Kawasaki, Bombardier or Yamaha ATVs

Ihad the same debate earlier this year, was between Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki. After massive amounts of research and some test rides the Yamaha 700 Grizz with EPS was the clear winner for the application I had for it. All were about the same price and I paid $9600.00. I wanted something for the farm with speed to get from pasture to pasture quickly but without revving the nuts out of it, power for pulling and the occasional trail ride. It is a proven design. I do not think any of the above 3 would be a bad choice and it depends on the qualities you are looking for to determine which is the best fit for you.
Regards
Guy
 
Hondas are over engineered, buddy nearly got stuck miles in the bush because of a stupid reverse sensing electric switch...I do not operate anything in the bush that will stop working because a bulb isburnt out. Mechanically hHonda is a solid machine.

Btw my 400 Eiger is used to pull my 4×8 trailer full of wood out of the bush, no problems. I have also had it up to 95km/h
 
Had real good luck with the brute force 750's, on my 2nd now. 1st one was 8 yrs old and 10k and very few issues, original brakes, 2nd belt. The few cats I know of seem to have things wearing out prematurely.

Can ams are nice but quite a bit more money. Are they worth it? You decide. They still have problems too. Heard of a 650 today with brakes gone at 500 kms. Plastics seem to be brittle in the cold. I know of 2 that shattered upon bumping a tree.

The old power debate is personal choice but in deep wet snow it is needed!
 
I'm a Yamaha fan for sure they have never let me down. I think any of the four japanese atv's are good quality. Just stay away from anything Chinese or Canadian or U.S. (crap). One thing I consider important is to have a solid rear axle , none of that independent sh&t.
You can carry a whole moose on the back rack with a solid axle ( no sagging )
 
AWOL said:
Yamaha hands down
Click to expand...

Big X2!

The Kawasaki is the crudest of the three. The Can-Am...big issue with frames breaking and Bombardier makes no bones about reaming their Canadian customers. When our dollar first hit parity with the American a lot of guys lucky enough to live near the border looked to buy from a US dealer, where the same model was $3000-$5000 cheaper. In response, Can-Am threatened American dealers - warning that if they sold to Canadians they'd lose their dealerships and that they wouldn't honour the warranty on any cross-border purchases. Remember that Bombardier has been the beneficiary of literally hundreds of millions of Canadian taxpayer's dollars in the form of grants, loan guarantees and non-repayable subsidies. Having learned this, I'll never buy another. Besides, their main production line is now in Mexico. Pass!

Of the three you name, Yamaha wins hands down. The Grizzly looks great, has tons of torque, is nimble, with lots of speed. I own several ATVs, but the Grizzly has proven very dependable and has transported several bull moose out of the bush in one trip.
 
Gunusr said:
Interesting theory, both Arctic Cat and Can Am have quads in the top ten every year, Suzuki and Kawasaki do not.
Click to expand...

Top ten? How many manufacturers are there? Honda, Polaris, Kawasaki, BRP, AC, Yamaha, Suzuki, John Deere, KTM............ that's 9, who did I miss?

Would that be the Chinese knockoff/clone manufacturers that are in spots ten and up then? :D

cyclops666 said:
You can carry a whole moose on the back rack with a solid axle ( no sagging )
Click to expand...
You also have no clearance when empty and a rough ride. You can get spring/shock upgrades as well as cheap lift kits/blocks to remedy sag.
 
If you are going to buy a Yamaha, make sure to buy a box of spark plugs with it. Both my brother in law and father in law have one and both eat plugs often. Also My father in law just bought it this spring and has already taken it back for trany work. I have always had kawasakis and have never had any problems what so ever. so imho I would go with the kawasaki.
 
As an ATV guide with lots of experience on many different utility quads, I would first say that you will have a great time on any of them. However, some may give you more of a headache and less of a good time than others.

I love the grizzlies, except going up steep hills, where you'll wish they had a bit more front end weight. Popping the front end up is easy and fast.

The bombs, the best ride of all the machines (power, response, comforts), but watch your frame and keep that rad clean or you'll be choked on the trail.

The Brute Forces are great as well, they sit a little taller so a little more weight shift is necessary for flipping the back end out, but great for crawling over logs and rocks. (which is what utility quads were meant for)

Honestly, I would avoid Polaris all together, Suzuki or Honda are great options if you are looking at lower future cost of parts, and doing potential work yourself, but you lose some o the technology that the other makes offer now.

My 2c, Like I said, the make matters, but it also doesn't, just getting out there and riding is way more important :p
 
Yamaha for the win. I researched for over a year before buying a grizzly 700 with EPS.

Brake wear isn't an issue as the engine braking works so well that you only need the brakes when driving like its stolen.

Belt wear isn't an issue as the Yamaha CVT is well known for non slippage and the longest belt life.

Lightweight when compared to similar machines providing a more sporty ride.

They seem to be stuck on the 700. Why? Because you can't improve on perfect :D. Some complain that Yamaha is "behind" because they have been stuck on the 700 for so long, but I really don't see why as I easily rip loooong wheelies while remaining seated. 5% of real ATV riding involves gassin er on straight aways so I'm just fine topping out at 105 km/h while the guys with bigger engines are slowly pulling away...


The only complaint I have is the stupid sway bar which limits articulation, but decreases roll. I took mine off a long time ago and will never remount it. Riding without it does require more body English, but once you go without it you'll never remount it.
 
z1000rider said:
If you are going to buy a Yamaha, make sure to buy a box of spark plugs with it. Both my brother in law and father in law have one and both eat plugs often. Also My father in law just bought it this spring and has already taken it back for trany work. I have always had kawasakis and have never had any problems what so ever. so imho I would go with the kawasaki.
Click to expand...

From what I gather many grizzlies run lean from the factory. With an 07-08 you can adjust fuel on the pod (speedo) but with 09's and newer you'd need a programmer.

Do their machines overheat at all? Would running lean (hot) have anything to do with premature spark plug wear?


After a programmer and switching the rad fluid to engine ice the fan rarely comes on while other machines fans are running "forever"
oon hot days. My plug is also perfect after a couple thousand kms...
 
Some very good advice here. Few points that might be relevant;

- Very few Kawasaki dealers here in Central Ontario. I believe there is one in Peterborough and one in Muskoka, somewhere. Something to keep in mind for future services. The other three Japanese dealers are never too far. I wonder why? I have never seen a kawasaki boat engine around here, so that may explain it.

- Another strange thing that I have noticed is that Suzuki dealers always offer previous years (new) models at an attractive discount. Honda and Yamaha don't. I was told this to is a matter of company policy, meaning Suzuki sells its over stock here in Canada but the others remove it from the Canadian market. Presumably, to control prices. For a value buyer like me $2000 on a 700 ATV makes a big difference. Of course, you don't get your choice of color or even engine size.
 
Last edited:
From Experience I like my kawi brute force. I switched to kawi from polaris and I'm happy everyday that I made the change.

However.....I just had a good friend ask me what he should get, and I told him that if he goes kawi or yamaha he wouldnt regret it.
 
Thats easy....Yamaha. I made my choice going to Yamaha last fall and they are a great machine. I called around and did alot of research and Yamaha had the least amount of issues of any machine in my area. Yamaha also hold value like a Honda.
 
Slooshark1 said:
Which if these three are better and why? I'm looking at something in the 650 to 750cc range.
Click to expand...
Buy a Honda....
Cause everyone knows you meet the nicest people on a Honda.
Seriously, you can not go wrong with your first and last choice and Bombardier would be my last choice.
But, what do I know I ride a Harley and am glutton for punishment or you could buy a Honda.
Rob
 
I currently own 5 Quads, a Kawasaki, a Yamaha, a Polaris and two Canams. In the past I've also owned 4 yamaha's, a Suzuki, and an Artic Cat. The only bike I ever had a problem with was the Artic Cat, the rear diff became separated from the drive shaft, also had to replace the CV joints and the brakes, all under the first 2k. I recently purchased, the Canam 1000 XT with a set of Tatou 4S tracks, only have about 1000km on it and so far so good. I recently did the Ride for Dad 100k run in Ompah, the were 940 bikes on the trail, and I saw at least one of every brand break down, some new some old. So really what I'm saying is it is personal preference. You will find someone to say something bad about every brand, and someone to have nothing but praise for them. I know this doesn't really help, but it's just from personal experience. I however would definitely stay away from any of the Chinese knock offs, you won't find anyone with anything good to say about them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom