[mr.smith]

As I look through the photos that people have been putting up showing off their Memorial Day weekend activities are started to think, "this looks fun, but would an ATV be better suited for these activities?"

The Viking is a UTV. It is meant for both work and play. The benefits that it has over ATVs as I see it is that it can carry some extra passengers and cargo. It has a roof too and a seated riding position as opposed to a more standing position with an ATV.

The pictures of you guys have been posting, driving through creeks, and plowing through large gulleys full of muddy water, all that looks fun. Do you think that an ATV could do a better job though?

The Yamaha Grizzly 700 is meant for the dirt. it's meant to drive over those large steep hills and shallow waters.

Meanwhile the Viking is pictured in a barn with cows.

Its possible that you guys use it for more practical uses when you aren't having a nice long weekend, but mainly I'm just curious if you guys use the Viking for work as well as play, and why you ended up choosing it over something like the Grizzly that is more conducive to recreational off-roading.

 

[rabbitreborn]

I have both a 2014 Viking and a 2014 Grizzly. I personally ride the Grizzly, while my wife drives the Viking. I am more of a mud rider and she is more of a trail rider. The Viking is more comfortable and has the ability to haul the cooler and whatever other gear we may need on a day of fun/riding. My wife tried to learn to ride an ATV but she feels more comfortable having a steering wheel on a machine with 4 tires under it. the choice was simple at that point.......

 

[Teryx2k16]

Ive got a Viking and a 2011 Can-am Outlander XTP 800, and love them both, and both do great and what i use them for. I like riding both, sometimes im in the mood to drive the Viking, other times the Outlander, i most luse the Viking for riding with family along, taking my 2 nieces riding when they come over, ages 3 & 7. So the Viking is great for that, I use both for yard work, but use the ATV alot when pulling a trailer around the house, just easier to hook up to the atv, and fit around the yard.

If Yamaha ever gets off there butt, and makes a 800 or more VTwin Grizzly, i'll promptly sell the Can-am and get a new Grizz. Nothing wrong with my Can-am, just would rather have all Yamaha.

 

[mxzgirl11]

I owned a 700 Arcticcat atv for 7 yrs. It was a nice unit and never broke down but I've used my viking for a lot of work around the house compared to my atv. Also I couldn't go trail riding with my wife and daughter like I can with the viking. Also to me the viking is like riding a dun buggy. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

 

[SA Doc]

I sold my 2005 Honda Rincon 650 when I bought the Viking. I wanted a bed for work around the yard and at the deer lease, and wanted the extra seating for friends or the dog. I'm really enjoying the Viking, but IMHO the ATV was more fun for a single rider off roading and could go places the Viking won't. I took the Viking to the deer lease last weekend to fill feeders and managed to get it stuck at the edge of a pond I've crossed several times in the ATV. The extra weight of the Viking made it sink to the frame. I'm certain I could have crossed or backed out with the ATV.
I see the Viking as a compromise. Not quite as fun as an ATV (but still enjoyable) and can't go some places I could before due to width and weight, but a lot more functional. I can do a lot more with it around the house and it will be great for me and my Brittany bird hunting in the fall. The wife and I take it for a spin around the neighborhood most evenings, and with the Viking the dog can ride along.

 

[Quack addict]

For what it's worth, I was dead set against owning ANY Utv. Too Big & Clumsy through the woods and what could it do that an ATV couldn't? Well, I now know. Don't understand why it took me sooo long to get one. Also to the equation, the ATV I owned had to carry (2) passengers most of the time and add a deer to it and the fun was on. In addition to the room, the safety aspect of it was a real bonus as well. My son is 15yrs old and I feel a whole lot better with him riding in the " V" as opposed to the BF750 we owned.

We do a lot of hunting and the "V" is GREAT for moving deer stands, hauling corn, feeders. kid's, spray tank...ect...ect. Mind you, it's more work than play and that's what we needed. Yamaha is proven, durable and effective in my opinion.

 

[Ultratec]

For what it's worth, I was dead set against owning ANY Utv. Too Big & Clumsy through the woods and what could it do that an ATV couldn't? Well, I now know. Don't understand why it took me sooo long to get one. Also to the equation, the ATV I owned had to carry (2) passengers most of the time and add a deer to it and the fun was on. In addition to the room, the safety aspect of it was a real bonus as well. My son is 15yrs old and I feel a whole lot better with him riding in the " V" as opposed to the BF750 we owned.

We do a lot of hunting and the "V" is GREAT for moving deer stands, hauling corn, feeders. kid's, spray tank...ect...ect. Mind you, it's more work than play and that's what we needed. Yamaha is proven, durable and effective in my opinion.

Couldnt have said it any better myself.

 

[cactus]

You're right Mr Smith, the viking is more a tool than a recreational vehicle but the beauty of it is it can be both, whereas the ATV (quad we call them here) can't.

The reason that I bought a Viking was because I'm a farmer and use it all day on the farm. A quad is useless to me in this respect, it is only good for rounding up cattle, but I have my WR450 for that. Then I can take the Viking out into the scrub with 3 or four of us in it and have a heap of family fun.

I also hunt hogs with dogs and the Viking is great for that, two people, dogs on the back, guns etc, portable fridge, all too hard with a quad/ATV.

They both have their place it's just the Viking is way more versatile, full cab options too, heaters, stereo, etc etc

 

[tooldad]

I just started in the atv/utv craze less than a year ago. I have ridden both through work and friends machines. bought a honda rancher used after moving from acreage to suburb and selling the tractor. bought the atv to ride at a friends 50 acre property on weekends. later last fall, the wife and 4 year wanted to go along, so then it was time for a side by side for the safety for the little one. We bought a rzr 170 that my wife or 10 year old could drive. Then comes this spring, what is my 4 year old going to do when it is just the boys, so we bought the viking. That was after driving all of the brands and doing a lot of research.

I like both, as stated, single riding the atv is fun. The utv is more relaxing when just out trail riding. Love the utility-ability of the viking.

 

[sandbagger]

For what it's worth, I was dead set against owning ANY Utv. Too Big & Clumsy through the woods and what could it do that an ATV couldn't? Well, I now know. Don't understand why it took me sooo long to get one. Also to the equation, the ATV I owned had to carry (2) passengers most of the time and add a deer to it and the fun was on. In addition to the room, the safety aspect of it was a real bonus as well. My son is 15yrs old and I feel a whole lot better with him riding in the " V" as opposed to the BF750 we owned.

We do a lot of hunting and the "V" is GREAT for moving deer stands, hauling corn, feeders. kid's, spray tank...ect...ect. Mind you, it's more work than play and that's what we needed. Yamaha is proven, durable and effective in my opinion.

 

[agentzoey]

I have a 2008 Grizzly 700 EPS and a 2014 Viking EPS and I think they are both needed. My Viking is to go out with my 2 kids and my wide loves to ride the Griuzzly. Not sure why, but she likes the bike, although she now likes the seating position of the Viking over my Rhino. The Grizzly is just nice to have to go on those solo tours. I bought the for my wife when Ihad my Outlander 800 and wont give it up. If I could convince her to sell it, I would have a new Outlander 1000 Canam in my garage.

 

[cactus]

You can't do this with an ATV!

 

[tmcelheny]

You can't do this with an ATV!

.. Im assuming you live on a chicken farm or something? .. Collect roadkill? Hunt wild chickens? hahaha

 

[cactus]

.. Im assuming you live on a chicken farm or something? .. Collect roadkill? Hunt wild chickens? hahaha

Yeah they are feral around here haha. No, I grow meat chickens, I live in a big chicken farming area up in the mountains behind the Central Coast of New South Wales. We have 4 family farms here and grow about 5.1 million chickens a year together.

 

[tmcelheny]

Wow...sounds like u stay busy then.....and that buggy will mostly be a tool of yours...

 

[Shakes2582]

ATV vs Side by Side

I think it all comes down to personal preference. You have listed some of the advantages of having a UTV over a quad but I think that you really are overlooking the capability of the vehicles. You ask "could a quad be better suited to these situations?" In my opinion, and this is only my opinion, any UTV that I have driven, from RZRs, Rangers, Rhinos, Teryx, Commanders, and my Viking, is more suited to many trail situations than a quad. By "trail" I mean two tracks, no tracks, sawing timber, shovelling creek banks, rough country travel because that is what I use it for, there is not always an established route, but sometimes is. The longer wheel base alone gives many advantages in some situations. It climbs better, it smooths the bumps in the trail better (not so choppy like a short quad), ledges and drops are not as sketchy because of the longer machine and it even handles deep mud well due to its overall length. It is also not as susceptible to high centering but loooooook out if you do manage to really high center the **** thing badly, it isn't like getting a quad off, you cant just throw yourself about the thing and rock it off that's for sure lol. The wheel does not pose bodily harm as much as handle bars, when it wrenches out of your hands. The ride is all around much more smooth in a side by side. Taking someone else with you does not result in doubling front and back, which is one of the least fun things I have ever done on a quad, sled or bike in my life lol. Quads are lighter, somewhat more maneuverable but I have found very few situations where someone could get somewhere on a quad that I couldn't get my UTV. Maneuverability in the tight trees is probably my biggest complaint but I can deal, I have a chainsaw. In the last few years I have spent less time winching stuck, tipped, rolled, over centered and wedged UTVs than quads. Add that to extra cargo capacity, comfortable ride and the social aspect of having someone riding in the cab with me to bs with and there isn't really any other choice in my mind.

 

[cactus]

Wow...sounds like u stay busy then.....and that buggy will mostly be a tool of yours...

Yeah it's seven days a week and I started at 4am today, some chickens were going to slaughter and they need to be caught at night, but that's not often and I don't have to do too much else today. It's hard work but it definitely has its advantages.

 

[mr.smith]

So how many of you guys own both a UTV and a ATV? Seems like that is a pretty common thing in this circle.

 

[cactus]

So how many of you guys own both a UTV and a ATV? Seems like that is a pretty common thing in this circle.

Yeah it does seem common, it seems that a lot of people buy an ATV then later decide to get a SxS, it's almost like the ATV is a stepping stone up to the SxS.

 

[bluemonkeymoto]

I went from a 2008 Honda Rubicon ATV to a Viking. The Viking is much better for my uses...plowing snow, moving gear and hay bales and such around our acreage, running offroad with more people, moving my boat around, and moving my trailer around. So for utility use, the Viking does everything better.