Automatic ATVs

theonlybull · Oct 29, 2003

i'll have to put a vote in for honda, i run a machine shop, and rebuild alot of 1-3 cyl. cranks for wheelers, water craft, and ski-doos, and the only brand that i have seen last, are honda's.

i've done the crank for 1 honda 4 wheeler (300 fourtrax i belive), and it's demise was due to the owner forgetting to replace the oil fill plug.

as for belt drive.. polaris never did get it to work right on their sleds, then they stuck it into thier wheelers.... no way would i touch that. i'll keep my good old foot shifted honda's.

i'm running my old '81 110 3 wheeler, that i've had since the late 80's.... i'm 6'3" 295 lbs, and it'll haul me, my hunting gear, and a 200 lbs deer out of the woods just for fun.

DK35vince · Oct 29, 2003

( as for belt drive.. polaris never did get it to work right on their sleds, then they stuck it into thier wheelers.... no way would i touch that. i'll keep my good old foot shifted honda's.
)

Whats wrong with Polaris snowmobile clutchs ?I had nearly 4000 miles on My 92 Indy 500 when I sold it, never touched the clutch, worked perfect.
I have 3000 miles on my Polaris XLT Special ,clutch works great, keeps the RPM's right where they work the best and its never been touched !!

The greatest 4 wheeler of all time was discountinued in 1989.
The Honda TRX 250R. 250cc liquid cooled 2 stroke, 6 speed standard transmission.Best handling 4 wheeler ever built.(my opinion)

Tractors4u · Oct 29, 2003

I bought a 1995 Polaris Sport 400 new in 95. I never had a belt or clutch problem. I had a couple of minor glitches but nothing serious. I would buy one again. I hunted last year on a friends Yamaha Grizzly 660. Wow, it was like driving a Cadillac through the woods it rode so smooth. He wasted money putting a winch on because as hard as he has tried he has not got it stuck yet. But as heavy as that thing is, if it does get stuck he will need the winch. My wife drove it and ask how much they cost because she liked it so much.

thcri · Oct 30, 2003

( Will,

The automatics are great, but sometimes the belts get wet and slip a little if you submerge them in deep enough water.
)

Never in my life had I had a problem with a wet belt. I ride with lots of people that have Polaris.

As far as Honda, great machine that is pretty reliable, but my experience with the guys that I ride with is they are the first to get stuck with the low clearance and their 4 wheel drive system. Honda doesn't run all wheels in 4 wheel drive. The new Rincon maybe does as it offers independent suspension. The guys that have the Rubicons with the automatic actual use theirs in manual shift when in the deep mud as the automatic doesn't have a fast enough response. but I would not be afraid of buying any of the new ones out there. It goes back to dealer support and the feeling of the machine.

Upnorth

GaryM · Oct 30, 2003

Just got a card in the mail today about John Deere ATVs. Didn't know they made ATVs. Any information about them?

_RaT_ · Oct 31, 2003

Murph, I recall that you seemed to be the guy that knew a ton about ATV's. I wonder what you think aboout having a young kid (2 year old) riding along with the driver on one of these? I give my 2 year old a ride on my sisters Suzuki, a 250 I think that has manual gears etc and I find it to be a blast. The thing is to small to use for pulling a chain harrow, but other then that is fun for me and him. I only go on the hills around their place. No mud or water, at least nothing like the photo you have attached. I would love to have one of the larger Polaris, Honda, etc. Rat...

thcri · Oct 31, 2003

Rat,

In my opinion there is nothing wrong with a two year old kid on the wheeler. As long as your responsible and you don't take risks. Anytime a father and a kid can do things together is great. Some of the laws we have now days really stink. They now have wheelers that are designed for two people and most states have adopted them as legal. Just be very cautious with the youngster. Families that spend time with their kids, even on ATV's you usually find them kids at home and not in the streets getting into trouble.

This is just my opinion and some others may disagree. My oldest daughter loves piano and stuff like that. My youngest daughter at 6 was driving the wheelers in the front yard alone with me watching. She is 14 now and she runs my TC29D like a pro, she mows and will even do loader work. Even though she likes driving the wheeler she still comes and asks me to take her for a ride. These are precious times. I also love the times when I can sit next to my other daughter and listen to her play the piano. So to answer your question, yes just spend time no matter what it is.

murph

gee i really rambled there /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Tractors4u · Oct 31, 2003

JD's new line of ATV's are made by Bombardier.

boustany · Oct 31, 2003

I got a Honda 4Trax with 'automatic' meaning an automatic cluctch and electric shift. My reasoning is that the wife and kids would smoke a clutch in no time. I have never been impressed with the snowmobile solution, and I kind of figured that if the big were driven slowly & under load such as transmission would wear quickly, and didn't seem very efficient.

Anyway, I made a mechanical governor for the 4Trax so the kids could fly around with it so the max speed is about 10 miles an hour. So far I am very satisfied with the bike. Shifting is idiot proof and you can pull out stumps (or tow a few thousand pounds) in 1st gear. It seems like the best of both worlds.

5030 · Oct 31, 2003

DK35Vince:

I know it's getting colder out, but you are talking sled's not quads.

Personally, I prefer Arctic Cat clutches over yours anyway. I never cared for Indy's. They look dated, even the Gen II's

I know there are a lot of Polaris fans out there, but I don't like the idea of a CVT unit on a quad. I am partial to Honda too. I have a Foreman 400 that moves everyting from haywagons to a spike drag. Excellent machine.