Corry, thanks for the reply, I am pretty sure that is what I will get for my son.

I think it will be a great beginner for him.

How do you like your 400, we are trying to decide what to get my wife. I have a raptor and she thinks it is too much for her, so I am leaning towards the 400 or maybe a warrior. Something along those lines anyway.

Again thanks for the info
Paul

 

You might also want to consider the Scrambler 50 by Polaris (ok, Aeon makes this too). The local dealer had one at about $1600 and it has all the same safety features as the LT50 or the Sportsman/Scrambler 90.

BTW, I paid $2100 out the door for that Sportsman 90. For my youngest, who's 7, I am considering an E-ton 40cc model I saw at the local Arctic Cat dealer. They say they only want $1000 for this 'toy.'

 

ATC 70

yes its a trike....sound dangerous........sure.....but hey.......everything is......and its not far to the ground on one of those.....

if the little person can master 3 wheels.......4 is a breeze.....teaches good riding habbits.....styles......and looks cooler than the kids down the road.

problem?.......they haven't made them for years.......but parts are easy to get......

 

FYI I paid 1600.00 out the door for a 2002 Suzuki Quadmaster50. This might help in negotiations (I live on the border of another state so they didnt charge me sales tax).

 

Here's my two cents on the subject. First off, about 90% of the info already posted seems like pretty good info to me. I question the three wheeler thing....but anyway...Muddy4life's post seems to be right on the money.

My personal opinion is that you want to try to stay with a name brand quad. I know there are a lot of off brand quads out there that are working fine for their owners, but I still like the odds of the major brands...The physical size of your son is a major determining factor of buying the quad. If he is large enough to fit it correctly, I would strongly consider the Honda TRX90. It has a four-stroke engine, an auto-clutch manual shift transmission(I believe....), and an excellent reliability record. The handling, suspension and looks are top notch in my book. As soon as my son is large enough to own one, he will have it.

Another quad to look at is the Yamaha Raptor 80. I think it was formerly known as the Badger 80. They changed the plastic, but I think the machine is basically the same. You might be able to find the Badger at a blow-out price. It also is a four stroke, 3-speed(I think....) reliable little quad. I'm not as fond of the front suspension on this quad as the Honda's, but it's not a bad second choice. I'm not sure....but you might get electric start with this one.....Honda's take on electric start is that if you are old enough to ride it, you should be old enough to start it with either a kick-start or pull-start. If not, then you will HAVE to have an adult with you. It's a safety thing.

Next, I would look at the Suzuki LT80. Depending on the size of your son...this one might be a little small for him. But it's at least worth letting him set on one to see. We've had one for a year now, and had excellent luck with it. It's a peppy little machine once they out grow all the restrictors(3 different ones on the 80). The only thing I would caution against here is the two-stroke engine.

A two stroke must build higher rpms to get the same work done as a four-stroke. So, what you run into with any two-stroke, that is governed down, is you will have to set the throttle limiter to a level that you feel comfortable with, for your child to be able to climb an incline. And on that same hill, when they come back down their speed will be much faster than you might want. If you set the limiter slow enough for a comfortable speed going down, or even for level ground....there will not be enough power to climb the slightest incline(because there isn't enough rpms).

A four-stroke engine has more torque from the word go. As soon as throttle is applied, you have power. You don't have to wait for the revs to build up. This can be confidence inspiring to the beginner, who has stopped in a hole, or creek, or behind a rock, or log......or anything. It's quite intimidating for a beginner to have to rev the pee out of the thing just to get going, and then must let off as soon as the obstacle is clear so they don't go taking off faster than they want.

Another thing I like about the first two quads that I mentioned is the gears. Yes, I know a lot of people like automatics, for the ease of operation. But my take on this is that an auto-clutch manual transmission is very simple to use, and can be learned very fast by anyone. Kids included. One of the major advantages to manual transmissions is the engine braking going down a hill. You put it in low gear, and the child doesn't have to brake nearly as hard. My son has been riding for 2 years, but I still get a scared feeling in my stomach every time he has to go down a steep hill. His automatic would basically go almost as fast as coasting in neutral if he slipped up and didn't brake properly. I like the idea, that if he messes up on braking, the engine can still help slow him down. This was one of the reasons I chose the Suzuki, by the way. It has a foot brake for the rear brake. In a panic situation, I feel he is more likely to get a foot stomped on the rear brake than to grab it on the lever. I wish the Suzuki had gears and a 4-stroke engine.

One more thing I would like to share is we have helmet mounted radios. These have probably been the single most important purchase(since buying the quad itself) that we have made. These radios are voice activated and let me coach my son every step of the way. You just couldn't believe what a difference it makes when you child can hear daddy's voice coaching, giving words of encouragement, or....occasionally having to tell them to slow it down or they are going to get in trouble. Also, being able to listen to them talk about climbing a hill, or going through a creek crossing while the excitement is still in their voice is just....plain awesome!

I'm sorry for being so long winded....but I tend to get that way with something I care about a great deal. I hope this helps you a little....or helps someone out there a little. If you have any other questions about quads or radios or whatever, just e-mail me at Barnettcrew@yahoo.com.

Good luck.....

 

My son is 8, and he just got a new Honda TRX90 (see the current issue of ATV Action for a review of this bike). He had ridden the Suzuki LT-80 for years, but as we began to take him out on cross country rides, it became appearent that without engine braking, the Suzuki just isn't a trail worthy bike. Now, the LT is great for a beginner to ride around a track or in an area where you have control of the terrain they will get into, but being an automaic, they have to rely entirely on the brakes to slow down-and the brakes are difficult for the little ones to modulate. The tendancy is to lock up the rear going downhill, skid, and get sideways-NOT GOOD!!

If your child is mature enough to learn to shift, and can handle a slightly larger bike, I would suggest the Honda because it is a bike he can grow into (you won't be replacing it for a long time). Otherwise, look for a smaller starter bike to hold him over for a while, then later trade up to something more capable.

 

Alot of great input here, including Muddy's comments. I hate to see parents who place their 8-12 year olds on Banshees.

As for the mini atv's, I have evaluated most of the brands on the market. The Kasea Skyhawk 90 and 50 are by far the best of the bunch.

The Kasea's offer a true tool steel rear axle and mounting system similiar to a Blaster. The shocks are Showa shocks with true rebound dampening and preload adjustments. The rear swing arm is the strongest of all minis. On the front, the suspension has a double mount at the king pin like the lt80. It is 100% stronger than the single welded mount found on the Polaris, Aeon, Sundiro, T-Rex, Eton, Artic Cat, Husky and other brands.
The fuel system has a vac operated automatic shut off so parents and kids don't need to worry about leaving the fuel on or off. It even has a 60 watt lighting coil that is fully prewired for lights.

The LT80 and the Eton DXL both incorporate the engine as the rear swing arm assembly. That is very bad as the atv will tend to flip forward on a sudden bump. The LT80 will cost about $300 to add lights.

I could go on and on. If you have any particular questions, send me a note.

 

Thought I would update everyone that was interested in this thread about my son and our quad search. I bought him a suzuki lt50 today. I love it and I know he loves it too.

Thanks Corry, Your advice helped. It fit him better than the polaris and I like my dealer (same as where I got my raptor). It is a fun little quad and I pulled the exhaust limiter also. It is a blast to involve the family in this sport.

Paul

 

It sounds like Christmas came early at your house....Congratulations! I hope you and your son have as much fun as my and my son have had. There's nothing like a father and son loading up to go riding together for the day. You made an excellent choice on quads.....you will be very happy with your choice...

 

Yeah, Christmas came a few months early, I told my son that this was part of his christmas and that we might have to be kind of light at christmas time. He will still have presents and probably we will go overboard as usual, but I love to buy my little guy the things he wants. Actually the quad for him, was more of a present to me. It makes me feel so good to be able to spend time with him and to see him really having fun. There is no other thing in the world that comes close.

One question, you have the helmet mounted radios, what kind of price did you pay for those?

Thanks
Paul