I was looking into the trailblazer 250 for her because she is new to atv and has only been on my scrambler 2 times and had a hard time with the power and weight. she saw a pic of the 2007 raptor 700SE and said wow I like that one. So I looked into it and found they made a 350SE just like the 700 same special edition colors.

I will also be riding this alot when I don't need 4x4 and was looking at possibly the raptor 700 but I think she will not be able to handle it and end up ridding my scrambler and I will get to ride the 700. Thats fine but she will say I got the new quad for me and stuck her with the old one.

I was concerned with shifting so I looked at auto trans but after talking to some riders they all say its simple and she will pick up on it with little effort. So that leads me to the begining that the trail blazer is almost 100lbs more than the 350 but is the 350 powerfull enouph for me when she is not riding it? Or should I go for the 700 and hope she can handle it. Or is there any other quad I have not thought of?

 

Well...I'm speaking for the clutch...I just bought a Raptor 350 about 3-4 weeks ago...I've never ridden a manual quad before the Raptor, and it only took me a week to get the shifting down...Now I'm a pro at it just takes practice...

 

Hello jimk72. I am not at all suprised your wife does not like your Scrambler. You have clutched it and modded it to the point it is probably no longer trail friendly (from her perspective). My wife is small and only weighs about 125lbs. But she loves her TB. The benefits I see with the TB are it is 110 lbs lighter than the scrammy but it has the same suspension travel. And assuming you leave the clutching alone, she will probably be very happy with it. I run 5lbs of air in the front tires to keep the steering very easy. My wife has yet to complain about her TB. She loves the single hand braking. The suspension is so cushy, she says it rides like a "marshmallow". It has only been this year (after 3 years of riding) that she has suggested that she would like a bit more power on the sand dunes.

I expect that in the next few years we will upgrade both quads. I am looking at two outlaws with rekluse clutches and a conversion to single hand brakes. I think with a throttle limiter, my wife will adjust well to it. But by then, she will have had 5 years of riding under her belt. I don't think I would ever give a beginer either a 700 or a modded 500 scrammy. If you really want her to ride with you, sell your scrammy, buy the 700 for yourself and buy the TB for her. Both of you will be very happy. The only reason I wouldn't get the 350 is that if your wife is like mine, she will not like the clutch and gears. However, if you do decide to get the 350, look at the Rekluse auto-clutch. BTW.. I don't think you will be happy with the 350 after having the scrammy.

 

I would say to get the Raptor 350. Your wife will be able to handle the shifting -- it's not that hard. Don't spend the money on a Rekluse. I have one but my bike came with it. If it ever goes out on me I will probably switch back to a regular clutch. YOu really only need the clutch when taking off anyway and it's simple enough to learn. Both my 10 year old and myself had it figured out within 30 minutes on his dirtbike.

 

There are lots of other alternatives out there, that are frankly better than either of those two machines!

Take a look at the Honda 400EX or Suzuki Z400. Or if you want to go mid size, Honda 300EX or 250EX (slick autoclutch setup!), for starters.........

 

I think the type of terrain you ride in has a lot to do with what you prefer in a quad. We ride a lot of goat trails at only a few miles per hour. Even though I have ridden a motorcycle for 40 years (just bought a new one last month). However, I really prefer the automatic on the trails. I know my wife does. Big question is what does your wife want?

 

Thanks for all the replys! I would love to have my scrambler and a great sport quad so I could choose between them but that would not help me get my wife into the sport. I think I am going to look for a used trail blazer so she can learn and have alot of fun without having to worry about shifting and the ride will be very nice. Then if she decides she wants something else or doesnt want to ride then there is a minimum investment.

Thanks again for the replys!