ATV Upgrade

[tillicant]

Hi From WI.
Looking for a little input. Hunt with my wife, both 60ish. When we hunt west we take our enclosed trlr, pack a long list. Included in the packing is our ATV, a Yamaha Bruin 350. I checked into re-jetting due to the altitude and my local shop did some research through Yamaha. Turns out the factory jetting was supposedly ok for the altitude(84-8700 ft) that we were hunting. It worked great, just bought a unit that mounted on the rack so my wife had a backrest. We just use it to get further up trails. Don't go off.
Although it works great I think I may upgrade to a larger ATV. I also use it for work. The 350 is not liquid cooled or injected. Any input would be appreciated.

 

[Brandon270]

It's hard to beat Honda's reliability, they are known for being bullet proof and just being workhorses. If you want a small step up you can get a rancher which has a 420cc engine or the next size up would be a foreman that's a 518cc both are fuel injected and will be night and day more powerful than your Bruin. Fuel injection is more forgiving than the older carbureted atvs but sometimes even they need to be remapped in very high elevations or after major exhaust/intake modifications.

 

[ccc23454]

Not a lot to choose from out there but i bought only one i could find in couple hundred miles. I just got 20 Polaris sportsman 570 and seems like its a decent machine. I dont want to big, its a backup machine but had to have fuel injection and automatic or atleast electric shift. Wanted a honda rancher none avaliable within 500 miles with features i wanted. Polaris has a lot more maintenance than the honda but the power increase in polaris is evident. If this is for two people why not buy a smaller SxS? They are great and i daily use a honda pioneer 1000 and its a great machine with so much flexibility. Good luck in your search

 

[tillicant]

It's hard to beat Honda's reliability, they are known for being bullet proof and just being workhorses. If you want a small step up you can get a rancher which has a 420cc engine or the next size up would be a foreman that's a 518cc both are fuel injected and will be night and day more powerful than your Bruin. Fuel injection is more forgiving than the older carbureted atvs but sometimes even they need to be remapped in very high elevations or after major exhaust/intake modifications.

Thanks,
Yes a little more power, still want to use the same tandem trlr & work-wise the power was not an issue. Just use it for GPS site staking. Lite work.
I know the rules are changing for two people on an atv , the wife & I together are under 300lbs.

 

[tillicant]

Not a lot to choose from out there but i bought only one i could find in couple hundred miles. I just got 20 Polaris sportsman 570 and seems like its a decent machine. I dont want to big, its a backup machine but had to have fuel injection and automatic or atleast electric shift. Wanted a honda rancher none avaliable within 500 miles with features i wanted. Polaris has a lot more maintenance than the honda but the power increase in polaris is evident. If this is for two people why not buy a smaller SxS? They are great and i daily use a honda pioneer 1000 and its a great machine with so much flexibility. Good luck in your search

Thanks, I use the unit for work also, the sxs would be too cumbersome. Also the trailer issue.

 

[fulldraw]

I bought a 2013 Honda 500 Rubicon (550 miles) two years ago and really like it. It has plenty of power and has been very reliable.

 

[belshawelk]

Like Ford, Chevy or Dodge. not sure anymore there are any bad ones. Ford is just better.

But I am kinda a motorcycle/atv freak and have lots. I currently have 3 Polaris. Sportsmans EPS 850. Sportsmans EPS 550 and a EPS 900 Ranger. They have thousands of miles. I have never ever had a mechanical breakdown. All different types of altitude, buried in snow, hauled out countless critters. If I gave you one piece of advice. Buy nothing smaller than a 500, water cooled with power steering.

 

[Talk2elk]

If you are riding with your wife Polaris and Can Am both make 2up models, they are just a few inches longer but the extra seat is a game changer for the passenger. I would consider an 850 model. This is how I will go with our next one.

 

[pikeman1]

Can am makes a nice 2 up 4 wheeler in various sizes. I’ve had one since 2007 with no problems. Now you can get power steering, which is nice as you get older. Plus the extra length of the 2 up makes it very hard to flip over backwards.

 

[Jc2020]

I’ve got an older Polaris 400 4x4 and have. I beat it up and it still keeps going so I’m a fan of Polaris not sure how the new ones are though.

 

[tillicant]

If you are riding with your wife Polaris and Can Am both make 2up models, they are just a few inches longer but the extra seat is a game changer for the passenger. I would consider an 850 model. This is how I will go with our next one.

Thanks, the two-ups are nice, just need the atv size for work & am comfortable with the size trailer I have now. She's really comfortable with the backrest on. Don't want to spoil her,lol

 

[tillicant]

Like Ford, Chevy or Dodge. not sure anymore there are any bad ones. Ford is just better.

But I am kinda a motorcycle/atv freak and have lots. I currently have 3 Polaris. Sportsmans EPS 850. Sportsmans EPS 550 and a EPS 900 Ranger. They have thousands of miles. I have never ever had a mechanical breakdown. All different types of altitude, buried in snow, hauled out countless critters. If I gave you one piece of advice. Buy nothing smaller than a 500, water cooled with power steering.

With-ya on the ford!
Definitely looking at Polaris but never had problems with the Yamaha. I think your right, they've all been around.

 

[PNWGator]

Yamaha or Honda is where I’d look first.

We have a Polaris that we use daily and I wouldn’t give the thing to my worst enemy. Always maintained. Breaks down regularly. Know a retired ATV/UTV mechanic and he told me that Polaris machines kept a roof over his head and food on his families table for decades.

Flip side of our Polaris experience is that my hunting partner has two 570s a d they’ve been mostly okay. He loves them.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Like all purchases you have gold, silver and bronze options. Sometimes you don't need to spend up to the gold standard. Sometimes a value option is the right option. Yamaha/Honda are gold, CanAm/Polaris are silver and Kawa/CFMoto are bronze. If your amount/type of use justifies gold then go for it. If you are only putting on a few hundred miles a year, frankly that is significant overkill in price. At low levels of use, CFMotos work fine at a signficant cost break. We use our ATVs as mid-milage toys and misc. woodlands upkeep and have had good luck with Kawasakis and CFMoto at significant savings. We haven't had a single mechanical failure by either value brand. CFMoto does have a decent priced 650 2up that is a good value. I wouldn't put it up against a Honda over thousands and thousands of hard miles over many years, but it is pretty nice for the price.

 

[noharleyyet]

Yamaha/Honda are gold, CanAm/Polaris are silver platinum and Kawa/CFMoto are bronze....

Fixed it for you Judge Judy....; )

 

[MarvB]

Have two Honda ranchers bought new in 2004... bulletproof! Just bought a Polaris 900RZR, hope to have the same luck

 

[Sask hunter]

Year ago I bought a 750 Suzuki king quad. Put 27 tires on instead of the factory 25. Good clearance and tons of power. I haven’t had to use the winch yet. And it will drag a moose out of the bush like no ones business

 

[noharleyyet]

Have had a Honda Foreman (I think), a Polaris & two Can Am straddlers (still have one of em)...currently a Can Am Defender front/rear SXS...no problems, maintenance is key.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Yamaha/Honda are gold, CanAm/Polaris are silver platinum and Kawa/CFMoto are bronze....

Fixed it for you Judge Judy....; )

I am not an ATV expert so you may be right, but it if the standard is unwaivering reliability, it is hard not to put a honda on top. (really for any small gas motor driven object).

 

[npaden]

I don't see the need for these 800cc + ATVs. I don't really see the need for the 800cc+ Side by Sides. I currently have a 450 Yamaha Grizzly and a 570 Polaris RZR.

Of course there isn't a "need" for my 510cc Husqvarna dirt bike either, but I do like to jump it and pick the front wheel up and I don't think ATVs and UTVs really shine doing that kind of stuff. I can still jump my Yamaha WR250R and pick the front wheel up on it too, but it just isn't the same.