Hi all,

Well, I'm a 20 year old college student and I was thinking about buying an ATV at some point. I am 6'2" and weigh about 280 pounds. What is a good engine size for that body type? I want an ATV to do trail riding and maybe one day amateur dirt racing. I also wouldn't mind tearing it up in a field and maybe doing some mild jumping. I wanted to get a sport quad as opposed to a utility one. I was looking at some of Kawasaki's offerings. The KFX 400 seems like it might be the right ATV for me...but I can't say that I know what I'm talking about either. I was also interested in the Mojave because it was cheap, but wondered if I'd outgrow it too soon. I'd prefer 2WD, because I want to be able to kick the tail end out sometimes for fun. But I don't know if I'd really need 4WD with the type of riding I'd like to do? I also like the Raptor 660R, but I read somewhere that it was tippy in corners. I really want something that can handle pretty good, and is reasonably fast. Also, would I be getting in over my head getting a 400cc quad as my first one? I don't have any experience riding them. I'd be sure to take a safety class and all that of course. So what do you think I should do, besides keep reading and learning? What sort of ATV do you think would fit me well? Thanks everyone.

 

Hey, I you are looking for a good atv that will last you a long time, I would go with KFX 400. Mostly because the 400 is a sport quad and is made to go trail riding and is good to ride around in your yard. I personally own a Mojave, which is extremely nice, but it is only a 250cc, and you might soon outgrow it. But somethings to take into consideration are: buy a four wheeler with REVERSE! (I really don't think you want to pull a four wheeler out of a trail if you make a wrong turn), try to stay away from Four Wheel Drive atv's (they are hard to steer and are not made to jump or trail ride), and always, buy a good atv that will last, not one that you will have to keep pouring your money into. Trust me, a 400 will go plenty fast enough, especially if you have never owned one.

Hopefully I gave you some insight to the great sport of four wheeling!
Good Luck

 

I was in the same position as you a year ago. I bought my mself a Polaris Scrambler 500 HO. It was the perfect machine for me. Good acceleration, good handling...I really loved to ride it. I put 2000 miles on it in the first six months I owned it. It has four wheel drive, but it is not full time. It has a selectable button that you switch on, then whenever the wheels in the back slip, the front engages. If the button is off, it will not engage. That way it will only come on when you need it. It is belt driven, and contrary to what some will tell you, it is a PROVEN system. The belt comes with a lifetime warranty. The Scrambler does not have a low gear, so it is not made for pulling heavy loads. It's supposed to be the in between quad of a sport and utility. The machine was very reliable and I really enjoyed riding it. I decided to give a real sport quad a try, so I bought a Predator. Sometimes though, I really wished I had my Scrambler back.

I think you'd really like this machine. I see plenty of them riding down in the rugged mountains in Tennessee. they are a blast to ride there.

The best thing to do is to listen to everyone's opinion, and then form your own. Try to weed out all the garbage. Some will tell you not to buy a Polaris. They have come A LONG way in the reliability department. We've never had the problems with ours, that others claim to have had. We own 5 Polaris and I wouldn't trade any of them for another brand. Besides the fact that it is an American machine, it would be a good time to help out the ole economy.
Scott