so i've been looking into getting a 4 wheeler this summer, but i dont know hardly anything about them

anyways, so if anyone has epierience with them or has any input at all that'd be great.

as far as a 4 wheeler here's what im looking for

decent ammount of power
enough to hold 2 people
easy to use, not alot of maintenence
tough...

yeah, very cliche but that prtty much it.
i dont really plan on using it for alot of work, mainly for just play. dont need alot of fancy gadgets and stuff on it, just the basics. and of course, i'd like it to fairly inexpensive.

uhm, from what i've heard hondas seem to be very good. and i rode a 84' suzuki this weekend at my friends, so i guess they have to be pretty well built (or at least they used to)

For two people get a Bombardier (or however the **** you spell it) or the Polaris. I think they are the only ones making a 2 person quad.

Best advice I can give...
selectable 4 wheel drive is a must. Fuel injection is almost a must too

yeah, i dont want any of that automatic 4wd stuff, thats bs.

i was part of a maket quad test drive thing at brushy mtn off road park where we all rode all sorts of 4 wheelers and filled out little questionaires. Untill i took the quads on some trails, i never wouldve know how amazing the selectable 4wd was. Also get rear disc brakes. I dont like the ones with IRS, but alot of people do. I have two honda 350's and they are fine for our basic use.

yeah, i dont want any of that automatic 4wd stuff, thats bs.

Thats fine, I meant get one that will go in to 2 wheel drive. I have a friend with a Bombardier or however the **** you spell it quad that has the automatic 4x4 and its totally seamless. It handles like any other quad in 2 wheel drive, but if needed it slowly starts to engage the 4x4. It actually works really good

I recently bought a 99 honda foreman 450S fulltime 4wd and its got plenty of power and is tougher than hell. Ive took it over some pretty gnarly jumps and it still rides fine.

I'm not sure if I should post it on this site but I've spent more time wrenching on atv's than I have on anything else. I've also spent a great deal of time riding all kinds of different models through all the major brands.

Having the experience with different manufacturers, I bought a Polaris Sportsman 700 carbed. I went with carbs because I knew I was going to get it wet, and actually use the 4x4 and not just putt around the woods, I didnt and still don't trust the EFI and carbs are very easy to work on. That decision for you would come down to personal preference and probably where you be riding most. If you travel a lot, or do a lot of low level and then high level riding you'll almost have to go with EFI.

If you want a sport quad (2x4 only) I can give you more info on those, I've got about 6k into the motor alone on mine, but I'm assuming you're talking 4x4 utility quads so I'll stick with that motif.

If you are planning to do a lot of riding and comfort/little to no back pain is very important to you, or if you do a lot of off camber riding, you'll want independent suspension. I've ridden lots of solid rear axle quads and they are not terrible, but nothing compared to IRS for comfort or traction.

Engine power, if you're talking just enough to get you by with another person on the back with you occasionally, you'd probably get by with a 400cc machine. These are cheaper, smaller, easier to manipulate in tight trails etc. If you want a truly two-up machine your options are limited and your price tag goes up. I've ridden two lots of times on my polaris and been very comfortable, but thats preference also. If you want balls to the wall power the baddest quad available right now is the outlander 800 or the new Renegade. Both you a visco-lok system to engage the front diff. If you do some reading or much riding using this system you'll quickly see it is one of the worst options for hard core off roading. When its needed, it was take a while to engage, then 3 wheel, and then all 4 will lock in all of a sudden and you'll be on your way. Off camber, or thick mud, this is not so good.

I went with Polaris because they have that on demand awd system. You just flip a switch and the machine senses when the back wheels slip and it automatically locks both front axles. it is completely seamless. a lot of people bitch about the polaris system, it takes 1/5 of a complete wheel rotation before the front engages, but once you ride one, you can't tell you slipped at all. They are also big as hell. Sit a polaris next to a brute force for example and look at the components, particularly the prop shafts for example. There is no comparison. The twin cylinder models also have hydraulic valves, no need to adjust them, ever. They are not the fastest quads, they do not handle very well in high speed cornering, they do not make the tightest most effortless turning in the woods. They are probably one of the most comfortable, go anywhere do anything drive through or over whatever the hell you want and keep on going quad I have ever ridden. Only problem i've had with mine is tearing the cv boots, thats it. Not a polaris salesman, and sorry for the long post. go to a dealer and have a seat on the models you like, listen to peoples advice to some extent, and get what makes you happy.

if you need any kind of other information on whatever kind of quad you like, let me know and i'll try to help you the best i can.

as far as looking around, im probably going to go w/ something around a 400-450cc

the ones my friend had were 350cc. they were good, but could have used a bit more power.

when i meant 2 people, i just meant enough room to put another person on the back, not an actualy 2 seater.

and on the 4wd select, i was looking at the suzikis i think and they have this weird system that engages and disengages out of 4wd whenever the vehicle sees it neccessary, but i saw a comparison video and it didnt do very well at all. i was talking about something more that you can select 2wd/4wd and it has the locker that engages automatically or something like that (like the new chebby's)

as far as prices go, the hondas seem to be the cheapest, but polaris seems to have the most money for the dollar.

i think im probably going to go w/ a slightly used one, to save on cash. but im still gonna look for something fairly new

If you want something for hardcore off roading you do not want a honda. they are good machines, last forever, have lots of new features that many manufacturers don't have, but the 4wd system is limited slip only. you can install a locker, but if you don't want to mess with it or have the added expense, look elsewhere.

if you buy used make sure you go over the vehicle very carefully. there are a lot of people i know who have purchased good quality used atv's, and i know a lot of them who thought they got a really good deal, but the good deal was because the machine had been sunk and blew a bunch of water through the engine and fried everything. just be careful with used.

i wouldn't get a polaris less than 500cc, the sportsman is too heavy to be pushed by anything smaller, imo.

i think if youre looking at something new, check out the yamaha big bear and grizzly in the 350 and 400 class. lots of experience with both and they are great bikes. might be a little tight for anothr rider however.

get a Can-Am... simple as that. either a Renegade, or an Outlander....
http://www.can-am.brp.com/en-US/

For me I would get a Yamaha Wolverine if I wanted a utility.

I had the outlander 400 and loved it. The outlanders are the fast in every class 400, 500, 650, and 800. as for the 4wheel drive it works great in turns can takes a little use to in mud (but thats all i did). mine had 27" mudzillas and it was very hard to get stuck. my firend with the 800 has 30" mudlights with a snorkle and Doesnt get stuck. But they have improved the viscolock since it came out so it might be alot better now.

I took my G/F on the back all the time and never had a problem, the 400 still pulled her and i (im 215lbs and shes 110lbs) like nothing.

If you have anymore questions about it hit me up with a PM.

Oh and all there bikes won ATV of the Yr award when they came out. not sure about now though.

I know that i had a Yamaha big bear 350 4x4. I paid $300 for it, it came with a plow and salter and ran. I beat the **** outta it, sunk it in a river, pulled it out, it still ran. The salter got cracked open playing paintball so i threw it away. The plow got fubar'ed when i hit a stump so we threw that away. A kid bought it after it sat all winter uncovered for $800, not running