# winch or not?



## crom a zone (Feb 25, 2010)

cant decide if i want a winch on front of my bike or not... had them before but it seemed like water and winch lead to them breaking everyride... does company make on now adays that u can water and mud ride and winch still works?


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## NMKawierider (Apr 11, 2009)

Lot of people going with Viper Max. Seem to be having good luck in the mud and water with them.


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## crom a zone (Feb 25, 2010)

i been seeing that.. i got the old strap and hook welded up but i getting lazy and likeing the idea of hook up rope and push buttom and be out no more real pulling


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## bayou_boy_22 (Mar 13, 2009)

i love my viper max. i have had it on for a year and a half. i do need a new contactor it still works but will drain down my battery.


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## bruterider27 (Apr 29, 2010)

Warn as a new mt (mud tested) series out Idk much about it tho might be good to look into tho


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## hp488 (Sep 23, 2009)

I have a warn 2500 on mine and my bike lives in the water and mud and not had no problems out of mine, it has been on there since new


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## crom a zone (Feb 25, 2010)

nice thanks for fast replays


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## phreebsd (Dec 16, 2004)

i would never roll without a winch. too important.


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## Beachcruiser (Feb 27, 2010)

I have the Viper Max 3500, haven't really used it that much but the few times I did it worked really well. Id recommend getting it with the synthetic rope, I have the cable and it sucks (IMO). Difficult to spoon on and its starts to get rusted on the drum.


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## lilbigtonka (Dec 30, 2008)

i cant go without it either shoot i just used mine saturday to pull out a sunk commander and it pulled it out with ease......i have never once did any maintance on mine even though i should do that....and it hasnt let me down....viper ftw


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## bennapa55 (Oct 15, 2010)

I agree that the new rt/xt series warn are quite water/mud proof. I know the older ones had their issues from what i hear


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## bayou_boy_22 (Mar 13, 2009)

i would suggest the viper over the rest cause it is cheaper and less maintenance.


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## drtj (May 3, 2009)

Chain & Come-a-long FTW!!!


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## brutemike (Mar 23, 2010)

Go with viper not warn i have a warn 2.5 and its junk works as long as i take it apart twice a year and clean all the mud out of the winch even the motor.


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## speedman (Nov 3, 2010)

i have a warn 2k you think that would pull me out fine or i gotta go bigger?


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## brutemike (Mar 23, 2010)

speedman said:


> i have a warn 2k you think that would pull me out fine or i gotta go bigger?


 I stall mine outall the time its a 2.5 i would go with a 3500 pull if i was getting another.One thing you can do though is use a snatch block. Ive been stuck so bad where it stalled two 2.5s and just got out by three of them.


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## Tinker (Feb 4, 2009)

I got 2 - 2000lb warns sitting in my basement due to corrosion and went through 2 -2000lb superwinch's on my griz due to normal usage. (I'm not happy with superwinch products so far) My brute now has a newer model 2500lb warn and no problems so far. These new models seem to be and are advertised to be much better sealed for water and mud.


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## brutemike (Mar 23, 2010)

Tinker said:


> I got 2 - 2000lb warns sitting in my basement due to corrosion and went through 2 -2000lb superwinch's on my griz due to normal usage. (I'm not happy with superwinch products so far) My brute now has a newer model 2500lb warn and no problems so far. These new models seem to be and are advertised to be much better sealed for water and mud.


My 2.5 is an older one from around 06 so its seen better days. A few of my friends run viper and they work great that will be my next winch 3500 or the 4000.


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## crom a zone (Feb 25, 2010)

ya i just scared i had winches before and they worked for one rid and that was it... between freespool breaking, selinod shorting out(killing many of battires or just plain not orking) and winch motors burnt up i just wanna make sure i can find one that is trouble free and ride and not worry if its gonna work when i need it or if its gonna kill battery


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## chubbs34 (Apr 23, 2010)

i have a warn and a mile marker sitting in the garage. Both are junk. I just purchased a viper max 4500 with synthetic rope. seems to be a nice winch for the price IMO


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## DaveMK1 (Nov 8, 2009)

Just got given a free Promark(previously known as Gorilla) 3500# winch. My buddy gave it to me cause it quit working and he bought a new one. 100% not water tight. I pulled it apart and cleaned everything real well. Waiting on a new bearing, brushes and relays to come in then it goes back together. I'm going to try to make this thing as water tight as possible by sealing up all the sealing surfaces before i put it back together.

I guess what I'm getting at is that if you go with promark and you have issues their parts are fairly cheap. Rebuilding this one for $28


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## skid (Jun 18, 2009)

just wondering if anybody has a runva winch? i just ordered one, they claim its 100% water proof, and no plastic at all, even the knob to select free wheel is stainless steel. I have a buddy down the road who has one and he loves it and has never had a problem and the price of these things seems to good to be true.


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## beach83 (Nov 5, 2010)

Not to hijack, but I just purchased a used viper max 4000 cause the reviews on here were so good. What do i need to do to maintain it? Like take it apart and clean and grease it or what? thanks .


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## All i ride is Kawi (Dec 12, 2010)

What about promark?


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## JD GREEN (Mar 11, 2010)

I have a warn 2.5 and so far no problems i've been in lots of water,mud,and snow.


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## camobruteforce (Jul 17, 2010)

I put a Viper Max 5000 on my brute. I was always afraid to go in anything that may be bad when I was with people that had smaller bikes since they couldnt get me out if I buried it. More of a safety precaution. Now that I've gotten it I've used it on all of them lol. Also got tired of snapping things in the front diff. pulling them out or axles.


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## Rack High (Feb 23, 2010)

Last August I got stuck so bad it took 2 very powerful bikes working in tandem to pull me free. If it hadn't been for these strangers, my bike would still be in that hole! I said right then and there I'd never be caught without a winch. Thanks to Viper...problem solved!


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## The Kid (May 26, 2011)

my bike WOULD NOT leave the drive way with out a winch


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## nathen53 (Jun 13, 2011)

a winch is a must


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## 08beast (Sep 10, 2009)

I always ride with someone else so there won't be a winch on mine anytime soon. I'm voting with no winch and spend the money something else.


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## KidRock (Nov 19, 2010)

i have a Super ATV 3500 on the back of my brute, about to order one for the front too. $138 shipped to my door.


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## brute for mud (Jul 15, 2010)

a winch is a very useful thing that says im getting out and going home i would get one


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## sheepridgerunner (Aug 14, 2010)

Beachcruiser said:


> I have the Viper Max 3500, haven't really used it that much but the few times I did it worked really well. Id recommend getting it with the synthetic rope, I have the cable and it sucks (IMO). Difficult to spoon on and its starts to get rusted on the drum.


 
get some good leather glove and some grease...let your cable out all the way and rub it down with real good with the grease and you will be able to tell a big difference...it will make it a lot easier to handle just waych out for burs on the cable


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## whoolieshop (Mar 22, 2011)

I'm going to give viper another plug this comes straight out of the dealer newsletter:

VIPER MAX winches now have an *upgraded weatherproof package* that includes:
-Stainless steel hardware including motor terminals, tie rods, and fairlead bolts to eliminate rust and keep winches looking brand new.
-Upgraded waterproof paint and multi-colored stickers to eliminate flaking or chipping.
-New waterproof handlebar and corded remote switches.

VIPER ELITE winches now have the same upgraded weatherproof package and, in addition, include:
-Our *new wireless system *that is much sleeker in design, has its own dedicated frequency, and requires activation to prevent accidental operation while conserving battery life.


So anything good you've heard about viper winches just got better, and from personal experience with moto alliance they do stand behind their winches 100%

I have a viper elite 4000 lb winch on my 650 H1 it's pulled me out of some pretty nasty holes as well as a few rhinos and hondas. The rhino being heavier than my h1 yanked it out of a ditch where it was completely framed out with zero problems. 

I recommend going with synthetic cable as it will never cut your hands as the cable wears, and if it breaks you can simply splice in a new eye and re-install your hook. It is not zero maintenence however, each ride you need to spool it out and wash the synthetic rope just as you would clean a steel cable. It also offers zero recoil if it snaps preventing you or someone else from getting hurt if the cable breaks. 

Viper winches also come STANDARD with a handsaver strap, mounting hardware, a roller or aluminum fairlead (depending on if you go steel or synthetic) a snatch block, rubber line stopper and winch cover. The snatch block is a big help if you need some extra pulling power, hook it to a tree or another four wheeler, then run your line through straight back to your wheeler and watch it pull you out of the nastiest holes.

Their mounting plates if you need one are quite reasonable when compared to the other brands as well, if you have any questions about the viper line i'd be glad to answer them for you.


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