my son is 12 turning 13 in a month. he wants a new quad, cause he grew out of his 90cc. he doesn't know how to shift or use a clutch. i am wondering do any of you have any experience with the Polaris 200? and does anyone know if it is hard to shift the honda?

 

The 250ex is a very good machine as long as I've had it. Bullet-proof, great stall-proof clutch that will teach your son to drive clutch, it's basically semi-auto with the option of using a clutch. It will bore him eventually, but if you can find a good used one I'd advise taking that over a brand new one, as he will grow out of it. Rejet it, get it a new air filter, and toss on an aftermarket exhaust, and it will wake up quite a bit!

I don't know about the polaris at all, so just consider the options and figure out what is the better buy for longevity and entertainment!!!

 

The 250EX is a great machine and the Phoenix is a good machine. If he doesn't know how to shift and isn't interested in learning, the Polaris has a fully auto CVT that'll be a breeze to operate. And like the previous poster said, your son may get bored with these 200-250cc machines which makes price a factor. One of my local dealers was going to sell us a brand new Phoenix for $2000. The Honda will be about $1000 to $1500 more. Hope this helps.

 

I had my son on a Recon 250 at age 9, he was a tall kid, and fit it great, in a year, he was bored with it, so I ended up getting him a 300ex. Learning the clutch and shift will take one afternoon, then some easy trail rides to get him in the habit, and he will be fine, he loved that 300 with the ability to wheelie over ruts and puddles by blipping the throttle and using the clutch to lift the front end, took years for him to out grow that. Don't be afraid to try a smaller manual shifter, kids learn fast, you can see how he handles it, and decide from there if you buy it or not. But like everyone else hear says, they quickly outgrow the smaller quads at his age,and will be bugging you for " faster, more power" before you know it.