Buy a name brand and do the research on value. You'll be glad you did espicially if you decide atv's arn't for you and your son, re-sell will be much better. On the other hand if you really enjoy riding you'll want to go the the ATV park trails, name brands will hold up better. The chines stuff is OK but requires more maintenance after each ride like tightening bolts that come loose, weak front ends, chains get loose.
My family got into riding ATVs a couple years ago, I'm really glad I never went the chinnes way, only way I would is for kids under 7 or 8 yrs old, they out grow everything so quick. Right now seems a good time to find something used, price seem better. If this is the first ATV you'll have a learning curve to determine what you like, so look at the new ones and ask lots of questions.

Just my 2 cents, good luck

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Spec64

Name brands Are for people who can't take care of their own vehicles and need the dealer support for mechanical repair other than that I've seen lots of satisfied customers on chinese made "pos's" and I noticed a couple bashan's on Ebay for cheap those have lots of good reviews http://cgi.ebay.com/eb...ors.....ATVs


</a>



replace the broken parts when and If you get them and these chinese atv's aren't to bad if you find the right brand like vbike, and jetmoto, as a couple examples do your homework and take care of that machine.



oh yeah and parts for alot of these are so easy to find you just have to know where to look at what to look for [img][/img]</end quote></div>

Off-brands are for those who want to wrench, rather than ride!

 

i would serisoly go for a honda recon 250 there cheap, reliable, and NAMEBRAND

if you want bigger id look into an older fourtrax 300 4x4 they go for 2k every day

 

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

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Spec64

Name brands Are for people who can't take care of their own vehicles and need the dealer support for mechanical repair other than that I've seen lots of satisfied customers on chinese made "pos's" and I noticed a couple bashan's on Ebay for cheap those have lots of good reviews <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://cgi.ebay.com/eb...ors.....ATVs
">"&gt;<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...463676QQptZATVs
">&lt;br "&gt;<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2009-Bashan-200cc-Quad-ATV-4-Wheeler-red_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ72Q3a1205Q7c66Q3a2 Q7c65Q3a12Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a1Q7c293Q3 a1Q7c294Q3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem 170303463676QQitemZ170303463676QQptZATVs
&lt;br ">http://...com/e...rs.....ATVs
...>


</a>

replace the broken parts when and If you get them and these chinese atv's aren't to bad if you find the right brand like vbike, and jetmoto, as a couple examples do your homework and take care of that machine.

oh yeah and parts for alot of these are so easy to find you just have to know where to look at what to look for [IMG][/IMG]</end quote></div>



Off-brands are for those who want to wrench, rather than ride!</end quote></div>

Exactly! When I was riding my Baja 90, I broke an internal gear (through no fault of the bike, it's because I never tightened my chain LOL), and it took a month and a half just to get the part! That's a month and a half I could have been riding my Suzuki (I broke the Baja a day or so after purchasing the Suzuki, though the Baja was the trade-in, so I couldn't pick up the LTR until the Baja was fixed).

On my LTR now, I do most of the maintenance myself (ex oil changes, basic stuff). The great part about having a dealership is that if there is problem, you can take it in to get fixed, or when you have to have something more major (maintenance-wise) done on the bike (ex valves adjusted).

Think about it, let's say you have to do a maintenance job that will take you 3 or 4 hours. So you take it to your dealer, let them do it while you are at work/school/whatever, so that during your free (riding) time you can ride instead of doing a major maintenance job.

 

Dido with everyone else, NAMEBRAND!!!! I once had a piece if chinese ****, and I wore it out within one year. Just from trail riding, the clutch got fried and the choke screw that holds the choke flap in place came out and got sucked into the P-of-S engine. That little screw got smashed up by both vavles and bent the valves at the same time, then scraped a groove in the side of the cylinder after getting lodged in between the piston and the little gap between the two. And parts were almost imposible to find, and when we did find parts, it took a month for them to be shiped from china. All that from a little, chinese, screw. STAY AWAY FROM CHINESE ATVS!!!!


Try to find what everyone is saying, a recon, rancher ect. Or if you really want a little more performance and a clutch, try to find a 300ex[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]. All of these quads are reliable and require little to no maintinence, just change the oil (and depending on the model, lube the chain).

And for some once in a lifetime moment, something breaks or needs replaced, parts a readily avalible and just what you need is probably on e-bay. Instead of spending a week searching for a part, you could be happily riding a relible atv that was <u>made with love</u> from all the little Japanese people.

 

Like the majority of the posts on this subject NAME BRAND!!!!!!!!!! You will benefit in ways that you can't see right now. Durability, servicability and reliability just to name a few. Everyone has an opinion as to which brand or model to choose from and everyone can justify their choice as to what you should buy, but remember the most important thing, you are buying a toy to have fun with. It isn't much fun if what you do purchase is broken most of the time. Without bashing any of the brands I can say with confidence that you can't go wrong with Yamaha and Honda.