Honda or Yamaha A T V ?
Equipment
Tell me about you atv good or bad best one to purchase?
Had a Honda Foreman 1999, I bought it new and sold it to a friend in 2012. Changed the oil twice, indestructible, if you are looking for reliability Honda is simply the best.
Honda. It's not even close.
I'm on my third Honda. Flat wore one out after 20 years of hard use, now have his-hers Ranchers. Wonderful machines. They'll last forever if you give them minor maintenance, and are always reliable.
Polaris ATVs have a softer ride, but everybody I know with Polaris machines also know a good mechanic and carry a tow belt when we're rounding up cattle. Can't speak for Yamahas.
have a Yamaha kodiak with over 8,000 miles on it no problems just kept serviced you can't go wrong either way good luck.Lewis
I am still using a 1986 Honda 250 and a 2001 Honda Rancher 300. Can't imagine why I would ever try anything else.
I have several relatives that have Honda's and use them on farms in South Dakota. These things are like the energizer bunny...they keep going and going and going! Their atv's have been rolled, ran over by cows, run through several badger holes, and they look like hell but never failed them. I asked once how often they changes oil, they laughed...you have to change oil? My friend has a 1999 Honda Foreman and I have a 2007 420 Foreman. The newer ones with Electronic Fuel Injection get better gas mileage then the older ones. Also…newer Honda atv’s don’t come with manual pull start on them…$100 add on. I put a pull start on mine….mainly for peace of mind in the back country in case the battery ever died. My friend has never replaced his battery and neither have I but you just never know. James
I own 4 500 Rubicons (Honda) and for a reason. Other than a battery once in awhile or a bearing on the front end, nothing but great service. A little more you may pay to get one, but they don't break. In my outfitting business, I can't afford breakdowns.
I have a Yamaha and have had no problems. I got a deal on it from my brother or else I'd own a Honda. If your talking lawn mowers, generators or ATV's it's hard to beat a Honda.
Only one I have ever owned is a Honda Foreman ES 4x4 and it has been absolutely problem free except for a carburetor rebuild because of ethanol in gas. Gummed up the carb and the float would stick. New ones are EFI and the ethanol doesn't seem to bother them as much. If it was me it would definitely be Honda.....bullet proof !! My uncle still has a Honda 3 wheeler from the early 80's that will start up like a new one.
I have a Yamaha and so does my dad. Both have been flawless. Flip a coin. Or better yet, buy the one you can get a better deal on. I think the two are very comparable, anything else is a distant third.
Purchased my first ever four wheeler just a month ago. 2011 Grizzly. Got tired of worrying about being stranded at the trailhead if it rained/snowed. Now I just park at the bottom and ride up. No worries and I don't beat-up my SUV. I really like it so far.
I owned a Honda 125 3-wheeler for 25 years. When I sold it it was still running and not burning any oil. As far as I know it is just like an Energizer battery- it is still going.
Hard to beat any Honda product- period.
Id try salomons or selewa's.... Sorry had too ;-)
My 1996 Honda 400 Foreman is stll going strong.
You can't go wrong with either. My 2000 Honda foreman 450 required nothing but oil and filter changes. Nothing else. Ever. My Polaris is a POS. I would never buy another Polaris. The Yamaha Grizzly with EFI has a great reputation and I wouldn't hesitate to own one of those. Not sure how the Hondas have changed over the last 15 yrs. Do your research.
For my money, either one is a good machine. I've owned both, and both served me equally well. If I were buying today, it would be based on which one had more features that I wanted, and the best price. You can't go wrong either way.
I think they are both pretty close now in reliability....... I have a Honda and its bulletproof
I owned 2 yamahas... Great machines... On my first CanAm now... Another great option if you can get a good deal on a leftover as I did... Honda, Yamaha, Kawi, Polaris, CanAm - really can't go wrong they are all putting out quality machines in a very competitive market. I would just shop around across all those brands and get the most features you desire for the least amount of coin... If you are going to be towing heavy stuff, such as brush hog, firewood, food plot implements, I would stay 650cc or above....
I've owned quite a few 4 wheelers in my lifetime.
I beat the living hell out of them from riding in SE Ohio to Hatfield McCoy atv park in west virginia.
Honda set the benchmark thats for sure but that was 20 years ago.
Compared to other models they are now dinasours in today's standards.
In my opinion today the best you can buy is a Can Am and I don't own one either. Not because I can't but I have yet to destroy my Suzuki or the yamaha.
I did buy my daughter Morgan a 570 polaris rzr and I have already laid it on its side twice in less than 4 months. Not at all happy with that but I came no where close to getting hurt either which is the reason I bought it for her.
My dad has a polaris sportsman that has been in the shop more than on the trails. Plus it weighs a ton. I would never recommend a Polaris ATV. But the side by sides they seem to be on their A GAME?
If I were buying a new quad today and not trying to bust the bank I would look at the Yamaha kodiak line or the kawasaki lineup. But if money is not an issue look hard at the Can Am.....
Honda is the answer,had a 2001 sold that and just purchased a 2o15 Rubicon, boy that power steering sure makes it easy!
i recently got a good deal after shopping around and I am picking up a 2015 Honda Foreman this weekend. mine has power steering, SRA and is a foot shift. I researched atv's for more than a year. at one time, I looked hard at the Yamaha, especially the new 2016 Kodiak. it seems like a great machine and their CVT is the best.
price wise, the Polaris' are great buys. reviews are mixed at best.
mine will be used mostly for work, and only a small percentage for recreation or trail riding.
as mentioned above, the Honda reliability was what sold me. I hate working on equipment that breaks down and plan to keep this for a long time.
I have a 2000 Yamaha Grizzly 600 with over 4000 miles. It has never let me down and still runs great. I wish I had an hour gauge /meter on it. I have lots of hours on this thing and used it to drag and level my 1.5 acres many times. I also had a blade and I pushed tons of dirt with it. It still goes on my elk hunts.
I have a 2005 Honda Rubicon 500, automatic or manual electric shift. It has been serviced regularly and has never failed to do what I ask of it, from pulling too-heavy trailers uphill to cruising at 50 mph on Texas ranch roads. Great machine.
Either is a good bike. Back in the day, Hondas were easier to work on, but with fuel injection, power steering, etc... I wouldn't want to touch either anymore maintenance wise. Well, except for changing the oil.
I do own a 2005 Honda Rancher 4x4 ES.
"cruising at 50 mph on Texas ranch roads"
And you think football is dangerous?
LOL
;-)
Can't go wrong with either as far as reliability and longevity. I have a 1985 TRX 250 that runs as good today as when it was new. You cannot beat a Honda engine. I also have three Yamaha's and have not had any issues what so ever. The choice is yours
Really depends on what you're going to do with it. If all you plan to do is tool around on your acreage or farm, then save some $'s and buy a Honda. But if you plan to hit some serious trails, or take a back country or mountain hunting adventure, buy a Yamaha with independent suspension and drive train. Stay away from solid axle drive lines. They'll break and the ride sucks.
We ride a different trail system in Colorado every year. Been all over the state in all types of terrain. We don't have any Honda's in our group, all Can Am's, Polaris and Yamaha's. All do well, but everyone agrees, my Yamaha 700 Grizzly is hands down the most agile, forgiving and easiest to ride of the bunch. It's much lighter than the Outlander's and Sportsman's, and with lockers front and rear, will climb just about anything. It's a beast!
"cruising at 50 mph on Texas ranch roads"
Pffffff, try 80 on a Yamaha Banshee!!! 50 is childs play!!!
I have both nothing wrong with either bikes dependable.
Honda! 2000 300 4x4. I bought it new. My dad still rides it everyday. Father in law still rides his 400 4x4, probably about a 97-98 model.
Suzuki king! Next choice Yamaha
Thanks folks looks like a Honda for me!
I have a 2004 polaris Sportsman 600 and have not had any problems with it. It is a cold starting SOB but once it warms up its all good.
I have had pretty much all of the manufacturers at one time or another. Now have a Honda and a Polaris Ranger Crew - really like them both for what I use them for.
Here is the Honda, somewhere under there...
I hunt frequently with the Inuit's in Nunavut. ATVs are a very important part of their lives and you know what the Inuit name is for ATV? Honda
Retired powersports service tech after 42 yrs. Honda absolutely!
I just bought the Honda side by side. It is the small one in there line up 500cc and shifts like a 4 wheeler. It is a no frills rig and priced accordingly no power steering . Recently returned from Arizona elk hunting where we put over 600 miles on it worked great in all kinds of trail conditions . So far very happy with it .
That is BBB! Big Bodied Buck!
I just bought a Honda after two decades of Kawasaki ownership (only 2 bikes and I still have the 2nd) in the family. I don't understand why Honda won't go to screw on filters. Can anyone explain that to me? I find it to be a downside of Honda personally... that and they also put the gas tank opening beside the steering column which I don't care for.
Honda Rancher here too. Cant kill them.
My 2001 Grizzly has out performed my buddies foreman handsdown. It has been in the shop a lot. I replace one axle boot and that is it. I know everyone has their favorites, but I have beat the shit out of it and it never falters.
Bought a Suzuki king Quad 700 back in 2007 I believe and it worked well, as well.. as having a diff lock. Wish I had not sold it! Now I am looking at a side by so I have a bed.
Not really an ATV guy, but my 2001 Yamaha WR250F has thousands of miles on it and nothing more than an oil change or two. My two previous bikes were an 86 YZ250, then a 94 YZ250. Can't say I know any Honda's that have outlasted my current WR250F. Yamaha four stroke technology is pretty bomb proof!
I own both Yamaha and Honda. My first Honda was a 1988 model that is still going strong, I sold it to my Brother. Second was a also a Honda 300 4 Trax I sold to my Nephew still running great. I now have a 1998 Yamaha 600 Grizzly that I have used to pull out 12 complete ( just field dressed) bull moose. Its has over 4000 miles on it. I also have a 1999 Honda foreman 450 /ES. You can't go wrong with a Honda or Yamaha. Buy one sized for whatever you intend to use it for. You can't get your money back out of a Can/Am and you can't keep a Polaris out of the shop long enough to enjoy it.
JimG
1985 Honda Big Red bought from brother who bought new, 1991 Honda 300 4x4 wife bought new, 2003 or so Yamaha Wolverine 4x4 that I bought from an old guy who just bought a brand new snowplow for it. They all function like new. They have been used for thousands of miles deer, duck, goose, coon hunting, fishing, trapping, and tree farm work.
Oh yes, also a Kawasaki Mule 4x4 side by side diesel that I bought from brother in law who bought it new. That thing is slow and loud, but tremendous torque and will pull anything. Top speed in low range is 12mph and hi range is 24mph! It reminds me of an old Dodge Power Wagon for lack of speed and all power. The windshield, bed, and roof are nice but it is just too slow. Great for trapping, but takes too long to get everywhere.
All have winches, racks, straps, and necessary gear to go anywhere. Someday if I need a new one, would like one with lots more horsepower - 700 to 800 cc engine.
The Honda 300 has a canoe rack so we can ride into remote lakes. It looks cool with a canoe on top.
The most nimble is the old 3 wheeler, the most comfortable is the 300 Honda. The toughest is the Mule. The best all around is the Wolverine, except needs to warm up for 5 minutes.
Either one could run forever and either one could leave you walking.
here is my '15 foreman I picked up this past weekend doing some work. looking forward to 20+ years of use.
