Ok, Here is message (I have done this twice today will get used to this forum format soon, ha)

Getting the kids a Sportsman 90 for Xmas. I noticed an Eton at Polaris dealership has same motor/tran as Polaris and that Sportsman 90 is made overseas.

What is expected reliability of Sportsman 90 ?

What are some things to watch closely ? This is my first small ATV.

I rode it around some and it has more pep than I expected.

 

All the little 2strokes like that are alike.Not the best thing in the world if you want a better machine go with the tried and true ones like the Suzuki LT80,Honda TRX90,Yamaha Raporet 80 or if you want a small one that can pack grown ups too look at the Yamaha 125 Breeze. We had a Eton 50 and it was ok but my son got tired of it quickly because it wasnt fast enough.

 

They're good little machines, though there are probably better ones on the market. If you get one, find out where the restrictors are and remove them. Do NOT let anything get past the air filter as the engine will be toast easy. I know, this sounds like obvious advice but the filter is substandard on these so it takes a little extra caution. My kids got dirty water down theirs and ruined the piston and cylinder. The upside of this was that I was able to upgrade it to a 110ccs and do the repair myself for only $120.

Also, watch out for rocks, etc. No mini has a lot of clearance and some break more easily than others. If you buy the SP90 DON'T LET THEM HIT ANYTHING. The plastic bumper and racks are WAY overpriced (IMHO) and I got so tired of replacing or mending them that I simply took them off.

Many of the mini's sold today come from the same pool of eastern manufacturers and can share components (My SP90 was upgraded with Eton parts). As FTWFTH has pointed out, there are some advantages to buying a Suzuki, Yamaha or Honda. Each of these machines is actually made by the company in question while the SP90 is made by Aeon. Both the Yamaha and Honda are three speed auto clutches, which is great if you expect your kids to graduate to a manual machine, but can be a little harder to train them on (on the other hand, many parents shift them into first and remove the shift lever to insure a slower training speed). The Suzuki has a ton of aftermarket and seems to be popular, but I've heard that the transmission is part of the swing arm which adds unsprung weight and can make them a little too bouncy.

I bought the SP90 for my 12 year old who outgrew it in a couple months (he's 5'9 and 140 lbs), but my younger boys can ride it (well one of them). Since I've added to the CC's my 12 year old has taken to riding it again (he's learning to do wheelies, yikes!).

Ok, getting too long winded, so I will finish with this, do your research. Spend as much time at this as you would on your own machine. Buy what you're convinced is the best quality machine.

 

Thanks for the info,

I have a 12, 10, 9, and 6 yr old kids. The 2 youngest are step kids and are here all the time and the 2 oldest live in Florida, so they are here in summer and holidays.

In addition to the SP 90, we got a 325 Mag 2WD that I am sure the 12 yr old will ride most of time. We were getting the 325 Mag and my wife saw the SP 90 and thought we needed it also. I looked at the Hon, Suz, Kaw on the internet and they didn't impress me with the specs. The reliability issue was a concern when I figured out that the SP 90 was made overseas and shared parts with other brands. The SP 90 has twice the wheel travel as the others and I wanted the auto tranny for the kids.

I am getting back into the ATV business after several years now since we have moved back where we have some land to ride on. My first ATV was a Honda 185S 3-wheeler w/no suspension (unless you counted the "balloon" tires) and ATV's have come a long, long way since then.

Much better designs and much safer

 

If I were you I would look at the Breeze before deciding on any of them.When I was looking for one for my son we wanted 1.automatic 2.reverse 3. working headlight 4.4 stroke dont let the issue of long travel suspinsion get you.THe 50cc and 90cc dont need that much for trail riding but it is good on MX track.We chose the Breeze because it met all of our(my) wants in a quad.And it will keep up with anything on the trails.Just hate to see some one over look a great ride because the magazines dont rate it high.

 

whats good for the MX track is great for the trails
i have yet to see any 4 stroke make a pull for 1st 2nd 3rd
we are one of the ones racing the 90cc quAds and i have raced the lem quad too but we needed the BEST of both worlds racing and trail riding
the kasea 90 worked perfect for that
Dwayne

 

dj250r all the litle quads we he riden with can get through the tuff stuff and we always have to pull them backwards when we get on a deadend trail and when it gets late the have to ride by someone elses lights(not safe at all) I wish you could ride with me and my son you would see what i mean but if you are on a 250r you wouldnt get around too good either.But thats what us 4x4 folks are for to pull sport quads threw the deep stuff.

 

I did look at the Breeze, but felt it would be to big for the younger kids to ride. I have already got the SP 90 in the shop for the kids Xmas, so can't change now. After I found out the SP 90 was made by Aeon and similar to many others, I realized the the Hon, Suz, Kaw minis may have better quality and I almost canceld the deal, but went ahead and got the SP 90 due to long travel suspension and auto tranny.

I considered the longer travel suspension a safety factor for control in case the kids run thru some unexpected rough stuff. The front does seems too stiff and would like to find some lighter weight springs.

No headlight wasn't a concern because the kids will not be riding it at night anyway and I don't care to ride at night either.

I also considered the auto tranny a safety factor so kids would not have to think about shifting. Have a Mag 325, so they won't have to shift when they get on bigger ATV.

Did I mention my wife saw it and liked it ?

 

You will like it ok and i bet it will suit your needs for awhile untill the kids out grow it.And I know what its like when the wife likes something[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]