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Service life of ATV's

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efb

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I've been wondering lately how much longer to expect my 2000 Honda Rancher to go without any major repair bill. It has 1400 hours and 8000 miles on it , all general ranch use. I change the oil, & filters occassionally. It's been trouble free so far, but the ES is starting to seem a little weaker and if you overrev it hangs up in that gear. After you shut it off for 20 minutes it's fine. What's the life of these useful tools ?
 
Not real sure, but I know the neighbours have an old Honda quad of some type(you can't read any numbers on it anymore) that's been there since the early 90's. They've never put a dollar into it outside of maintenance and fuel. And it gets flat-out abused. They welded racks to the front and back for stringing wire and all sorts of things. It certainly doesn't owe them anything.
 
Years ago when snomobiles were becoming a common thing. the saying was "they are like the wife(or women)you work on them all week for a little ride on Saturday" :shock: :shock: :shock:
 
I have an 01 with 11000 miles on it. The shift selonoid gets grease and gunk built up in it and if ya clean it it sure helps shifting. Plus i have noticed an older weak battery will cause shifting trouble. But i love my rancher and it has paid for itself many times. Even if ya screw up the electric shift buttons its about $70.00 to get a new one.
 
I use a Polaris Sportsman 500, it uses a lot of gas and is not immune to reapairs. It hasn't been too bad, all I've had to do is the front strut all the way to the hub an everything in between. That was a bit of a project, you need a book. I bought most of the parts used off ebay. Othen then that and one belt, it's been good to me.
 
runnin a '91 Polaris that has only needed A-arm bushings and tires... and is now in need of struts...other than bein a pig on the go go juice it's a reliable unit and gets used hard around here.usually have the fencing trailer or feed trailer in tow along with the two little kids.I mounted a baby seat on the front rack and put a back rest on the big tool box that I mounted when I extended the rack...and yea,there's a gun boot and a branch deflector. :wink:

the wife and kids are still usin an '86 honda 2x4 and all it's ever needed were tires and a battery,course they're pretty tame and don't work it too hard. :roll:
 
.....just touched the paint up alittle and its good for another year........... :wink: :lol:


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We live in central British Columbia and use honda atvs exclusively because they just plain last.Our oldest quad is 1987 fourtrax and although it has had an engine rebuild years ago there isn't a speedometer or hour meter on it so it is hard to say what it has for miles on it.They get used year round unless the snow gets too deep but we are mostly just feeding then and don't need them.We put handlebar and thumb warmers on them and synthetic oil in them and start and ride them as low as minus thirty celcius when we have to.We have watched all of the others come and go around us and although Polaris is considerably less expensive you will go through at least two of them plus lots of maintenance and poor dependability and a honda used under the same conditions will still have more life in it and never leave you afoot for mechanical reasons.We use them hard and have been known to tip the odd cow with them in calving season when trying to get one to the maternity pen.The older ones were way better than the new ones because they didn't have any electronics to go haywire when it is twenty below and the cows need checked in the dark.The foot shift is fool proof but they are getting hard to find as most recreational riders want electric shifts,power steering,front wheel drive disengage button etc and other things that will fail sooner or later.If we could not find a honda we would reluctantly try a yamaha but they are notorious for axle u-joint failure and don't last as long as hondas.We have a 1996 400 fourtrax,a1999 450 fourtrax, and last but not least a 1985 250 big red 3 wheeler that still runs fine but isn't first choice to ride.We change oil in them twice per year and seem to do the brakes about as regularly and they have never made us walk yet. you have made the right choice.
 
I have a Kawasaki Mule that I run in rough country,bought it because everyone said they were good machines,and that may be true,dont have enough miles on mine yet to determine that,but I will say one thing to work on one you better have small hands and air wrenches,its amazing how they cram those parts on top of each other..................good luck
 
I have been thinking about trading my Rancher in on a Kaw. Mule. Looks like they could carry a lot more stuff, but I am afraid I couldn't go a lot of narrow places I go on the Rancher. A friend has a couple of them and his seems pretty bullet proof under rough use.
 
efb said:
I have been thinking about trading my Rancher in on a Kaw. Mule. Looks like they could carry a lot more stuff, but I am afraid I couldn't go a lot of narrow places I go on the Rancher. A friend has a couple of them and his seems pretty bullet proof under rough use.
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I thought a whole lot more of mine till I had to change the fan belt.
Didnt take long for me to buy a 1/4 inch air ratchet,could not get my 3/8's in those tight places.
Other than that the little machine has been alright.
good luck
 

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