Anyone here ride 4 wheelers? Lets see your quads

[308winchester]

Here's my 2012 Honda Foreman 500

It's my first quad with electronic fuel injection and power steering both of which are awesome

 

[Punisher29073]

Here is one of my bike on a ride. Yes that is ice in the water.

And one of my son after a day of riding.

Ryan

 

[MCSO1357]

I ride as often as time allows, which isn't as often as I like....I'm more into sport quads though. Raptor 660, jetted carb and opened-up pipes and exhaust goes fast!!!

 

[sirhrmechanic]

This will be an interesting thread... because I really want a quad. Really want one.

But over several years have found NO reason to justify one to use here on the farm, etc. I have a plow for the truck. Two full-size tractors for mowing and maintenance. Riding mower for lawns. Considered for hunting, but I just walk to my favorite spots and sit there. Mile in, mile out. Easy walk. I don't need to 'Quad it' and it seems unsporting. I don't trailride. When I have spare time in summer (which is rare), I ride road bikes or MT500 dirt bike.

So I can find NO justification whatsoever for owning a quad. Even though I really want a cool Honda Foreman or similar... And usually when I want something I buy it. But just can't find a reason. Yet.

Watching closely guys... maybe someone here will tip me over the edge. It's an itch that needs to be scratched. But I just can't cross that tipping point. So show me some cool stuff!

Cheers,

Sirhr

 

[308winchester]

If I shoot a deer way back in the woods where I can't get a truck I sure am happy I have my foreman

I'm running the following:
__________________
2012 FOREMAN TRX500 FPM
MAXXIS BIGHORN 28x10-14 on all 4 corners

14" ITP SS 312 wheels
Aluminum Products brand A-Arm guards
Honda brand Skid Plate
Honda brand Rear Swingarm guard
K&N Air Filter with sleeve
here it is: http://youtu.be/AeAU0CQ-CXM

 

[kraigWY]

The first three days of elk season last fall I spent looking for my damn horse that decided to go home. I figured that's it so I got one for what I thought I would use for hunting.

I don't have pictures, but I got a 2012 Polaris 500 Sportsman 4X4. Wife wanted a plow so she could use it (she don't like my tractors). So I got the plow. I never fired up the tractor last winter. That little Polaris took care of all the snow drifts.

It's easier to plow with the ATV, its easer to see and I can get closer to things. To have a plow you have to have a winch. That sucker is great. I was fixing the lawn riding lawn mower so instead of jacking it up, I through the cable over a bar (I had for pulling engines, loaders off tractors 'n such) and picked that mower right up.

About 5 miles from here is a nice little lake for fishing. So I got a little trailer for the ATV, put a longer tong on it and use it as a boat trailer for my Scado (square end canoe). Just shoot to the lake and back the trailer in. Beats lifting it out of the pickup.

The long tong I made switches easily with the standard tong that come with it. So I load up the trailer with rifles targets, mat, spotting scope and head to the gravel pit about two miles away where I can shoot to over 2000 yards. The ATV hauls the steel targets to places I can't get my truck.

I throw tools, wire, post, etc. in the trailer and off to fence building and repair. I can also get my generator and air compressor in the trailer so I have air tools any where I want.

I just can't figure how I made it 65 years without one.

Wyoming allows them on the street if you license them. ATV plates don't cost much. Cheaper to drive to the mail box (one mile away on the highway) then the truck.

 

[308winchester]

Yeah when you have one, you find ways to use it

 

[no1special]

i hunt, i run targets, i fish, i plow snow, i do light hauling. i also got drafted by a good buddy to teach quad safety. with his encouragement i became a pennsylvania dcnr quad safety instructor. i am glad i perform this service to the youth of the area.

 

[308winchester]

What kind do you have?

 

[Punisher29073]

I have found that I "need" them the same way I need a rifle that can hit a tennis ball at 400 yds. They are a blast, but I would expect similar to the dirt bike.

Ryan

 

[Slapchop]

2012 Kawasaki Brute Force 750. I'll edit this with photos later.

 

[308winchester]

Kraig sounds like you put your quad to good use!
I just use mine for filling feeders and carrying other stuff into and out of the woods which are inaccessible by truck.

 

[308winchester]

Brute force is awesome!! What mods are you running on it?
For me a quad could mean me dragging a deer up and down hills through woods for quite a ways or not. Not sure a dirt bike could do it. Not sure it could make it through creeks, mud either

 

[TN-MadDog]

I bought a used Honda Rubicon a few years ago. I got it mainly to be able to get to the 500 yard range at my shooting club range. I use it quite a bit around my my house and property doing all kinds of chores. Really comes in handy.

 

[Punisher29073]

Creeks and mud? Who would ride through that stuff?

Ryan

Brute force is awesome!! What mods are you running on it?
For me a quad could mean me dragging a deer up and down hills through woods for quite a ways or not. Not sure a dirt bike could do it. Not sure it could make it through creeks, mud either

 

[Slapchop]

Brute force is awesome!! What mods are you running on it?
For me a quad could mean me dragging a deer up and down hills through woods for quite a ways or not. Not sure a dirt bike could do it. Not sure it could make it through creeks, mud either

No real mods on the Brute. Just a 3000lbs Warn winch and some ITP Mud Lite XTRs. The thing really is a beast and being my first real quad, I wasn't prepared for the power that it has. The thing is like a damn pitbull. You can beat the piss out of it and it just begs for more.

 

[Trapshooter12]

A few pics of what I use mine for.

 

[bacamike]

Yamaha yfz450 Ported Head, High Comp Piston, Aftermarket Exhaust, just goes fast and handles really well.

 

[arbullet]

Can Am 400 XT.

 

[Punisher29073]

Here is a couple more from a ride.

Ryan

 

[308winchester]

MTN Creeek- what kind of quad?

It's a lot easier to get around on a 4 wheeler than a truck or tractor. I can move over rough terrain faster and mount / dismount faster. Yesterday evening I strapped a 25 gal sprayer to the back and sprayed fence lines. Took about 5 min to put the sprayer on(plugged it in and strapped w/ 2 ratchet straps); 3pt sprayer would have required dropping the disc (that I'll use again in a day or two) and hooking up the sprayer. Spraying a whole field, it would be worth the time to use the tractor, but hitting fence lines and spot spraying thistle here and there, the 4 wheeler is much faster.

4 wheeler is great for getting up stock. About as good as a horse and not near as crazy. Only downside is if you're dealing w/ a crazy cow, but a 4 wheeler is fast enough to get out of the way if needed.

I made some simple wooden crates from scrap lumber that straps to the front & rear racks. Great for holding tools, saw, ... whatever. Everything I need is right there and I know it sounds a little stupid, but having my tools right there at waist level and not having to dig into the back of a truck makes things go faster. I have some steep areas and anything put into the back of my truck slides up under the toolbox; real PITA.

I wouldn't have one for riding (motorcycle is better for that), but they're great for getting around.

 

[crowsniper1]

I have a 2012 500 foreman with 26" bighorns ,just turned over 700 miles,i love it.

 

[bullseye13]

Gotta love the Maxxis Bighorns, Have some 26"er's on my 04 Polaris 600. Tough tire, and good clean out. I had the ITP 589's, they were rougher than a cob, and I thought I was going to rip the lugs off a few times in the rocks.

 

[mwilkins]

Here is the 1000 after some mods.....



The 800



Here is the 1000 and the 800 right after I brought them home.



Here is the 500



The 250



And the 150

 

[Slapchop]

Hows the Outty 1000 perform? It's actually the only thing I've considered getting aside from the Brute 750. How hard was it getting the snorkels in place?

 

[mwilkins]

The 1000 is a beast. There have been many mods that were put in place right after I bought the pair. On the 1000, it has a Muzzy exhaust, an EFI programmer with a custom fuel map, a Quad Shop Customs full clutch, a small suspension lift, the Radiator relocate kit and the snorks. The snorks were not a kit. I built it when I installed the rad kit. As for performance, it's all there. From a dead stand still, it will stand up on the back tires with no problems. It handles very well with the shocks adjusted up on tension but factory shocks are still pretty much junk. They need to be replaced with Elka's or Fox Podiums. We put a clutch kit and Big Horn 2.0's on the 800. It will pull the front wheels as well but won't carry them as far as the 1000. Another thing to note is that both of the big quads are Max chassis. They are about 10" longer than a standard quad as they are made for two people.

We ride all types of terrain and have setups for Mud, Rock climbing and trail riding. A lot of people get sticker shock from the Can Am's but when you really look at what you are getting, there is not much of a comparison to other quads. You can buy other makes for less money but its like buying a Chevy compared to a Ferrari. If you want the raw power to do just about anything within the limits of a quad, Can Am is the way to go.

 

[308winchester]

Can-ams are baddd. How fast does that 1000 go?

I just don't have the need for *that* much power but I would enjoy it to play with!

I went with Honda mainly because I feel "reliability is the way out."
They are nowhere near as exciting and fun as some other quads, like can-am!

Since I'm no mechanic of any sort, I wanted a beltless transmission. Is it a pain foot shifting on the 5 speed? Yes sometimes! I would love an automatic but a manual shift is cheaper and pretty fool proof. Some guys are fully capable of taking an engine apart or replacing a belt in the woods. I am not one of them. I realize they are pretty reliable as well.

At the End of the day I want to drive back home. Getting from point A to point B then back to point A. I felt Honda was a good choice for that but certainly not the most fun or fastest choice....

I'd probably have been fine with another brand (was looking at a grizzly 550/700), I've just had manual shift Honda's since the ole Atc 3 wheelers.

I would recommend power steering to any new quad owner

 

[Sean the Nailer]

Ok, I used to have a '97 Yamaha Kodiak (400cc) gear-jammer outfit, that pretty much got me everywhere I needed to go. I used it up at the ranch, at the claim, and for various 'trips' into the bush and up the mountains of the Northern B.C. Rockies.

For the fun of it, when you are climbing on such an angle where you are literally standing on the back rack and leaning as far forward over the front rack/bumper as you can, (while nearly vertical) and continue to have purchase, it is really something. The true trick is, if you're going to turn out you have to have enough forward movement and momentum to do a complete turn. If you do so, too slow... then massive chances are that you're going to get 90° and then stall and roll back down.

Fun Times.

Question is here, anyone have experience with the 'tracked' conversion kits on their 4x4 quads? Always been interested in those, though my 'nutso' days are long behind me.