More power, much smoother ride, definitely starts easier than the new honda (that one, I was surprised). More ground clearance on the kodiak. Yamaha engine braking is second to none
Both are very dependable bikes. The Honda will be easier on fuel. You can't go wrong really on either, but when I was comparing, I got my 700 kodiak a few hundred cheaper than the 500 honda.
I grew up on Hondas, so I was going into buying new with Honda foreman 500 or a rubicon 500 on my mind. Then I got researching yamaha, that's what we used at my last job in mining exploration, age they were tough. After researching, I was leaning hard towards a 450 kodiak, only I didn't really want a 450, that start the Honda Forman was that I had them... Kinda wanted to go with a bit bigger. That's when I realized the 700 kodiak was in my price range, a bit more research and a visit to the dealership.... Sold! I love my 2018 yamaha kodiak 700 se
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