You mentioned that you have never owned a quad. Are you new to riding? Have you ridden the Polaris 500? If you are new to riding ATVs, it is not a bad idea to start small. You can always sell it and upgrade. I am all about safety. Many will disagree with me, but I am a firm believer in buying something that you will outgrow instead of buying something beyond your capabilities. I have been riding a LONG time and have had the misfortune of witnessing some really bad accidents, some fatal. The majority were due to a combination of the machine being too much for the rider, a lack of safety gear, and riding under the influence, and in some cases...all of the above. You already said that the majority of your riding will be on technical trails. If you provide more information regarding your riding experience, it will be easier to steer you in the right direction if you decide you want something larger than a 250. The 250 sport quads are fun. I ride a TRX700 and my wife's KFX700, but can still have a blast on my son's TRX250EX. I also ride an 85 ATC250R which is a 2-stroke...but that is another story. I know that buying an ATV can be really exciting, but don't get in a rush. Getting opinions from others is fine and helpful provided that the person has actually ridden the machine you are asking about and can help you narrow down your choices. Test ride as many as you can and YOU decide which is best for you.

 

Wow man, you are seriously helpful! I'll do my very best to fill in the blanks with my riding history. I'm not a new rider, I can traverse trails and whoops and ruts. but to be completely honest I'm not an experienced rider, I haven't ridden constantly ever and I have only ridden a handful of times. I have ridden a Polaris sportsman 400, a yamoto 150, and I recently bought my very first ATV which is a 1985 Kawasaki bayou 185. I handle the Polaris 400 pretty well, it has a lot of power but is heavy so its pretty tame I feel. it's hard to throw around which is something I like doing though. The little 150 is a blast, it's easy to zip around here and there, it's decently fast, and if you get stuck you just pick it up and pull it out haha but it's to small for a "main" quad. My bayou is nice, it's a little bigger CC wise and a little heavier, I can still throw it around and it goes pretty fast, it doesn't have much torque, and literally has no rear suspension. I am a very...easy? rider I guess I would call myself. I don't do jumps, I don't race, I don't drift...on purpose, honestly I don't really get wild. But I do like to play in the mud, explore new places and putt around in nature. You'll probably never see me at a super cross track or at dune fest talking trash. Honestly I like light machines, that's why I have been looking at 250cc ish range. But I like low end power, handling and comfort. To be honest, I don't like the sportsman 400, it's to bulky but it is very comfy. But I want to upgrade from my bayou because it's not comfy and not big enough for me. So I want a nice middle ground ATV that will be fun on a tight trail but also plenty of fun out in the sand or gravel roads. Thanks again!

 

I, and the majority of others on this site are glad to help. That is what a forum is all about. Based on the info you have given, I do feel you have made the right choice in looking at 230 to 250 cc quad. If your budget is not too tight, the more modern 250 sport quads from Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha have electric start. When you are lazy like I am, it is a really nice feature. As stated previously, take it for a spin, inspect it from top to bottom, and decide if it is the machine for you. You can always upgrade later and if storage space and funds allow, keep the old ride as a spare. Once my son outgrows his TRX250EX, I will still keep it as a guest quad. Keep us updated

 

my family has had both and my opinion the mojave is by far better. It has more power and could take more abuse with no problem had them for able 3 years and only changed oil in the mojave lt we had to replace rings swing arm

 

I have owned both and the Mojave is a good quad with adequate torque. The 230, not enough torque to keep the back wheels turning when attempting hillclimbs. I had a friend roll the 230 after he ran out of steam at the top of a large hill. DIdnt end well for the 230. I had a 95 mojave 250 and I never had one issue with it except for sprockets and brakes(normal wear). I never felt underpowered when I rode the Mojave.
Would definitely own another Mojave, and not another 230. Just my opinion after owning both many moons ago.
good luck and be safe!!!