would be fun but if 2wd is fine we'd just go get some yfz450's or something. We won't be jumping like some of our crazy friends and won't be doing massive mudding not really into that either. So goofing on having fun around the farm and going through the mountains and maybe small streams with our buddies. So would a YFZ450 or KFX450 with some skid plates and decent tires be ok or should we look at like a Wolv with maybe a BBK or in my buddies case overkill and get the Ren 800 that I'm guessing should be able to go anywhere.
Posted by: brusk
That's kind of what I was thinking that's why I was deciding more on like the Wolverine something lite well for a 4x4 and if it did need more power the 500cc BBK. But my buddy thinks he needs a 800 for some reason but was considering a 450R because it's cheaper and wasn't sure how much he'd need 4x4.
Posted by: brusk
ok went with my buddy and watched a little of him in action with his KFX450R racing through the mountains I came to a few conclusions. With the exception of snow, deep mudd and a few others the 2wd goes everywhere the 4x4's did, also reverse is a must also I don't feel like rejetting carb if I move or go somewhere else for for simplicity it's gonna be EFI. That basically leaves the KFX450R and the Raptor 700R. My pick would be the 700 as with lower compression it stalls less and starts easier, little heavier but the extra torque I think these two are basically the same speed with the 700 trying less. My buddy seems to agree and is giving up his ideas for the Ren 800. And then I'll just buy a used Polaris 4x4 for my Girl and whenever i need it.
Posted by: brusk
Originally posted by: wayout
Originally posted by: brusk
Ok i've only ridden older crappy quads me and my buddy are looking for new ones and unsure if we need a 4x4 or not. We are thinking some sporty 4x4 like a Wolverine or a Renegade 800 would be fun but if 2wd is fine we'd just go get some yfz450's or something. We won't be jumping like some of our crazy friends and won't be doing massive mudding not really into that either. So goofing on having fun around the farm and going through the mountains and maybe small streams with our buddies. So would a YFZ450 or KFX450 with some skid plates and decent tires be ok or should we look at like a Wolv with maybe a BBK or in my buddies case overkill and get the Ren 800 that I'm guessing should be able to go anywhere.
don't get anything with chain drive,all you do is work on those pieces of crab,i don't even know why they even make them, i guess to give somebody something to do,go figure...................
I've never seen any of my friends have chain problems and they abuse the crap out of them. I don't really see the need for an IRS plus I looked at the Polaris and something about the body just didn't look nice I'm not sure what it was but didn't have any apeal. Granted the engine is nasty but once again I just wanna go the easy way and get fuel injection.
Posted by: BradW
Just get a quad based on where you'll be riding and how you want to ride. If you like steep mountain trails and taking-in the views on a day-long ride, I'd get a 'ute. If speed is more your thing and there aren't too many deep 'holes or boulder fields and you just go out for an hour or two at a time, go with a sport quad. That being said, I go riding with my brother a lot. I ride an '07 Eiger 400 4x4, and he rides an '01 Prairie 300 4x2, both autos with low-range. I ride mostly in 2wd, but we run on some pretty nasty terrain. He can get his Prairie almost anywhere the Eiger will go, but he has to hit it with more speed and bouncing around, while I just throw it in 4x and walk up it. Now, a lot of the reason he can go where he does is because his machine rolls on 25" tires. There's no way a sport quad on 20" tires with 4" of ground clearance would make it up the rocky slopes that we ride on without breaking something really quick..
Posted by: timber two
that would for sure be up to the owner,i have both,,but the 4x4 has better holdback pulls like a mule,and just all around more secure ride,but i would like a in and out button installed on my honda 450 4x4,trustme go with the 4x4 for the real steap riding up,or down-hill,
Posted by: dosceola
get a polaris 4x awd switch is good 4x is at finger my 800 will do 60 in 4x4 and almost 75 with it in 2 wd. ive pulled a s10 blazer with a trailer and another 700 for over a mile when buddy ran outta gas.granted its paved road but i wanna see another quad do same
Posted by: brent450R
go 2 wheel dr. unless you plan on working or sinking it in the mud. ive never had problems with any of my 2 wheel drives.
Posted by: ryanee
Get 4x4, I use it to drive my atv up in the back of a pickup. Plus, you never know when you'll need it and you'll be glad you paid the few extra bucks..
Posted by: scalleja
I have an eiger and an ozark. Obviously one is 4x and the other 2x. 4x4 is the way to go. After I got both my sport quads stolen I went utility and never looked back. You should always ride with a 4x4 if you don't have one IMO. Getting "delayed" can SUCK on a sport quad all that clutch feathering and the amount of brake pads and sprockets you go through is expensive. The only time I wish I had a sport again is when I see a construction site and remember how easy it was to download and have fun just about anywhere. Not the case with utilities.
Posted by: scalleja
Safe, right. Specifically when ground is being broken. Lots of dirt and hills for fill and shallow puddles from low ground. Its a blast, is that why they call it a blaster?
