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pros/cons wolverine 450
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Posted by: randallp1

i want to buy the new 450 wolverine but have a few questions. is it more for speed or mud? my buddies go mud ridding and they dont really sink the bikes but they ride through some kinda serious stuff. i really like the way it looks and its a yami so im pretty much going to get it. i just want yall to tell me the pros and cons and all the things you love about the bike and what you think would make me buy the grizzly.

Posted by: TheNewn

In my opinion, the Wolverine is a giant pile of crap wrapped in some flashy tin foil.

That 'niche' of the market is much better served by the Renegade series. I've checked them out at my dealership, and have not seen them in action so i cant be sure. But i have seen the Renegades in action, my cousin has one.

In my opinion, they are far too heavy for that underpowered 450. not to mention the 350 is it? model. If you must get a 'sport 4x4' get a Renegade. But i'd much rather have a Grizzly 450 than a Wolverine 450. At least i'll be able to carry gear, plow, pull a trailer, have a nice winch. AND THEY HAVE IRS.

The Wolverine does NOT have IRS, which will blow for mudding because of the lower ground clearance.

Go for the Grizzly, or the Renegade 500

Just my opinion.

Posted by: ibthegator

I kinda agree with the above, although I don't feel the wolverine is a pile of crap it is not all it is cut out to be.
It may look hot but you would be better off with a grizzly.
I was on the ropes with the 800 renegade x recently but i want to wait a few years to see how they hold up. I decided to modify my 700 grizz instead.
If you can get a new grizz 660 you would be the poop.
Of course the 700 eps is even better but for the budget minded the 660 is a good deal and some dealers can't move them so deals are out there.
Is this your first quad?

Posted by: randallp1

no i have a drag bike and i want something fun to climb hills and chill on the dunes

Posted by: renae

I have the wolvy and love it. I have raced it and for power it is ok. It is not the fastes atv. The one thing that I really liked about it is when you are not in the mud you can take it out of 4 wheel drive and just have it in 2 wheel.

Posted by: ibthegator

quote:
Originally posted by randallp1
no i have a drag bike and i want something fun to climb hills and chill on the dunes

Do you mean "the dunes" in LA.
I took my kids there last summer, and prolly headed back this summer.

Posted by: Hondamaster5505

Personally, I think the new ones suck!

Get an 95-05 350

We have a 2001, and heres the lowdown.

Its FASTER than the new 450 wolverines. It actually has some more get-up-and-go then we thought it would. The semi-auto is nicer to have then the stupid CVT on the newer wolverines.

We plow with it. It does so well you couldn't even tell it was a 350 with an open front

We mud/trail it. We were riding behind out friends grizzly, and went through all the same stuff he did. Only one we didnt because we stopped by accident and got stuck.

Overall, if you get a wolvy, get the 95-05.

We're in the process of trying to find a 660 or some kind of big-bore right now for more power and the fact they have nicer riding suspension. But the wolvy is an excellent 4x4.

Posted by: Kennethyfz450

Your Wrong.
The 450 is a lot quicker than the 350. Depending if we ride or not this weekend I might get some video footage. Not saying the 350 is slow , but the new automatic 450 is quicker. There is nothing stupid about CVT.

Some people can take a honda 300 4x4 behind a grizzly so stating that your 350 followed a grizzly owner through a couple mud holes doesn't really explain anything.

quote:
Originally posted by Hondamaster5505
Personally, I think the new ones suck!

Get an 95-05 350

We have a 2001, and heres the lowdown.

Its FASTER than the new 450 wolverines. It actually has some more get-up-and-go then we thought it would. The semi-auto is nicer to have then the stupid CVT on the newer wolverines.

We plow with it. It does so well you couldn't even tell it was a 350 with an open front

We mud/trail it. We were riding behind out friends grizzly, and went through all the same stuff he did. Only one we didnt because we stopped by accident and got stuck.

Overall, if you get a wolvy, get the 95-05.

We're in the process of trying to find a 660 or some kind of big-bore right now for more power and the fact they have nicer riding suspension. But the wolvy is an excellent 4x4.

Posted by: Hondamaster5505

Ive ridden both, and personally I think the newer 450's are slower.

I also know multiple people that sold their older 350's for newer 450's and were disapointed becuase they were slower.

The only reason I say CVT is stupid, is because its supposed to be a SPORT utility. By taking away the sporty shifter and giving it a CVT, it loses some of its sport appeal.

The grizzly comment was just to say that wolverines arent bad mudding.

Posted by: Kennethyfz450

The white 450 is faster than this black 350 wolverine.

The 350 may feel faster because you are shifting gears , but in an acceleration match the 450 will win hands down.

Posted by: Kennethyfz450

By the way they have the same tires.
Ben the owner of the 350 bought tires that come on the wolverine 450 after riding his mom's wolverine 450 (as seen in the picture)

Posted by: Hondamaster5505

ill have to ride another one, but i think the 350 feels so much sportier.

Posted by: wolviegal

Just my subject..... since I have the '06 450.

I ride with a girl who has the 350 (not sure which year) and the 450 walks all over it.

You're right, it does not have IRS..... put some bigger tires and clutch kit and you're golden for the ground clearance. There is also some pros to this..... I've never had any axle problems!! I have yet to be stranded in the bush, like so many other quads have because of a busted axle. It's like a Ford..... you can bag the crap out of it, and it stands strong.

The speed issue...... I have yet to come across another 450 4x4 that even compares to it. It's light, and very quick off the draw. My husbands pimped out Grizz 660 eats my dust off the start line. No need to say who makes it to the finish line first, but I'm not far behind.

Top speed..... never been an issue. Since I put in the PowerNow, my top speed (river riding in a foot of snow over some ice) was 52 MPH. I've yet to try it on dry ground.

Mudding...... there is no mud hole I won't hit. I may not come out the cleanest, but 9/10 times I make it through without a pull. It's light, snappy and throwing your weight around on it actually makes a difference. I'm a light weight..... 130 pounds..... I try riding my hubbies quad, and I'm like a feather on the thing, as opposed to the brick I am on my quad.

Trail riding..... not a quad I would recommend for leisure family rides. Not the smoothest ride out there.

Size...... it's narrower and lighter than the big bores. When everyone else is rolling into camp on fumes..... I'm laughing with a 1/4 tank of fuel left.

Every quad has it's pros and cons and if you're looking for something fast, reliable, and a blast to mud with...... get the Wolverine. The 700's and the 650's might leave you behind in a clearing...... but when it comes to mudding you can nail almost every hole they do without getting stuck.

Posted by: TOPDAWG

The biggest problem with a Wolverine is no diff lock.

You want to mud and go tanking...get a Grizzly.

Posted by: maxitout77

Actually owning one, I figure I'll chime in.

CVT: yes, its slower than the older 350's wih semi-auto. A clutch kit will be added shortly to wake it up.

The lack of locking diff is a downfall, but as wolvie gal said, there is not mud hole I wont try. The hangup on the rear diff is minimal, the taller maxxis tires it comes with do a good job of providing clearance.

and as far as a the Grizzly, or the Renegade 500, my out the door price of $5200 sits just fine with me

Posted by: hungus07trx400

My Father bought my Mother an 07 Wolverine, and I have mixed feelings with it. It's compact so in tight trails its fun, I have gotten it hung up before on in the rear since it is not irs. It's quicker than I thought it would be, but I don't have much for comparison in that same motor department. One thing i really don't like about it is the body roll you feel in tight corners. I realize its not a sport quad, but we have several other utility quads with IRS and they just feel more balanced. The Tires are pretty good, lots of traction, and pretty good in mud. Like was said before, it's not the smoothest ride, and i found my knees gettin banged around alot on the side of the tank. But For what it is, i think it's a pretty decent choice. I think the CVT is misleading, I think it just feels slower, I doubt that it actually is. Smoothing out all those shifts you would otherwise have to make might make it feel slower.

Posted by: paul0227

I have had a 450 wolverine for a year and put on 550 miles on all sorts of terrain. I ride with friends who have Polaris 500 and 700 Sportsman and another who has a Honda Forman. When it comes to going through snow, mud and swamps I am able to make it through where they get stuck. The wolverine is at least 100 pounds less than any other utility quad. The big square rear tires really help with traction. The machine is light enough that the rider can shift their weight to help get better traction.

When I do get it stuck I can usually get off and push it out by myself, the other guys need a tow. It doesn’t have a low range and really doesn’t need it. It does just fine on rock climbs and big hill runs. It has enough power to turn the tires when I am hooked up trying to pull out a stuck Sportsman. It has no trouble pulling around a 1500 lb trailer.

I will say that it could use more power. I am looking at getting a pipe, new filter and jet kit to push out about 10% more power. The solid rear axle is more fun than the independent rear. It is much easier to put it into a four wheel slide around corners on trails. This also seems give it a more stable feel. It has plenty of ground clearance setup stock.

It is a smaller fun machine to beat on.

Posted by: TOPDAWG

quote:
Originally posted by paul0227
I have had a 450 wolverine for a year and put on 550 miles on all sorts of terrain. I ride with friends who have Polaris 500 and 700 Sportsman and another who has a Honda Forman. When it comes to going through snow, mud and swamps I am able to make it through where they get stuck. The wolverine is at least 100 pounds less than any other utility quad. The big square rear tires really help with traction. The machine is light enough that the rider can shift their weight to help get better traction.

When I do get it stuck I can usually get off and push it out by myself, the other guys need a tow. It doesn’t have a low range and really doesn’t need it. It does just fine on rock climbs and big hill runs. It has enough power to turn the tires when I am hooked up trying to pull out a stuck Sportsman. It has no trouble pulling around a 1500 lb trailer.

I will say that it could use more power. I am looking at getting a pipe, new filter and jet kit to push out about 10% more power. The solid rear axle is more fun than the independent rear. It is much easier to put it into a four wheel slide around corners on trails. This also seems give it a more stable feel. It has plenty of ground clearance setup stock.

It is a smaller fun machine to beat on.

Funny, my buddy's kid has a Wolverine and he gets stuck trying to follow us in the mud all the time. We end up pulling him at least 3-4 times a run. He sure does try though. Diff lock and IRS is a must in any decent mud.

Posted by: TheNewn

Probably because he's a KID and doesn't know how to ride...it all depends on the riders...

In my humble opinion, Wolverine's suck some hard core testicle.

Posted by: paul0227

I have another buddy with 450 grizzly who has 1500 hard core miles on it. He has only used the diff lock a hand full of times. If you are riding a heavy sow the diff lock may help out when you are going slow in mud. When I keep my Wolverine moving and use my body weight to throw it around I have made it through more mud than the guys on the traditional fat heavy utility quads. The diff lock is not necessary on this light of a machine.

The diff lock only helps out when you are going real slow or stopped, not the way to make it through mud. Shed some weight off of your quad, keep your speed up and don't worry about a diff lock.

Posted by: TOPDAWG

The kid is probably 17 or 18 and rides the heck out of that Wolverine. He can toss it around all he wants, he cannot follow us in the mud half the time. That's just the way it is.

If you guys think a lighter machine with a straight axle and no diff lock will out mud or even come close to an IRS machine with diff lock, you're badly mistaken.

Great quad for mud puddles and such though.

Also, I can toss my 600 pound machine really well.

Posted by: rundrave

if you want a sport ute and dont want to spend alot of $$$ on the renegade, what about a scrambler?

Same price, absolutely out performs the wolverine in every category, and wins in absolute fun factor. Not to mention it has TRUE 4wd instead of the 3-wheel wonder wolverine.

But for what your truly asking for I think the Grizzly would be ideal, and the power steering is a great bonus to have.

Posted by: flipout31

My wolverine came in yesturday. I took it for a drive. I have to wait to until next week to get it because I am not financing the atv.......I drove lots of atv's before deciding on this. I originally was going to get a 330 trailblazer, then I thought about a new 350 woverine, then I drove a 500 scrambler and decided to go with the 450 wolverine. It felt the best to me. My friend just bought a 2007 450 sportsman and the wolverine is faster than the sportsman. I do love the way the sportsman rides. It rides like a cadilac. He just got it Saturday and he has to keep it at my house because I have the trails. Im putting more hours on it than he is.