Thread: Quad bike

Just had a look city honda in palmerston Northhas some fresh trades there also remember the bigger or older in some cases the bike the harder to lift out of bog Honda trx 350 are mint got enough grunt reliable as and light enough the foreman is heavy but good but just gotta watch big end bearing. older model suzukis i wouldnt touch only because the are light in the front and heavy everywhere else and eletrics can be a bitch in some ways they were a bike before there time. Yamys are ok they have high engine wear compared to other brands but wilol chug on they are good bikes. Kawasakis are good but but have limeted engine life on the older modles and the susspension is not my first choice. Polaris are good but can be costly to fix. Can am are wicked but bloody expensive to fix. End of the day its up to your budget to dictate what you can have this time of year the bargens get snapped up quick.
This is my expereance with bikes and im sure there are people that will dis aggree with me but hope it helps.

Also i can email you the list city honda has if you want to pm me your details.

in order of preference from personel experience of owning quads for almost 20 years
No.1 Can Am - costly but worth it
No.2 Polaris - Great all round bike, good bang for ya buck
No.3 Honda 500 - nice reliable basic bike
No.4 Honda TRX420 bit light and basic, suspension not the best
No.5 Suzuki 750 Kingquad - heaps of grunt, ok transmission, slowly rattling itself to death, costly to run maintain etc, high centre of gravity

Like others have said a can of worms, you just have to try what you want and buy what your happy with, but unfortunatley no one has yet produced the perfect quad for the best price, as a farmer we are getting away from quads now and are going to UTV's, safer, more versatile etc, imho

BRADS,I agree that rider skill and ability has much to do with safety on quad bikes but the high centre of gravity thing that ebf mentioned is a reality of physics that cannot be denied. It is the reason why most 4WD's/SUV's have a roll warning on the drivers sun visor (or other such visible place) and most sedans don't (because they have a lower centre of gravity).

Yep Rushy bang on.
I was talking the difference in c of g for quads,
As a side note, We have recently purchased a second hand side by side Yamaha rhino for the wife and baby to use on the farm.
They really are amazing where they will go and are VERY stable.
Also take a couple of deer on the deck with ease

Originally Posted by BRADS

Also take a couple of deer on the deck with ease

Always a useful feature!!

Rhinos are great. A bit expensive to maintain and run, but are excellent machines.

I've had a TRX 350 4x4 manual for three or four years now. Taken it hunting once, hardly use it. I'd rather walk another 5-6km each way. Good, solid, reliable machine, tows well, ... but I just like walking. Maybe I shouldn't have bought such a nice pair of boots.

How much is it worth to you Gadget.. Stations I shoot on, I need something other than boot leather.

Originally Posted by scottrods

How much is it worth to you Gadget.. Stations I shoot on, I need something other than boot leather.

Gave it to the BIL for the farm after theirs got stolen. I have a 400 here now though, nothing flash but it works. Was a 450 when I bought it but it had lost 50cc when I went to pick it up.

Originally Posted by gadgetman

Gave it to the BIL for the farm after theirs got stolen. I have a 400 here now though, nothing flash but it works. Was a 450 when I bought it but it had lost 50cc when I went to pick it up.

Trademe are always looking for new ways to take their share off the top..

Originally Posted by StrikerNZ

Trademe are always looking for new ways to take their share off the top..

Great that the owner maintained it well enough to know exactly what it was.

This is all you need, these quads are bomb proof.

Honda Fourtrax trx300 2000 | Trade Me

This one is closer.

Honda Big Red 1996 | Trade Me

Tge hondas are gutless....
Thes suzukis go an go and are all raw power just abit light in one end...
The yammys go like hell but im always doing something to mine albeit small its always needing something!!!!

My choice for a hack has been the old 250cc (300cc) suzi king quads. Yes they have a few issues, but for me the choice of gears and difflock means I can take it most places and pull most things.
I'd rather have one of the newer polaris rangers though, can fit 3 real people across the front of them.

Have you considered a UTV? They are more versatile than quads, you can carry more, better range, etc. they're available in Australia, not sure about NZ.