Good day all.

My family is looking at getting some quads for general purpose riding. From lurking on the forum for a little bit, most posters need to have some general information regarding riding terain, size of the person riding and general mechanical ability. So to get the boring stuff out of the way:

1: Me, Dad, 5'8" 200lbs (wishing but not far off), limited mechanical ability
2: SWMBO (She Who Must be Obeyed) 5'9" XXXlbs, but I am guessing around the same weight [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img], no mechanical ability
3: Son, 8 years old, around 4'8" 75lbs and growing, no mechanical ability
4: Papa, 5'10" 220lbs, not fast, but can help out on the farm he is looking at getting. Debating on one of those "off road golf carts" for him, or would a general quad suit his needs.
All 3 have no experience on motorcycles, quads, the like.
Riding areas: Logging roads, some off trail excursions and soon (hopefully) sage brush farm land

I have talked with several independant repair shops and the general suggestion is to look at an automatic for the wife and I. Polaris seemed to be recommended, but I have a few questions regarding the auto clutch on some other makes/models. Shops are recommending 80cc for the 8 year old, but laws and regulations (although we do not always agree with them) say a 50cc.

I am guessing that a 400 would be acceptable for both wife and I, but am wondering if one 500 (for me) for general work load around the farm would be a better initial purchase.

General cost and equipment estimate for riding gear. Helmuts, boots, pants, shirts, gloves etc.

Maintenance, what, how often, shop or do it yourself.

And, as a last request, riding courses. Good idea, bad idea, where, how much?

Thanks for taking the time to read and post thoughts.

 

A honda foreman would be pretty good but its a lil pricy and for papa if he just wants to ride around a Yamaha Bruin 350 is aite same with the wife and they are auto. as for your son theres the new grizzley 80's and raptors also they have raptor 50's.

 

Welcome! From your info, I am guessing you need utilities??? 2wd or 4wd??? First off, I am no fan of automatics of any kind (particularly not belt drives). Honda does have the ES (electronic shift option where you shift a manual transmission using buttons up at the handlebars), for those who are foot shifting impared.

You can look at my list of bikes, and see what my preferences are. I don't own any bikes that I don't like, and I don't want any bikes that I don't own! (If somebody gave me a Polaris free, I would never ride it.) I will in the future however be in the market for another 4X4, and I might take a good look at the new Honda Foreman 500......probably just end up with another Rancher, though. I'm no fan of huge, heavy, hulking utilities!

I would suggest maybe a Honda Foreman 500 or Rancher for you. Honda Rancher or Recon (2wd only) for the wife. Honda 90 for the kid (will have to learn to shift an autoclutch, but it is a very capable machine, and one he can grow into). And maybe a Yamaha Rhino for old dad???

Routine maintenance is simple. You could learn to do everything except maybe valve adjustments.

At first I thought you meant motocross when you said "riding courses", but I now think you mean "safey courses"??? Great idea. Every bit of extra advice and experience will help.

 

Thanks all. I was thinking of all the major brands, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, being some of the makers that I was thinking of. I was steering away from the lessor known brands, but they are not out the question either. From what I can see, most makers manufacture a vehicle very similar to the other in each catagory. I assume it is a lot like a Ford half ton verses a Chevy half ton, not much difference in power, towing, handling, but more of a personal preference.

I know that some riders must have a manual, others prefer the "gas and go" of an automatic. I was leaning towards an auto for all, reduce the learning curve for all involved, to spend more time on the machine and reduce the frustration of those learning.

Can someone explain how an auto clutch works? I am thinking, just and uneducated guess, that the auto clutch acts much like a paddel shifter on a car. You start in 1st, then press the "upshift" button and the transmission moves into the next gear. Of course there are safety features built in so that one does not start in 3rd or shift from 4th into 2nd without going through 3rd.

Yes, utes was where I was going and 4x4 would be a preference. Having driven both in trucks, the added knowledge of being able to get out of something I got into in 2wd with 4wd is a plus.

 

Cooter13, you have come to a great place to get info. I think it is hard to really go wrong with any of the big four Japanese manufacturers, Bombardier, Polaris, and Arctic Cat all make good stuff too. The off brand makes will generally need a bit more TLC and mechanical touch over the years. It sounds like you may be better off going for the major manufacturers unless you have a good dealer nearby. As for your son though, Dinli, E-ton, and Kasea all are making minis equal to or better than(IMHO) the big boys. They are worth a look.

Is your son a child that will mind and take direction well? Is he more the kind to hang out with mom and dad while riding his bicycle, or is he full speed ahead and halfway down the next block ahead of you? He seems big enough for an 80 class machine physically, only you can determine if he is mentally mature enough to handle it though. Keep in mind if you wish to go to any kind of public land or atv type park, you may not be able to get him in unless he is on an age appropriate machine. In my experience though, many places are pretty flexible.

For the adults, you have several options in transmissions. Virtually all utes come with a snowmobile type tranny that uses a belt and pulley system to alter gear ratios. You put it in forward or reverse, then forget about shifting. A few models have a manual shift/auto clutch. This method requires the rider to physically use your foot to select the gear, but does not require the use of a motorcycle style clutch. Honda has an auto style tranny like an auto in a car, and they also have the ESP system, where you use your thumb to switch gears via electronics(similar to the car paddle shifter,) and they also have belt drive autos like the rest.

Good Luck in your search. I think getting a larger machine for yourself is reasonable. Kawasaki is offering he Brute Force 650, which is in the 500 class price range and has a solid rear axle instead of independant rear suspension. This is a better platform for towing/hauling/ and sprirted riding, but it does have some disadvantages also such as ground clearance and ride plushness.

 

The little monster is very well behaved. He follows directions better than I do [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] I feel that he is very responsible, but that could also be the dad in me speaking. In all seriousness, he is very responsible, listens to directions well and is generally a good kid. When riding bicycles, he sticks with us, follows all the guidelines that we give him and obeys the boundaries that we set. He wears his helmet all the time, gets off his bike to cross a street and reminds me that I need to wear my "brain bucket" when riding.

My main concern is teaching him how to handle a quad when I know nothing about riding one myself, thus the question about rider safety courses.

I have looked at an E-Ton and like what they had. I can not remember which model or both, but they had a remote kill switch, no tether, a remote control for killing power to the quad. I liked that security; he is riding around and I see him approaching a dangerous obstacle, or the bike getting out of control, for whatever reason, to be able to kill the motor.

Papa and I can drive a manual car, but we both are lazy and just like the "drive" lever on cars. Wife has a tough time with a clutch. Let me rephrase that, she can not operate a clutch. I tried to teach her on both a cable clutch and a hydraulic clutch, both without success. Whiplash was the norm. She does not even like using the paddle shifters on her car. I guess I need to refine the questions; described the advantages and disadvantages for the different offerings of the various manufactures of automatics.

I do like the idea of a quad-car for Papa. I think it would be easier for him to use and more useful in the long run. Does anyone know of a "farmers forum for quads" that is available? Not that people who ride for fun at breath taking speed are not knowledgable, but sometimes they do not have first hand knowledge of the more utilitarian offerings.

 

I have a 6y/o, and when i get him something the remote kill is going to be a big selling feature. I think your son will be fine on an 80. I also think at 4'8" he will be way to big for a 50.

Check the RTV/RUV and kids quad forums here for insight into the off road go karts and side by side utes. The side by sides are pretty capable, and would be great for working around a farm. They are larger and more expensive than traditional atv's though.

There are no utes that utilize a manual clutch that I know of. You basically get two flavors of auto.
1) Full auto-snowmobile style CVT(constantly variable transmission?), utilizes belt and pulleys. Need to use low range when towing/riding in deep mud to prolong belt life. Put the tranny in forward or reverse and forget about shifting. This is the most common type, all manufacturers have a version. The only offering in most flagship models.
Honda makes an auto just like what is found in a car on some models.
2)autoclutch w/ manual shift. Traditional gearbox but no clutch. Need to choose your gears, and shift(either with foot or thumb(Honda)) As long as you keep good oil in them, these are pretty indestructable, but not as user friendly. The Honda ESP system seems to be good overall. Some people have had issues with reliability though.

Many manufacturers offer a free rider safety course with new quad purchases, some even pay you to go! Being that you are just starting out, taking a safety course is the best thing you could do.

 

Thanks all for the posts. At a recent outing with the family at the State Fair Grounds, a dealer had a booth set up with several different makes and models of ATVs. They carry E-Ton, Yamaha, Bombadier and Honda. The B. looked very interesting to the wife, simple controls, not too big and lots of little gadgets that are part of the purchase package.

What are the opinions on this manufacture? Comparing the "Big 3", Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki to "The Domestics", Polaris and Bombadier, what features make them competitive in the market place. Can independant shops work on the P. and B. or do they focus on the H., Y. and S.? Are parts availablity a concern to markets outside of the home area of B. and P., for example, the West Coast in the small communities? What I am looking for is some sort of quantitatiive reasoning as to look or not to look at P. and B.

 

Youre asking alot of the right questions. Most people dont spend this much time figuureing out what they need, but its good that you are, because the longer you search and the more questions you ask...the better your final decision will be.
There is a difference in resale value, im not prejudiced, but its just reality. If you buy a honda, and to an extent, yam and suz and kaw, you will always have a willing secondary market to sell to. Trying to resell the tiwan and chinese models, isnt fun.
Seeing how you arent really all that mechanicly inclined...stay away from the smaller players, unless you want to develope a relationship with a dealer. Information, manuals and parts can be a headache, to search out. But with the big jap brands...parts are everywhere, and manuals and people who can fix them are all over too.
If its posible, either from friends or relatives or a good dealer...take the different types for a ride. This is the one sure way to know if the wife and dad can handle it, before dropping any cash.
Absolutely...everyone who is going to ride, needs the safety course. If you buy one of the big jap quads (h,y,s and k) they will pay for one person to go to the class, usually 100 bucks. Then anyone else who will be riding it, can go for free, such as the better half and dad.whan you buy one, the dealer will explain how it works, and give you the tollfree number to call, to set up your class. Its actually fun, and everyone comes away learning something. Also, the last time i checked, if you buy polaris or a/c or bomb..the class isnt offered. Its only the big jap companies which sponser this class, and offer it for free to new buyers.
I suggest an auto tranny. My wife and my dad, never did get the hang of manual shifting quads...they kept wanting to stop with out downshifting, and then try to pull away, in 5th gear from a stop. Funny thing, because of the auto clutch, it wont stall, but it did a bit of slipping.
Honda makes two styles of autos, one is hydrostatic, and the other uses a torque converter, just like a car. All the others use a cvt with a rubber belt. They are made so well, that i wouldnt hesitate to recommend one to anyone. There are subtle differences in those cvt belt drives, but they all work very similar...put it in high, and use the gas and brakes.
Do you need or want 4wd?
Anything over 350cc, will work for what you want...bigger motors just use more gas.
If you can find someone you trust, you could start with a used quad. There a pretty good drop in price for one year old quads, and most have very little use or miles. Which should tell you something. Lots of people make bad decisions when getting their first quad, and they end up being resold, either they got something they didnt like, or it just wasnt fun for them. But if you buy used, you get the savings, and if you find out its not what you like, you wont lose much money, to resell it yourself, because the big depreication has already been done.
If you can...ride a honda 400at, and a bruin 350( or eiger or prairie), and a rancher 350es. These are all examples of the kinds of quads out there.
The es hondas are manual shift trannys, but instead of the foot lever, they use an electric motor, which is controlled by the buttons on the handlebar. It has a centrifical clutch...which means you can idle in gear, at a stop, the the clutch will be disengaged, then when it revs to about 1700 rpm, it engages the other wet clutch pack, and youre off. But selecting which gear you are in is manual, and like i say, the wife and dad, may or may not get the hang of it, or may not want to.
For everyones ease of use, go automatic.And go either H,Y,S,or K. If youre looking at bomb, i suggest you do a search in this forum, the outlander would be ok, but id stay away from the rally. Actually do a search thru past posts, and youll notice the types of issues accoiated whith the different brands. Youll notice very few problems with hondas, and suzis, and lots of issues with other brands ...just an observation, ive found.
My 2 sense.