Well, it is heavier, like you said more $, and has more parts to break. But it makes for a smooth smooth ride. I havn't had any problems with it, but I can imagine repairs are painful too. With all that said, it depends if you want to have a comfy ride or not. Whatever you get, get something with a locked rear end.
Jason _________________ 2006 HH250
Big A$$ rear tires
Garmin Nuvi 200W
"Dirt tastes nummy"
An independant versus a swing arm suspension? I used to think...before I knew any better....that the swing arm suspension was just fine.
When Joyner first came out with the 250 cc sand devil, it had a rear swing arm suspension. It was a fine ride and I was pleased. THEN....they came out with the 06 sand viper with the independent suspension all the way around and the Hi/low range tranny. That was a sweet ride. Then Joyner went one step more with the long travel in the 07s.
It is more comfortable by far. But if your budget doesn't warrant the extra expense the swing arm suspension will be just fine.
I would think it depends greatly on the type of riding you do. If on sand or mud, not much difference. When you get on trails, especially rocky/rough trails, the IRS makes a huge difference. We used to trail ride in the high mountains of Colorado on Polaris Sportsman ATVs. We could run wide open on rough trails that solid axle guys had to slow way down on. I bought the HH250 becuase of the IRS and overall size. I also have a Rhino and did not want anything much wider. What is amazing is the buggy keeps up with the Rhino on most stuff. The Rhino has to use 4x4 to make some climbs the buggy makes with only 4x2. What slows down the HH250 is the limited travel on the front. I guess it is hard to make one that is narrow and has long travel. _________________ '07 Hammerhead 250 SS
'06 Rhino 660
'64 Wife
'94 & '96 Girls
Eternal Savior
I've been thinking about the hammerhead or terranex or maybe even saving a few bucks and getting a sahara. I'll probably wait a little while until after summer vacations, so I'll have a little while to decide but I sure appreciate the advice and info!
One thing that hasn't been discussed is ground clearance. You have much more ground clearance with IRS. I've owned a Talon 150 that had the swing arm set up and I got stuck, A LOT, in trail riding while trying to go over uneven ground. The HH250 does not have that problem. Both rear wheels are generally on the ground at the same time going over rough stuff.
Is IRS worth an extra $800 in buggy costs? In my opinion, without a doubt it is. _________________ Ron
2007 Hammerhead 250SS, UNI, a/m exhaust, 17 gram sliders, blue Polini torque spring, 32mm MRP pumper carb, 135 main jet, iridium plug, ITP mudlites 23x10x10 on the rear.
2003 Suzuki Eiger 4x4
2006 Baja 90 Shifter
2005 Talon 150 (sold)