I use my ATV for just about everything where I live in Alaska, from yard work and plowing the driveway in the winter (along with half the neighborhood's driveways) to trail rides, camping and hauling my game out of the woods. My fourwheeler (as we call 'em in Alaska) is a 2008 Yamaha Grizzly 700. I have just under 4000 miles on it so far and it's about due for a new set of front brakes. That's the only thing maintenance - wise that's come up since new other than a yearly oil change with Amsoil synthetic. The thing gets pretty badly abused, but just keeps on going. I am sold on the Yamaha toughness and reliability. Here's my Grizz:

Nice machine Matt. When I bought new last year, it had come down to polaris, honda, or yamaha. I bought the polaris 550 limited edition. Don't have a lot of mile's on it yet, but so far I,m happy with my choice.

I have a 2001 Honda Foreman 450s 4x4 currently. A Yamaha Grizz 450 EPS is in the future.

I own a 2004 Honda Foreman 450ES that's tricked out with all the goodies and it I use it for all my land based adventures. Wife has a 2009 RancherAT 420 with EPS and IRS. Honda had it geared to high for the type of riding we do so I did a gear reduction on it and she really enjoys riding it now.

If Honda doesn't get their act together soon i'm jumping ship and getting a Grizzly 550 with EPS.

The EPS is a huge plus. I like the fact that it works like a steering dampener as well when you hit a bump on one of the front tires. It saves your shoulders and greatly reduces fatigue on long rides.

The last one I had was an Eiger.

09 Grizzly 550. Have been very pleased with the machine.

I got pretty big into riding ATV's when the army brought me to Alaska. If any of you watch Fisher's ATV World, the Knik River Public Use area was listed by Fisher as being one of the top five places to ride ATV's in the world. In approximately 50 miles round trip (give or take, depending on how many side trails you take) you can go all the way out to the Knik and George glaciers. (looks like one glacier - it's where the two meet.) I've been out there more times than I can count. I always see wildlife, usually bald eagles, moose, sheep on the cliffs and occasionally a wolf or two. I feel blessed to have such a beautiful riding area so close.

We picked up a 450 Grizz EPS (love that feature; glad they only had that version or I wouldn't have known); had it since Labor Day and have around 2.5M miles on it. It rides different than the machines I'm more accustomed to, but it is a decent ride and has been a good, trouble-free machine in the short while we've had it. It has even started quite readily in the last couple weeks of -15 - -25� F weather we've been having. A patch heater/battery tender optional package was a good idea.

I have an '07 Kawi Brute Force 750 with the NRA camo package.

08 Polaris 800 X2, no issues with mine. Strong machine

04 Suzuki Vinson 500 with a manual tranny. Simple basic machine that does everything I need and no problems so far.

2010 Yamaha Grizzly 700 - my 4th Yamaha (Big Bear, Kodiak, FZ1 motorcycle, and this one), and all have been great machines!

For guad sake man, get some mud on that thing!

Yamaha,nothing but Yamaha...

Big Bear...



Rhino and Raptor.



Jayco

Kawasaki 650I V-Twin

Beautiful machines guys!

Com'on man get that thing dirty !

I've ridden that area many times myself but I wouldn't call it one of the top 5 places to ride an atv. I can think of at least 3 other trails in Alaska that are better. I quit riding Jim Creek because of the idiots that ride out there and my wife won't have anything to do with that place. I've done the spring cleanup out there and the kind of garbage and amount they leave out there is flat out embarrassing. You would think that after a year or 2 of cleanups that it would remain clean but unfortunately that's not the case.

If you want a ride that goes through some beautiful country, try riding Belanger Pass and the trail that goes around the small lake on the other side of the pass. Beautiful country out that way.

This is what I ride. Goes up and down narrow, steep trails, is VERY quiet, and lets me know when game is around.

Can YOUR quad do that?




Ed

08 Honda Foreman
06 Kawi 650 Brute

The Kawi is better at everything.

Ed if I lived in Tax US like Bill calls it I would own a hayburner. Up here a ride it put it away is cheaper and less maintenance.
Heres my 2001 Polaris 6 X 6 there are more trouble free machines out there but it works for the country I use it in.
We got a new trailer I can,t remember why!

2002 Honda Foreman 450

2006 Honda Rancher 350 4x4( manuel trans)

I agree that it's not much fun to be there with the riff-raff, but I've found that very few of them venture very far passed Jim Creek. It's usually much quieter, and a much better class of folks the closer you get to the glacier. I also have the good fortune to have odd days off since I'm in the Army, so I usually ride in the middle of the week when there is usually very few people out there at all. It has gotten better with increased Trooper presence in the last couple of years. Hopefully it will become a family friendly place again. I do the cleanup every year that I'm home too. It is a bit depressing how much garbage is dumped there every year. I'd be interested to try Belanger Pass sometime too. I'll have to break out my Atlas when I get home and take a trip out there.

2010 Honda Rancher 420 4X4. 26" ITP 589's, back rack and Warne 3000lb winch.



My last bike was a Honda Rincon 650. I like my new one much better. It's smaller much easier to manuver and a lot quieter. I've always had great luck with Honda's so I stick with them.

Terry

Belanger is easy to find. Drive towards Eureka, once you get past Gunsight mtn you'll see a pulloff on the left or you can take the dirt road that goes back to a bunch of houses/cabins on the left. Follow the sign that will eventually take you to the right.

The Trail goes over a big hill, when you get over it and to the other side you'll see a lake dead ahead at the bottom, take the trail just to the right and it will take you around the lake on the left at the base of the mtn. Just follow that trail for about 3-5 miles and you'll come to a creek, it can be a pia to cross sometimes but it depends on water levels. Once you get around that creek the trail goes to the right and you just follow it. You'll see an old mine and a little further back you'll see a cabin. Watch for caribou and grizz too, we always see them when we ride out that way.

Or if you find the time, you could always follow us out there. We like to go up and stay in our enclosed trailer for the weekend and hang out at the big gravel pit near Gunsight.

2007 Polaris Ranger XP 700

2008 Rancher, wife is on a 2009 Foreman with ITP Mudlites, same Camo scheme. Son has a 2011 Recon with ITP Mudlites, and youngest on a CRF 100.

2010 Honda Big Red. Been troublefree.....

As much as I like the Honda's, they should have called that one the Hippo. lol

This post brings back memories. Not with a ATV's but with snowmachines. I drove past the spots you're talking about every time on the way to Eureka. It was my most absolute favorite place in Alaska to ride snowmachines.

Thanks.

These



Or one of these.

Those were sooo cool! a guy down the street from me had one and we traded for a day. The handling was different but once I got the hang of it I had a good time on it.

Terry

I've only ridden out that way once on the sleds and that was about 3 years ago. We haven't had a lot of snow up that way the last few years but we are getting it now so I might have to get up there and do a ride back Horse Pasture Pass and beyond. I've heard that when the snow gets deep up there, the riding is phenomenal.

I haven't gotten much into sleds yet, but I'm getting more interested in winter predator hunting and I'm thinking a good sled would be a natural companion for that. I'll probably look for a light-weight, long track machine that will get me out and back reliably, not a screaming fast race sled. Something along the lines of a Bravo 250.

I would get something a bit faster that could handle the deep snow, a fan cooled 550 Summit would be ideal IMO. Plus it will give you the versatility of playing off trail and in the mountains.

Once the snow gets deep enough to cover up the willows it's fantastic. There's endless rolling hills and valleys to the NW. One thing I really liked about riding there is in ten or fifteen minutes you're off the trails and riding in a powder paradise. You can take a break at mid-day and come back to the lodge for a hot meal, gas up and go back out.

We all rode big mountain machines to take advantage of the powder and off trail is no place for anything less. Getting stuck all day is a pain in the azz.

I ride a mountain sled and am chomping at the bit to get out for a ride but it's suppose to be fuggin cold this weekend. I'll hit Eureka, probably Boulder Creek and Caribou Creek before spring gets here.

Have you ridden the Nebesna Road area?

Ed

Ed, Nabesna Rd trails have been closed for trail studies for about 3 years. Went in there last year and Park Circus said they have been reopened with a trail permit. When I hunted off Nabesna rd. we called it the barrens for lack of moose. And there were always rams but most sub legal.
Sorry I thought we were still talking 4 wheelers!

But the country alone is worth seeing! And some nice local residents live off of Nabesna rd.

Dealing with PS has at times been unpleasant depending on staff.

I rode a couple of trails off the Nabesna rd a few years ago while sheep hunting with my wife. Some pretty country back there, lots of sheep but not much in the way of legal rams. We had to get a permit to ride our wheelers from the PS and this was after we had driven nearly to the end of the Nabesna rd becuase we didn't know about the need for a permit until it was too late.

That's what I get for being gone so long.

Things change. PS has always been difficult. I think they intentionally recruit anti-hunters and ship them to AK.

Nebesna has always been one of my favorite areas. Yeah, not many moose, but it used to produce some BIG rams. Hopefully that will come back.

Ed

I'll definitley be going back down there again to ride but will probably skip the hunting. Like I said, beautiful country down that way.

2007 polaris 500x2 deluxe limited edition

Oh, I have . . .

Had to take a pic of it like that (new), 'cause they never look that good again!

I just thought this might be a good place to ask.... My son has a Yamaha Grizzly 80 that I bought him when he was 7. He's 12 now and although his skills have progressed to the point that he can get that little thing into some amazing places, I think he's ready to move up to something bigger and a 4X4. He's a bit on the small size for his age though, so light weight is a plus. I'll be buying used, so reliability is also a must. Any recommendations from ya'll?

Seems like a Honda Recon - though they are only 2X4 might be the way to go.

4X4 is a must, some of the places I take him on hunting trips just aren't passable without it. I typically use 2WD on my Grizzly, but it's big enough with huge tires to get through. His is going to be small enough that he'll need the 4X4 to make up for lack of ground clearance.

My ride is a Camo 2011 CanAm Outlander 800 with XMR intake, Crutchfield shocks and Ricochet skid plates. It is my second Outlander. It's a spectacular machine.

We have some Honda's and I have a Polaris 6 wheeler with a dump bed, that is handy some especially on the ranch, hunting we ride mules (the ones with 4 hooves!)

What you doing on here Nancy? Good to hear from you.

Vince

Stumbled on this searching some saddle histories, and bingo look, there ya are... this place is great! I think I recognize some of that Flattops !

Our oldtimers and outlaw group kinda got scattered...

Well then, round 'em all up and bring em here. Believe me - this is a top - notch place to hang out!

I know, it is the best of all things, huntin, horses, guns, ammo, and dry wit!

Yea, Hal,Lonnie,Steve and I are about the only ones still talkin I guess.

Hawken,

That looks about like what my grizzly is going to get used for in a couple of weeks. My wife and kids have been out of Alaska visiting family for a while since I'm deployed, and while they've been gone the snowfall back home has been breaking records. We're about 50" over normal right now. I'm glad I left the plow on the grizzly - my wife is gonna neede it when she gets home!

The only sensible kind of snowplow IMO. After some 25,000 miles, this one has pretty much been hung up...

I have a '00 Yamaha Big Bear 400 4x4. I have a 60" Moose Plow on it. It's awesome. I like auto clutch, manual shift ATV's. That's what I've always had, with the exception of my '92 Honda 250X, should of bought a Yamaha 350 Warrior instead. I don't mind the full time 4x4.

My wife has a '02 Suzuki Ozark 250. It's more sporty and faster on trails and such.

We also have a '01 Suzuki Quadsport 80 and '02 Suzuki Quadmaster 50 for the kids. Probably going to sell the 50 soon.

My first ATV was a '86 Honda 200SX. We rode the crap out of that fourwheeler. I wish I still had it.

NYH1.

forgot the pictures of my CanAms

07 Polaris Ranger 700

I use whichever has the most gas.All in all the Kawi rips the Honda to shreds.
360 Kawi long gone

650 Brute

500 Honda

94 Kawasaki Bayou 300. Try to pay as little as I can for toys like this. Picked it up for $900 and included winch and snow blade. Doesn't even have 2000 miles on it yet. Doesn't have some of the trick stuff the new ones do, but make it work.

Great pictures! I ride a 08 polaris 500 sportsman.
I like it but want to get another. maybe some of you could help with what I'm looking for. My brother has all sports quads and it seems they are a completly different machine. In sand his do great where mine suck. Is there a utility quad 4x4 that has the rear wheel spin like the sport quad? Maybe i need the manual and chain drive I don't know.

2011 Polaris Sportsman 500 HO. I've added a 2500 lb winch and a rear rack extender since this picture was taken. It did a fine job of hauling in this years buck.

Hey - nothing wrong with that! Actually, I have a question for you. My son has out-grown his Grizzly 80 and I'd like to get him a 4X4 so it's easier for him to stay with me on the hunting trails. I want it to be fairly light-weight though, since he's small for his age. (12) What are your thoughts on the Bayou? Too heavy? He is a very skilled rider - I just want to make sure when he gets in those situations where a little rocking/body english is needed to maintain movement he'll be able to handle it.

We have a 98 bayou on the farm. The thing handles like a cinder block. Its got quite a bit of power but is not fun to ride. The suspenison isnt desgined for crusing a trail and its pretty slow. Its a well built machine but the quad was designed for pure utility. When i was about 13 i bought a honda rancher. Its the perfect fit. It can handle the work but itself sporty enough to have fun on too.

I have a 2006 Honda Rincon 660, three speed auto transmission with electric shift option, fully independent suspension. Very happy with it plan on using it for many years to come.

2010 Yamaha grizzly 700

WS

Get him one of those new Yamaha Grizzly Auto 350's, should be super easy to ride and no shifting.

Stil riding my Rokon's. Current unit is a '68 with a newer 4 stroke motor shoehorned in. If one falls over on me I shove it off and walk under my own power rather than being airlifted to a severe care emergency hospital. I can go where there is not trail, in between trees placed close together, and ride for two full days on on 3 gallon tank full of gas.....

What I CANNOT do is go more than about 20MPH, ride to up very well, or carry a heavy load aboar the rig. I have to sled it out. I also cannot ride it long distances without lots f pain meds aas there is NO suspension on it.

For me, a good fit, not so much for others and I get that.

MARK

Polaris Magnum 500 or Yamaha BW200

Got an '03 Kawasaki Prairie 650 camo. It has over 14,000 miles on it and is about to fall apart.

When the trucks too big, a 2006 Yamaha Rhino.
Only pic I have right now.

I have a 2001 Polaris 500HO and a 2007 Arctic Cat 500 for my Girlfriend. We Like to ride the trails in the Spring and Summer and then they are our workhorses come moose and caribou season.

Honda 420 Rancher and a 2011 Polaris 550. I just got a new Yamaha TW 200 last week.

Polaris 6x6 has been a great work horse. Picked up an 06 Honda Rubicon with 400 miles on it. Looking forward to getting to know about Hondas.

You can't go far wrong with a 06 Rubi

Suzi 750:





I run 26" Goodyear Rawhide's in the non-snow months. The swap-over from tracks to tires or vice-versa takes about 45min.

You ought to be able to climb trees with that rig! Nice setup