I am trying to find the best ATV for myself. I am a small woman with arthritis in my shoulders and neck. I have tried the Suzuki 160 at the dealership, it goes well on the pavement but what about the trails? I have owned a Polaris 250 trail blazer and that was too much to turn. Is the Recon an automatic shifter, or manual clutch? Which would be more suited to someone like me? I don't ride fast, but I would like to keep up with everyone else. Any suggestions would be great.
Thanks

 

My wife ride a Recon. It is a automatic clutch. You can't compare the two quads, they are in different leagues. The Recon will run in the mid to high 40's for top speed. Its light weight & fun to drive.

Check out the Recon before buying the LT-160, you won't regret it.

My wife is 5'4" @ 120 pounds.

 

Go with the Recon it is a better bike more comfortable over all a nicer rider. Don't get me wrong the lt-160 is a good quad, a friend of mine has one.
The Recon is also a newer design then the LT-F160. The Lt-F160 was released in 1990, Recon was 1996 or 1997.

 

Greetings,

I looked at both ATVs plus the TrailBoss and went with the Recon. For about the same money, it was so much more machine than the LT160. We had three different riders test them and they all felt the Recon was a better fit. The LT160 seemed too small for anyone who should be riding it. And for about the same money, the Recon was a much better value. While we all liked the look and feel of the TrailBoss, and the automatic offered some ease of use for guest riders, it felt big due to the transmission case. Also the reliability thing made us pause. We find the Recon to have a smooth ride and to be amazingly easy to steer -- in part because all we have known to date has been 4X4s -- but overall, we agree that the ride is quick, nimble, and just plain zippy.

Also, I was surprised how quickly we all got the hang of the foot shifter. And an unanticipated benefit was that you could hold on tight to the handlebars while shifting with your foot (can't do this as easily with electric shift models). Same should apply for an automatic -- this mighht be a consideration if the arthritis interferes with your riding.

 

I agree that the best would probably be the recon. I owned a LT-160 until i traded for my current beartracker. The Suzuki was a great quad, withstood a lot of abuse, and held up really well. If your a smaller rider, both machines are good, but the recon definetly has the edge. If your not looking for speed or part utility of the recon, i think the Lt 160 is a great quad, and its normally cheaper. Whatever quad you choose you will be happy.

2000 Beartracker, red, Superwinch T1500

 

and yes, it does well on the trails. I used to trail ride with my buddys RM 125 motocross bike. I could keep up with him on the trails, but i really lost extremly on the open areas and the straights. So yes, it can keep up on the trails. But pretty much only on the trails.

2000 Beartracker, red, Superwinch T1500

 

Hey there Honda lovers! I bought the Honda Recon and I love it! Only one problem though.... I am having problems with the foot shifter. I am so small that I can't reach the end without taking my foot of the footrest. Any suggestions? My husband is going to try to modify it, but I am afraid he will compromise my safety. Any remedies would be appreciated.
Jude

00 Honda Recon
00 Honda 400ex

 

u made the right chocie just cut and reweld it or i bet a shifter from something else would work like a trx90 or something

 

Greetings
My hubby did the modification on the shifter and it works great! In fact... he did such a good job that you wouldn't be able to tell where he cut and welded it. Thanks for all the great support.

00HondaRecon
00Honda400EX New this week!