No way I would put a 4 year old on a 90, any 90.
4 stroke w/shaft is the way to go. 2-strokes and chains suck.
Pull start is GOOD. That way he can't start it himself.

The only way to determine which 50 to get him is go look at them
and set him on them.

 

jarsong is right that's it's been debated, but i think he's wrong, I counted and it's 64 mil!! wrenchnutz, I agree that thumb can get sore on anything, but buyer should check that out carefully because I was really surprised by what an issue that was on different models of quads (likewise for brake controls). i'm basing it on the expert's complaints (the actual riders-kids).We've had '85 Suzuki LT50, '87 Yamaha 80, '03 Raptor 80, '01 Honda TRX 90, '01 Kasea Mighty Mites ( by far the worst), '93 LT80. the thumb throttle on the Kasea was WAY too stiff. seems fine for first 5-10 minutes, then it's unbearable for kids. forget about shifting gears at 4 y/o.

buyer clearly said he's looking for used. I maintain that on used, you can buy and sell for little or no loss. I'm actually a little ahead on my buy/sell, unless you count the parts and labor I've put in. then I'm only a wee bit behind, but have countless hours of enjoyment on them. pretty tough to own these on a tight budget because parts are always crazy expensive, and by their very nature, stuff will break and need repairs.

if you really want to plan long term, get a 400, weld 12" block on brake pedal, get booster seat and rig up throttle stop screw. set for next 20 years.

 

Alot of what you've been hearing is true...my son is kina big but he is still only 5 and I was going to get him a kfx50 but then a freind of mine was selling a 1 yr old lt80 for about the same price. so we governed it down and my son rode it just fine so my addvise is go with the next size up and let him grow into it he'll be just fine ..just start him off slow

 

Yep... An he means slow!!! So it hardly moves....
jarsong

 

I have been reading all of your opinions on the subject and cannot thank everyone enough for your input!I'am still studying all the info that I can on the internet and there are so many different brands out there,and I don't want to make the wrong decision so I'm just taking my time and looking over everything carefully.You guys are a big help!!Thanks again!

 

JTGrizzly,


During your mini-Quad review & selection process, here's a few things you may want to take under consideration:

- Try to go with a 2 stroke. Generally speaking, 2 strokes have much more bottom end power. 4 strokes tend to last longer "before engine rebuilds" but the 2 strokes generally have more zip. If you are in a state that has 2 stroke riding conditions (re: green & red sticker thing), then you are forced to go with a 4 stroke in public riding areas.

- For a first time rider, try to stay away from a unit that has a factory back rack. If it does have a rear rack (like: http://www.motorlandsports.com/z1.shtml ), ensure its rear bar is below the back seat level. If wondering, my little guy rolled off the back of his twice. If he had a back rack on his Pred-90 unit, he'd probably be in a wheel chair. Not quiet but for 1st time riders, try to get one that doesn't have a rear rack.

- For first time riders, the front rack may be more of a visual distraction / obstruction then a gain. First time riders tend to have shorter "downward" vision. They tend to look more down then far ahead - much like a teenager learning to drive a car for the first time.

- If you are a "mechanical tinker", then parts and nearest dealer is not a brand deciding factor. If you are new to minis or don't like tearing things apart to understand how they work, then don't go with non-major brands. Try to select a dealer within your local area.

- Based on many internet pictures, it's very hard to determine the frame strength and suspension quality of each machine. Many visually look great but is their A-Arms a good quality, is their suspension ok for your unique riding conditions, does your rider comfortably fit on each one, etc.?

- If your rider is first timer and you know he/she will upgrade to a 90 cc in say 3 years, then purchasing one of these might be ok. In 3 years, sell it and recover some money for a bigger unit. If you are planning on handing down one of these units to the rider's younger sister/brother, then seriously think about part replacements. In 2-4 years, many minis need brake pads, brake discs, chains, sprockets, etc. Obtaining parts may NOT be a big concern now but in the future, parts availability and affordability could nail you in the tail.

- If your first time rider is going to be doing "around the house" type driving, then go with smooth turf tires. These tires are very friendly on grass and in mud, they tend to spin really good. Some kids like to
spin and "make the mud fly". If you are doing trails, have a serious look at the suspension. At factory, their suspension could be too soft or too hard for your first time rider's body weight.

- If you are doing sand type riding, then compare the price of your top 3 units PLUS rubber upgrades against other brands that have factory wider tires. If you are only doing sand and mud trails, then seriously investigate their "real" ground clearance. The higher off the ground, the less sand gets in its chain. Hence, its chain and sprockets will last much longer. Pure Stock 50s, even 2 stroke engines, don't do very well on soft sand dunes. I f you are planning on sand dune riding, engine, clutch and wheel upgrades will soon follow. Consider availability & price of these upgrade parts.

- The units with wider, longer and lower seat height is best for first time riders. Generally, these wider units are less tippy. re: First time leaning learning curve thing. To reduce tippiness, some install wheel spacers and some install wider A-Arms. The wider A-Arms is the best solution for this upgrade.

- If the rider is only going to be doing "around the house" and minor trail riding, take-off and top speed should NOT be your main focus. Let your new rider learn control, then learn about speed on a 90 cc unit. If you are planning on racing a 50 cc, then seriously consider immediate engine upgrades, clutch upgrades, suspension upgrades, etc. For racing, I'd go with a more proven and well known mini-quad brands.

- For first time riders at a very young age (re: who will upgrade to a 90 cc in 3 years), always focus on rider control and safety first. For example, Brake lever vrs foot brake, ease of steering, daytime driving
light, suspension matched for the rider's weight and unique riding conditions, auto transmission, full running boards, etc.

- For first time riders, go with an automatic transmission. Learning to drive, shift, brake is too much of a learning curve for many young kids. Especially first time drivers. Even at age 8, our my son's buddy with his TRX-70 quad can't shift it very well. Often, he leaves it within the lower gear and in time, he will blow its 4 stroke engine.

- For deep mud and dirty water riding, try to go with disc brakes. Open disc brakes are easier to inspect, easier to keep clean and at high speeds, can stop the unit faster. For some, "sealed" drum brakes are not always that good of a seal. If most of your riding conditions is dry ground, then drum or disc are ok.

- This many sound weird, but have your kid sit on the quad and if possible, allow him/her to drive it around. Some dealers have open fields behind their place. Take a specific brand for a drive at one
dealer and if you don't like their selling price, purchase it from a different dealer. In my family, I would never purchase a car without my wife driving it around the block a few times. For my kid, I use the same
"how does it feel to you??" approach.

- Base Price is a factor but always remember the less expensive quads are usually made of less expensive quality. If they are within the quality range you are expecting, then they "may" nail you on expensive parts later on. Always try to go with a quad that has affordable and with available parts.

- Suspension should also be on your checklist. Some quads have suspension so tight, it gives too rough of a ride. I read one post where the LT-80's stock shocks made his kid ALWAYS have motion sickness. He
had to replace the stock shock with a $400.00 Works Performance shock - so his kid would ride his quad. Too soft of shock is bad too. Too much bottoming out and its too hard on its Swing and A-Arms. Just like a car, the suspension must "feel good" too the driver and be matched for its average riding conditions.

As a final note.... If you are purchasing for your kid, try to have them help you decide. If they like the shinny red one better, then explain why that one isn't the best mechanical & safe one for your unique riding conditions. When a red one goes whipping by them on the trail, your rider will know the true facts behind that "more cosmetic attracting"unit.

Hope this helps....

.

 

2-strokes have more bottom end power? Boy, that is a new one on me.
Every 2-stroke I ever rode had NO bottom end power. Had no power at
all until it hit the power band at 4000-6000 rpm. Here all this time I thought
it was 4-strokes that had all the bottom end torque. Wow. I guess I have had
the wool pulled over my eyes all these years. I wonder why it is then that my nephews
2-stroke 50 auto won't go up a 20 degree incline with it governed? Could it be lack
of low end power?

And, DO get one with a rear rack. Get a small rack bag and stuff it full of bubble wrap.
Then, instead of falling of the back, he will have a nice soft cushion to fall back on.
Take the front rack off.

 

i 50 would be good but not when i was 4 my first quad i drove was a 220 bayou but i would not do that if i were you i was good at driving and shifting when i was 4 but most kids won't be

 

First of all I got a Raptor 50 for my little girl that is going to be 4 years old. I have not found anything about it to complain about. A very nice quad for a kid to start off on. This quad will go anywhere reasonable with her on it, snow, mud and ice. She will have something to learn on before moving up.

Saftey features I like.
Must have brake pushed in when you put it in gear for it to go.
Adjustable throttle screw, to limit how fast they can go.
Full floor boards
Nice balanced quad
The limits this quad has, I think no kid should be allowed to go faster then 10, 15 miles per hour, just because of judgement and the lack of attention to there surroundings.

The number one thing I think needs to be done is a kill cord that can be hooked to the child if he or she gets thown off. I am getting ready to install one just for a saftey precaution.

 

i don't understand the kill cord, once they're off it's too late, unless you're trying to catch them from rolling down a hill, or off a cliff..... or were you talking about stopping the atv?