Well, it's time to start the shopping around for my kid's next quad. Any suggesstions on a reputable dealer in the So Cal area (Inland Empire, OC or San Diego)? I bought my quad at John Burr and loved the experience. The only problem is that they don't carry too many lines. I HATE Chaparral due to the attitude you get. It seems that if you are a woman, the sales staff won't even acknowledge your presence on the sales floor. Has anyone had experiences with Hahm Motorsports in Anaheim? Rather than go from place to place I'd like a dealer that carries all the makes and doesn't dick you around with the "assembly fee" crap.

Any suggestions?

 

If you want a lot of selection, I'd say go to Bert's Mega Mall in Covina....Its on Azusa Rd, just south of the 210 or north off the 10...They do charge those assembly/shipping charges though, but you could probably talk them into not charging those fees...I also hear that L.A. Yamaha in Marina del Rey doesn't charge any of those destination/assembly charges.....The only place I would tell you to keep away from is Hollywood Yamaha, they suck and lie...well, hope this helps...

 

hello first off DO NOT GO TO BERTS. That place is full of b.s. They over charge on anything they can.
Try mid-citieshonda.com off 105 fwy. There also Rice honda
to check out.

 

I like HYR (Honda-Yamaha of Redlands). They are small enough that you get some personal attention. They always knock a few hunderd dollars off the price for me, but then again I have bought a dozen bikes there over the years, so I am a good customer. You will get the transportation and assembly fees anywhere you go, so you will just have to live with that.

Beaumont isn't bad either (can't remember their actual name). What are you going to buy???

 

The trans and assembly fees are b*ll sh*t! I bought my 02 Kawasaki Lakota at John Burr in Fontana and paid MSRP, state sales tax, the state registration fee and two free helmets worth about $250 total (an AGV and an O'Neill). No haggling over an initial inflated price. I bought my daughter's 03 Suzuki LT50 in Arizona (Town & Country Motorsports); and after some haggling got it for 1900 out the door, (MSRP was 1800, and I let them keep the $100 Suzuki rebate). Now the kid is ready for a bigger quad for this Xmas.

If I had to pick right now it would be the Yamaha Breeze. I want a 90 to 100 or so, with electric start, full floorboards, full automatic, headlight and throttle limiter. My daughter is tall (4'6") for her age and is rock solid, so she's getting too big for the 50. I want to find a dealer where we can go in, have her sit on the quads for height and reach, then go back and buy it when she's not there (she'll be 8 at Xmas and I don't want a hassle from the dealers on size/age). She's been riding for two years, a go kart at age 6 and the Suzuki at age 7. She took the ATV safety class and will test ride her cousin's 90 next month to make sure that she's ready for a larger ride. She test rode a 90 last year and was too afraid of it, which is why we bought the 50 for a starter vehicle.

Any scuttllebutt on Malcom Smith in Riverside? Any reccommendations on a sales person at HYR?

 

Malcom Smith is OK too. I bought a bike there back when.

Ask for Ryan at HYR. He actually rides and races quads, and knows his stuff.

The thing about the Breeze is that it has no engine braking (no automatic is going to have engine braking!). It is tough for kids to learn good brake modulation. OK if you are going to stick to pretty level ground, but when you start trail riding, it really helps the kids confidence to ride it in a low gear on a steep downhill. When all you have is brakes, the kid will eventually lock up the back end, skid and get sideways on some hill, scare themselves and never want to get on a bike again!! Plus the Breeze is kind of heavy and has limited suspension (a lot of the suspension is in the balooney tires). But, everybody has a blast riding one! My philosophy is that they should just learn to shift, no matter how young they are.

Of the bikes I have owned, the LT80 is a pretty hot bike, and something a kid can ride for years and not get bored (but again, no engine braking). The Honda 90 is for bigger kids. My son goes EVERYWHERE on his 90 that I go on the 4X4! (If the rocks get to big, we just carry his bike over.)

Been to Pinnacles yet? We are doing a beginner kids ride there this Sunday (9/7). Mostly we will probably just let the kids ride around in the parking lot. There is a little test track, maybe let them ride that if they are up to it or try some easy roads. Weather is supposed to be cooler this weekend, for a nice change.

 

I saw the LT80 at the last off road show and didn't like the fact of no headlight and it didn't have full floor boards. She rode a Honda 90 last year on a test ride and handled it well. We went to the area near Palm Springs that rents quads by the hour. Initially she got on the 90, (because she wanted the bigger bike) and when it fired up she immediately got off. She then rode the 50. I made her get back on the 90 and she did good. In fact, if she still wanted the larger quad, I would have bought her a 90. But she was too afraid of the 90 and said that her hand had to stretch out too much for the throttle. So, I bought the 50 for both her and my peace of mind. The Honda 90 is one that I'd also consider, but I haven't checked the specs yet. That's why I want to find a dealer that has all of them, so I can compare side by side in person with a salesperson who isn't an *** or some 18 year old who doesn't know what he's talking about and needs to constantly check with someone. I've also seen the Polaris 90's and want to give them a second look.

She'll be 8 at Xmas, and I don't think she's ready for full on shifting (maybe a semi auto), but I'd prefere a full on auto so she keeps her mind on what she's doing. Most of the trails we take are pretty flat, no serious hills that she can't handle.

Nope, no riding since the end of May - too hot and two weeks vacation got in the way. Keep me posted for this Sunday, and if you don't mind we may join you (especially if it gets cooler)[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

By "shifting" I did mean autoclutch or semi-auto, what ever you want to call it. (I don't think there is a true manual clutch kids bike???) For beginners, I just leave it in 2nd gear until they get the feel of the bike. Then I tell them if they want to climb any hills or go faster, they will have to do some shifting....motivates them pretty well!!

I swear by our 90's. They are great little bikes! Smaller and lighter than the Breeze too. I think of the Breeze and the LT160 as "intermediate" bikes for bigger kids, before they step up to a 250 or Blaster.

We are pretty certain that we will ride on Sunday. Join us if you like. Good way to get introduced to a new area! My friend is a beginner herself (only ridden in the dunes a couple of times), and her kids have never ridden at all, so it will REALLY be a beginners day. You can give the 90's a try. (Might be an LT80 along, depending on who else goes.)

Temps are supposed to be in the high 70's/low 80's (http://wwwa.accuweather.com/adcbin/p...er=accuweather), but be warned that the staging area has no shade. There are restrooms (the pit kind) and water. If you have the OHV maps from the forest service, there are directions on there or http://bokasmo.com/pages/ohv/califor...whd/index.html (The directions say to go 1/2 mile after the pavement ends, but the road is now paved all the way to the entrance to 3N34).

 

I like to buy all my stuff used. That way I dont deal with all those dumb fees, plus I get them for about $1000-$2000 cheaper anyways. Also, Sometimes the previous owner put some goodies on, (like a pipe or nerf bars) so now those costs are negated. Just how I do it.