I am in the market for a new quad for myself. I am 5'9" 190 in my twenties and purty strong. I am looking for a quad that I can start out on, but eventually will be able to mod up to better hp and performance either at the dunes or trail ridding. My only experience is riding my friends honda400ex at Rocky Point (which felt alright, but hard to tell in a few hours of riding). I have been doing some homework and have sat on a few at the dealers, but I want some real input. Oh, and here is the catch, I want to buy it used and between 2k-3kmax (the cheaper the better...but also want some scalability).

This will be a quad that will get alot of riding time (20-40 hours a week), mostly with my son and his little 70cc (back on AZ desert trails, and homemade mx tracks, etc.)


Quads I have been eyeing in the atv trader:
newer Polaris tb250
older honda 300ex
honda 250r (looks like it needs some tlc)
blaster with extended swing arm and some mods (I have never seen one in person, seems small in the pics)

 

I would say for your size that the Honda 400ex or Suzuki LTZ 400 would be great for you. Anything smaller for your height your knee's would be to high. You will probly get other opion's, But what ever you buy make sure it fit's you. For safty, and it will keep you from wanting to have to buy something bigger in A few month's from now. The safty come's in. If the Quad don't fit you there harder to handle. Also welcome to the world of Quad's, And to the fourm. After you hear from everyone let us know what you decided on. You can get alot of help on this fourm, most of it good. Some can be bad info. It won't take long to learn the good info from the B.S.

 

Just checked out the bottom of your post. Your thinking to small for your size. Just hang tight and something in your price range will come up. You could also check out the garage sale on this fourm. Good luck.

 

Riding along with the kids (slow) presents an additional variable to your situation. Some bikes, particularly the new 450's and to some extent the Z400, need to be ridden revved out (like a 2-stroke). This requires some clutch work, especially when the trail gets technical. Eventually, it just gets annoying, and you begin to wish for a machine that you can stick in gear and lug along.

By far the best bike I have found for this kind of riding is the 400EX (the Warrior is good too, but I hate its frame geometry). You can lug that thing down and just creep along in first gear. This is the machine I choose for technical trail riding (where the rocks aren't so big that I need a utility). The EX is a dead solid machine, and you should be able to find a use one easily. (The EX got a redesign in 05, which added reverse. Around here, you can get a new 04 for $4,000 out the door, so used ones should be going for next to nothing!)

If you are later ready for more power, the EX can be hopped up quite a bit.

 

yup, like evryone else said, the 400ex would suit you well. and there are alot of them out for sale now cuz everyone is buying the newer high perf quads. i think the quads you have listed are too small for you, no offense or anything. and yes, the blaster is a very small quad. i would also look at yamaha warriors or even the automatic polaris scrambler 400. good luck on your search

 

Sorry, I was in a hurry and ignored your list of bikes the first time. All are to small for you except the R. The R is a 2-stroke (and maybe the most eloquently designed machine of all time), and would end up being more of a "project" bike for someone who likes to tinker more than ride.

 

Check out the wolverine. You should be able to find a couple year old one for about 3k. It's good on the trails and you can do many mods to the engine. It's not the most powerful but it's really fun to ride. just my 2cents


p.s. the auto clutch would make it easy to putt putt around with your son

 

Wouldn't really want a 250r to putt around on with the kids, but it would be my first choice on your list. Blaster would be second.

I was in your shoes a few years ago. Knew I wouldn't need much to ride with the kids but don't regret going a little bigger for when I can get away from them either. I'd say spend a little more and get something you'll be happy with. No less than 400cc's for a 4-stroke.

 

I vote 400EX or Z400 which ever you like better, they are brothers from different mothers. I would think the 250R would be annoying while riding around with a 70cc kids atv. PLus the 250R will need more attention because first and foremost they are nearly 20 years old, and second because they are two strokes compared to a trailbike fourstroke of the 400EX and Z400.

 

Does anyone have experience with the newer 90cc and 250cc Kasea? I happened to run across them while at a local ATV shop purchasing some gear for my son's 70cc. I am thinking about moving him up, and possibly getting my wife a quad to putt around on. These quads look really nice, and seem to be built with quality in mind, but then again almost every quad looks good on the showroom floor. Does anyone have any "first-hand-experience" with these, or any stories of friends owning them and their pros/cons? Thx.