[jbranson]

I need to buy a quad to help me blast a trail out back.

The question is 2wd or 4wd. The last one I had was 2wd and was almost impossible to get stuck, was tough as nails and took all kinds of abuse. It sucked in the snow most of the time.

I hear 4wd ARE impossible to get stuck, but they are more delicate and the front drive systems can be a source of problems, are heavier, more expensive but good in the snow.

I've also hear the 2wd are ok in the snow with the right tires. I'm going to be blasting down trails to burn them in, and I'm going to be towing a trailer with anywhere from 300 lbs to 500 lbs of rocks or wood...often up some fairly steep hills. But...hills that my 1000 lb 2wd ( differential) lawn tractors manage to drag their sorry asses up all the time. 2wd quads like the Kawaski Bayou have a "straight" axle in the back...no diff at all...real 2wd. Some of the 4wd have a diff front only...some have a locking front end.

Any advice or comments (about quads) would be appreciated.
Thanks,
JohnnyB

 

[LiLBull]

sorry no brainer for me four wheel drive you can fix it if and when it needs help.with your heavey duty demands four wheel drive is my cellular answer.

Im so far behind ,that I think Im in first.

 

[Psyco Diver 69]

It all depends on what type of trails your riding and what not. I've been riding on dirt since I was 10 and around where I grew up 2wd ruled the area because we dirt was mostly sugar sand and we had alot of sand quarrys where we would make jumps in. 4X4 had no advantage in this kind of terrain and was acctually way to heavy and slow for our area.

22/m
1980 Honda CB750
1972 Oldsmobile 442

 

[FR]

I got nuthin...

FR

 

[jbranson]

Trails are mostly wooded terrain, the old 2wd used to blast around it no problem.
So far from all the discussion I've read on the net, seem to agree with you guys...2wd if you want speed/fun...4wd if you have work to do. Now I just have to decide which is more important.

JohnnyB

 

[rdrce698]

I have a 2wd kawi Bayou 300. Its a 95. I use it tn the snow all the time and it never gets stuck. It has a diff but you can lock it. I have a winch mounted just in case but never used it. It is a pretty useful tool.
Pete

 

[KeninIowa]

Some of the utility quads are kinda fast, just not very nimble. Sorta like sitting on the roof of a small car, so if your trails are kinda open might be OK.

My farmer brothers have had several 4wds, you can use them like another tractor if you're creative. My oldest brother and I just built a brush scraper for his. He's got 20 acres of timber to build a house on, wants to clean it up without damaging any of the mature trees. His scraper works slick and it's the only thing you can get in there with.

04 KDX 200
05 KX 250f- SOLD!
01 GSXR 750
75 GT 550
68 Chevelle
Wanted: 86 FZ600 w/OEM paint

 

[jbranson]

Yes I had a Kawa Bayou 220 years ago...found it to be a very tough little machine. Don't recall every getting stuck....and you could just lift it out by hand if it did.

I've got a full size four wheel drive tractor/backhoe for real tough areas...but I wanted to be able to skid the occasional log (smallish), or pull a 500 lb trailer up a hill now and then with the quad.....I pulled some hellish loads on the level with the Kawi 220. They had an absolutely solid, no diff rear axle that would get some pretty serious traction for a 2wd.

I'm leaning towards 2wd....and just make faster small loads with it. I have no doubt it would tow about 300 lbs up my hill. Which is my little tailer full of wood...not sure about 500 lbs in rocks though.

The trail is pretty tight in places...need to be able to dodge some trees pretty well to have any fun on it. I could ride around the trail on a 4wd....not sure I could "race" around it like I used to in the 2wd.

I'm just leery of the complexity of a front drive system, although in a snow emergency it would come it pretty handy. I know I'm acting like a woman about this.
JohnnyB

 

[ProTeal55]

If your gonna buy one - go with a 4X4...

ProTeal55
Member: Ton-Up Club Chicago
1972 CB750 Hooligan/Street Fighter -4 SALE !
1974 CB/CL450 Cafe/Bar/Stripclub Racer - 4 SALE !
1955 Chevrolet Bel-Air Hardtop

 

[LiLBull]

well you know better you will be working with it alot more then riding it fast you have race bikes for fast the four wheel will get wind in your hair but since your like the rest of us and dont have microsoft money to have a 2wheel and a four wheel seems like real life is satisfied with the four wheel drive.You can always call friends over and use thier two wheel on the new trail.

Im so far behind ,that I think Im in first.

 

[KeninIowa]

My brothers have worn out front ends to the point it was cheaper to trade than fix, but I doubt you'll put the hours on they do. My buddies with quads say a 2wd will go anywhere a 4wd will just have to go faster. That's what I see too when we take the dirtbikes to public riding areas. The 4wd quads just grind their way over obstacles, but if you're at all concerned with erosion or the general aesthetic of your timber you're not gonna get yourself in the situations where 4wd is a must.

But there's a kid that lives down the street from me with a plow on the front of his 4wd quad. I always thought it looked like a joke until I drove by his place this winter while he was cleaning his driveway. For a paved, in town sized driveway that is the snow moving-est thing ever.

04 KDX 200
05 KX 250f- SOLD!
01 GSXR 750
75 GT 550
68 Chevelle
Wanted: 86 FZ600 w/OEM paint

 

[ROSKO]

you need one of these:

or...

BORN TO LURK, FORCED TO WORK.
www.NYCvinMoto.com
www.VinMoto.org

 

[KeninIowa]

Funny thing, my nephew called me tonite to see if he could use my shop to build a hitch for his new quad. He's been talking about trading his KXF400 for a utility. I didn't think he'd do it. So here he shows up with a Polaris 700 Sportsman. All I could think was what a friggin' behemoth, his 400 was bad ass.

04 KDX 200
05 KX 250f- SOLD!
01 GSXR 750
75 GT 550
68 Chevelle
Wanted: 86 FZ600 w/OEM paint

 

[jbranson]

Just bought a Suzuki Eiger 400 4WD. Seems like a tough machine so far. I've already run it over trees and rocks....had it two hours and it looks like I've had it a year. But no damage and went through everything I threw at it.
Happy so far....got it a $750 less than MSRP.
JohnnyB

 

[pampadori]

i had a ex400 race quad. it made me drive stupid at all times. i couldn't see that thing doing actual work though. it was so much more nimble then the 4wd's i've riden. get one of each.

 

[fuzzybutt]

i've been thinking about buying a smaller 4x4 for hunting. last season i had to drag 187 pound buck 2 miles out of the woods by myself, dont wanna have to do that ever again.

Political correctness

A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical, liberal minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.

 

[jbranson]

The Eiger is nice with it's part time 4wd, you can shift the front drive on or off. Still steers kind of slow either way though.
JohnnyB