Hunting ATV!!! Help Needed!

NorthernPF

NorthernPF

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Ramore, Ontario
Hey Guys!!

In July/August I will be in the market for a new ATV. Thing is I'm reading so much information right now my head is spinning. I'm basically going to be using it for general moose and bird hunting in Northern Ontario. I'd like to know what bikes you guys are using and how you like them. Here are some options that I'm considering and if you guys have any opinions or have heard anyhting about them, I'd love to know about it!! Nothing like some good first hand experiences. The ATV I've been using for the last few years was a 1998 Grizzly 600.

1. Polaris Sportsman XP 850/550 EPS- Great price from what I've seen. Apparently they're still having some problems with the engine. I also heard that some dealers are having problems getting parts. I feel sometimes that the 550 would be under powered if I needed to drag a moose out of the bush.

2. Can-Am Outlander 650/800 XT - A little more expensive, crazy HP for engine size. Seems to be hit and miss with engine/tranny problems. XT has all the options that I would be adding on the Polaris right from the factory.

3. Yamaha Grizzly 700 FI EPS - Seems to be average as far as price goes. Not as much HP for the engine size as compared to the other models.

4. Kawasaki Brute Force 750i - New dealer in town, my dad just bought one but haven't had a chance to try it. Seems like a really nice bike but also seems to be a little more on the expensive side.


Again if you guys have any opinions or insight I'd love to hear about it!
Thanks for the help!
 
I just bought a can am 650xt and it has plenty of power and not a huge noticible difference in power between the 650 and 800. Came with a very nice and powerful winch and the stock tires seem to be decent enough to get around without much difficulty.
 
I run a 2004, 450 Honda Foreman. It has pulled out a few dozen moose. It has more than enough power to do the job, the issue is weight, the machine will spin out before it runs out of power. The front end also tends to come up but with a good operator it does the job. I know the higher cc machines tend to be heavier so they might do a better job.

Mine has a solid rear axle which makes for a rougher ride but I bought mine to work my woodlot, not trail ride. Of the choices you listed I would go for the yamaha.
 
Got a few frieds using the Yamahas and Can Ams with good luck. We've had a Rhino for the last few years, same engine/tranny as the 700 Grizzly. Reliable machine, we have mud lites on it and it'll go through some pretty deep snot. Have only used the winch to tug a truck out of a snow bank.
 
You are going to get lots of opinions here! Of course most people will boast up what they have and why should I be any different?? LOL

I just traded my 05 Brute force 750 on the weekend for a 2013 750. Old one had 10k and was dead nuts reliable. Before the honda fanboys jump on here, the bike before that was a Foreman 450 that I had since new and it almost broke me for maintenance.

The 2013 I got has EFI and power steering which are both VERY nice to have. Kawi twins are notoriously cold blooded and my old carb version was tricky to start in cold weather. Your list is a good one and I would agree with the points you have made. I have driven all but the Grizzly 700 but I did drag race one and it was no comparison.
The sportsman 850 rode very nice as do all polaris' but I found the power steering to be a little too light and removed all trail feeling, sort of pushed through corners and while I'm sure it would have good top end speed. Acceleration still did not match my 05 kawi (computer only mod). Long term reliability would still be a top concern for me.

The can am 800 xt is a very nice bike and the price definitely reflects that. Soft ride but again the EPS was too much assist for my tastes and it was on the lowest setting. Front brakes are ( or were) on the front diff and chatter very loudly under hard braking. This has been evident for several years with this design. Drag racing this with my 05 he jumped the start and got 2 bike lengths on me but could not pull away further.

I'm happy with the Kawi, it fits me and I know the chassis now. I feel it offers a good balance of things for the money and the clincher is this month they are offering $550 cash back or an additional 4 years warranty on top of the existing 1 year for free ( worth $1600-1800). Guess which way I went!!

New vs old

2013-03-23114345_zpsfa0d4d4c.jpg
 
fire_guy10 said:
I just bought a can am 650xt and it has plenty of power and not a huge noticible difference in power between the 650 and 800. Came with a very nice and powerful winch and the stock tires seem to be decent enough to get around without much difficulty.
Click to expand...

X2..... Just got the same one and really like it. 2013 650XT MAX. I had a 2010 500XT Max and could barely keep up with other makes 700's and 800's.
The CanAm 650 has enough juice to haul out a moose and is perfect for my needs. The new modular front and rear racks are a disapointment though as you almost have to buy their accessories to mount something on them.
 
When I was buying mine new I also looked at everything available in my area.

I wound up going with a A/C and the reasons were simple.

-Best ground clearance at the time.
-Biggest fuel tank.
-Racks that are easy to bungie and tie to and also has the highest weight rating of the racks.
-I also wanted carburetor instead of EFI, just a phobia of mine when something goes wrong out in the bush , a carb you can get going, if EFI dies, well then it is caput.

IMO for a hunting rig keep it as simple as possible and avoid the bells a whistles.

Size I don't feel is an issue unless you are compensating for something, they do come with low range. ;)
 
Like OP said, your going to get a lot of opinions. Lots of PoPo haters etc, that being said I love my Polaris 850xp, wouldn't change it. Rides well, lots of power, will haul anything out of the bush you can put down.
 
My opinion/experiences only:: I ride with a variety of bike owners, mostly CanAm, a few Arctic Cats, Yamaha, 1 Kawasaki. I have never seen an owner convert from Canam but have seen many convert TO CanAm. My Outlander 650 XT with Gorilla Silverbacks/Dalton Clutches/Snorkel and full underbody armour kit is usually the saving grace in our group. Many times have towed others home, have never had to be towed home (yet, smack on wood). I am currently looking to change out my quad this summer, from a 2009 Outty to another Outty in possibly 800cc but may go with 650cc again as it has never let me down powerwise! The CanAm 650 has more power output that most other bikes under 850cc according to various sources (biased/unbiased who cares). 3 friends ride the XMR (2 in 800cc, 1 in 1000cc) and I can honestly say there is absolutely no legitimate requirement for that kinda grunt... it's downright gross! I've seen my buddies 500cc Outty tow home an Arctic Cat Mud Pro 1000cc with Black Mambas and not even break a sweat - and thats 1200 lbs of dead weight. In the end its what you like and what your wallet can handle.... I know I'm sold on CanAm, a true believer.
 
My can am is pretty tough so far.. I've only got the outlander 400xt mostly just due to size restrictions on both my truck and the trails that we hunt but the little bugger did drag out a adult bull moose all on its own. Through the swamp up a hill and down the road. You get your anus stretched on the first service but that's across the board really
 
I don't own a quad now, but have had a Suzuki, an Arctic Car and a Polaris and would rank them in that order.

I loved the simple little Suzuki 400 eiger I had, never failed me, never got stuck, but the fixed rear axle was a bit hard on the back. I then had a Polaris 600 that got stuck everywhere, hated it. Sold it and bought an Arctic Cat 500 which I enjoyed but rarely used.

I was looking a while back and probably would have gone back to Suzuki.
 
i have a polaris 850xp and its been great so far. Its almost too much power for me. Goes through tires quickly. Only downside is its heavy and sometimes hard to start (turns over a couple times) The ride is amazing. I can be on tough technical trails all day and not feel fatigued at all.
 
Out of the 4 I would reccomend the Kawasaki Bruteforce 750. I just bought one last year and I love it, I havent had any issues. My whole family owns Kawasaki ATV's and we all love them. The only other bike I have driven and liked was the Polaris, they make great bikes. On the other hand I also have freinds that swear by CanAm or Yamaha...

Pretty much it comes down to what YOU prefer and what YOU like. Your buying it so make you like driving it!

Cheers!
 
Thanks for all the replies and keep them coming guys!! I appreciate everything. One thing that I've noticed lately through reading more stuff seems to be that people don't have older model Polaris bikes and that long term reliability seem to be iffy
 
Depends on what you do. I have a 85 250 quad runner Suzuki , 05 AC 500 and a Suzuki King Quad 850. @50 still runs though is showing its age. AC is the one for bush whacking and plowing, and yard work. Drag 1000lb hay bales and the like. King Quad has the power and torque, ant it is the one the kids like...

I like the AC but for mud and that it is a little under powered, King quad was great but too nimble, had to mod the steering to change the caster a little to fix that. Lots of my friends have gotten Can-Am's and they like them, great ride.

Get one that fits you, sit on it, see if your dealer will let you have the demo for a day.

Rb
 
I have 750 Brute Force. It is good for hunting, you can ride it with second person, plus at low speed cruise it is really quiet
 
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