The new style Argo handlebar system

[North Country Tough]

Just my opinion and want to see how others feel,but Iam not as happy with my Avenger handlebar style steering as I was with the twin sticks,aside from the obvious that its easier to hold your favorite beverage and navigate the trail I find hard to work with on steep steep descents, there are a couple of places I travel that the only easy way down to these lakes its a steep rock face that you kinda 45 degree across the face to enter the water.I was so use to griping the dash and with my other hand across the top kinda feathering the twin sticks as the machine descended on gravity alone it was quite controllable with the style that my Avenger has its kinda scary as you brake one side then the other and the common brake lever on mine relies on the bars being perfectly straight or it brakes the side that the bar is favoring,anybody else have a issue or maybe I getting too old and hate change.NCT

[Bud]

I went from a Max to an Argo a year ago. While I am now fairly adept at steering the Argo through tight spots, I could finesse the Max much better with the twin sticks and the T20.

[Noel Woods]

Bud, I agree with you. The T20 provides an immediate, response. The Argo does pretty good with the old style transmission, and very well with the Admiral, but there is nothing out there, yet, that can match a t20.

[mustangwagz]

A Very wise man once said...

but there is nothing out there, yet, that can match a t20.

..Amen!

totally agree Noel!

[lewis]

Have you guys upgraded you hand brakes? There is a upgrade available that will hold the machine at any angle you want. I had a 2003 with sticks and i loved the sticks, felt like i had more control especially in very steep descent. Then i got a 06 Avenger was not impressed with the hand brake which i utilize to maintain a straight line when descending down hill without having to move the handle bar back and forth. The brake upgrade allowed me to brake and steer with ease and i have not thought much more about the sticks. The 2011 has hydraulic which is even better than the cable brake of the 06. I have used all three types and yet i really liked the sticks, once i upgraded the 06 i was at ease with the new style steering.
Just my opinion.

[Rock Doctor]

I like the older style better as well. Feels like I have better control in some situations. I'm sure that part of that is because it's how I learned...................Change can be hard sometimes

RD

[pcmark]

I had an '80s Argo I/C, and now a 2011, so I've had both steering systems. I think that the answer to which is "better" depends on the terrain. In tricky descents, twin sticks do give the ability to independently control each side. However, in overall use, the single handlebar is far easier to use, allowing driving with one hand if wished. Interestingly, I never use the hand brake - a little throttle on steep descents keeps the machine at a crawl, and when parking, a slight pull of the handle bar stops the machine.

[North Country Tough]

Have you guys upgraded you hand brakes? There is a upgrade available that will hold the machine at any angle you want. I had a 2003 with sticks and i loved the sticks, felt like i had more control especially in very steep descent. Then i got a 06 Avenger was not impressed with the hand brake which i utilize to maintain a straight line when descending down hill without having to move the handle bar back and forth. The brake upgrade allowed me to brake and steer with ease and i have not thought much more about the sticks. The 2011 has hydraulic which is even better than the cable brake of the 06. I have used all three types and yet i really liked the sticks, once i upgraded the 06 i was at ease with the new style steering.
Just my opinion.

As far as a upgrade,they did send me out some time ago a upgrade that was a roller wheel and some other parts cant remember exactly was a while ago,it did improve the braking somewhat you still need a firm grip,but possibly there is a further upgrade because as stated with the hand brake applied if you ease it out to let yourself down the incline if the bars are not perfectly straight it tends to grab on one side more than the other.Now mind you Iam only talking about a circumstance that comes up rarely and inclines that are very steep and you are at a complete stop at the top and can only navigate by brakes alone the clutch is disengaged because you only want to barely crawl down to the bottom.Other than that the T bar is okay but it was so nice to have precise control in that situation that the sticks were far better at because you could alter you direction of decent by how much pressure you applied to each side with out the clutch providing engine braking.NCT

[North Country Tough]

A Very wise man once said.....Amen!

totally agree Noel!

Wont disagree with you guys,seems really weird that no other manufacturers built a trans with similar characteristics,must be one heck of a patent on the idea,enough so that it forced other good AATV builders out of the biz a shame thats for sure,not fair what kinda of a strangle hold it put on company's such as ATTEX I often wonder where they would be today.

[reichstall]

well having drivei9ng both i say the twin stick it is very much simialr to the old cat dozer .Now what they need to do is come up with a joy stick design that is on most current machine heavy types i mean .Boy how you like to work on that.

[Shawn H]

I love my 2003 bigfoot".....but the first time I went down a hill I know I need seat belts because I was fighting my body and try to pull back for some brakes. So is there a upgrade with two hand brakes one for right side then left or is it one hand break for right & left, and when u pull back on sticks will that also work the brake?

[mightymaxIV]

The handlebar is easier to drive, you can drive the machine with one hand all day, but I like the absolute control you get with two sticks. It's easier for a novice to get in and drive the handlebar system, so what do you do? My Grandsons have no problem driving my Argo through the woods with handlebars but I wouldn't trust them driving a machine with two sticks.

My personal preference is two sticks.

[Pretzel]

Is the up-grade from Argo or an after market company? Website info available? Should the 2011 hydraulic brakes need the up-grade? Or is there one for the new brakes?