The Oreion Reeper is, essentially, a roadworthy ATV. It has all the safety requirements to drive on public roadways, it can be licensed, just like any other car or truck, but it is technically equally at home on or off the road.
It is available in a 2 door or 4 door version, and you’ll have your choice of an 800 cc 3-cylinder engine, or a more powerful 1100 cc 4-cylinder engine. The top speed of each one is 60 miles per hour, and the main purpose of the larger 1100 cc engine is to give you more grunt when you take it off-road.
Although capable of driving on roads, it would probably not be anyone’s choice for going cross-country.
It is more suited for back road driving or getting from one place to another in the city. Ideally, being able to drive to your favourite off-road playground, without having to trailer it, is what it has been designed for.
It is said that the Reeper is not great at anything, it is good at everything. A dedicated off-road ATV is going to handle rough landscapes better, while a dedicated automobile is going to be far better on the road. Yet for all practical purposes, for what the Reeper is capable of doing, it is considered best in class.
With all motorized vehicles, there are going to be issues that require troubleshooting. Some may be easy fixes and some may be manufacturing designs that have no fix. Here, we will point out the 5 major problems with the Reeper, and what, if anything can be done about it.
Poor Handling or Stability On The Road
If stability issues dogged a car or a truck, the vehicle may get a recall from the manufacturer. Issues like swerving or snaking would be unacceptable in a road going auto, but at higher speeds in a Reeper on paved roadways, it is something you are probably going to experience. The inherent concern here has nothing to do with the suspension, or any of the components, it does, however, have everything to do with the tires.
The tires that come standard on the Reeper are made to grip off-road obstacles like hillsides, mud puddles, dirt and gravel trails, and sand to name a few.
They have an aggressive tread pattern that is better suited to running in a rough environment than running on smooth pavement. The obvious solution is to put on some more street friendly tires, and if you plan on doing much more street driving than going off-road, that is a viable solution.
But then every time you do go off-roading, you are compromising the whole reason for getting a Reeper in the first place. So ultimately, the decision to switch to more road-friendly tires remains with you.
Chinese Parts Assembled in New Mexico
This has nothing to do with build quality, but if a part breaks, you may not be able to find or get another one for a while. Let’s face it, if you go off-roading, no matter what ATV you are driving, you are putting a lot of stress on the vehicle, and inevitably parts are going to break. It happens, it’s a part of owning an ATV, and at some point, you are going to need a part.
Major ATV companies from the U.S. and Japan are well established and have a very wide-ranging parts supply network chain. A simple phone call, a visit to a dealer and in some cases, an aftermarket shop, and you’ll come home with the part you need. If you can’t fix it yourself, there are many repair shops that will do the job for you.
With the Chinese made Reeper, you aren’t going to have that option. There are only half a dozen places across North America that will service and/or sell parts for a Reeper, so that if something breaks, you are either going to be travelling a long distance to get it fixed, or potentially waiting weeks for a part. If you live in one of the states where Reeper’s are sold, this may not be such a big deal.
But if you live in a state that is hundreds of miles away from the nearest Reeper service and parts shop, you won’t be getting back out in the dirt any time soon. No matter how appealing the Reeper concept is of a road-going ATV, not being able to easily get parts or service has to be a consideration before you invest the money in one.
Chinese Basic Assembly
A Reeper, as shipped to New Mexico or other assembly points, has the basic chassis work done. That includes the suspension system, the drivetrain components, and the chassis welds. The welds are showing up problematic, and this has everything to do with quality control.
Now I am not dissing Chinese workmanship. They are capable of turning out incredible products that equal the world’s best. But in this particular case, a lot of problems on Reepers’ have to do with sub-par welds breaking apart on the chassis.
Some welds have reportedly come apart just by sliding around turns on gravel. It’s scary to think about what might happen if a major chassis weld breaks while you are riding hard on a trail.
If the Reeper is under warranty, the weld will be repaired, but again, getting it to a shop that honors that warranty might be problematic. Obviously, if you know someone, or you yourself know how to weld, it can be done better than the original. Of course, next time you are off-road, you may be asking yourself when the next weld will give. It’s something to think about, anyway.
Not Many Accessories
This may not be a big issue if you are satisfied with what your Reeper comes with. But the truth is that there are not many optional accessories. Certainly you can go the aftermarket route and load your Reeper up any way you see fit.
From lights to gizmos and gadgets, you can turn your Reeper into a real looker, but it won’t be with authorized parts. And therein lies another quandary; using aftermarket parts may void the original warranty so that if something breaks, or you need a part, you’ll be paying for it out of your own pocket. In this instance, run your Reeper as it came from the factory until it is out of warranty, then go nuts on the aftermarket stuff.
Reaper Reeper
This is a strange little psychological worry, but it has been noted that driving a vehicle named Reeper gives people the creeps. Sure, the name Reeper and Reaper are not spelled the same, but when you walk up to someone and tell them that you are driving a Reeper, they are going to think Reaper, as in grim.
And if you push this thing too hard, and expect it to perform off-road like a real ATV, you might find yourself meeting the real Reaper before your time.
Overall, an Oreion Reeper is a very good idea, until something breaks, that is.
