Hey Guys, I am going to be purchasing a quad for my wife very soon and I am seriously considering the Bayou 220 for her. I like all of the features that it has to offer over the other brands and was wanting to know from the folks that own one, if they are happy with thier choice.
I do not ride fast, so speed is not a major concern. I mostly trail ride and play in the mud and wouldn't be worried about her getting stuck, I could easily drag her out of just about anything with my AC.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanx, Ron

 

go for it i have a 91 and i love it. great quad for smaller people and really good for ladys just dosent have very good suspension look at the bayou 300 too has a little more power and great suspension.

 

The Bayou 220 is a “3/4 scale” quad designed for smaller riders. You didn’t say whether or not your wife was petite, but her physical size will in part be a determining factor in how comfortable she is on whatever quad you end up buying for her to ride. Needless to say, the more comfortable she is, the more likely she will be to enjoy the ATV experience. And hence the more likely she will be to not lose interest and to want to go riding.

I also spent some time searching for the “perfect” quad for a female rider. In my case, it was for my then 13-year old daughter. The Bayou 220 was the first quad up for consideration. Ultimately, I rejected it, not because of any concerns about its capabilities, but rather because of its size.

My daughter was always tall for her age, and while the Bayou 220 fit her well at age 13, I knew she would soon outgrow it. I ended up buying a Bayou 300 4x4 for my daughter to ride. At age 15 she is now 5-feet 8-inches tall and weighs about 125 pounds. The Bayou 300 fits her perfectly.

I am currently shopping for a quad for my son for his 5th birthday. I again looked at the Bayou 220, and I again rejected it because of its size. This time, because it was too big. But in the course of quad shopping for my son I took a tape measure with me and I measured several aspects of the various quads I looked at. You may find these measurements useful in attempting to find a good ergonomic fit for your wife.

The three measurements that I thought critical for my son were:

(1) The "inside" width of the handlebars. By which I mean the distance from the inside lip of the right handgrip to the inside lip of the left handgrip. This measurement determines how wide he must spread his arms to put his hands on the handlebars. On the LT80 it was 18-inches. On the Badger it was 19-inches. On the TRX90 it was 20-inches. On the Bayou 220 it was 21-inches. As a comparison benchmark on my Bayou 300 it is 22-inches, and on my Bayou 400 it is 23-inches.

(2) The width of the seat directly over the footpegs. This measurement determines how far he would have to spread his legs in order to straddle the seat. On the LT80 it is 6-1/2 inches. On the Badger it is 7-inches. On the TRX90 and the E-Ton 90 it is nearly 9-inches. On the Bayou 220 it was 10-inches. As a comparison benchmark on my Bayou 300 & 400 it is 11-inches.

(3) The "combined inseam distance". By which I mean the distance from the top of the left footpeg up over the seat and down to the top of the right footpeg. This measurement determines how well he will be able to move around on the quad as the terrain varies and still keep both feet on the footpegs. On the LT80 it is 41-inches. On the Badger it is 42-inches. On the TRX90 and E-Ton 90 it is 44-inches. On the Bayou 220 it is 46-inches. As a comparison benchmark, on my Bayou 300 & 400 it is 48-inches.

I hope these measurements will give you something to think about and help you in your effort to find a suitable quad for your wife.

Army Man

 

Thanks for the input. My wife is petite, only five foot tall and 115lbs. As you can see, I am an Arctic Cat rider and I highly recommend them. I would like nothing more than to buy her the AC 250 but it is built on the same frame as the 500, making it a little big for her.

If the Honda Recon had semi-independent rear suspension like the Bayou, there would be no question about my choice. Personally, I feel this is an important item to have on an atv.

Again, thanks for your input.

Ron

 

I've owned a 2000 bayou 220, i got it at first because i wasn't sure if atving was for me. i loved it! but then i wanted better handling on the trails and better shocks, so I traded it for 2001 Lakota Sport and this is a fantastic bike! i am a woman and i did not want a huge bike. I also just trail ride. have you looked at the 2001 lakota? price: $4100. The only drawback is that it is chain driven which requires a little more care. but i feel the benifits far outweigh the extra care. don't get me wrong, we have another Bayou 220 and it runs great, just hop on it and go! if you want better handling and more shock travel but don't mind the extra care, i would choose a 2001 Lokata Sport! wish they had this the 1st time around for me anyway!