My son is 13 and wants an ATV, his first. We have looked at the 90's, the Honda and Polaris. We have also looked at a 1988 Kawasaki 185 Bayou. The Bayou is in good condition except the muffler is rotted through. A new muffler is $300 and the seller wants $900 but I think it is negotiable. We have also looked at a 2003 Honda TRX90 which is in good shape for $1,300. The Honda seems small for him but I guess that is the recommended size for him. What do you think would be a better first ATV?

 

He is probably to big for a 90. I would suggest a 250, even though he is a beginner. I have started lots of first time early teen riders on 250's, and it's a no big deal beginners quad if one is carefull.

I suggest maybe the Honda 250EX. If you do the 90, he probably won't be on it long.

 

i agree with recon. the 250ex is a good beginner quad because it has reverse and a auto tranny.

 

Has your son ever ridden or driven any motorized vehicles before? I only ask because it makes a big difference in the understanding of vehicular physics. If he's never even driven a lawn tractor, I wouldn't just throw him on a 250. But if he's got some experience with go-carts, dirt-bikes, other ATVs, even tractors or cars, then I'd feel a little more confident with putting him on a 250. Also, how tall is he and how much does he weigh? I have a 13 year-old cousin who is about 5ft tall, 110lbs. with very little vehicular experience and there's no way I'd put him on a 250ex. I'd start him on an auto-clutch machine 200cc and under.

 

I'd definitely stay away from a 90cc bike. My cousin is 10 and has a 90cc Dinli. He's your average size 10 year old and he has just about outgrown it. I'm 5'11, but only 140lbs and it barely moves with my skinny *** on it. I agree with what has been said above, if they have experience on any other type of vehicle, a 200 or 250 will probably be fine.

 

There aren't really any good "in between" machines, between 90 and 250.

 

Doesn't yamaha make a four wheeler called the breeze that is somewhere in the 100 to 200 range, another one I'm not sure of is the suzuki quadrunner 160, even if these aren't made new anymore they might be good choices if your looking for a used bike.

 

My daughter went from the 90 to the Suzuki 160, and then on to the 250. The 160 was really a waste of $$$, because she outgrew it so fast.

The Breeze is a 125. It is an automatic with little or no engine braking, which is a fatal flaw IMO. It also has very limited suspension. I think they put racks on it and they call it something else now, but same frame and engine.

 

I had a Kawasaki Bayou 185. A great bike that would stay with most 250 2-wheel drive utes. It blew away my old 250 Beartracker. Never a problem with it. The one bad thing was that it did not have a back shock which made it very uncomfortable on long rides.
Buck

 

go with a 200 or 250 I learned to ride on an 80 when i was 10 and by the time i was 13 i was riding a 225 or 250 depending on which one i had available at the time. a 250 will haul around a grown man decently too. Which is why I just now upgraded to the wolvy 450 after 14 years(I still ride the old 250 as well though)