ATVs
 

Well, I'm about to invest in a new ATV for back-country/hunting use. I have narrowed it down to the Yahmaha Grizzley 450 or the Suzuki Kingquad 450.

Anybody have any experience with either of these? Care to suggest something I might have overlooked?

I don't have a ton of experience with ATV's and am more familiar with racing quads than utility ones. That said, a friend of mine has a Polaris Trail Boss that he uses for similar purposes (backtrails, ploughing, etc) and seems quite satisfied with it. As he is my go-to guy when it comes to recreational vehicles I feel comfortable making the recommendation by proxy.

yep polaris is the way to go for utility wheelers, you can also look into the polaris Ranger and Razor... very sickly awesome for hunting lemme tell ya :)

With in my group of friends we have a bunch of different ATV's. I ride a Yamaha Raptor 350, one friend a Raptor 660, one friend a Polaris Sportsman 700, one friend a Honda Foreman 400, and a Susuki Eiger 450. I love my Raptor its fast and i can go most places with no problem, though i wouldnt recomend it for hunting.

For the utility quads i would recommend the Sportsman or the Foreman. Both will go just about any where with a good set of tires. My friends Foreman is crazy, he powers through just about every mud hole. The Sportsman is great to, its got lots of power.

The Ranger and Razor are sick would love to pick one up if i had the chance.

I have a few issues that are driving my descision.

First, I want an independant rear suspension. I will be riding for several days, and I wish to mitigate the amount of abuse my spine will take.

I need descent ground clearance, preferably over 10 inches, due to the nature of where I will be riding.

The bike must be light enough for me to self recover (ie flip over), as I will often be without a partner.

I like the Honda, it's got a great engine and it is tough as nials, but it is also about 5 years behind the times technologically, and lack many of the feature I feel should be standard on a quad these days...

Read the first post and was going to suggest having a look at a foreman 450 since i've ridden two to death but it looks like you're set on your choices.

it seems to me that the two quads you've picked out are nearly identical. Choose the one you think looks better.

Those are highly specific requirements. In particular, getting ten inches of ground clearance will mean a lot of bike, which in turn will be a bitch to self-recover. Rolling one of those suckers is definitely not advised.

Have you considered investing in a used YJ or something similar to that? It seems to me that for your particular needs a small truck might be a better option; if you're using it on private trails (ie your own property) you may even be able to bypass regulations re: insurance and emissions, although that'll vary by region. As well, for the sort of bike you're looking at you can probably purchase and outfit a beater truck for cheaper; in particular, independent rear suspension on quads is relatively new development and while it can be had you're pretty much going to have to buy new, so you're going to pay for it.

Of course, it's also possible that the trails you'll be riding are too narrow to accommodate a truck. In that case, you've probably got the best options figured already (you might consider a Polaris Sportsman 500, although at 700-odd pounds that'd a bitch to get wheels-down again, if it came to it).

If you can deal with a swing arm in the back, your options will be considerably expanded. You can look at used bikes from three or so years back and save a bundle. Since you've said you'll be riding solo, you can mitigate the harsher ride by riding off the seat, which will save you a lot of agony; I know when I've got a passenger and have to keep my butt planted I suffer all the more for it.

If a truck is out of the question and these are the two you've settled on, I'd suggest stopping by dealerships and seeing which you can get the better deal on.

actually with those specs... I would REALLY look into the polaris razor... you will not... ever... find a fourwheeler as comfortable for multi day rides, and its is the absolute perfect hunting vehicle taht will go anywhere a fourwheeler will.

I will look at the razor and the sportsman again, perhaps I didn't give them a fair shake.

Trucks are pretty much out of the question, as much of the area is wooded/virgin.

I have a Trail Boss 330 Automatice. It does very well in numerous settings. Great times on it in the desert for running trails, and does well around the ranch, have used to fall trees, move trailers, etc.

Sportsman, period. I am an owner and abuser and she is still ticking. It has good ground clearance and independent rear suspension. Polaris is know for its dependable bikes and you will not be disappointed. The Ranger and the Ranger RZR are also great choices to consider. As for "self-recovery", having been run over by my quad, I do recommend rolling it. My 500 HO 4x4 weights about 850lbs. So I guess my advice to you is go up and down hills, not across the side, and buy a polaris. Good day.