This isn't only about how well they ride...I am a good rider and have only turned mine over on the side twice, and once it rolled on top of me. I have a 300ex with many engine mods...meaning lots of power...I am only 15 years old and when I turned it over on my self it was quite a problem to get off. I'm pretty stong and it was still a problem. No matter how good of a rider you are, things like that can still happen. All it takes is one time and he can be killed. The recon is the best bet out of the ones you mentioned, but isn't what I would pick. 80lbs vs 400lbs is quite a bit. The 250ex and the recon weigh around 400lbs. The 4x4 you mentioned would be the last one I would choose. Look at the suzuki 160. No its not the fastest 4-wheeler but for his size, will be a pretty good choice. Also, if you can find one, try the Honda 200 type II atv. Still though, you are looking at an 80 lb kid on an ATV that can easily hurt him any minute. I wouldn't go as small as a Honda 90, which I had one at one point. I was 9 and probably 80lbs. At ll I had a Kawasaki Bayou 220. It got me around but it was the worst riding 4-wheeler I've ever been on...except an old Honda 125 with no suspension. I do not agree with the age laws on atvs...it should be the parents decision to decide on the ATV. Some kids are bigger and more mature than others, thats what the people who make these laws don't see. Some 11 year olds are 5'6 150 lbs...others are 4'6 80lbs, some are 4'6 150 lbs, etc. How do you think a 5'6 150lbs kid is going to feel on a Honda 90? Umm...when I first got my 300ex I was 5'6 and felt fine. I hoped on a Honda 90 at the local honda shop and I was cramped. No i didn't ride it and I wouldn't want to considering how cramped I was. But since your brother needs a 4-wheeler, here are the things I know about each...

Recon - Great suspension, decent speed, comfy, can pull medium size loads, cannot keep up with a 300ex in a trail...much less anywhere else, racks
250ex - Recon engine in sporty frame, good suspension, can't pull loads (no hitch and front end is too light), possibly keep up with a 300ex in a trail
200 type II - Good size for an 80lb rider, good suspension, not very heavy, cannot keep up with a 300ex in a trail...much less anywhere else
Suzuki 160 -BEST size for an 80lb rider, decent suspension, not very heavy, cannot keep up with a 300ex in a trail...much less anywhere else

The main reason none of these ATVS will keep up with a 300ex is because they are all shaft driven ATVs. The 300ex uses a clutch...meaning it will get off the line faster and come out of curves faster, uses sprockets, plus it is bigger. The 250ex has the best chance with keeping up with a 300ex, but it won't do it unless the 300ex is ragged out and breaks down along the way. The 4-wheeler your little brother describes seems to be the recon. My opinion is get the 160. The recon is too big for him. My dad...46 years old...rides a 97 recon. He is 6'1 and ____ lbs. He has plenty of room with some to spare. Get the 160 or the 200 type II. You won't go wrong with either.

 

The Suzuki LT160 was not one of the choices neither was the Honda TRX Type 2. He has ridden a LT160 and was not happy with it. He said the suspension wasn't that great and it wasn't that fast. And guys when I said he needed something to keep up with me on the trails, that doesn't mean I am going to fly around the trails, the trails are to tight for that. I think we will just get him a Recon. He still has to wait for Christmas maybe something better will come out. But he has ridden the Recon already (our 12 year old cousin has one and it is her first ever ATV) and he loves everything about it.

 

All I did was give you ideas on other ATVs. I never said he had to get a Suzuki 160 or a Honda type II. I brought them into the picture just incase they might not have crossed your mind. It seems nothing is working in your head anyway if you are putting a 80 lb rider on a 400lb ATV. It doesn't matter how good a rider squirt is he can still flip it. I'm only 15 and have only turned mine over twice. Once it rolled on top of me. My ATV, a 97 300ex, weighs less than a recon. I, 5'9 138 lbs, and pretty strong, had problems getting it off of me. Just think what a heavier ATV will do to a 80lb kid. He may be able to pick the 4-wheeler up by the back rack (that is when it is just sitting there and not on top of him) but it is a different story when it is on top of you. I'm not trying to be your dad or anyone elses, I just think you need to open up your eyes and look at what all can happen. People getting killed/hurt on ATV's is what gives eco ****'s another reason to shut down places to ride.

 

Scosho If I had to ride something under a 90cc my knees would be over the handlebars!

 

Scoso, I guess this is a personal attack, because if you are the one training people and tieing age to maturity and judgement, you are a fool.

Honda's reasoning for supporting these guidelines is because they are rumored to be self-insured, and, they were the primary target of the mid to late 80's lawsuits regarding the 3 wheeled ATC's. They are supporting the guidelines for political reasons, not because the guidelines make sense. They are simply 'playing ball'.

Nearly EVERY person I know who rides dirt bikes or ATV's feel that these guidelines are left over BS from the 3 wheeler era. You can legally allow an 8 year old to ride a CR500, but not a Scrambler 90? So using your logic, because no RULE is in place, it is OK to put a small child on a monster machine? A parent is STILL the best judge of a childs ability to ride. No parent I know wants there children to end up in a wheel chair, or even with a splinter, and your smart -assed crack about a 90cc wheelchair proves that you are not thinking for yourself, just regurgitating a bad rule set to justify your own position and make yourself appear to be an authority. And, I have a 2 immediate relatives in wheel chairs, one from a drunk driver and one from a disease, so believe me, I know what persons in wheel chairs go through.

Throwing out a young adults' ability to judge, parents can easily control the conditions of the WHEN, WHERE and HOW a child rides an ATV. Turn the throttle down, supervising the ride and making sure they wear the proper gear are FAR more important than ANY guideline I know. A parent can make the conditions conductive to a safe riding and learning environment. A rule does not.

There are so many reasons not to blindly support this guideline, I simply am astounded that you would post such an un-sound opinion AND brag about being associated with ATVing. What about gross weight? Load balancing? Gifted children? Horsepower to weight ratio? Terrain conditions? There are simply too many variables to consider in each individual case.

Get real. If you would, you could probably help open the door to this sport in a safe manner by being a positive learning force as young people begin the training, rather than slamming it shut with such tired BS....I am sorry, you may be a nice guy, but your message really gets me fired up since you are probably the first person many new riders and parents talk to.

 

I am perfectly aware of the risks of him being on an ATV. I am only 14 and weigh 125lbs and am 5'9. He may be only 11 but he knows the risks of ATV's also. He knows when he needs to slow down, he reads the terrain pretty well, and he knows if something is to much for him. He is plenty mature enough at 11. Heck I started riding at 3 years old. Was I mature enough? Aparently so, I am still alive 11 years later. I had a couple of crashes but who hasn't. Currently my brother rides a Honda XR80R dirt bike. And like deanmass said a 9 year old can ride a CR500 but not a Polaris 90. Its rediculous. To me dirt bikes cn be just as dangerous as an ATV. I feel that if he rides my 300EX as well as he does he should be able to ride a Recon just as well. He does have until December to mature for those of you who feels he is not mature enough. And he is always asking me questions and wanting me to teachhim how to ride better. So no more of the age issue. Just answer my original question.