hi guys Im Eddie Im new to this and i want to find out whats a good atv to get and Im in calmar new to Alberta so if anyone can tell me where can i ride and trails are thanks ED
the question you have answer is.... how much money do i have to spend on a machine? are you going to finance? or pay cash....
what type of rider are you going to be? a lot of that depends sometimes on how old you are... whats your age?
tell us also what trills you ? fast trails, mud, skeg.... what do you invision you will quad like?
Need more info to suggest what you might like ...
For example some areas you might be stuck every 500' or it could be so Steep it's nasty ...
Depends on what type of machine you want , and type of riding ...
But there are lots of middle of the road trails within 1.5 hours away ...
More specifics could narrow it down however ....
Well ill answer the part of your question that has no answers..LOL.. I personalty ride a arctic cat 500 3013. I love the machine and it will take me every ware the big boys go. But with that being said when i buy a new one i will be going to can am probably around the 600 to 800 range.. Only reason im switching is dealer support or lack of at times with my current dealer. Usually the best thing you can do when you get a new machine is ditch the crap stock tires and get a good set of tires. I run a set of traxion grippers on 2 machines and they are a great all around tire with one set having about 8000km on them and ill easily get another 8000.
Since you have limited experience on machine i would stay away from the high cc machines. They can get you in trouble really quick..
I still have a soft spot in my heart for the Yamaha Grizzly's. Everyone has their own opinion, but I think these machines are right up there with Honda for reliability and ease of maintenance. Other than that, I'd only consider a Canam for myself. I love how power and ride of my Outlander is but will admit that it's considerably higher maintenance and harder to work on than my Grizzlies. If you do go the Outlander route and like to ride aggressively at all, the models that come with Fox suspension are worth every penny!
Check out Rallies and Events in the ATV section for upcoming rallies. It's a great way to see new areas and meet other riders. There's also Favorite Riding Areas in the ATV section that has a wealth of information on various areas. You've got some decent riding fairly close. Check out Alder Flats, Brazeau Dam, Medicine lake, Stanger Hills. Theres's also a tone of awesome riding less than two hours away between Rocky Mountain House and Nordegg and South from there.
Also, keep in mind that times have changed. We all need to be much more conscious of the foot print we leave behind, so this awesome past time can be enjoyed by future generations. There are already talks of shutting down a lot of the beautiful riding opportunities in the Nordegg and Big Horn area. Tread lightly, pack out everything you pack in, use common sense, and most importantly.... get out and enjoy!
Welcome from just up the road in Leduc.
As far as the machine the Canam are considered by most as the best but that's more of a hot rod, wheelie speed thing and they are a lot more expensive.
Bang for the buck with high reliability and just a good all around quad I would recommend the Honda or close second choice the Yamaha.
The big considerations for buying a new machine (for me) is ground clearance and the ability to lock the front diff, also I would love to have power steering on my next quad. Also as mentioned an upgrade to the stock tires is almost a must.
Be careful of used machines, especially if they have been modified with snorkles and such, many used machines have been abused.
As mentioned above Alder Flats, Drayton Valley, Brazeau Dam are all within an hour and a half of you.
Once you get a machine I would recommend going with someone the first few times, It can be intimidating the first few times you get stuck if your out there by yourself. Quading is so much more fun with a friend than by yourself, my son and I go out a lot and would be happy to hook up with you and show you around.
Good luck with your search for a machine and welcome to the wonderful world of quading.