[kmcforce]

Hello everyone, new to the forums and new to atvs. Just purchased my very first quad which is a 2017 Kodiak 700 SE
Last time I rode something that had more than two wheels, you could only get three(guess I am dating myself) love the Kodiak so far, not sure what my first mod should be, cause you can't leave it stock. ?

 

[Rollin]

Welcome to the kodiak forum and congrats on your new atv!
You will have to decide what mods better fit your riding stile and needs and start spending...>
A useful add-on in almost any situation is a winch. This is one thing that is better to have and never use than to not have and need it even only once.
Then you can get better aftermarket tires , mod the clutch and spend on niceties like heated grips and LED light bars. If you're trail riding in rocky terrain a set of armor plates will serve you well. Some added storage- front or rear box is also useful since you can't fit much in that little "glove compartment".

If money is no problem take a look at Elka shocks ... get a set and let us know how you like them. :grin2:

 

[Firefighterjake]

As mentioned . . . mods really depend on what you want and need.

Honestly . . . I've rarely used or needed a winch. The few times I have needed a winch I had a buddy hook on to me . . . otherwise I usually avoid riding in that type of terrain alone. I do however always have a two strap.

Since I use my ATV for work a plow and boxes -- front and back -- were important. I still need to check the plow fitment to see that it works on the Yamaha, but the boxes I took off my old Honda and stuck on the Yamaha with no issues.

Since I ride with folks most of the time I purchased a mirror . . . well actually a mount. I was able to modify one of my old Skidoo mirrors which I kinda preferred over the look of some of the ATV mirrors I saw for sale (plus I am cheap.)

For me one of the first true mods I will be investing money on will be new tires. OEM tires are usually pretty bad . . . bad in terms of only being two ply . . . and that is the case here. I've got slightly more than 200 miles and already have had three holes, two flats and seven plugs (the good news is that the plugs are holding so my plan is to buy new tires once these wear out . . . assuming the plugs hold.)

But again . . . it really depends on what you are looking for in an ATV. If you plan to mud you want mud tires, maybe a lift kit, winch, possibly even a top mounted radiator. For a person puttering away on a trail they may simply want a new niceties -- a mirror perhaps, seat for a second person, foot rests for the person, etc. For the hunter a gun rack and light bar might be nice . . . (not to spot deer of course -- I'm thinking for coming out of the deep woods after sun down.)

 

[kmcforce]

Looking at a lot of trail riding, I really enjoy taking some gear and going out for a couple days and putting some serious miles on this thing so bags are going to be a must. I would be very interested to know how many people with winches have actually used them doing this type of riding? mudding is not my thing so I am still on the fence about a winch. I was also wondering how far a tank of fuel will get you? I realize there are a lot of factors that are going to make this number very a lot and I am going to invest probably in a rotopak but not sure how much extra fuel I would need for say a 200 mile trip?

 

[JimP]

You never know when you might need a winch and it is better to have one and not need it than to need one and not have it.

Years ago I was riding by myself and came into a snow covered meadow with some large rocks near the far side of it. Due to the snow I had no idea of which side the road went on, so I took the left side of the rocks. That was a huge mistake, before I even knew it I was up to the frame of my 4 wheeler with all 4 wheels churning up a gray muck. I got off and quickly decided that my winch line was nowhere long enough to get to the trees for a anchor point to pull myself out. I ended up taking the winch line over my 4 wheeler and looping it around the nearest rock. I lost a little bit of paint as I used the winch to get it turned around where I could hook onto another rock to pull myself out, but I did get out.

If I hadn't of had that winch it would of been a long cold 5 mile walk back to my truck to get a shovel and a jack to see if I could get that 4 wheeler out without a winch and then another 5 miles back to the meadow to start to work on it.

 

[kmcforce]

good point JimP, I plan on riding in some snowy conditions and you never know what is hiding under there. 10 miles is o long hump in the snow

 

[JimP]

One other thing on the winch. The cable on the winches is quite short. I have added 200' of high strength nylon pulling tape to my gear bag that I have on my wheeler. This stuff doesn't weigh anything and has multiple uses. I got it where I used to work but have seen it in catalogs but I don't remember the price of it.