Thread: side x side quads

The company we work for has decided to ban the use of quads and so now we need a side x side as they are supposed to be safer ?
Not really sure if this will be the case on steep forestry country but anyway..
Thinking about a Can am defender 800 or Honda pioneer 700 and was wanting opinions from those that have either.

1000cc minimum if you're on steep terrain. We've tried 700cc & 800cc, load them up and they work really hard. Forestry related and farming work. We now use a 1000cc Pioneer and 1000cc Can-am, the latter spends bit more time in the shop, but the Honda isn't bullet proof either, in fact quite fragile if treated poorly, such as not stopping properly before changing ratios or putting in 4wd or park. No experience with other brands.

Use the seat belt provided and apply park brake before getting out and yes they are safer.

Is it because they have a wider wheel base?

We have both Honda and Can Am for work (Apiculture Business). We use 1000cc versions and I wouldn’t look at much less for any type of hill work if you intend to have a load in it. Can Am more comfortable but find the Honda has smoother power, quieter and feels more robust. I’d go Honda but not too much between them really

I'd suggest you check out the Yamaha Wolverine X2. 875 V-twin and a very reliable low-maintenance drive system which can't be said of the Can-am.

Suzuki Farm worker might be a bit bigger...but price is in the ball park....Nice having a heater too as winter draws near....

https://southernautomobiles.co.nz/ne...ki/farm-worker

Honda have a proper gear transmission which is excellent. I know of a couple of companies that do professional work and they have all switched to Honda for better durability and 2 years down the track its been proven.

here you go, should shut your boss up.

Originally Posted by 40mm

here you go, should shut your boss up.

Attachment 133365

Most dangerous thing known to man.

Originally Posted by 40mm

here you go, should shut your boss up.

Attachment 133365

They were fun back in the day.


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My boss uses a honda 700 daily on a steep hill country property with creek crossing ever day. Some of the places he takes it shits me. He has not long replaced it after three years, Our bikes only get washed when they go for a service.
He is HARD on gear and his sxs was still going strong and had no major repairs but was serviced every 100hrs by honda.
Highly recommend honda

I use two Can Ams regularly. A HD5 Defender and a HD10 XMR.

After initially really liking the HD5, I’ve gone off it big time. Shit gear linkage that keeps failing, dealer can’t fix it properly. Won’t go into Park properly and with no handbrake, that ain’t a good thing. The CV belt motor is dicking around now too, seems to be indecisive as to when to change ratios. This machine is babied around and well looked after, so not really good enough.

The HD10 is a beast and in a completely different class. Massive power. Seriously capable machine. But feels fragile, it’s already been back to the shop once for randomly switching off, which is a proper cunt of a bad habit when you’re going straight up a 35° slope on the edge of a vertical drop off, with four deer in the tray. That really really annoyed me. It has the same type of gear linkage as the HD5 which doesn’t inspire me. This machine is driven hard, poorly maintained on a day-to-day basis, and used by some fairly irresponsible young fellas... I can’t help feel it’s gonna end badly, the power and handling is addictive and being foolish, with their brains still embedded in their testicles, they’ll only learn the hard way.

A few comments on this thread talk about people running these machines hard and not looking after stuff. This really shits me. Running equipment that you rely on to the ragged edge is a very bad habit, it always ends up letting you down and in this kind of country that could be very bad news indeed.

It also makes a fair and objective comparison between brands almost impossible. Because the owner / driver is the wildcard that can make a good machine very ordinary, and a piece of shit remarkably resilient.

Based on my Can Am experiences, I’d be very keen to try the Honda sxs, as the new-ish TRX500 that I use always leave a good impression, that’s a fantastic 4-wheeler and there’s something about Honda quads that the others have never been able to replicate.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

I use two Can Ams regularly. .. HD5, I’ve gone off it big time. Shit gear linkage that keeps failing, dealer can’t fix it properly. ......

The 650 Can-am quad I had was worryingly delicate in that regard. If you turned if off in gear pointing downhill, you had to pull hell out of the selector after restarting to get it to where it needed to be. Once pulled the linkages apart on a farm but it was luckily in a place where we could -juuust- drag it backwards onto my trailer. After that, made a point of never stopping with the trannie under load. Would be bad news way out in the bush.

One comment on the Honda SxS's- a Honda dealer told me they shouldn't just be started cold and immediately driven. The trannie oil needs to warm up a bit- pretty sure it's what it was. Anyway, patience is not my strong suit and i couldn't live with having to wait 3-4mins for that every time.

Due to the price and apparent fragility of the side by sides, if I was in the market, I think I would be looking at the mini-trucks https://www.impactoffroad.co.nz/