Posted: 11/17/2008 6:11:52 PM EDT
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I've been looking around at ATV's thinking about getting one after I get back from Iraq.
I've seen two that have peaked my interest, and I was wondering if anybody had any expierence with either and could lend an opinion The first is the ARGO 6X6 650 or the 8x8 750 The second I looked at was the Kawasaki Brute Force 750 I really like the Kawasaki, but the ability of the ARGO to literally go anywhere it seems, might come in handy someday. Any thoughts, or past experiences with ethier of these machines ? Thanks for the help |
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I got the camo version because I am a hunter but I also got the camo because it doesn't show scratches on the paint like the plain colors do...
With the factory tires, going through mud is just average. With tractor treads, does as good as any other ATV out there... It does really good in open country with the smooth suspension and big V-twin engine. 
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| The Argo's have their place, which is basically swampland. The brute force would be the far better choice for 99% of your riding needs. Argo's are rough, jerky, slow, loud, and too big for most trails. Also, your dealer netwrok is miniscule for Argo's. If you want something that seats more than just the rider, look at the Kawasaki Teryx. Most fun I've ever had offroading. |
| If you are riding any distance be sure to consider fuel consumption. I have a Honda 250 that will go all day on a tank of gas. I also have a Yamaha 400 and it needs refuling after about 60 miles where the little honda is still at half a tank. If you buy a 700+, set range expectations accordingly. |
| Suzuki ozark 250cc. Do you really need those 700's Ive been on crazy trails, boulders going downhill and later had to turn it around to go back , I was by myself but it is so light I can move it myself and was hill was alomst straight up and it made it back out barely. Those huge 700cc monsters are so heavy you cant lift them around by yourself. May want to think about that if you ever roll it or get stuck somewhere. Im a hardcore trail rider so the size fits well on trails for me and im usually in 2nd gear the whole time. |
| Argo's have a very bumpy ride. Their chains are always loosening so it is a high maintenance vehicle. And in rocky areas they can push a tire off the bead when turning, especially the 8x8's. My friend has a brute force 750 and torn the rear diff out of it in 6 months time. I've had an '05 suzuki king quad 700 since new and it has been very reliable. The EFI makes it good on gas and an easy starter in the winter. I would recommend a new Suzuki King Quad, and stay away from the Brute Force. Or if you wanna save money, buy a used Honda 300 4x4. That is a tough little machine. |
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I started riding ATVs in 1982 (they had 3 wheels then - mine still do).
I believe you can avoid deep mud anytime you really want to. Deep mud is tough on the moving parts (chain, brakes, bushings, etc. If you get a big heavy 4 wheel drive stuck in deep mud you better have a good winch and cable or some buddies with a big enough 4 wheel drive 4 wheeler to get you out. You won't be picking the back end of it up like I can my 330 lb. 3 wheeler. A 2 wheel drive 4 wheeler is a pain in the butt in deep snow, or deep mud, as you are trying to push that big wide front end through the snow/mud. Most bikes made to really haul butt don't work so well in the deep woods/mountains. If you're going to ride really rough trails (my experience is you can avoid most of those, too) you'll want a utility type 4 wheel drive 4 wheeler. Something that you can creep along real slow on since you won't want to be jumping and bouncing up and down on the stumps, rocks, logs, etc. Tire with a soft flexible sidewall that run a real low air pressure will give you better traction in the woods than something that has stiff sidewalls and calls for 4 or 5 psi. The only draw back I've seen with low air pressures and soft sidewalls is sometimes you'll spin the rim inside the tire if the tire's getting real good traction and you have the bike in a rough spot trying to maneuver through it. You won't always lose air, but sometimes you might. You need a tire plug kit and tire pump just in case. I've never seen a set of factory tires that were as good as aftermarket tires for good traction in mud and snow. You also want something with cargo racks to you can carry a gas can, a lunch, etc. Most utility bikes these days have automatic clutches. Years ago, if you failed to downshift when you should have and lugged the engine down to far on a hill the clutch would disengage and the bike would suddenly change direction (roll down hill backwards). Never saw anyone get hurt but they were mostly lucky. I prefer a manual clutch for that reason. When it dies, the bike just stops. Dealing with a stopped bike beats the heck out of trying to decide whether to ride it out or bail off one hauling butt down the hill backwards. My old kawasaki 200 got 40 mpg the way we road. That was about 130 miles on a tank of gas. The Honda only gets 30 mpg., or just a little less than 90 miles range without refueling. I realize the trend today is towards bigger and bigger motors but I know from experience that little 200, geared the way it was from the factory, would carry me and drag a trailer of camping supplies up some pretty steep hills. Oh, as much as I like my big Honda, it will not begin to go where a good dirt bike will go. I've seen guys on dirt bikes climb some trails/hills I don't think a goat could climb. Unbelievable. |
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I'll second the vote against the Argo. Unless you want to use your ATV in a lot of swamp areas or maybe a lot of use in the snow, you'll be happier with a four-wheel ATV. I've never used an Argo, but I drove a Max once. I met a guy in the woods with one a long time ago who was riding it through my parent's pond. He let me take it for a spin on my own. I couldn't wait to get it back to him. The ride was extremely rough (no suspension), it was loud, not very fast...not that I wanted to go that fast without suspension.
I'll also agree that you don't necessarily want a huge engine. My first quad was a Honda TRX 250 (not R). It was a small, two wheel drive utility quad. It was slow, but after a while of getting accustomed to it, I felt like I could go anywhere with it. But if I did get stuck, I could get off and work it around by hand while giving it some throttle in 1st gear or reverse at the same time. It's handy to be able to pick up an end of the quad if need be. That said, now I also have a Suzuki Eiger 400 4x4. I didn't plan on buying a new quad, but I had a friend who was selling it and he made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I love this quad. I think it has about as much power as I ever need. It's fast enough too. I don't get stuck very often because I try to stay out of the serious mud and with the 4x4 it's not an issue. The size is medium I guess. I can work it around by hand, but not nearly as easily as the Honda. Still, any time now I get on the old Honda, I feel like a giant. |
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We used some Argo's in research work...we didn't find them all that great. Your mileage may vary. Where a 4 wheeler would go we would rather use them. Where a 4 wheeler wouldn't go I'd rather have a small push boat.
Jack of all trades master of none type deal. |
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Thanks for all the great advice.
I was already kind of leaning against an ARGO, for all of the reasons stated above, but I'd never actually used one, so I wanted to get some outside opinons. I guess my only debate now will be which size ATV to get, I agree that the bigger they are the harder they are to get unstuck by yourself, i've seen this with my snowmobiles, and an Odyssey 350 that I used to have. But at the same time, bigger ATV = more power, can pull a heavier load, move more stuff, etc.. I guess I just have to decide what I want to use it for. Anyways I have ten months to figure it out before I get back stateside. Thanks for all the advice again |