I am trying to decide on which 90cc quad to get my kids. We will be trail riding on public lands with elevations ranging from 3000 to 11000. Most of the riding will be between 5000 and 9000. I need something that is going to be powerful, reliable, and fun to ride. It also needs to be fairly water proof as we will cross several streams and rivers. I also need it to last since I have younger kids that I would like to pass the machines down too once my oldest grows out of it. I have always been a 4-stroke fan but I have been told by a few people to get a 2-stroke for the small machines since they are more powerful. I understand that most all youth quads are made in Taiwan or China. I just want to make one purchase now that will last. If I can buy the cheaper machines and save money that is just great. If not then which of the main brands is the best.

Thanks,

 

Kymco is a great brand along with Eaton, Unison, and all the name brands.. Kymco is great because they have utility style atv's for kids and they are built very well but cheaper than the name brands. Kymco quality is up with the name brands.

 

Get the Japanese built Honda TRX90 if you can afford it, it'd be perfect for the riding conditions you're talking about.

 

We had a Polaris 90 sportsman for our daughter. She road that to 9985 feet in Montana. They dont take much water though - we would sometimes turn it off and tow it quickly through the deeper stuff. Often the current was more then it would handle without a rope on it anyways but it did save from having to pull the air cleaner off and purge the water out of it. They say that water to floorboards is acceptable - we pushed that some. Actaully - once she got the hang of it she nearly always found a way around the deeper water. Those little things go places our big quads wont fit.

 

I bought my 7 year old son a 06 TRX90 and I have the throttle restricted to a top speed of 15 mph but it will pull both of us around like it's set. With no restriction, it will do 41mph with me on it and I weigh 190.

It's made in Japan...has that tough Honda 90 engine that has powered many a Honda machine for a long time.

We have had it since October and all I have done is change the oil and lubed and adjusted drive chain.
No, it doesn't have a shaft drive, auto tranny or disc brakes nor lights.....but it has that Honda dependability that's built in that 90 engine for over 40 years that I know of.
It runs great, starts easily, is quiet running and is just a fine machine that will last a long time.

 

Another vote for the TRX90 from Honda. Since you are planning on keeping it through several kids, the biggest drawback to the TRX - high price - can be justified. The TRX is built like a tank, it will still be there for your grandkids. Now that the '06 models have electric start, it's just as easy to ride as the Taiwaneese quads.

We've added a full length skidplate to ours (Maier) and for the last six years the TRX has gone wherever our full size 4x4's go. Our's has never seen 41 MPH though - highest I've ever clocked it is flat out at 34 MPH with a 90 lb rider. The TRX is completely waterproof, I've seen ours go through water so deep that the front end is just floating and the back wheels are bouncing up and down off the bottom. The only disadvantage of the TRX as compared to a typical Tiawaneese quad is that the Honda has drum brakes on the front and rear - no disc anywhere. The brakes are not sealed very well so after a few mud puddles you start to loose braking power.

Our maintainence issues over the last 6 years have been brake pads, bearings and a rebuild of the recoil starter. The TRX is very cold blooded and takes some throttle/choke nursing for the first five minutes or so after you start it. This is made a little harder by the sucky choke location but once it warms up it does great.

Big advantages for the TRX is the 4-speed auto clutch tranny - great for teaching kids how to shift, low first gear so it can pull most any hill from a standing start and "big quad" brake set-up - where the left hand & right foot operates the rear brake and the right hand operates the front brake.

Jaybee

 

You are right Jaybeecon...this 06 90 is cold natured also. It takes roughly 5 mins to warm up but runs like a top after that.
I clocked the top speed with a GPS unit and I layed down across the handle bars to cut wind resistance. Sitting up the speed was a respectable 38.9 mph and the machine felt really stable at that speed.

The price out the door was 2600 dollars but it's 2600 well invested...IMO. My neighbor just sold an older Honda 90 tha he had fixed up for his daughter 3 years ago. He put new plastic, made running boards, and just cleaned it up and painted the frame etc...
He paid 400 for it with no plastics.....sold it for 1500. He only had 800 tied up in it.

 

AFA resale value, here in So Cal 5-6 year old TRX90s still fetch $2k so the arguement against them due to price holds no water other than what it costs up front. The cheap Tiawanese stuff has hardly any resale value IMO, being so cheap upfront, who in the world would bother buying used?? The name brand Tiawanese stuff, Eton, Polaris, Yamaha, Suzuki/Kaw are obviuosly an exception, but they cost only a few hundred less, if that, than a Honda.

 

My kids have a sportsman90 05 LE. Havent taken it through the rough stuff yet. Maybe in a couple of years. Anyway its been a great machine. This year they have daytime running lights. Heard not good at all for actual night riding. But still its cool.

 

We have an 04 Arctic Cat 70 it's my son's race quad. It may be a "cheap" mini. But there is no cheap anywhere in this mini. It has been the toughest mini you could ask for. We also have an 06 Honda trx 90. This mini in my book is the BEST mini on the planet. We live in the Mountains of WV. My son puts his mini's thru heck and back. These 2 mini's have been put thru some of the roughest conditions known. I believe the Honda would make a great mini for your riding conditions. The Honda 90 will out last most all mini's They last forever that's why be bought it.


We race GNCC Nationals. They put these mini's thru heck. And all the Honda's are running at the end of the race.We have NEVER had a DNF in the 2 full race seasons on our Arctic Cat.

You may be thinking well I'll never race. But I'm just letting you know the extreme off road conditions we put these mini's thru are the same conditions and trail riding you will be joy riding in.