I just bought my first ATV. A 2002 Suzuki Z400. And love the thing. And now I want another. Man these things are addictive... So heres the thing my girl doesn't like the manual shift. So I would like to get a auto clutch atv. If at all possible one that has a little pep. She's only 5'2" so a large bike is out of the question. And maybe when she isn't there a friend can use and enjoy also. And I want a 4 stroke engine. So can anyone help me out with some advise on what to look for. So far I've found the Kawasaki Lakota, Suzuki Z250 & Honda 250EX. I'd like to stay around or below $4000. What of these selections are good, and any other ideas are more than welcomed. Thanks.

 

The Suzuki would probably be the best choice.....IMO

 

WHat about the Honda 250EX and the Kawasaki Lakota? Or any others that would be good for a girl @ 5'2" 125lbs?

 

you cant go wrong with a 250ex or a z250

let her look at and ride both and see what she likes

 

remember the quad is also for the 40 lb son of his. the 250s would be good for his wife but not for his boy

 

lol sry i didn't look it over again. i was thinking of a different post. just forget what i said and listen to this instead. lol. i personally like hondas better but i think the z-250 is a little better at everything. so i see this as a dilema. but who cares what a 13 year old says. hehe. matt. p.s. sry if i caused a mix up

 

What I would do is take her to those 3 dealers and have her test ride them and she could choose for herself.

 

Yeah, I'll give that a try. I'll take her tomorrow and see what she thinks of them. Has anybody heard anything about the Kawasaki Lakota? How does it compare to the 250EX and the Z250? I know it used to be in the utility-bike category a few years back. And now Kawasaki is marketing it as a sport bike. Has anybody had any experience with them? And is so how do they compare? And another thing, are there any other bikes that I might look at? She does not want a manual shift. But she does want a sport bike, compared to a utility bike. Any other suggestions?

 

The Lakota is heavier, older styling and has a chain drive with more maintenance. Although the Lakota is a 300 the weight limits the top speed. If you have a Z400, your top speed is around 66mph. The Z250 has more cc's and more top speed than the 250EX. (Z250 is around 55mph and I think the 250EX is around 52mph.) The 250EX would be known as the most reliable being related to the original Recon. The Z250 is a close relative of the Ozark and may prove to be just as reliable in the long run. There really isn't much more to choose from in a semi-auto sport quad. Remember that she will still have to shift even though there is not a manual clutch.
It's probably best to have her look at the models and then decide which one she likes or you could just ask her if she likes blue, yellow or red.
It would expand your search options if she'd use a clutch. Then you'd have a few used machines to look at in the $4000. price range. (Like the 300EX, Warrior or 400EX.)

 

Hey thanks for the advise. Yeah I think I'm personally leaning towards the Z250. The 250EX has a rear drum witch I've heard people having troubles with. And yeah the Lakota is almost a 100lbs heavier than the other two bikes. I hope color won't be a deciding factor. lol. Though you never know... Thanks for the help guys.