Size, power and age

[toonces]

Educating myself getting ready to buy my first 4x4 and have some questions.

1 - Engine size. One of my wants is to be able to pull a trailer up a trail with a decent amount of camping gear piled in, so I've been told to either look for a good size motor or one with hi-lo gears. From what I've learned so far it seems that something like a Sportsman 500 HO or 550 Griz would do that job fairly well. But for the sake of opening up my options could I possibly look into a smaller engine than these if it had hi-lo? Put another way...what's the smallest engine size I should be looking for on a machine that has hi-lo considering my pulling needs?

2 - Can add power steering? Is it possible to add power steering to a model that didn't come with it, but other versions of that same year's model did? For example some of the 2008 Griz 550s came with PS and some didn't. If I found one that didn't have it could I reasonably assume I could add it later considering the frame and equipment has probably already been designed to work with it?

3- Mileage and age. Most of the machines I'm seeing have between 500-1200 or so miles and I'm wondering how many is too many? Seen some with 2-3000+ and I'm most def staying away from those. But whats the mileage limit where you can expect major things (read expensive) to start going wrong with the machine? I've heard someone generally speaking say they would rather take a 2006 with 1000 miles on it vs a 2012 with 2000. Would most people agree?

[teull]

Educating myself getting ready to buy my first 4x4 and have some questions.

1 - Engine size. One of my wants is to be able to pull a trailer up a trail with a decent amount of camping gear piled in, so I've been told to either look for a good size motor or one with hi-lo gears. From what I've learned so far it seems that something like a Sportsman 500 HO or 550 Griz would do that job fairly well. But for the sake of opening up my options could I possibly look into a smaller engine than these if it had hi-lo? Put another way...what's the smallest engine size I should be looking for on a machine that has hi-lo considering my pulling needs?

2 - Can add power steering? Is it possible to add power steering to a model that didn't come with it, but other versions of that same year's model did? For example some of the 2008 Griz 550s came with PS and some didn't. If I found one that didn't have it could I reasonably assume I could add it later considering the frame and equipment has probably already been designed to work with it?

3- Mileage and age. Most of the machines I'm seeing have between 500-1200 or so miles and I'm wondering how many is too many? Seen some with 2-3000+ and I'm most def staying away from those. But whats the mileage limit where you can expect major things (read expensive) to start going wrong with the machine? I've heard someone generally speaking say they would rather take a 2006 with 1000 miles on it vs a 2012 with 2000. Would most people agree?

I have an 06 Yamaha Kodiak 450cc. It has been bulletproof and does everything I need it to do. It has hi-low and it will pull as much as I ever want. I pull big logs, etc. You can buy one with a bigger engine, but all that will accomplish is you will burn a lot more fuel.

If the machine can be full loaded, and still spin its wheels, thats all the power you need when pulling.

Having a bigger engine wont matter once the wheels start spinning.

As far as mileage, yes lower is better but more important is how well it was maintained and how it was used.

[LT80]

#2, You maybe could with great expense ( so really no).

#3, IMO a machine w/2000+ miles can still have plenty of life left in them. I sold my Suz 4x4 w/ 2400 miles and it was still in great shape.

[oxidized_black]

1 - probably most anything from Japan 350 and up ... Honda is best workhorse

2 - very expensive for power steering add on ... bikes are quite light, once they start to roll it is easy steering ... my son started out @ 8 years old running a Honda 350 in full time 4 and could thread that machine thru a needle ...

3 - the 700 hr mark on the machine is usually overhaul time, mileage means nothing to hours ...