pros/cons wolverine 450

[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)

[Hondamaster5505]

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

[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.

[TOPDAWG]

The biggest problem with a Wolverine is no diff lock.

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

[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

[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.

[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.

[TOPDAWG]

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.

[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.

[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.