Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire 4 Wheeler/qua question, how many CC's do I really NEED?

Hey Mark,

Above all stay away from the two stroke. They are loud and smelly. And in this day and age you need to be freindly with your bike. I realize you are probably on a budget bylooking at the bikes you have mentioned. Reading your requirements I would not go under 400cc. That being said I would stay around 500 or bigger. 4WD, independant suspension, CVT transmisson(no shifting)and the icing on the cake would be to score one with power steering. Fuel consumption is not a factor with these bikes, because I dought that you will be riding 80 - 100 miles a day.I ride mine alot and burn about 3gal. a ride. try and stay newer than about 02 and stay with the major brands. That way you can still get parts if you need to. Searh craigslist because my group has scored some really good deals off there on older slightly used bikes. Of course as always the above statements are JMO.

Grizz

I went through this exercise a few years ago. After looking at ALL of them, i ended up with a yamaha grizzley 700.
reasons i bought it:
fuel injection/high altitude, extremely cold, doesn't matter, push the button, it starts.

four wheel independent suspension, I am not exactly a small guy, you wouldn't believe the difference with this over older types of suspension

power steering: beats manhandling the dang thing

has a two speed, low/high transmission, push button 4x4, and another to lock up the differentials front and back. Strangely i have rarely had to use the four wheel except to manuever in tight spots or up/down steep hills, and the locking differentials rarely. come to think of it, mostly it is road in the high gear. Unless i am going up really steep, or down really steep stuff, i don't need the low range much

loading it by myself in the truck is NOT an issue. I have a 98 dodge 4x4 diesel, that sits pretty far up. I put a loading ramp, full accross, on the tail gate. put the bike in 4x4 low, and walk it up, not a big issue.
The bike will do 70mph on the flat, but i don't think i have ever had it over about 55mph.
As to capabilities it can pull over 1200pounds. In november we had to get a couple of cow elk up in the trees. no problem, threw a chain on their necks, hitched to my ball hitch on the back of the quad, and pulled them up.
I was thinking, still am, somewhat of putting a winch on it. Maybe to help get it in the truck, or just cause it looks cool.
I would not want to think of the conditions of getting it stuck, it would really have to be bad to do that. They just don't stick easy.
I have had jeeps/etc all my life. by far, the yamaha is much more comfortable and easy to navigate rough country with.

Yamaha has an engine brake on it, meaning let off on the gas, and it slows down, hardly ever use the brakes, which are disc by the way.

Limitation? Primary one is that injected 700cc engine sucks gas. It is not as fuel efficient as some of the smaller ones. Not a big deal to me. I do have a couple of spare gas carriers mounted on the back. It is not hard to do 100miles in a day on this thing.
One thing i would specifically look at are the tires. Most come with crap tires, and eventually you end up replacing with some aftermarket better tire.
I really like that big honkin engine, but the reality is for most purposes the 450/500cc range is probably sufficient for most anyting one would want to do.
If you want to see what the grizz is capable of, try youtube for the 700 grizzley.
My back/leg don't work so good. Got to tell you that suspension/power steering makes all the difference in the world.
I am about ready to build a rack on the back for my golden retriever pup so she can ride with me.
my son in law has a two wheel drive polaris, it will go a lot of places. The issue is he has to do it at speed, where i can pick my way accross stuff. And by the way, while they are not really designed for it, at least most of them, my wife rides on mine sometimes too. I sometimes run around in the hills with a group of ol guys, meaning older than me, in their 70's and early 80's. These quads give them an ability to still get out.

In Idaho a 350cc is too small in my opinion. Having to shift down to first gear in order to make a long steep climb is unsafe. You have just about a hundred pounds on me so I would say absolutely no way would you be happy with a 350 in Idaho's terrain.

On the other hand, I've found the 350cc to be a good size for here in South Dakota's Black Hills. It just isn't as steep here and the climbs not as long.

My other bike is a 450cc and it has worked well in both places.

My hunting partner traded in his 400cc for a 700cc. The 700cc with its power steering and much higher top speed is nice but he complains about the gas mileage and the overall additional size. He admits the additional expense did not justify the purchase. He is now talking of purchasing a UTE.

Roninphx,

That is what I currently have along with a 660. We ride the snow all winter so have replaced the tires with 12x12 bighorns by Maxxis. Then there is not awhole lot that is going to stop you. The only bikes that get better fuel economey are the suzuki 750 kingquads. They have to stop everynow and then and take fuel out of there tanks.LOL

one more plug for the 300-400cc range

I would also encourage you to opt for 4WD atv

it's really sweet when you encounter a 6" tree across your trail and you'll be able to just engage your 4WD and crawl right over. You dang sure don't want to have get off and move logs, or pick up the front rack, or have to get a ramming-running start like a 2wd version. Sure don't wanna be jigglin them 'sacks o grapes'

Yeah, and that whole stop-and-shift-into-4-wheel-drive thing, screw that! Buy a fourtrax and never stop to shift into low range, 4 wheel drive, high range... Honda made a ATV specific engine that doesn't need numerous gear sets to make it pull it's own weight. Just mash the gas and go. The Fourtrax EATS this stuff. This is from a few days ago.

You can get a nice older Fourtrax in esc shape for $2500'ish.

Not an argument, just a different opinion.

The Honda is an awesome machine for reliability, light, tough, bulletproof, cheap and to maintain.
If he is doing a pull deer for a few days a year.......perfect.

When he expanded to more riding and double riding.....I can't think of a much poorer choice. But that's just me.
Roughest ride in the industry, torture to turn.....in part because you are locked in fulltime 4x4. Not for doubles for any length of time. If you want to make sure your partner HATES
Riding ATV's, then take her on a mountain ride all day on a Fourtrax.

I ride alone whenever possible! My dog loves to go.

Dogs are easy.

I got to throw in plug for my quad. It's a 2004 500cc Suzuki Vinson. It has electric 2 to 4wd, electric and manual start, a 5sp manual transmission and a solid rear axle. With the shocks adjusted correctly and the right air pressure in the tires it rides fairly smooth. I have no complaints about it.

I tried to find a used Honda that was in good shape and reasonably priced but I couldn't so I settled for the Suzuki and have no regrets. A Suzuki Eiger is the same machine but with a 400cc engine. I'd give two thumbs up for either one.

That is very good info. I also agree with those who say 400 cc or a bit more, and 4wd for sure - but what he said about the Suzuki KQ with low range is correct.

Plugs?
Sweet.
550 Polaris XP P/S Efi.
ADC control so the partner can safely go down steep, rocky, snowy, muddy trail with ease.
Unbelievable safety feature for wife or kids.
Best rider comfort seat EVER.
Push button start, 4x4 (no, you don't have to stop).
A pleasure riding double.

I have a 750 King quad, but only because I run tracks in the winter for ice fishing. Ranch where I hunt elk has a 300Honda and if it weren't for the tracks, I'd have one of those 300's in a heartbeat. We've pulled bull elk out of some hairy spots with 2 guys aboard.

Have owned several different brands and CC's for use around the farm and hunting. It is a different application than trail or pleasure riding. My favorite is the four stroke Honda Foreman 450, manual shift and handle bar switch shift back and forth 2WD and 4WD.

Good luck in your search.
Wayne

I think that the ideal way to move a quad with your car/truck is a hitch hauler. These generally can hold 500 lbs so you should try to keep your quad under that weight.

Mark,

First you might want to think about the transmission. Are you looking at a quad with a traditional five or six speed manual shifted tranny, or perhaps one of the machines with a CVT automatic.

I have used a few quads over the years packing game. Many years ago Yamaha built a 2WD 300/350 CC machine with a high and low range. It had a manual tranny and in low range had no problem packing two men (over 400 lb together) plus rifles and a deer on the front rack through a couple inches of snow.

Today I own a 2004 model 500 CC Suzuki Vinson. It has high and low range with electric 4X4, and it has the CVT transmission. It works just like a snowmobile. As the engine RPM come up, so does the gear ratio. It makes for smooth riding, and one never ends up in too high a gear for the terrain.

But it also means that you do not get to grab a lower gear and use RPM to make more horsepower. With an automatic, I would not purchase anything smaller than a 500.

My buddy sold me the 500 and he bought the Suzuki King Quad 700. It is exactly the same length, width, and height as the 500. But the 700 weighs about ten pounds LESS than the 500. The 700 has independent rear suspension and more torque than the 500, but my buddy still wishes he had the 500 back instead.

Bottom line, manual tranny: 350 CC or better (even better if you can get lucky and stumble across one of the old Susukis with the three speed transfer case.)

Automatic: 500 CC or better

My dad has a Yamaha Big Bear 400. I have a Yamaha Grizzly 450. Either will do anything you need.

Are you confused yet Mark?

anyone seen the new hybrid mower at Lowes?

7000 watt generator
3 pin deck
atv shocks
gas/battery power
17mph with blade disengaged
5mph mower
storage bed on the back
420cc motor
gas/brakes like a car

$3000



as for the OP's question - sounds like he is talked into 400cc 4X4. My only suggestion is to make sure he is getting a utility version over a sport but I suspect all 4X4's are utility.