Crashing My New Quad – Video

Yamaha Bruin 350 4×4 quad

I’ve been hunting for a decently price used 4×4 quad or atv for a while now and one finally popped up on Craigslist. The 4×4 atvs are harder to find than the sport quads. Since Aaron’s got stolen 3 years ago we haven’t had any toys out there nor a real easy way to haul up logs for firewood out of the tighter areas our our property. No one wants to take their truck down the overgrown logging road turned trail. I was so excited to try out the 4wheeler that I headed out to the property alone on New Years day 2014.

Logging road overgrown to the size of a quad trail. I bought a 2006 Yamaha Bruin 350 4×4 with a Warn winch. It allows you to select 4×4 or 2×4 which is really nice since 2×4 is much easier to steer and more fun to flick the back end around corners. Our Honda Foreman was 4×4 only, it was really thirsty on gas and not as sporty. This one has a more modern automatic transmission which I don’t really like. It’s a CVT so it doesn’t have gears. I like gears because it lets you have that instant torque vs a delay as the belt spools up. Oh well I suppose having a more modern quad will be easier to get parts for. I already ordered a used skid plate off ebay and was happy to see a large selection of used parts. I think it shares many of the parts off Yamaha Kodiaks, Grizzlys and maybe Big Bears?

As I was exploring a half made trail along a steep side hill I tipped over down the steep hill unexpectedly. I should have known better that to go up into this steep area alone but I had made it out before (3 years ago) so I figured what the hell. The thick Salale bushes totally obscure the ground and obstacles like stumps, logs, holes and drop offs. Often the bushes will appear the level and even but the ground below drops off a few feet. From the video it looks like my front tire drops off and over I go.

I’m used to dirt bikes but this is the first quad I’ve ever owned. Guess what! They are heavy! Heavier than I can roll back over uphill! 600 lbs! If I hadn’t had the winch I would have had to leave it and find help to roll it. Oh well live and learn! Watch the video above and skip to 3:05 for the crash.

P.S. I should have free spooled the winch instead of electrically paying out 3o feet of line. That was a pain when the switch was at the top of my handle bars and buried.

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