Hello,

I'm a complete and utter nOOb when it comes to the world of ATVs. I recently decided, though, that it would be fun to take this up perhaps as a weekend hobby for now, hey, we all start somewhere right?

Thing is, I have no idea what to look for. I'm gravitating towards the purchase of an older machine, perhaps a yamaha or honda.

Like I said, this will not be used for work, hauling, racing, or serious use. It will be used, casually, and for fun....

I'm 6'4 and 250lb, so perhaps that might limit the options.

With that said, what do you guys recommend for me, used preferably, for under 1500$?

 

First, what part of the country are you in and what are your riding conditions? You will need to decide between the two major classes of quads, sport and utility, and where you ride will make all the difference!

Get a utility if you need 4wd, high ground clearance, racks to haul stuff, or big fenders to keep the water and mud off, etc. The disadvantage of a utility is that they are very heavy and have a high center of gravity.

Get a sport quad if you want to have fun! The disadvantage of a sport quad is lower ground clearance and 2wd.

My motto is to never ride a utility anywhere I can ride a sport quad!

 

$1,500 budget will make it a little tough. Hit the $2,000 to $2,500 range and you should find some more choices. You're on the right track though. Since you have no ATV experience the best way to find out what you want is to pick a ride, get a feel for it and then decide what you would like to be different. The good thing about buying a several year old used quad is that youcan often resell for very close to what you paid for it.

With your size you are going to have to go with at least a mid-sized bike 350 to 500 cc or so. My first ATV was a Warrior 350 sport bike. I rode it for 9 months but found that it just wasn't as fun as the utilities. (Yeah, that's aimed at you RR [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]) I was into day-long rides, sometimes in cold weather and all my riding buddies were staying fairly dry on their utilities while I was a mud-covered ball of frozen gook.

To hit your price range you'll need to go back a few years - late 90's or 2000. From that time frame any of the major brands were pretty reliable and durable. The other oprion is to find someone who rides who will let you borrow a bike to try out.

Jaybee

 

I will agree that even a utility is more fun than a Warrior!!! Ah, this demonstrates the consequences of making poorly informed choices!