Our atv trip this weekend

powder burner

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So a few of us went on a trip this weekend. 4 Hondas 1 can am, and my yamaha.

2 Honda rubicon 500

1 Honda 420

1 Honda rincon 680

1 kodiak 450

1 can am 800 2 up

From my observations during the ride there were some quirks. The 420 honda had the thumb shift tranny which the owner was not too impressed with. It would not shift higher than 3 rd gear but would show you in 4 or 5 when you tried to shift. Owner pretty much wanted to get rid of it and said"that Honda matic system is junk" lol. His words not mine.

The rincon did not have a low range and did overheat once on us. It did work fairly well other than the overheat issue. Personally I wouldn't buy a atv without low range.

The rubicons worked and no issues were noted. Both owners kept them in auto mode and didn't use the thumb shift much.

We all went through the same holes, over logs, etc.

The can am simply walked over everything and through a lot of places I didn't think it would. More than once I said to myself, holy crap well need a helicopter to get this thing unstuck. Although it weighed the most it still went through some serious terrain. I think the longer wheel base of the 2 up machine helped it a lot.

My kodiak did okay and got stuck just as much as the Hondas. I got water in the belt once after a very deep hole. im sure i got water in through the air intake at rear if the machine. nice thing was that a simple drain plug can be removed. put i neutral and rev engine to pump out the water. slick system. belt still wet but eventually dried out later on in the day and we could still carry on. Whole process took about 30 minutes. drove it right afterwards. little bit of powerloss until belt dried out later on. picked my way around mudholes until belt was dry. We never once had to winch or push the can am out of a hole. However I was told that on warm days the can ams have history of overheating as they all use a rad found on the 400. Would make sense I suppose as a big machine should have a bigger radiator...

The can am, kodiak, rincon, and 420 Honda all had aftermarket tires. The can am had a aftermarket pipe on it. Unsure which brand. Not a lot louder than stock but noticeable.

Another interesting part of the trip is was when we took the panels off my kodiak and were able to use the spark plug to light gas soaked paper to light a campfire. We all forgot matches and lighters. Other machines were a lot tougher to even get to, if not find the spark plug. All in all, country boys can survive :) !

So take it for what it is, haters will always be haters. This was just a good trip that let me see how other machines performed. Real world use will always be more of a performance grade than a slick talking salesman.
 
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What does this have to do with HUNTING?????

I have two Honda Quads and I use one for getting into an area for HUNTING and I use one to get my game out to the truck. I am not into motocross or mud bogging and they are not related to HUNTING anyway. I think you have the wrong forum.
 
What does this have to do with HUNTING?????

I have two Honda Quads and I use one for getting into an area for HUNTING and I use one to get my game out to the truck. I am not into motocross or mud bogging and they are not related to HUNTING anyway. I think you have the wrong forum.

So what?

I am very interested in real reports on the reliability of different brands as it does relate to my hunting trips and the fact that I will be in the market for a hunting atv this summer.

All relevant, thanks for the post and nevermind guys with nothing better to do than police the forums.

Patrick
 
Given conditions in the West Country, I'm sure your convoy really fostered the image of responsible ATV users.:confused: Keep it up, you'll lose that privilege and then be #####ing about it ever after.


Grizz
 
What does this have to do with HUNTING?????

I have two Honda Quads and I use one for getting into an area for HUNTING and I use one to get my game out to the truck. I am not into motocross or mud bogging and they are not related to HUNTING anyway. I think you have the wrong forum.

While it might not be a directly related hunting story ATV's are used by many to hunt with or trap with...I mean assist in those two activities.
I know very little about ATV's, but do ride a buddies Suzuki dual range 350cc unit and while it can not keep up with the Kodiak hauling my
phat ass around it does get us deeper into the bush and can haul a 1/4 out if need be.
Last Can-Am I seen had a chain drive final output and looked cumbersome.
Thanks for the biased report though ;)
Rob
 
Seriously?? Only thing different than this trip and a hunting trip was no firearms involved! If it all happened and a firearm was involved, this thread would be more to your liking??

Unreal, if you don't want to read about how an atv can apply to a hunting situation this September, then don't bother posting on my thread!
 
Actually buddy you were not there so keep your holier than thou comments to yourself.

In fact we didn't go a lot of places that others did before us as muskeg and trails had been ripped up so bad by other idiots with quads and their jacked up rig rocket trucks. In many spots we simply turned around cause trail ahead was impassable.
 
I find I prefer the Honda matic thumb shift for gnarly terrain over conventuals high and low systems. Between riding a Suzuki king quad 700 and the Honda 420 there are advantages and disadvantages to both. After riding extensively with can am 800 outlander Max the overheating has been a continual issue (on three machines) I find them the most capable aside from this issue. For durability and never quitting I have had great success with Kawasaki.

I think for regular riding the 420 would feel very underpowered and the shifting would be frustrating. I think if you are in the market for a new HUNTING ATV, go for a Can Am 800 if you are not going to be revving high for extensive periods of time - or for a Kawasaki if you plan to bag on it
 
ATVs are used year round here in Southern NB as there is typically less snow and the trails are open for them. As a result there are LOTS of ATVs here and lots of those are Can-Ams. They have a very good reputation here, kinda like the Toyota of the ATV.

My next quad will be a Can-Am.
 
I take it the Can-Am did not have the "rad relocation kit" on it? Around here in SE Sask, alot of guys relocate the rad and add the snorkel kits. Thinking the rad relocate kit is so the rad is not full submersed, but I have seen the rads in stock form and plugged with debris cause it is in a tough spot to keep clean. Food for though for you guys thinking of one.
 
No body walks or uses a horse anymore? I am 22...a "city" boy and I still carry things out on my back, even if it takes me 10 trips.
 
Well I'm biased for Hondas, my current one has 15 000 km only thing fixed was started and battery replaced. Buddy's had 25000km before he didn't fill it with oil. These are 05 and 04's. From my experiences yamahas break down and blow transmissions like it's going out of style. Shop that I know has fixed lots with well under a 1000 clicks
 
Thanks for the report. I just bought a new Can Am Outlander Max XT. So far, I believe that it has out performed anything else I have owned or borrowed.
 
Seriously?? Only thing different than this trip and a hunting trip was no firearms involved! If it all happened and a firearm was involved, this thread would be more to your liking??

Unreal, if you don't want to read about how an atv can apply to a hunting situation this September, then don't bother posting on my thread!

Don't worry about it Powder...many individuals here wear blinders...and simply enjoy stirring the pot.

Thanx for the candid report. Were you quadding West of Rocky Mountain House?

Bought a 2012 CanAm Commander XT last summer after observing, test driving others. CanAms are hard to beat.
 
Seriously?? Only thing different than this trip and a hunting trip was no firearms involved! If it all happened and a firearm was involved, this thread would be more to your liking??

Unreal, if you don't want to read about how an atv can apply to a hunting situation this September, then don't bother posting on my thread!


Unreal, you make a post on a forum and don't expect to get some different view points? As soon as it goes on here it is no longer "your thread" it is now ours too.


"We all went through the same holes, over logs, etc.

The can am simply walked over everything and through a lot of places I didn't think it would. More than once I said to myself, holy crap well need a helicopter to get this thing unstuck."

That really doesn't sound like a typical "hunting" trip to me.

"Holier than thou comments" you are confused.
 
Unreal, you make a post on a forum and don't expect to get some different view points? As soon as it goes on here it is no longer "your thread" it is now ours too.


"We all went through the same holes, over logs, etc.

The can am simply walked over everything and through a lot of places I didn't think it would. More than once I said to myself, holy crap well need a helicopter to get this thing unstuck."

That really doesn't sound like a typical "hunting" trip to me.

"Holier than thou comments" you are confused.

Lighten up, Frances!
 
There are some of us with Artificial joints and or other medical conditions that do use an ATV for huntin so this kind of report is interesting. A few years ago when I could walk miles and owned horses I looked down my nose at the idea of an ATV for hunting. Now it is an ATV , a pickup or stay home.
 
The can am simply walked over everything and through a lot of places I didn't think it would. More than once I said to myself, holy crap well need a helicopter to get this thing unstuck. Although it weighed the most it still went through some serious terrain. I think the longer wheel base of the 2 up machine helped it a lot.

AMEN brother, AMEN!! There are 2 types of quad runners :: The CANAMS in front of the pack, and the those BEHIND the CanAms being towed home! :cool:
 
Type and size of tires, ground clearance and rider ability is what gets you through swamps, it has nothing to do with individual brands, other than the ones with true 4x4 will go further, all else being equal.
Use them hard enough and they all break.
 
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