I’ve been looking into getting ATVs for the family. A friend that rides has all Polaris, so that’s what I’ve been looking at. I’m wondering if I need any of the "extra" stuff though. I want to get a plow for one, but other than that, is anything else necessary? Handguards seem like they would be useful. But what about brush guards, the racks, the storage box on the back, etc? I can appreciate how nice the things look, but how often do they serve a real purpose other than aesthetics?

Also, I can’t figure out how to determine what size trailer I’d need to haul the ATVs. I’ve been looking at getting two Sportsman 570’s and then either a RZR 170 or Outlaw 50 for the kid. The 570s, according to the Polaris website, are 4′ wide. I’m guessing most people side load when they’re doing multiple ATVs, so I’d need probably a 10′ trailer for two 570s. The Outlaw 50 is about 3′ wide, so now I’m at maybe a 14′ trailer. But the RZR is much bigger than the Outlaw 50, and longer than the 570s. Am I going to need a trailer that’s like 8′ wide by 14′ long? That seems really big. Searching online, the biggest I saw at Home Depot was only 6′ by 12′. Will I need to have a trailer custom made somewhere?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

So, I’m at a dilemma, I currently have a Predator and am interested in a new Scrambler, but have no place to test ride one and no trails close if someone had one to ride.

I am riding the Hatfield McCoy trails in WV as my primary destination twice a year and then a few trips to small local ATV parks in between.

I am wondering from folks that may have had the opportunity to ride both a Sport Quad and a Scrambler which one they preferred and why.

My allure is the weight and the ride quality that is advertised on the Scrambler, but I’m still an aggressive rider so that’s why I won’t go to a full utility.

Any thoughts are appreciated; thanks ya’ll.

When we gey my atv paid off im thinking about getting something a little different I want something thats got a lot of get up and go ive got a lot of bikes im considering first off I like the TRX450r im just worried about the valve adjustments and the maintenance i can do a oil change and clean the airfter but i havent ever done a valve adjustment, my other options are a crf250,400ex,ltz400,yz125, or if i can find one a nice trx700xx thanks and im open to other recomendations.

Had a unique experience yesterday that I though I’d share.

I’m selling our ’05 Recon ES to help fund a new Rancher AT IRS. I’ve placed the ad on Craigslist and had several calls. One younger guy (20s) called from about 45 miles away and wanted me to meet him near the halfway point at a mall. My response was, "I don’t need to drive 20 miles one way to waste my time. How serious are you?" He assured me he’d bring the full amount in cash. My general policy is to never do this, but for once I relented, fired up the Recon and drove it up the ramps and into the back of my pickup for the drive down.

Got there a little early and waited for the prospective buyer. When he arrived, he’s all fast talking and starts to dink with the ATV, pulling the dipstick, pulling off the seat to look at the air filter, etc., without asking permission. I watch him closely, and it’s evident he knows more about ATVs and Honda ATVs than he’s willing to admit. So, now it’s time to get the Recon off of the back of the truck, so I try to start it… and it won’t start. Crap! Couldn’t see any obvious problems and of course the buyer won’t shut up so I can think. The guy says, "I want to check blow by," and unscrews the oil dipstick, then cranks it. "Oh, look at this! Your rings are shot!" as he puts his hand over the oil filler hole and shows how the air is pulsing out. (Of course, there’s no blow by… the engine isn’t running, just cranking, and the puffs of air are being displaced by the cylinder traveling up and down. And, this is a motor that does NOT smoke.) Then he pulls out his phone and wants to pay KBB for a TM (not the TE) variant… or almost $1,000 below what I’m asking (I’m asking in the low $2K range for a pristine Recon ES, about the average of what private sales ask, and way less than the dealers are posting on ATVTrader). We pulled it down anyway to get better access to it… not a big deal with ramps, and gravity is on your side.

In short, we didn’t make the sale. I finally told him I wasn’t going to give the ATV away, even though I’d come down a little on the price, but since he couldn’t get the bargain he was angling for, he left after helping me load it up… and it’s a lot harder to push one up a ramp than drive it up!

I spent this afternoon thinking about the incident, and then went out to look at the Recon, still in the back of my pickup. Still wouldn’t start, so I coasted back down the ramps and then pulled the seat and side panel. I loosened the drain screw on the carb… plenty of gas (and no water) in the carb. I then pulled the plug and put in a new one I had on hand. No start. I then put the old plug back in the boot, and placed the threads up against the cylinder head for a ground and cranked… no spark! Hmmm… started following the plug wire back to the coil… and spotted a bare spade lug on the outside edge. Peered a little closer, saw the spade connector, pushed it back onto the coil… and now we have a spark! Pulled the old plug out of the boot, put the boot back on the new plug installed in the cylinder head, and of course it fired up IMMEDIATELY.

I have to think the purchaser popped the wire off as he pulled the seat off and then pulled the filter cover off… and I think it was intentional. My new rule is: you don’t touch the bike until I’ve gotten it started. That’s why he was still willing to buy and came up to $100 below my low offer and wouldn’t budge… he though I’d give in because any dealer would charge more than that to look at the bike.

Anyone ever had a prospective buyer try to pull a fast one like that on them?

Had a unique experience yesterday that I though I’d share.

I’m selling our ’05 Recon ES to help fund a new Rancher AT IRS. I’ve placed the ad on Craigslist and had several calls. One younger guy (20s) called from about 45 miles away and wanted me to meet him near the halfway point at a mall. My response was, "I don’t need to drive 20 miles one way to waste my time. How serious are you?" He assured me he’d bring the full amount in cash. My general policy is to never do this, but for once I relented, fired up the Recon and drove it up the ramps and into the back of my pickup for the drive down.

Got there a little early and waited for the prospective buyer. When he arrived, he’s all fast talking and starts to dink with the ATV, pulling the dipstick, pulling off the seat to look at the air filter, etc., without asking permission. I watch him closely, and it’s evident he knows more about ATVs and Honda ATVs than he’s willing to admit. So, now it’s time to get the Recon off of the back of the truck, so I try to start it… and it won’t start. Crap! Couldn’t see any obvious problems and of course the buyer won’t shut up so I can think. The guy says, "I want to check blow by," and unscrews the oil dipstick, then cranks it. "Oh, look at this! Your rings are shot!" as he puts his hand over the oil filler hole and shows how the air is pulsing out. (Of course, there’s no blow by… the engine isn’t running, just cranking, and the puffs of air are being displaced by the cylinder traveling up and down. And, this is a motor that does NOT smoke.) Then he pulls out his phone and wants to pay KBB for a TM (not the TE) variant… or almost $1,000 below what I’m asking (I’m asking in the low $2K range for a pristine Recon ES, about the average of what private sales ask, and way less than the dealers are posting on ATVTrader). We pulled it down anyway to get better access to it… not a big deal with ramps, and gravity is on your side.

In short, we didn’t make the sale. I finally told him I wasn’t going to give the ATV away, even though I’d come down a little on the price, but since he couldn’t get the bargain he was angling for, he left after helping me load it up… and it’s a lot harder to push one up a ramp than drive it up!

I spent this afternoon thinking about the incident, and then went out to look at the Recon, still in the back of my pickup. Still wouldn’t start, so I coasted back down the ramps and then pulled the seat and side panel. I loosened the drain screw on the carb… plenty of gas (and no water) in the carb. I then pulled the plug and put in a new one I had on hand. No start. I then put the old plug back in the boot, and placed the threads up against the cylinder head for a ground and cranked… no spark! Hmmm… started following the plug wire back to the coil… and spotted a bare spade lug on the outside edge. Peered a little closer, saw the spade connector, pushed it back onto the coil… and now we have a spark! Pulled the old plug out of the boot, put the boot back on the new plug installed in the cylinder head, and of course it fired up IMMEDIATELY.

I have to think the purchaser popped the wire off as he pulled the seat off and then pulled the filter cover off… and I think it was intentional. My new rule is: you don’t touch the bike until I’ve gotten it started. That’s why he was still willing to buy and came up to $100 below my low offer and wouldn’t budge… he though I’d give in because any dealer would charge more than that to look at the bike.

Anyone ever had a prospective buyer try to pull a fast one like that on them?

Looking to get something for mostly trail, possibly a little work, but with some power. My son has a 400ex that I want to be able to keep up with or possibly pull out of a situation if needed. I ride that sometimes and I have ridden a raptor. I have never had my own machine though. I ride motorcycles and have a cbr 900 so I can handle the power.i would like to stick with Honda if possible cause I have had them my whole life and they have been good to me. But, if the price is a factor, I’ll get a different make. I don’t think I’ll need 4wd but it would be nice. which models should Ibe looking for in the price range above ( Honda Or not Honda)? Thanks

Looking to get something for mostly trail, possibly a little work, but with some power. My son has a 400ex that I want to be able to keep up with or possibly pull out of a situation if needed. I ride that sometimes and I have ridden a raptor. I have never had my own machine though. I ride motorcycles and have a cbr 900 so I can handle the power.i would like to stick with Honda if possible cause I have had them my whole life and they have been good to me. But, if the price is a factor, I’ll get a different make. I don’t think I’ll need 4wd but it would be nice. which models should Ibe looking for in the price range above ( Honda Or not Honda)? Thanks

He everyone!
I am looking around for my own ATV as I always just ride my dad’s and call it mine because he never rides it!
Anyway, I came across this ad on a local classifieds page.
2006 Polaris Sportsman XT 800
1,400 KMS $4,500 CAN
And here is a pic.

Is there any issues with this year that I should consider?
Also I found an ’06 Suzuki King Quad 700 for $5,000…. I know this is a polaris site but any experience with these?

He everyone!
I am looking around for my own ATV as I always just ride my dad’s and call it mine because he never rides it!
Anyway, I came across this ad on a local classifieds page.
2006 Polaris Sportsman XT 800
1,400 KMS $4,500 CAN
And here is a pic.

Is there any issues with this year that I should consider?
Also I found an ’06 Suzuki King Quad 700 for $5,000…. I know this is a polaris site but any experience with these?

This is not my first atv, although it would be my first one with 3 wheels. I found what I believe is a 200es. The guy selling it says he knows nothing about it other than it doesn’t run, has 3 flat tires, and has been sitting quite a while. He says it’s an 83 but doesn’t know the model here is a pic on the craigslist posting.

From this picture it doesn’t look too bad. He sent me a few other pictures. The plastic on the other is is trashed. The front fork looks like it’s in bad shape too. The right leg still has the boot, but the left side looks like it coming apart and is all rusty. The front fender is missing too.

This is one of the most troubling parts. This bend in the front down tube. Is this a factory bend that is supposed to be here, or aftermarket from a crash or something?

This is what makes me think it’s an es. That is a starter on the front below the cylinder head, which makes it an es, Correct?

If the frame is bent I don’t want anything to do with it. My guess is that a bent frame is something that isn’t really repairable. He was asking $800 to begin with. I told him pretty much what he had, it isn’t worth anywhere near that, and offered him $100. He came back and said he didn’t want to take less than $150. I guess my question is, would it be worth it to buy as a project to get running again, or is it too far gone? It is about 2.5 hours away so I can’t really make a trip just to look at it unless I’m going to commit to purchase, so I’m just going by the pics and what he is telling me. There are a lot of unknowns, the big one being if the engine is any good. There are also a lot of parts that need to be replaced. i could see potentially putting 2-3 times in it than it’s worth just to get it going and depending on how far i wanted to take it. Seems like it might only be good for parts (whatever few parts are still good), and not as a starting point to restore. Just wondering what the experts opinions where. Is $150 ok, should I stick with $100, or just leave this one alone? I figure even at $150 I could probably make my money back, and perhaps a little profit parting out what is good on it. I don’t know what the demand for these is though. Thanks for any input.