ATV advice

[deserteagle71]

Whatever you do, don't buy a Can-Am ATV.

After 35 years of riding Honda, Suzuki, Polaris, and Arctic Cat I bought a brand new Can-Am Outlander 570 last year. It's been the worst piece of **** I've ever spent money on. I work on it more than we ride it. 13 months old now, 800ish miles on it, and I think it might be to the point where I can use it this summer without fixing something else. What a piece of trash.

The plastics have gone brittle and literally fell apart in some areas, it overheated constantly so I had to install a radiator relocation kit, servicing it is a nightmare, brakes literally fell apart and the pads and calipers were destroyed, front diff whines like a couple of cats fighting, front diff drain screw is installed from the factory at an angle so it got stripped upon first service, I can't even remember all the issues. And this is in the first 12 months. Pathetic.

Sounds like you got a real lemon and need to get rid of it - cut your losses.

I've never owned a Can-am ATV but have a good friend that does...but his is the fire-breathing 1000 cc. He is constantly abusing it, putting it through stuff I'd never subject my ATVs through, and it is holding up just fine. Personally I own a Can-am Defender UTV. 2020 model, bought it new. Closing in on 3000 miles on it now and it has been flawless; if I had to do it over again that's what I would buy. I'm using it all the time around the homestead and then take it up into the mountain on my days off.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Whatever you do, don't buy a Can-Am ATV.

After 35 years of riding Honda, Suzuki, Polaris, and Arctic Cat I bought a brand new Can-Am Outlander 570 last year. It's been the worst piece of **** I've ever spent money on. I work on it more than we ride it. 13 months old now, 800ish miles on it, and I think it might be to the point where I can use it this summer without fixing something else. What a piece of trash.

The plastics have gone brittle and literally fell apart in some areas, it overheated constantly so I had to install a radiator relocation kit, servicing it is a nightmare, brakes literally fell apart and the pads and calipers were destroyed, front diff whines like a couple of cats fighting, front diff drain screw is installed from the factory at an angle so it got stripped upon first service, I can't even remember all the issues. And this is in the first 12 months. Pathetic.

all this after 12 month is hard to believe, not saying its not true just hard to believe and it makes me want to ask a tones of question but I wont ... I have a 2012 and never had problem with it, sure some plastic broke but they are all made with plastic now.

 

[ArlyA]

No atv's or utv's are perfect. I will say that includes Honda trannies.

 

[deserteagle71]

No atv's or utv's are perfect. I will say that includes Honda trannies.

Exactly. I was seriously considering a Honda Pioneer 1000 until I started frequenting the Pioneer forum discussions and seeing all the complaints about problems with the dual-clutch transmission...and the engine heat making the inside of the cab unbearable in the warmer months.

I can change a drive belt in about a half hour on my Can-am...not so the clutches in a dual clutch transmission.

 

[plastikosmd]

No atv's or utv's are perfect. I will say that includes Honda trannies.

1) in todays world, I can’t tell if this is a “bud light” comment or not (j/k!)

2) my 84 big red disagrees, btw
(Love that thing!)

 

[Rockbadchild]

1) in todays world, I can’t tell if this is a “bud light” comment or not (j/k!)

2) my 84 big red disagrees, btw
(Love that thing!)

1) lol

2) 100% there is and there will be nothing better tougher then the Honda three wheelers line up, these things or over 40 year old now and they are still kicking and can withstand insane amount of abuse.

 

[Blue Mule]

all this after 12 month is hard to believe, not saying its not true just hard to believe and it makes me want to ask a tones of question but I wont ... I have a 2012 and never had problem with it, sure some plastic broke but they are all made with plastic now.

Feel free to ask.

Son and I ride trails typical of the eastern U.S. Dirt, mud, water puddles, some areas of tree roots, rocks, etc. We don't beat the hell out of our machines. We typically ride low range and speeds are relatively low. On wide open trails we may hit high range. The ATVs are never sunk in water above the tailpipe like you see on YouTube videos of people who think ATVs are jet skis. We almost never tow or work with the Can-Am. In short, the Can-Am has had a relatively good life. And yet, 12 months and 800 miles later it's had a laundry list of problems. I hate it. It's pure trash.

By contrast I have a 2022 Suzuki King Quad that I bought two months after I bought the Can-Am. I ride it, my son rides the Can-Am most of the time. We follow each other, so the ATVs see the exact same miles, same trails, same obstacles, same everything. The Suzuki has had ZERO issues. None of the things that the Can-Am has had. No broken floorboards, no fluid leaks, no overheating, no whining from the front differential, no brake calipers eating the rotors like potato chips, no oil consumption, nothing. It's been flawless. The Can-Am needs repair after every ride.

As the old saying goes, live and learn. I'm not too terribly mad because how was I supposed to know when I bought the Can-Am that they are trash? I've learned now, and it'll never happen again.

 

[plastikosmd]

Agree, no excuse for a machine that costs what they do

 

[Rockbadchild]

Feel free to ask.

Son and I ride trails typical of the eastern U.S. Dirt, mud, water puddles, some areas of tree roots, rocks, etc. We don't beat the hell out of our machines. We typically ride low range and speeds are relatively low. On wide open trails we may hit high range. The ATVs are never sunk in water above the tailpipe like you see on YouTube videos of people who think ATVs are jet skis. We almost never tow or work with the Can-Am. In short, the Can-Am has had a relatively good life. And yet, 12 months and 800 miles later it's had a laundry list of problems. I hate it. It's pure trash.

By contrast I have a 2022 Suzuki King Quad that I bought two months after I bought the Can-Am. I ride it, my son rides the Can-Am most of the time. We follow each other, so the ATVs see the exact same miles, same trails, same obstacles, same everything. The Suzuki has had ZERO issues. None of the things that the Can-Am has had. No broken floorboards, no fluid leaks, no overheating, no whining from the front differential, no brake calipers eating the rotors like potato chips, no oil consumption, nothing. It's been flawless. The Can-Am needs repair after every ride.

As the old saying goes, live and learn. I'm not too terribly mad because how was I supposed to know when I bought the Can-Am that they are trash? I've learned now, and it'll never happen again.

I have never heard such thing form any can-am quad owner and I know a lot of people who has one, but I don't blame you for thinking what you think base on your experience... this one qualify as a lemon

 

[ArlyA]

For work, we operated machines from Can-am, Yahaha and Polaris. Our work is such, we broke them and wore them all out in 6-+ years of operations. When we puchased a machine for our personal use in was a can-am product. Its not perfect either.

 

[TractorTYMe]

I love my Suzuki Kingquads, I had an KQ500AXi with powersteering 2009 that got smashed by a tree with 400h and 4k miles on it. Now I have a replacement KQ 750 2022 with just a few hundred miles on it. They might not be the most innovative , most HP or exciting. But for a utility quad, it sure is reliable....no fuss with it............ever.

 

[ArlyA]

I love my Suzuki Kingquads, I had an KQ500AXi with powersteering 2009 that got smashed by a tree with 400h and 4k miles on it. Now I have a replacement KQ 750 2022 with just a few hundred miles on it. They might not be the most innovative , most HP or exciting. But for a utility quad, it sure is reliable....no fuss with it............ever.

I love reviews like this. Work is all we do with ours.

 

[deserteagle71]

9100 miles now on my 2006 Yamaha Kodiak 450 that I bought new in 2006. That thing has seen some country, survived 3 hellacious rollovers, and done some work! Other than tires and batteries every few years all I've needed to do is replace the stator. 17 years of good times!

Edit: I did need to change the drive belt years ago. But that was my fault. I was using the Kodiak to move a trailer loaded with a full cord of firewood...not designed to do that, burned up the belt when I was in reverse backing the trailer into a shed.

 

[Grumpycat]

I would 2nd the recommendation of Honda ATVs.

If buying new one might wish to avoid the Electric Shift option as that mechanism tends to have problems in the long run. Manual shifting ain't hard with no clutch on the utility models.

 

[shooterdon]

I came close to getting an ATV but went with a Kawasaki Mule UTV instead. About the only downsides are it is a bit noisy and has a top speed of 25 mph. But it sits two, has a windshield, roof, dump bed and I do not need a helmet. The other plus over an ATV is safety.

It is used for work around the place, and in good weather, for runs to the mailbox 2.5 miles away...(yes, I live in the middle of nowhere) and to visit neighbors.

I do not regret getting it, though it would be nice to have more speed. But it was just over $8200 so not that pricey.

 

[Grumpycat]

I do not regret getting it, though it would be nice to have more speed. But it was just over $8200 so not that pricey.

I haven't priced a Mule before but that sounds quite reasonable and practical.

 

[ArlyA]

I haven't priced a Mule before but that sounds quite reasonable and practical.

We've heard good things about them.

 

[shooterdon]

We've heard good things about them.

Arly

They are bullet proof, but as sexy as Phyllis Diller.
BTW. have owned a Polaris XP and RSZ and they were a lot “sexier” and faster.

I am 73, and needed an affordable and reliable vehicle for around the homestead. They are the only UTV with a three year warranty.

 

[JeepHead]

I just purchased a 2024 Honda Rubicon which is a beast of a quad. The tow rating on it is in the neighborhood of 1500# and I have put it to the test. I chose the Rubicon because I wanted something very nimble to get around my woods with and I found the turn radius is not all that great really. In hindsight, I wish I would have just purchased the Honda Pioneer that way I could've easily drove with two people as well as having a bed to put stuff. The Pioneer was only about $1500 more.
Other than that though, the Rubicon is one heck of a stout machine!

 

[Alan W.]

We have a 2015 Kawasaki mule. Its the smaller one a 610 or as my son calls it the jackass version.
It has been bulletproof so far.
The 02 Honda 300 fourtrax has also been very reliable. We did have to replace the front ball joints. Honda made them one piece with the a arm and they are no longer available so my son machined the old a arms to accept new press in ball joints.