hey all, I have been looking at purchasing a quad for my wife, She has absolutely no experience, (other than about 5 min on the KFX which intimidated her) She is 5'4 about 115 lbs. I have been looking at the honda Rancher, and a couple of polarisis. i am thinking a nice 4wd sport ute(possibly 2wd), Auto, with good reliability and no bigger than 500cc. Basically just something she can putt around on without getting into trouble.

Thanks for your input.

 

bruin 350 4x4

 

The Bruin does meet all your requirements, you could also look at the ES Ranchers not auto but easy to shift and operate.

 

wouldnt the eiger, or polaris sportsman 400 or 500 ho be a better rig? I beleive the eiger has 4low also.

 

yea but i think it would be good enough for your wife...but if you want to spend the extra $$$ on the eiger go ahead... but if you get the bruin the extra $$$ could stay in ur pocket or put new tires etc on the bruin

 

Gotcha, xtra $$$ is good, but i would rather spend a few hundred more to get a better rig, I hate spending xx amount of $$ and know that if I spent that little extra I could get the better rig. I appreciate your input, It will help in the final decision.

Another qq, are there any dealers that let you test drive the quads before purchase?

 

Back when the wife wanted to start riding I bought a polaris trail boss for her and she liked it for like month and she wanted something with more power. She ended up with a new Z and LOVED it. What I'm trying to say is dont stick yourself buying something that she isn't going to enjoy after she learns to ride. It would be much easier and less expensive in the long run to get her something she can "grow" into.

Just be carefull though... Me, the wife, and my cousin was out riding one day and my cousin and I thought what the heck lets open em up a little (I had already told the wife to take it easy) I look back running like 50 through a tight trail and... SURE ENOUGH the wife is right on my tail (it scared the $hit out of me) LOL. She actually learned fast and really enjoys the Z.

 

Awesome, As scary as it may be, thats sweet that she digs it and hammers down. You are thinking right up my alley, i like the idea of a 400 or 500 sport ute with good durability. I think it would be a good learning platform and still have a little room to grow on it. I really need to get her on one and let her try it. Right now she is really intimidated by my kfx.

 

Most of the dealerships i go to, will allow a test drive...but you gotta ask, they arent gonna volenteer this.
Thats the best way for her to decide which one she likes best. I gotta believe the rancher 400at would be a good chioce, totally auto, or manual button shift, nice and low to the ground for stability, looks good, and as reliable as they come.
The other choices are good too, but once they are riden, she'll be able to narrow down the search. Some feel tippy, and some feel crude, and shes gonna have to make the call.
Make sure the dealership has a grassy area or dirt to ride on. Riding a bit in the parking lot wont be good enough.
Some quads have irs, and that makes for a smoother ride, the bomb 400 and the polaris 400 are two good examples. Both are autos. The bruin and pairie, and rancher are good choices too, but they are all solid rear axle.
All the autos have belt drive , except the hondas, belts arent bad, but some people dont like them, go again, its up to her to decide. At least have her ride the 400at, and then compare it to the belt drives. But make sure she gets to try a few, because if she desides later, that she doesnt like what she has...theres a big hit in the wallet to change to something else.

 

How about the honda trx250 sporttrak,or the recon.my wife had the sporttrax and loved it.Nimble and easy to ride with enough power w/o killing yourself plus the ease of shaft drive