My BIL and I are going to be buying our first ATV's this coming weekend. Ive decided on the Yamaha Kodiak 700 EPS SE. Could you guys give us a heads up on questions I need to ask, things I need to look for, accessories I need to include and just some general information that we should know going into this? Im excited as all hell and have been doing as much research as possible. We found a dealer W/I an hours driving distance that has exactly what both of us want. Thanks for the help.
Lookin for a little advice
- Thread starter Dustinb80
- Start date
Have fun Dustin. Hear them out, but don't let them upsell you. Best thing I can tell you is do not be afraid to walk away. Does it really matter if you own one this weekend, next weekend, or next month? Probably not. Don't let them rush you along.
Make sure you have them check to see if they have any 15' or maybe even 14' models in the back.
Winches are pretty handy, along with a snatch block.
A bag to put extra gear/shit in is pretty handy.
A gun boot is handy as well.
Plow.
All these would depend on what your use will be also.
Winches are pretty handy, along with a snatch block.
A bag to put extra gear/shit in is pretty handy.
A gun boot is handy as well.
Plow.
All these would depend on what your use will be also.
I NEVER saw the need for a winch until I attended last year's TOO gathering. All the years of riding with my cousins and uncles, they never had winches. We always made it through some nasty stuff. They also knew the trails like the back of their hands and rode them weekly. They probably made their share of mistakes and learned which areas to avoid. Please don't take this as a knock on my TOO brothers. I am simply surprised at what a useful tool they are. Makes me wonder how we got along without them so many years.
Buy a helmet!!! You don't have to get suckered into dealer prices. Check out Iron Pony. You can find some ridiculous deals there if you are able to stop in and shop. Online probably has some good deals too, but if you can stop at their retail store. . . .There are some prices so cheap you are wondering if there is a catch. Gloves or helmets or riding pants/jerseys with last year's colors/patterns/styles are often half or even 25% of new prices. Gear the pros are wearing right now will be stupid cheap next year or the year after because they aren't the latest "style". We got gloves for the kids for $7/pair. Same with jerseys. Normally $30 or so and we paid around $10/jersey. I bought a modular Bell helmet for my road bike for $130. These are normally around $300 on up.
Buy a helmet!!! You don't have to get suckered into dealer prices. Check out Iron Pony. You can find some ridiculous deals there if you are able to stop in and shop. Online probably has some good deals too, but if you can stop at their retail store. . . .There are some prices so cheap you are wondering if there is a catch. Gloves or helmets or riding pants/jerseys with last year's colors/patterns/styles are often half or even 25% of new prices. Gear the pros are wearing right now will be stupid cheap next year or the year after because they aren't the latest "style". We got gloves for the kids for $7/pair. Same with jerseys. Normally $30 or so and we paid around $10/jersey. I bought a modular Bell helmet for my road bike for $130. These are normally around $300 on up.
Helmet is a must for any sort of technical or high speed riding. I have never owned a winch, but they are not a bad investment. I've own a variety of accessories for the front and rear racks. To me, it's all personal preference as to what you want/need from one. I have a sprayer, pull behind spread and a set of discs for food plots. All have paid for themselves. And a good set of ramps.
Everything extra on our two quads is aftermarket. I found getting the things on line was much cheaper. My winch alone was nearly 1/2 of what they wanted at Honda. Harbour Freight has ramps fairly cheap most of the time. You can also get a coupon on line and get and extra 20% off. My ball and hitch also came from Harbour Freight.
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What Rick said. Don't ever buy any extras for your quad at the "stealership". You'll always find it cheaper online.
Pretty well covered with the comments above...
It all really depends on the type of use you intend to use it for as far as setting it up. A heavy utility machine should have a winch. lighter ones can generally be man-handled out of a mess. Its your back...lol
Utility around the property
Hunting
Trail riding
Each can take you in a direction for add-ons. (and you can do all of the above as-is...)
Regardless, Welcome to the obsession! Have fun and be careful. They can hand you your ass in the blink of an eye.
It all really depends on the type of use you intend to use it for as far as setting it up. A heavy utility machine should have a winch. lighter ones can generally be man-handled out of a mess. Its your back...lol
Utility around the property
Hunting
Trail riding
Each can take you in a direction for add-ons. (and you can do all of the above as-is...)
Regardless, Welcome to the obsession! Have fun and be careful. They can hand you your ass in the blink of an eye.
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The biggest improvement I had was ditching the factory tires. Radials do SO much better.
They plow great so if that is a concern then adding one at purchase can save you money/time.
Anyway what I have found useful is the gun grabbers on the front. They hold bows/guns/hand tools well and make for quick access.
I wanted the Quad boss box for the back that holds a gas can but it was too much for me to justify. I ended up getting a Plano box for REALLY cheap on amazon and it has been great. It can hold my saws, gas cans, water, corn and cameras
They plow great so if that is a concern then adding one at purchase can save you money/time.
Anyway what I have found useful is the gun grabbers on the front. They hold bows/guns/hand tools well and make for quick access.
I wanted the Quad boss box for the back that holds a gas can but it was too much for me to justify. I ended up getting a Plano box for REALLY cheap on amazon and it has been great. It can hold my saws, gas cans, water, corn and cameras
Great point Charles. "Might" be the cheapest way to buy the plow is if it comes with quad. Otherwise, a used plow would be cheapest way.
I did I forgot tires?!? Great point Charles. Lots of great radials on the market and you can find them cheaper online. ITP and Maxxis brands have done me well over the years.
I've got a set of ITP's Mud Lites sitting in my shed. I didn't run them much here in Ohio. I didn't feel the need and they really tore my yard up. Sure I could do things with them in 2wd that I could barely do in 4wd...but the cost of tires and what they did to my yard was crazy. Living here now, I wouldn't go that aggressive I guess is what I'm saying. Not for the use I used mine for anyways.
Some of the new quads come with good tires. Used to be they all had the same crappy ones that punctured so damn easy.
If you do need to buy, can't go wrong with ITP mud lights.
I say ask for a winch. They come in handy and can save your ass if you really get hung up.
If you do need to buy, can't go wrong with ITP mud lights.
I say ask for a winch. They come in handy and can save your ass if you really get hung up.
ITP Mud Lites were my favorite. I put ITP 589s on the last time and they were too aggressive for my liking. Maxxis Bighorns are a great tire as well.
Thanks guys. I think the biggest piece of advice I have learned from all of this is that I don't want to take riding lessons from Ric. Ill keep everyone posted on how things turn out. Its going to be a cold cold weekend so the test drive is going to suck.