As with any new engine you want to change the oil sometime toward the end of the break in period. It's good to flush out any metal particles left behind from manufacuring and initial wear. Thats the why and when. As for the what; I have learned, from this forum, to use what ever oil your climate dictates as long as its ATV/motorcycle type oil. The Hensim is suppose to have a wet clutch, therefore you need to use an oil that is suitable for wet clutch applications. ATV oil is just that. I live in NY so I have found 10w-40 to be a good all round choice for our temperatures. As said before in one of my last posts, I picked up Valvoline 10w-40 on sale for $2.50qt at PepBoys. If you like synthetic oil, then you must also use synthetic that is approved for ATV use. The different chemistries and refining have something to do with it. My son isnt going to put any kind of excessive hours or stress on the engine to warrant the use of synthetic so I will probably just stick with conventional oil and change it as needed.

BTW, do you have the newer 07 style Hensim? The newer one has a small tail light incorporated in the rear fender just behind the seat and the front head lights are redesigned a bit. I was also told that some of the electrical problems were fixed. I chose to get the 06 model cause it has a much larger tail light and didnt come in the color my son wanted.

 

Its funny you mentioned the new model. I have one that has the small tailight and I was told that was the old model. I think it looks like a newer design to me. The title says July of 2006. The other atv has the big tailight mounted low on the frame. They told me that was the new model. The front suspension is different as well. The one that has the large tailight has a upper and lower ball joint setup and no lug nuts, just uses a single nut in the center of the wheel. Now they tell me that is the newer model. The other atv uses a king pin front end setup and has lug nuts on all the wheels. Personally I like the setup of the atv that has the smaller tailight and the king pin front end setup. Much better ground clearance and looks like the front end is built better. I took pics of both. Maybe I will upload them.

I posted some pics in the members gallery under my name for comparasion.

 

There is absouletely no consistency in the manufacturing of these things. It cracks me up. Just looking at the pic, ill bet that the pink one has a better front suspension. Meaning that if you push down on the front, the two front tires will remain somewhat perpendicular with the ground and the suspension will do the travel. On mine, which they say is the older one and has the same suspension as your the blue one, if you push down on the front it you really have to get on it. It will eventually compress and the suspention will go down a bit but the tires will distort and go way out of geometry. Try pulling the blue one backwards and see what happens to the front tires.
I feel for you bro. Its so damn frustrating when your trying to do something good for the kids and it backfires. Ive had the quad at my shop for almost three weeks now just to make sure that when I give it to my son that it is running in top condition. If there are any questions you need to ask, please drop me an email at mrdjc@verizon.net. If you have any info you can share as well please let me know.

 

At first I like the setup of the blue one, but after looking at it more carefully and reading your post, I can see where the pink setup is better. I never thought about the effect of the tires when the suspension goes up and down. Oh well, you do get what you pay for and if my kids have a good time, it will serve a purpose for right now. Heck, they might not even take to them. The company said I have 45 days to return them, starting on the 20th of Dec. All I have to pay is return shipping of around $170.00. To me it is worth a try. The kids love to ride around the property with me holding them. I know that is not safe. Now we need helmets and I need to set a good example and wear mine each and every time we go out. I really can't wait for xmas day. Hopefully everything works out.

Thanks again for the input everyone!!!
Donny

 

Speedknot,

I have found your review to be very informative. Just a few questions:

1. I have a 6-yr old wanting an ATV - Is it your opinion that the Hensim 70cc would be a good first bike? He is on the tall side. Additionally, I am very mechanically inclined.

2. Don't know if this is frowned upon, but you mentioned you paid approx. $350 for yours. Do you mind asking me where?

I am clueless on this decision other than I don't want to drop $2k on something he will outgrow in 2 years.

Thanks,

Ben

 

Actually speedknot paid $350.00 for his. Mine were actually higher. I paid $550.00 each. I bought mine fromATV dealer My girls are 5 and 3. I originally started out buying one for the 5 year old, but then I got to thinking what might happen on xmas morning with only one atv. So I checked with the dealer and they said I have 45 days to send either one or both back less shipping and handling. They already ride those electric ones and they grow very bored with them. I have very little doubt the 5 year old will love it. The 3 year old may not take to it. She loves to ride around the property with me on my atv or tractor. I figure I will give it a try. Being able to set the mph down very low and having the ability to walk behind and shut the atv off with either a pull cord or the included remote helped in my decision. Neither one will be ready anytime soon to take off on there own. Another thing I like about these atv's is the foot brake as well as a hand brake. I believe they will feel more comfortable using the foot brake at first. That will be the very first thing they learn. I don't want either one to be scared at all, but they do have to learn whenever they feel uncomfortable to just simply and calmly apply the brake. It seems like when a inexperienced rider panics they always go for the throttle and get into even more trouble......Trust me, I know from experience... LOL[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

I noticed you said your son is on the tall side, just a note of info the seat height is only 23". They are not very big at all.

 

Thanks for the kind words Ben. I got my sons quad from the importer whom I did a favor for. They only sell to dealers. After some use, I am really unhappy with the front suspension. It does not behave like a front suspension should, as stated in an earlier post. I am in the process of fabricating a whole new front end. Also, the carb on these chinese quads seem to be very sensitive. They need to be tweeked more often then most. In my opinion if you are going to go with a chinese unit then go with one with a better front suspension.

 

My apologies Ben. I did not read your post closely. I see you did address it to speedknot. They say after 40 the brain starts to do unusual things.... Sorry.

 

Donny & Speedknot,

Thanks for the info - I am truly clueless in this area.

There is a local Hensim dealer here which is why I was curious. There are other Chinese dealers here in Atlanta as well. Just one more question if you guys can help me. What other comparable models did yor would you consider? Again, this is for a 6 year old and I'm only looking for something he can ride for a few years. If he truly enjoys it, we can step up to a Japanese ATV when he turns 8.

Thanks,

Ben

 

I agree with Speedknot, a unit with a good front suspension may be a better option. I did notice that after adding the stud extenders, it is way more stable. I also agree that the carb settings are very sensitive. I don't mind tinkering, so I don't view this as a big deal.

Another possible issue may be the throttle limiter. The "limiter" is just a screw that you can adjust as to how far the throttle lever moves, and I am not so sure it will actually adjust down to 5 mph. I weigh about 170, and this little thing flies with me on it.

I can not say I am totally disappointed with this unit, it does have excellent brakes,runs very smooth, and it's quiet. I am confident that it will be good enough to see if my son really takes to riding, and if he does I will spend the money on a name brand quad. As stated earlier, it is on the smaller side, so I think he will outgrow it pretty quickly.