I am looking for some pro's, con's and any opinions on a couple of ATV's for my family.
I have narrowed it down to either Yamaha or Polaris.

Yamaha
Bruin Auto 4x4 350 (Wife-5'6", 140lbs)Don't let her know I posted her weight on the internet.
Kodiak Auto 4x4 400(Mine - 6'1"230lbs)

Polaris
Magnum 330 4x4 (Wife's)
Sportsman 400 (Mine)

Mine will be used for pulling a 60" mower deck, plowing snow, and odd jobs around the house.
Both of them will be used for lots of trail riding here in Missouri.

Now the real problem. I have 9 & 11 year old boys that want in on the fun. The 9 year old wants an ATV.
But I am not willing to get him a 50. I was thinking about a 90 - 110. Any remarks about the one's from Racewayatv.com?

The 11 year old really wants a Suzuki DR-Z110 dirtbike. But I am not certain how his experience will be trail riding with a bunch
of quads. Again, any thoughts or experience with this?

For the purchases I have been looking at Bartlesvillecyclesports.com in OK and Abernathycycles.com in TN as they seem to
be MUCH cheaper than any of the local dealers. Any experience with either of these?

I have also just purchased a 28' Tahoe Transport Toy Hauler. Where can I RV camp and ride?

All comments will be much appreciated and hope to see you on the trails this Spring.

 

Personally, I have never been able to warm up to anything with a belt drive. But, looks like it is auto only for you (?), so that's your only option in a Yamaha or Polaris.

 

Best advice I can give: If you post your wife's weight on the internet and she truly does weigh 140 pounds, post that she weighs 125. Kinda a win/win situation, especially if she reads your posts.


As to the choice of bikes: Consider the weight of the bike, especially for your wife. Trying to man handle an extra 100 to 150 pounds of ATV can make the difference between having her enjoy the sport and get tired of it real fast.

I've never felt good about most of the off-brands of ATV's. You pretty much get what you pay for. My opinion is that a used model of a known quality bike is better than a shiney new off brand any day.

Dirt bikes will run at a higher trail speed than most ATV's. If you want to travel together as a family, put everyone on an ATV.

Jaybee

 

I think the Yamahas you picked for you and your wife are really good choices. As for the 9 year old, you might want to look at the 125 Grizzly. Its an auto and has the same styling as the Kodiak and Bruin. I think the 11 year old would like a Suzuki Z-250. Its a sportier quad. You might be able to sway him from the dirt bike if you want to keep the whole family on four wheels. I know it costs alot for all those toys, but you and your family will get lots of enjoyment from them. My family takes several trips a year to go ATVing. We also have several other relatives that go with us with their ATVs. Good Luck and have fun!

 

Been hearing good things about the Unison Desert Cat but GPX is made by the same people and you get a footbrake. Not so important for a 9 year old but it's good training for their next step up. These little 2-strokes also have a lot of bolt-on power available, so the machine can grow with your childs abilitiy.

Keep in mind if you buy an off brand, you will most likely be the one working any bugs out and doing repairs. If you don't mind turning a wrench, then I wouldn't hesitate buying an off brand (best buy I ever made). Just do your homework and pat yourself on the back for the money you saved.

 

I bought two of the 110 Kazumas from Raceway last November - would NOT do it again. I have a 2002 TRX 90 and a 1980 ATC 70 for the boys. If I had it to do over again, I would buy a couple of used quality quads for the girls. You really do get what you pay for.

Look at the size, coordination, and maturity of the kids. The 9 year old should be good to go on a 90 for a couple of years, depending on size. Depending on size, the 11 year old should be ok on a 90, the 125 Breeze or the 160 Suzuki.

Don't worry about being brand loyal. Get the family what feels right for each rider. Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, and off-brands - it really doesn't matter. Reliability, comfort, and confidence does.

P.S. If your kid wants a dirt bike, get an inexpensive used one. I did. My son rode it for a year and a half before he decided quads were the way to go. I sold it for only $100. less than I paid for it and I knew there was no regrets.

Just my opinion. Enjoy! It is a great family sport!

 

I bought my 8 yr old a Yamoto 150cc from Raceway ATV in October 04. He really likes it, it has a throttle reducer and i can control the speed. Plus it is fully automatic (no reverse on the 04 but there is on the 05). He loves the Raptor look.

The quad itself: It is plenty fast for him. But the suspension is stiff. it feels very tippy when i get on it ( i have a raptor 660 so I can work with it). He has not complained about it. bolts were very loose when we got it, had to go over most of the bike before riding.

Also, the quad came with a defective brake light assembly. the plastic piece on the brake assembly was completly missing (just dangly wires) so I could not connect it to the connector on the quad. It also came with a broken nerf bar. I worked with John at raceway for four months to get the parts replaced, yes FOUR MONTHS!

I guess what I am saying is that the quad itself isnt all bad, for a beginner I think it will last a few years. And, for that price it is ok. But, If i had it to do again I would probably have gotten something with more of a known brand. I know you pay for the name, but you also are paying for Known Quality!

Thats my 2 cents!

 

I love it! I bought China X brand and it sucks, therefore China brand Y and Z suck too even though I have no experience with them! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

Guess i should have mentioned there are brands to stay away from? Like I said, do your homework if you go that route. 99% of the complaints come from the same quads and manufacturers. You need to be on the kid's forum where people have experience some of these other off brands.

If you do decide to buy a name brand, look at the Polaris 90 or TRX90. The Polaris is just plain better than the LT80 and the Raptor80's solid front suspension is a bad joke imo.

 

OK 'legs, you got your raptor 80 bashing fix in for the day.. so go back to sleep. <smile> The question I have for you is this.... it is obvious that you are intending to take some trips to the great outdoors and do some serious family bonding. OK I applaud that. I don't mind the one son wanting a dirt bike... perfectly reasonable request.. although he might find over time that when the ground is a little muddy, the ATV's just have more fun, and the dirt bikes get to be real pain in the butt... but maybe he needs to find that out for himself. Somehow I think you have a kid who wants to fly and do some wheelies... but back to the point... you must consider where you intend to take your children riding, and if you intend on going to any public riding areas.

Like it or not, the CPSC guidelines are becoming if not already established as the standard by which most states follow when saying who can ride what in public areas. You very well may find yourself in a place where the young children cannot ride at all because of it. So a little homework is in order. (The dirt bike may be looking even better)

As for the cheaper chinese brands.. they have earned the reputation they have... but are actually seeing some improvements in quality and parts availability. If you look at the kids forums, you can get a sense of what machines people are having issues with.... it comes in cycles... If you feel comfortable in your mechanical abilities.. you might consider them an alternative. Franklly though, my personal preference is to be able to buy parts just about anywhere I am at if something breaks... With many of the off brands, you might need to wait a while for the part to arrive from off shore. The choice is yours. (Is that OK with you 'legs?)

 

I agree 100%.

And for the record, it's not that I think the raptor is a BAD machine (or the LT80). I would just rather have the Honda for a 4-stroke semi auto.