Hi, I am shopping for my 1st ATV. My husband and son both trail ride dirt bikes and I would like to go along. I may also use it for some light ranch duty. I am a beginner and do not plan to do anything too wild. (I'm no spring chicken)
I am looking at used, possibly a Honda 250 Recon or a Kawasaki Bayou. Suggestions would be VERY appreciated.
Reliable and easy to ride would make me happy!
Thank-you for sharing your expertise.

 

i would suggest something in the 400cc class.if you are going to use it around the ranch i would get a ute style quad. there is a lot of good quads in the 400 class.it all depends on what type of transmission you want and features. a cvt trans is put in gear and gas n go and auto clutch style is when you have to change gears manually either foot gear shift or button.

 

if your just doing light duty around the ranch and some trail ridding a 250 would be fine you should also consider an suzuki ozark 250 they are very good also and very reliable you can run a suzuki forever but some of my friends have had a bayou and a recon both very reliable also any of them would be a fine choice

 

Recon is a great choice. High quality and dead solid reliable! Pure fun to ride!

 

A recon is a fun and reliable little bike i have had mine for 8 years and it still runs strong.

 

I would lean toward the 400 class too. I think you may soon be disappointed in the 250 class and the 400 class is offering many of the features of the 700 and 800's! I'm not knocking the honda's because I know many ranchers who have used them for years and they are a good atv. However, I do know that Polaris' new 400 has fully independent rear suspension and respectable power by being fully automatic. One thing my wife likes about the polaris' is that they are all wheel drive and automatic. All she has to do is decide if she needs low gear or high gear...simple! More importantly, imo, is what dealerships are near you and what kind of service do they have to offer? I am partial to polaris, obviously, because my local dealer has an excellent mechanic and is always willing to coach me through anything I wish to do myself. I know there are people on this forum who have to travel over 100 miles just to get parts or service....that would suck! Go visit some dealerships and ride one if you can, there are some great atv's out there and I'm sure you'll find one you like.

 

Welcome to the forum. My vote is for the Sportsman as well, here is a link to a review of a 400.

 

i would go with a recon or an ozark 250. You are not going to need a 400 for just trail riding and some ranch work. The 250's have racks, so the will work find.

 

Buy a Honda Rancher or a Foreman:
99% Total customer satifaction survey conducted by Dirt Wheels magazine.

It's either gears or tears on the trail.

Honda Rubicon has the best transmission ever put on a quad, totally hydrollic like a bulldozer.

These machines can be purchased used for agood price and give you years of trouble free riding. The Foreman has five forward gears all you do is push the button up or down to shift and it has a real low gear for plowing or hauling a trailer.

Good Luck
Garman

 

why would they need a 400 just for light duty work and trail riddin any 250 class would work fine why wast way more money on a 4wd when you dont even need it