Best ATV (all terrain vehicle) brand & model sold/serviced in the DR?

2020

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Apr 10, 2012
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Las Terrenas
We will be living in Las Terrenas and wanted to know which ATV brand is best for driving on/off road in the DR?

We would buy it brand new...any ideas on best brand and model? We will try to use it instead of a car when possible. Reliability and value is paramount.:confused:
 

granca

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Aug 20, 2007
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Land Rover Discovery with BIG bull bars front and back. Sadly I can't afford one!
 

Fernandez

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Jan 4, 2002
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Land Rover Discovery with BIG bull bars front and back. Sadly I can't afford one!

Two options- both a Magna Motors in Santo Domingo.
Serviced by Porfirio Dominguez in Las Terrenas:

1- Kawasaki Mule 600 - RUV (see it on kawasaki.com)
2- Kawasaki Prarie ATV- all parts at Magna Motors via K-Dealer Kawasaki parts order system.
Good luck.
 

frank12

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Sep 6, 2011
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If i had the money, i would buy a Yamaha 700 Fuel-injected Raptor. Go online, Google, and read any review of the Fuel-injected 700 Raptor: 2010 or newer. they are insanely fast and bullit proof. i've seen them in action, they are astonishingly quick and accelerate like a rocket. I don't think they have any competition to speak of in their same class. They're a water-cooled, V-Twin 700, so you could drive anywhere without taxing the motor.

Oh, they cost around $14,000 US new here. but you can find some good used ones for as little as US $8000-10,000 used.

They're not cheap, but they're fast.

Frank
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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Raptor jevito 2 x4 dirt track, manual trans--he says this is for racing
Can Am problems--lots of issues
Polaris better mainternence comfortable : Requires a lot of love and care

Artic Cat buggy Wildcat a great machine: He says this is one of the best.

These are the opinions from my son who loves these things and had had many of these models

He currently has an Arctic Cat Wildcat, with a 1000cc motor, automatic trans and flies!! Available in Santo Domingo.

HB
 

frank12

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Sep 6, 2011
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I would suggest you go online and Google and read the reviews for all of these machines. My issue with some of the reccomendations here, however, is that they are way too heavy. Weight is your biggest enemy in motorcycling--and i would assume--although i know nothing about ATV's--that it would be a similar issue for ATV's, although it depends what you are using the ATV for. Weight effects your horsepower, your fuel economy, acceleration, deceleration, braking, cornering, and a host of other meaninful things.

If you're going to be living on a farm and hauling around pigs, hay, farm supplies, and a heavy wife, then yes, go for something with extra suspension and weight. However, please realize that you're fuel economy will suffer, your handling will suffer, and the only way you can "offset" poor fuel economy & handling is by either using an ATV that weighs much less--and therefore gets better fuel economy and better handling--or getting a new wife or pig to haul around.

With motorcycles, i'm as about as close to an expert your're ever going to find within the perimeters of say...Sosua and Cabarete--but excluding west of Sea Horse Ranch. I own several motorcycles--both here and in Norway: here i own a 2006 KTM 950, 2008 Husaberg 550, 2003 Honda CBR1000RR, 2011 Yamaha fuel-injected 125 Zuma, and over in Norway a few more motorcycles.

With motorcycles, weight is your number one enemy. Period. Unless of course, you are touring around Europe or the USA with a heavy wife and you do not want to sacrifice comfort for say...better fuel economy and handling. If comfort is your number #1 issue, however, then yes, go big, go heavy, and get yourself a big woman who can give you shade in the summer and warmth in the winter...plus she will also provide more cushion for those romantic moments when you find yourself on the side of the road and there are no Artic dealerhips or Polaris parts or distributors or dealerships within 5000 square miles of the Dominican Republic.

Yes, The KTM dealership in santo domingo is a Polaris distributor, but don't think for a second that they carry any spare Polaris parts on hand. Not even remotely...unless of course you are looking for an air filter or oil filter. I'm good friends with Daniel Abrue--who is part owner and head mechanic of the KTM/Polaris dealership; i'm at the dealership a lot. you could say that i live there part time. I've bought more then my share of KTM's from them--as well as a brand new 2008 Husaberg 550 right off their showroom floor...because it looked lonely and i only owned 6 other motorcycles at the time--including a 650 Husaberg in Norway. Yes i have pictures of all my babies for anyone interested in seeing them.

Anyway, the number one question is what are your needs and how far can you see youself traveling on your ATV. If you are like me, and like to traveling around the island--both off road and on road--then you want a V-twin engine and not a single cyclinder. The V-Twin will make cruising down the highway with two Fat people (I have a fat stomach) remarkably effortless. A V-twin (two cyclinders for those not familiar) will take you to the moon and back, and you will have the comfort in knowing that if its a Honda or Yamaha then the spare parts can be bought readily and easily--right off Amazon.com in fact.

If heavy hauling, however, is your main thing, and you and your wife are living large--as in big boned people--then go for one of the other suggestions, but be aware that with weight, you will sacrifice fuel economy and accelrations and decelaration--it has to with a little known equation of Mass x intertia x a lack of a Flux Capicitor button.

Personally, i love the fact that with the "Fuel injected" Yamaha 700cc Raptor, i could pick it up--either the back or front--and move it in whatever direction i wanted. i could easily pick one end off the ground. That, coupled with the fact that the acceleration, and lack of mass, resulted in near rocket level performance...it enabled me to travel so fast that i went back to the future and came back and did not age one minute. It sold me right away. The reason is simple, but it has to do with Math: Speed x Insane acceleration x a shot of Adrenaline x Balls retreating up into my stomach, equals fun.

But, don't take my word for it, research them all and try them out if you get the chance.
 
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belgiank

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Jun 13, 2009
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I think the OP wants a practical one. The one I call the farmer's ATV. With both grids on the front and the back to transport stuff. I do not think speed and acceleration is the primary issue here.

Personally, I would go for a Honda 400 cc. Light enough to handle, but solid enough to carry the two of you and a bunch of groceries, or whatever.

And Honda stands for reliability.

BelgianK
 

frank12

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Sep 6, 2011
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I think the OP wants a practical one. The one I call the farmer's ATV. With both grids on the front and the back to transport stuff. I do not think speed and acceleration is the primary issue here.

Personally, I would go for a Honda 400 cc. Light enough to handle, but solid enough to carry the two of you and a bunch of groceries, or whatever.

And Honda stands for reliability.

BelgianK

I agree 100% with what you say, however, the Yamaha 700cc Raptor will do all of these things as well, plus you will be able to tour around the island on it. The 400cc Honda would not make a good vehicle for touring around the island. Besides, they're both Japanese, but the Yamaha is fuel injected and so you will have no "Carburator" related issues--whic is the number 1 problem here with most motorcycles, scooters, and i have to assume...ATV's as well.

However, maybe the 400cc Honda has been upgraded and gotten fuel injected? Nope...correction, not only is the Honda Not fuel-injected, but its only a single cyclinder: 2012 Honda TRX? 400X Reviews, Prices, and Specs

Frank
 

donP

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Dec 14, 2008
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Get a Car

Unless the OP wants an ATV as a 2nd or 3rd vehicle and for fun only I'd advise against it.
(We had one, sold it.)

- no crush-collapsible zone (well, you are the "crumple zone");
- no protection and not much space for belongings, bags, shopping;
- parts get stolen frequently;
- no fun in rain (Saman? has lots of it);
- handle bar steering can be dangerous in certain situations;
- PN likes gringos on ATV >>> no helmet today???
- no A/C :bunny:

For the price of a good, powerful ATV you can get a decent car.


donP
 

DR_Guy

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Feb 17, 2010
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Here is the RZR. Took awhile to find a picture. Bought it brand new in FL and shipped it over. Taxes were about $6k.

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frank12

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Sep 6, 2011
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Unless the OP wants an ATV as a 2nd or 3rd vehicle and for fun only I'd advise against it.
(We had one, sold it.)

- no crush-collapsible zone (well, you are the "crumple zone");
- no protection and not much space for belongings, bags, shopping;
- parts get stolen frequently;
- no fun in rain (Saman? has lots of it);
- handle bar steering can be dangerous in certain situations;
- PN likes gringos on ATV >>> no helmet today???
- no A/C :bunny:

For the price of a good, powerful ATV you can get a decent car.


donP

Don makes excellent points here...you really can get a pretty decent car for the same price of a good ATV. the one i was suggesting (Yamaha 700 Raptor) cost $14,000 new. The Polaris 800 RZR probably cost $24,000 new here. No joke! Call KTM/Polaris in santo domingo and ask them. My guess is US $22,000 to US 25,000.

However, if money is not the problem, a Yamaha 700 Raptor or Polaris 800 RZR will take you places on this island no car could even remotely get to. On the Polaris, you can attach a Winch to it--it may already come with one. this will enable you to go nearly anywhere on this island. I'm all about discovering the island, so owning a car here has never been for me--even though i could have several to use for free (my family has a dealership in-between Bonao and La Vega...long story.)

No, for me, it's always been about motorcycling and discovering the island. Near Las Galeras and Playa Rincon and Playa Fronton, you could spend days discovering back trails on an ATV; this is also true for Las Terrenas and in and around El Limon. Up in the mountains in-between Constanza and Jarabacoa and San Jose De Ocoba--you could spend many days there as well on an ATV without seeing asphalt or a virgin; further South West, near Cabral and Barahona--up near this island's only Larimar Mine, you could spend many days on an ATV discovering lost tribes; this is true also for places on the north coast in-between Cabrera and Puerto Plata--including the mountain in-between Moca and San Franisco de Macoris, and further down the coast to Imbert, Luperon, Villa Isabella, Punta Russia--lots of hidden gems and beautiful places and beautiful people to see. leave the wife at home with the pool boy.

This island is a mecca for ATV's and All-terrain vehicles and enduros. I've spent most of my life here (over 34 years of owning and driving motorcycles around the island) in trying to discover the back roads of this island with my cousins and friends--including driving through and around hundreds of coffee and cacao and rice plantations and farms that dot the country side and mountain roads, and as bewildering as this will sound--i've probably have only seen 50% of this island, maybe less. it's a huge island--compounded by dozens of mountain chains and thousands and thousands of dirt roads and mazes and labryinths of washed out roads, potholes, and asphalt that have been washed away and transplanted to different locations.

Yes, a car is much more comfortable, and everyone in my family drives big SUV's...but not me, not for free, not for anything. I dislike driving cars on this island, and besides, this island has way, way too much to discover off the beaten path for me to ever entertain owning a car.

PS: Ok, maybe one day--when i've over 60--i will entertain owning a big Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with Winches on both the front and back--and a 3-inch lift kit. My cousins have a few of them (They cost around US $55,000 here), I've driven them, and yes, they're fun, but they're not as fun as driving a few inches off the ground--on something that accelerates like a Formula 1 car and corners like a roller coaster. Now that's fun!

Love Frank
 
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boknows

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Oct 15, 2012
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We will be living in Las Terrenas and wanted to know which ATV brand is best for driving on/off road in the DR?

We would buy it brand new...any ideas on best brand and model? We will try to use it instead of a car when possible. Reliability and value is paramount.:confused:

The Yamaha yfz 450 is the best it smokes the raptor 700 with its suspension and performance. I have had both but and love the yamaha. Raptor sits high and is less stable in comparison to the Yamaha yfz.

The only thing that they both lack is reverse since they are both race quads.

Kawasaki offers a 450 race quad that has reverse if you really want reverse to manuever in the streets.
 

frank12

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Sep 6, 2011
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The Yamaha yfz 450 is the best it smokes the raptor 700 with its suspension and performance. I have had both but and love the yamaha. Raptor sits high and is less stable in comparison to the Yamaha yfz.

The only thing that they both lack is reverse since they are both race quads.

Kawasaki offers a 450 race quad that has reverse if you really want reverse to manuever in the streets.

I've driven the Yamaha 450. i thought about reccomending it, but then realized that he wanted something to tour around the island on--'"two up!" The 450 would not work for this. the 450 is a single cylinder. the 700 is a twin cylinder. For touring around this island, i would not use the 450 with two people on it. Its a space rocket, not a touring rocket. I lived above a Honda/TM dealership here in Sosua for 4 years, there was canadian guy from Purto Plata that has import/export business in seafood; he came up from Puerto Plata to Sosua--65km round trip--on his Yamaha Raptor 700 like it was nothing. Plus, the Raptor is "Fuel injected." On this island, carburator problems is the number #1 issue here for motorcycles, and i have to assume, ATV's as well. Fuel injection is the way to go here.

Frank
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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Just be aware that smaller ATV's have stability issues. Having 4 wheels, a short wheelbase & high CG can lead to serious situations on dirt/greentrails for someone without much experience.

Smaller ATV's have a very high incident of death and serious injury, per capita more than two-wheeled vehicles in the same emvironment.
 

donP

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Dec 14, 2008
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Head on to a Palm Tree

Just be aware that smaller ATV's have stability issues. Having 4 wheels, a short wheelbase & high CG can lead to serious situations on dirt/greentrails for someone without much experience.
Smaller ATV's have a very high incident of death and serious injury, per capita more than two-wheeled vehicles in the same emvironment.

Yes, this is the explanation from an expert for my opinion: "- handle bar steering can be dangerous in certain situations;"
I remember, there was a bad accident on Playa Bonita some time back when a tourist on an ATV crashed into a palm tree.
He had to be flown to SD with serious head injury....


donP