Thread: side x side quads

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.