Hey all,

I am at a crossroads with my quad and I am considering saying goodbye to it. She and I have had a heck of a ride and I really do hate to see her go but I have a lot of family members that would like for me to have my quad back to do some riding. Myself included.

Sooo, I just don't know if it is even worth trying to jack with my quad now. Fact is it prolly needs 750 to 1000 dollars in parts to really get everything fixed up on it that has been used up over the years. Its got, brake, clutch, front driveshaft, rear end, and carb issues. Other than that she is tip top. Then there is all the suspension bushings that just aren't like they were when it was new. Hard to believe I can still tear around on it the way I can and push snow with that many things wrong isn't it?

The motor, frame and body on the quad couldn't be in better shape considering 10yrs of riding. Not hardly a dent or ding on it. Motor is strong as ever.


So what would you do? Throw $1000.00 at it and tear the thing down to bring it back to its old glory, or consider the fact that the quad in perfect shape is only worth about $2200 at this point and take what you can out of it in its current condition and move on to something different.

I am really on the fence at the moment. I think if I was going to take a chance on a used quad I might as well just fix the one I got cause any used quad unless you get very lucky is going to have been beat on. That is the life of a quad. At least my own I know a lot about.

Buying a new quad really seems like the only option if I am going to change cause that is the only way you truly know what you got and what kinda care has been taken. I would of coarse like a new quad too but I am beating myself up on if I really wanna spend all that money on it.

Considering that if I take the plunge and get a different quad that will likely affect when I may be going up and down the river in a glass boat is it worth it?

Like I said, decisions, decisions. IDK what to do.


If anyone would know of a near perfect condition used quad out there then that may save me some headaches. I am not totally against used but it is gonna have to be in pretty dam good shape.

I think you are due for a new rig, Randy!!

I'd throw a little $$$ at your existing machine and let one of the boys wheel it! Shop around and find what you want, plenty of good deals out there right now. Ebay is loaded with some good machines within 200 miles of you.

Good luck in whatever you decide!

I say keep it, still works for you want it to do. Toss a little money at it to keep it running and go for the boat! You know you spend WAY more time in the boat than on the Quad.

A buddy of mine just bought a quad a couple of months ago, and had the same concerns you do. Wether to buy a new or used one. What he found out was that used quads are really expensive, and new ones are really, really expensive. He went to 4 different dealarships and could not find a used 4 wheel drive quad for less than $2200. And he said that one was a 1991 250cc unit!! But he couldn't bring himself to part with 5-7 thousand for a new one.

He did end up with a used 2007 Suzuki Vinson 500 for $3100 I think. It was actually owned by one of the service techs at a dealership in Ottumwa. It was in great shape, and you can only imagine (or hope) because of its owner, it was well taken care of.

There are some good deals out there for used ones, but like you said, I would be very cautious. If in the market, I personally would spend a few extra dollars and buy a used one from a good dealer. At least you have hopes that it was fixed up at least before it hit the sales floor. And usually a little bit of a warranty on it if you have problems early on. I have seen some units go pretty cheap on E-Bay, but buying any sort of powered vehicle off that site scares the Chit out of me. I guess I have heard too many horror stories. But if you are brave, it is always an option.

But if you have the finances, a new rig is the way to go. I think new Quads are WAY overpriced, but if you look at used ones, they hold their value pretty well. My quad is a 2003 I bought new. As soon as my wife and I get some land purchased, we are going to probably get something like a Mule or Rhino. But I will be keeping the quad. It is way cheaper to fix it if something goes wrong than to afford the payments on a new one.

If money is a concern, however, I would agree with Brandon and put the money in your existing unit. If you are looking to upgrade your fishing vessel soon, that would be the route I would go. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks for the input guys. I am always interested in what others have had for experiences.


Fixing everything that is wrong with mine now seems like a daunting task but I have all the service manuals and stuff to do it so I guess I just need to tear into it and see how bad it really is. I am thinking it is in really bad shape far as the drive line goes but maybe it isn't as bad as I think either.


Someone stop the snow and I'll get to work on it. I am all amped to get working on it but with snow every other day and this tear down and rebuild to likely take weeks (since I won't know what all parts to order till I actually get there) I will just keep waiting for the spring I guess.

However then the repair will cut into my fishing time. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and drop it off at a dealer too and tell him to go to town and call me when it is done.

tough call Randy. I would get an estimate of cost to repair and go from there. could always set it aside of the boys to use as some others have mentioned.

I sold ATV's, motorcycles, and that kind of stuff to get through college and I've been working in the boat biz for a long time.

Your challenge is very common and everyone looks at it differently.

In general, people are better off buying 3 yr old boats, 4 wheel drives, ATV's, cars and so on then driving them for about 10 years.

You reduce your initial outlay of money somewhere between 35-60% from new and yet retain most of the useful life.

For example. Let's say you buy a 2006 Kawasaki 650 for 4500, I found one like that online tonight.

If you owned it another 10 years, it'll cost you 350 a year because you'll sell it for 1,000. However, you'll lose your opportunity to invest your 4,500 too and if you finance you'll even pay interest. It's also possible you'll have to make extensive repairs, it's a risk.

Long way of saying, if you LOVE your ATV, fix it up. But even if you spend 2k on it, it won't make it worth much more than it is now and you'll have 10 yr old technology.
I see it all the time with boats. A 1990 boat with a 2005 motor. Guess what, not a good idea when you go to trade or resell. But if you love it, it's ok! Just like guys that fix up a 5k truck with 5k, they have a nice rig. If you own for awhile, it'll pay off if you like that ride.

Just my ideas

This reminds me of an Old Dog story and he's on his last leg but needs surgery or shot...

Hard to answer for sure. We all are faced with the same decision on many different "things" that we buy. I really think it is a money thing though. If you can afford to buy one out right and still be able to do the other things you want to do in life, then by one. If not, just keep fixin up the old one. There are lots of people that would be tickled to death to have an old one. I think you are a good mechanic and probably can fix whatever comes up on your machine. I agree with Todd as well, buying a good used one, if you can buy it out right would be the most cost affective in the long run.

I have a 2007 Yamaha 450 Grizzly myself.

There are some screaming deals out there on non-currents, especially something like the Kawasaki Brute Force's.

Honda's and Yamaha's are usually the premium pricing. I won't get into the Polaris arguments - people love them or hate.

In general, the Suzuki's and Kawa's are more overlooked. Unless you want Power Steering, I don't think much has improved since the move to IRS and Lockers. In other words, I'll bet you can find a screaming deal on a 2003-2006 Prairie, Brute, Vinson, King Quad.

If you want serious power, those King Quad 700's, Prairie 700's and Brute Force 650/750's are monsters for less than the Grizzly and Rubicons.

One of my buddies got a 2007 or 8, I forget new 750 BF for not much more 6k this past winter, leftover new.

Todd

Tough decision, Randy. I know you like riding and so do the kids. But just think of crusing the River in a new( to you) boat. I would look into a boat first. Maybe you could find a good deal like Todd did on the Procraft. It might actually be cheaper that way. Then you can decide on fixn' or buying a new or at least different ATV. JMO.