looking to buy a kid
 

I am looking for a quad for my little girls. I have ages 7, 4, and 3. Looking for one the older ones can ride comfortably and won't outgrow too fast. We mainly ride at the dunes and put around the house. Is there still one called the xtreme machine? What is your advise? Thanks, Craig

looking to buy a kid's quad
 

3 suggestions.
1- Quit entertaining yourself by putting your young children at risk
2 -Buy a puppy
3 - wait 5 years for the motorized toys.
12 is about right for the average kid.

Some may disagree with me,
but they dont have to stand outside the emergency room with you.

looking to buy a kid's quad
 

suzuki LT80, bullet proof, when kept stock, my kids started riding it at 4 and 6, using the throttle limiters of course, bought a new one for 2100 out the door

looking to buy a kid's quad
 

If all minis were perfect, I'd focus on the following in any brand:
- Lots of suspension
- Daytime running lights (some have optional add-on)
- Foot brake (especially for very young drivers)
- Disc Brakes (especially in water rides)
- electric start
- CVT / Auto transmission
- 2 stroke (for lots of bottom end zip)
- 4 stroke if you are in a Red Tag state.
- Thick drive chain (especially in sand / deep water rides)
- Spring loaded chain tensioner
- Mechanical soundness
- Handle bar cross padding
- Loudness of its muffler system
- Historical reliability

Perhaps the E-Ton Viper, Kasea (with 3rd Party Nerf bars), Xtreme (with 3rd Party Nerft bars), Blast, Predator, etc. could be the first few units you start investigating???? For your general domestic type riding, many different brands will serve your immediate needs.

Engine size for your kids??? That's a debate that's been batted around many times in the past. You may want to surf previous postings for more info and come to your own CC size conclusion.

With any brand you do select, ensure its safe for your kids and you can obtain the necessary maintenance parts at afforedable prices. Many of us "pit crew" parents can't emphasize this enough for the first time owner....

PS. Very few complaints about the Xtreme brand on this forum. Well worth investigating in more detail.

Hope this helps in your first few steps down your long path of selection research & final purchase.

----------------

If wondering, my 8 year old drives safer on his quad then our 14 year old neighbour kid. Even his father aggrees with me. Like a puppy, train them young before their hormones kid in. After they get above 13, some kid's Driving Attitude can never be changed.

Something to think of...

.

looking to buy a kid's quad
 

I started mine on a Raptor 80... he was 7... and he is a big boy for his age... All kids will be different. I thought he was ready for the 80 CC's, but after going out and scaring the crap out of himself, I am now wondering if I made the correct choice. How many 8 year olds do you know that have a quad of their own out in the garage and they let it gather dust. I have owned it for a year now and still haven't ran an entire tank of fuel through it.... and my wife and I had such great plans for ATV camping trips.. no sense pushing him.. he is scared... I just hope he can overcome his fear when he gets older.....

looking to buy a kid's quad
 

Suzuki LT80 fits your description. Lots of them around, older ones should be available cheap. Fully automatic: no gears. Electric start.Can be controlled for speed. Doesn't have all the things that Spike99 lists, but a lot of the stuff he lists is only on 2000 or newer quads. Headlight? okay, if you're night riding. Horn? other riders won't hear it over their engines and through tight helmet.

I think the other guy was a little harsh in his assessment about emergency room, wait until 12 y/o, and get a pup. I think we underestimate kids abilities. It's YOUR responsibiltiy to supervise them properly. They learn lots of riding skills between 6-12. What if the cute little puppy turns out to have pit-bull lines (or not) and mauls your kid's face because he/she yanked it's sore paw?? Life is full of risks and some of them probably will eventually land our kids in emergency room, hopefully for something minor like a couple of stitches, which will teach just enough fear and respect for whatever caused it. Otherwise, you spend your life living in fear of everything and what MIGHT or COULD happen.

looking to buy a kid's quad
 

I agree fully.. the really interresting thing about kids and injuries was stated in a recent magazine article I read about how dangerous ATV's were etc.. but they did make a comment that stats wise, there are more injuries and deaths each year for kids on bicycles than ATV's... and I imagine these little scooters you see every kid on adds to that count as well. The article, although very critical of the ATV industry, did admit that ATV injuries were only a very small fraction of what they were on Bikes.

And I think if parents make them wear the proper gear including helmets, goggles, boots, gloves and even a chest protector, AND supervised the kids until they were 15 or 16, the stats would go down even more.

I believe our friend in MN is a bit reactive... and if I am correct, I think he might be the same guy who is an ATV safety instructor. I am sure his experiences may have jaded his view a bit.. but you can't argue with what he is saying either. I believe he is genuinely concerned and wants parents to really think their decision through.

I have to admit that I have lived vicariously through my children many times. I get pleasure watching them do things I was unable to do when I was a kid growing up... and sometimes, like with ATV's I get to join them and be a kid again...at least for a while... until these old bones tell me I am not a kid any more and that I should act my age... and my wife yells at me for setting a bad example and calling me a crazy old coot.. (And just exaclty what is a coot anyway? I know I should feel offended, but ignorance is bliss I guess)


Heh heh, wait until the grand kids get old enough sweetie.. I'll show you what a bad example is really like...

It sure is hard to act dignified when you butt is hurting, and your knees don't want to work any more.... You know the walk I am talking about.... Find me a chairand get the oxygen... Quick!

looking to buy a kid's quad
 

I agree with most of the reply's here on the dangers of letting young kids ride.Every child is different and you can't just brand them all the same.My son was 5 1/2 last year when we got the Viper 90.A 90 would be way too big for a child his age most people would say but he has always had electric powered riding toys to drive/ride from a very early age and so he understood the concept of steering and stopping starting and running into things.This gave him a huge head start over a kid that might not have any driving/riding experience at all.The new E-ton Viper series have an adjustable cdi box that limits the speed of the bikes in increments which sounds like a great idea.Its up to the parents to determine the abilities of your child though and take the necessary steps to keep the atv toned down to a level the child can handle. Very, very close supervision and safety equipment(riding gear) is a must.Most 12 year olds are way too big to ride most of the mini's in my opinion.

looking to buy a kid's quad
 

You know I think it all comes down to parenting. Since they don't have a test for parenting skills beside looking back and seeing how they turned out. I recomend common sense. Many a child under 12 can ride very well some better than many adults. On another forum I ranted about my anger at an adult who caused an accident while riding a motorcycle that injured my 13 year old daughter. But due to the proper equipment and good safety practices on her part the injury was not worse than she received for a slow speed crash on a stupid push scooter on the sidewalk outside my house. Make sure that any child put on a quad is supervised that they understand and can relate back to you the correct way to ride and handle different situations. I have ridden with an ATV safety instructor who has ridden with my daughter along too. I asked him about putting her in his class, he told I could if I wanted to but that she already did everything that he teaches correctly. So if you don't know for certain that the child is ready don't find out throught the sink or swim method. Get the opinion of someone who knows what they are talking about who can actually see what the child does. And never let them ride unsupervised they are still kids. Just as another point while my 7 year old rides I strictly limit were at and speeds while I observe his learning curve. It is taking him longer because he just wants to go fast so he is being held back until he learns the basic better first and I say he he is ready. He wants to ride trails and I won't allow it yet until he shows what he can do and how well he can follow instructions, and judgement on his part.

looking to buy a kid's quad
 

It is defantly about the kids. I can say that my boy turned four 5 months ago and can out ride his 10 yr old sister. He started on a power wheels his 2nd b-day and got his e-ton 50 for his 3rd b-day.

His 50 is now a 70 that will smoke a stock 90 and we are going to trade her 90 for a 50 so maybe she will ride more. She did better on his 50 when it was stock.

He started to ride a two wheel pedal bike a few weeks after his 3rd b-day. She didnt take the training wheels off till she was 7.

Bottom line is different kids have different abilitys. Use you best judgement for YOUR kid.