Any suggestions on a good youth ATV for my 10 year old?

 

LT80s are good but, he will grow out of it fast. Get him another Z400. Of course that is if he is already a decent rider. Otherwise I'd suggest a smaller quad. 250ex? 300ex if he knows how to shift gears. Blaster but, you already sold one of those. If he's an accomplished rider the bigger quads will save you money in the long run. My sons are 11-13 and have been riding for 4-5 years. They ride my Raptor, brothers DS and a friends Banshee as good as anyone almost. Check the videos in my signature for the ones with the 11 year old.

 

Thanks for the reply. Just afraid a 2-stoke is too much and a big 4 is too.

 

Both my boys were wiened on the LT80 (1988) model and we bought them a Badger almost 2 years ago. They still ride them but have way more fun on the bigger bikes. 250ex are geared but no clutch. This would be a good learner or transition bike to a bigger quad. jmo. Reverse also I believe. All the smaller bikes have no suspension and are realy a waste of money almost. I'd look at the 250ex myself. Good luck.

 

There's a pretty good rumor that Suzuki is coming out with a sport version of the Ozark. An entry level sport, like the Honda 250 EX is an excellent choice for a 10 year old. Sports are lighter and more stabile than utilities and stress "riding it" instead of "riding on it". They are a better learning platform than a bulky utility.

 

My son started riding at 4 1/2 on a throttled-down LT80,then I modded it when he was older and needed more speed/power. At 9 he got a Recon,mastered shifting in a couple of days, and rode it for almost 2 years,now this spring I got him a 300ex,he rides it like a pro,got the clutch down in a couple of afternoons of riding. Depending on the size of your boy, and if he wants sport or something with racks on it, the Recon,250ex,Ozark,etc., would be ideal for him.Don't be surprised if a year later he is begging for a clutch and bigger motor !!!

 

The Honda 250ex is an excellent starter quad and if you feel he is pretty good, maybe step up to the 300ex because it has more mods to hold him over.

 

My 9 yr. old is riding a Honda TRX90 and has been for the last year. He started on the Suz.LT80 when he was six. The Honda 90 is pretty big compared to the other mini quads. Now it is hopped up to a 107cc with bigger carb and exhaust,suspension, and rev box mods. That should tide him over for a couple years{11 yrs. old}. 10-12 yr. olds really are in the middle of small and full size quads, so pick what would be the safest and most fun for him even though he might out grow it in a year or so.

 

newzman, I have pm'd you on the Ozark.