My daughters are young teens and I have been looking for a quad for them to share. I looked at the 90's and the lt80 but they are too small for the size of my girls. (Knees hitting their arms because the quads are too small). They fit fine on a blaster and the 250ex but I want something a little more tame. Any suggestions?

 

You want a name brand? Eton and a few others have a full sized 150cc with a cvt (tranny like Polaris).

www.anythingatv.com

Not pushing this company but you can see some different makes/models there.

 

If your state doesnt out-law 12 year olds riding over 90cc machines, I'll suggest the Honda Recon 250cc ES as its about the most durable brand out there. I like the lower center of gravity and its not a high speed machine. Great for trail riding, not much for racing. I ride it occasionally when I know getting through an area of fallen trees means I will get high centered. It doesnt weigh as much as the 4x4's


Good luck

 

my daughter is 10 and she rides a honde 250ex she loves it no clutch. i think if you buy anything smaller you will regret it in a month when you discover that they have out grown it. i wouldnt get anything smaller.

 

I've been riding since i was 11 and started on a blaster then moved to a banshee/warrior in a 1 & 1/2 later. My sister started when she was 13 (1/2) riding a blaster & she can't get enough of it, shes 5'5" and about 105lbs (if she reads this she'll hit me [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img]). About the being tame, the blaster is more jumpy than the 250ex but its not a really huge difference, enough but not like banshee<->warrior. If you ride dunes/ more open areas I would suggest a blaster hands down. But if you were more in trail riding tighter 250ex would be good. Even though blaster handles pretty well. But if you got them quads i would take a few days (depending if they catch on fast) on the basics (clutch, brakes, turning etc) and get them familer with were there riding and take a class that a local ATV club might offer (you could do that in any order). By the time you take them out a few times they should be familer with power of their bikes.

JMO

 

Thanks for the input. It's not against the law in California for them to ride a blaster or 250ex so I'll be trying to figure out how to afford one (or two). Of course that also means my girlfriend will have to get a better quad too.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

I thought it would be interesting to see what the left coast California State regulations were for youth and ATV operation. Wow! I've been promoting the need for the adults who are <U>suppose</U> to provide the supervision to youth be educated and certified in appropriate use - and here I find California already has this in their laws...

UNDER 18: A minor may not operate an ATV unless he or she has received the safety course in this state or another state, or is under the direct supervision of an adult who has the appropriate safety certification (Section 38503 Vehicle Code).

I am impressed. Maybe my state can follow the lead on this.

 

The LT-160 is an in between machine, but it will go out of production in 05.

I would say the 250EX would be a good choice for a 14 year old, but the 12 year old will have to take it real easy.

My son just turned 11, and he is tall enough to ride the 250/Recon, but he doesn't have the weight to handle the bigger machine, so he is stuck on the 90 for at least another year.

 

If you've changed you mind and you are looking to buy new, then I'd look at the Suzuki z250. I think it's a better machine than the Honda (which pains me to say because I'm a Honda guy!).

 

Samson the 250 EX is an excellent machine.I get a good look at a lot of these beginner bikes because of all the classes we have in our racing series.The Z 250s aren't popular because they are too slow even for the young kids who are used to riding hopped up mini's(which might not be a bad thing in this case).The blaster is a little too much for a beginner in my opinion with the fully manual trans and two stroke powerband.There is also one made by Bombardier called the rally which looks interesting and seems to get good reviews in the magazines.Its a 175cc model two stroker that is liquid cooled and belt driven(fully automatic)Its kind of a sporty utility style and they sell quite cheaply,at least here in Canada.