First time riders, looking for something reliable and safe to start out with. I've heard good and bad things about four-wheelers. I'm unsure if I should start my son out with a 50 or a 70. Me...maybe a 250?

 

Do you have any motorcycle experience, like with a left hand full manual clutch?

First thing to decide is if you need a sport quad or utility. Utilities have bigger fenders for mud protection, higher ground clearance, and racks to haul stuff. If you need to do some "work" with your machine, they are the better choice. The downside of utilities is that they are heavier and have more clumsy handling, and you are likely to get hurt worse in a rollover crash. I will assume you don't need 4wd at this point, so I will limit this to 2 wd models.

Sport quads tend to be minimalistic, and handle better because they are lighter and more sporty in design.

I would put you on the Honda 250EX. It had nice handling, is easy to ride, and has a clutch setup that makes it easy for beginners. It is based on the Recon utility quad, and has fairly high ground clearance and will go anywhere a 2wd utility will go. If you can handle a full manual clutch, then I would pick the Yamaha Raptor 250.

If you need a utility type, then I would pick the Honda Recon.

I won't comment on the kids quads, because my kids are teens now and I am not familiar with the current crop of kids machines.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>The downside of utilities is that they are heavier and have more clumsy handling, and you are likely to get hurt worse in a rollover crash</end quote></div>

LMAO, You must be a maniac to ride with. How it behaves in a roll over crash as a deciding factor? LOL

Other than that you sound about right.

 

with both of you being first time riders I would say for you go no bigger then a 300cc and for your 6yr old anything 50cc- 90cc will be ridable and they all have ways of restricting speed (the 90cc would be lil big for him now but he wont grow out of it so quickly). Just my opinion im sure other posters will vary.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: TLC

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>The downside of utilities is that they are heavier and have more clumsy handling, and you are likely to get hurt worse in a rollover crash</end quote></div>



LMAO, You must be a maniac to ride with. How it behaves in a roll over crash as a deciding factor? LOL



Other than that you sound about right.</end quote></div>

Hey, utes are just a necessary evil! Something you are forced to ride when the rocks get to big or the streams get to deep or there is snow. Otherwise, always make a sport quad your first choice!!!

 

For me a sport is useless for the most part. I NEED a UTILITY machine. Not all get to play all the time, some have to haul wood, plow snow, pull trailers, and then I can go out & play. For just putzing around sports are the ticket, light, maneuverable, but shifting sux. Recon no need to go banging anyones choice of machine. We are all in this sport together.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: upnort

For me a sport is useless for the most part. I NEED a UTILITY machine. Not all get to play all the time, some have to haul wood, plow snow, pull trailers, and then I can go out & play. For just putzing around sports are the ticket, light, maneuverable, but shifting sux. Recon no need to go banging anyones choice of machine. We are all in this sport together.</end quote></div>

Hey dude I own utes, so what is it to you if I want to bash my own machines????? Utility design has gotten out of hand! The machines get huger and heavier every year, and that means they need bigger displacement, etc. Somebody needs to rethink this whole design paradigm, and start building lighter performance utilities!

Around here, most folks who ever considered a utility are buying Rhinos instead anyway. A lot of huge utes are the weight of a Rhino, so when you think of it, it just makes sense to have a rollcage....

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: momov1

First time riders, looking for something reliable and safe to start out with. I've heard good and bad things about four-wheelers. I'm unsure if I should start my son out with a 50 or a 70. Me...maybe a 250?</end quote></div>


there are loads of ATV's out there both for youth and adults.. Stick to the major manufactures so you won;t have problems such as Honda, Polars, Can-am, Suxuki, Arctic Cat and Kawasaki.

next you need to ask yourself what kind of riding you will be doing. are you taking your son on Trail rides, or are you taking him out to an area where there are going to be dunes, dirt tracks, and that kind of thing.

Are you going to be riding alone most of the time, in open territory, or with a group?

If you are joing a club, or group, it would be best to consult the club or group you are joining to see what trails they ride, and what bikes they have and then look at buying something similar that way if you run into problems you will have experienced people around you that have probably seen the issues you have had before and are able to help you with them.

Sport ATVs are lighter and faster and can even sometimes be less expensive then Utility ATV's because they usually are not 4X4 and have less components to them. these ATV's usually require you to shift gears using a clutch and a foot shifter similar to a street motorcycle. If you are already familliar with motorcycle riding and what something similar to what you have ridden in the past then a Sport/racing style ATV is probably best for you.

If however you are new to motor sports, and do not have motorcycle experience. then probably a utility ATV with a CVT transmission would be a better choice. they operate more like an automatic car. just give them gas and they go. no shifting required.

Also I think a Utility atv for yourself might be better, if you are going to be in trails on rough or muddy terrain, yer son might get stuck from time to time, as it is a smaller bike. you might want a winch on your bike so you can pull him out if needed. (but that entirely depends on the terrain you are riding)

For your son, I would say go with a large youth atv to start with. You can have the dealer "Govern it" to limit it's speed, and your son will get use out of it longer. so something in the range of a 70cc is probably a good idea. Again stick to the major manufacturers. and you shouldn;t have any problems.

If you decide on a utility style ATV I would reccomend for you

Can-am Outlander 400
Polaris Sportsman 300 or 400
Kawasaki Prairie 360
Suzuki King Quad 400

these are all easy to ride ATV's with CVT transmissions, and have some good utility and beef to them. I am partial to Can-am's and Polaris myself. I think from my experience they are among the best on the market. but the prairie 360 is really good value for the money. and is significantly less expensive.

Any of the Youth ATV's by the same manufacturers are good. PRobably the best bet is to buy from the same dealer for your son, as the one you want, and get a deal buying 2.

Good luck with your decision.

 

I just went thru the same thing. I ended up buying my son a Polaris Sportsman 90 and myself the Suzuki Vinson 500 Auto.
With you being a first timer I would say get a mid sized 300-450 for you and skip the small stuff and go ahead and get your son a larger machine. I like the little 90 that I bought my son but it is very difficult to teach a 4 year old to drive a quad that small. Of course I weigh 270 myself. My father in law has a rancher 350 ES and my son loves to drive it. I havn't yet let him ride anything by himself.

If you think he could handle a Honda recon ES would be a pretty good size for you son and he could ride it a good while before you have to upgrade.

You might look into a used small 4 wheeler? just a thought?

 

Thank you for your help, reconranger! I was thinking a 70 or 90 for my son, but my brother seems to think a 50 would work better for him to start off with. A 250 sounds about right for me. Not utility, def sport! Thanks again!