I just got through reading alot of the bad on the Raptor 50.Thanx for all that had info and shared it!I'am currently looking for a beginners quad for my 4 year old son.He has ridden his battery powered wheeler for 2 years now and we're looking to upgrade.Is there a good place to buy a used one out there,since they must outgrow them fairly quickly?I'm located in MN if anyone has any suggestions for around here.I prefer a 4-stroke and shaft drive,(reliability).Any info is much appreciated!Brands,dealers,ect.....?Thanx in advance!!!!

 

4 stroke and shaft drive make for a crappy quad. 2 stroke chain driven is the way to go.

 

I JUST BOUGHT MY SON A PERDATOR 50 FOR CHRISTMAS, HE NOW RIDES IT WITH ALL THE LIMITERS OFF OF IT, I WISH I WOULD OF BOUGHT A 90 CC. I THINK HE'S OUT GROWN IT ALREADY!!! CONSIDER GETTING A 90 AND KEEPING IT LIMITED SO HE HAS ROOM TO GROW IN TO IT.......JUST MY THOUGHT'S!

 

Nutz is not nuts. As long as the kid can fit the 90, it would be the way to go. The only problem is is tha some 90's are ar little bit larger. I wish I would have gone the 90 route in the beginning.

 

here goes the debate again. 4 years old!! i'm saying 50cc and sell it when he's ready to move up. if that's in a year, so be it. you'll lose pennies if you buy and sell used. look at what the TRX70 post says about their buy/sell (lost nothing). I think the kids feel pushed and intimidated on larger quad. can't squeeze brake lever, can't reach brake pedal or gear shifter. can't shift gears. thumb gets sore on throttle.

small quad, all they do is gas and brake and learn some basic handling skills. the 80 or 90s is like when Dad bought my hockey skates 2 sizes too big so I'd grow into them and get 2 seasons out of them. he's going from a toy to internal combustion driven machine, not from a Maserati to a Ferrari.

however, the LT80 is a good in-between for this debate. my 4 y/o had a blast on LT50. I sold it when he was 6. He felt intimidated with 90, and frustrated with shifting gears. he's still angry at me, and now being stubborn and defiant. wish I would have listened to him a bit more.

there is one other shaft drive/4-stroke honda-engine clone, zeedee, or zerdee. it SOUNDS great, but nobody seems to know much about it yet. there's been several posts here but the quad is in it's infancy.the top speed on it seems hard to believe for 4-stroke shaft drive.

good luck with whatever you choose.

 

I'm with Confusedbuyer. Start in off with a 50 quad. The E-Ton is a real sweet little ride

 

I started my 4 year old on an LT50, I thought about going ahead and getting an 80, but I decided that I would rather take a small loss on the 50 and have him learn on it instead of something larger. He just turned 7 and I am going to be getting him an 80 this year. I would look for a Suzuki lt50. very reliable bike and easy for a little kid to learn on. Not a lot of power, but can't get in as much trouble either.

 

Some 90's are exactly the same size as their 50 counterparts. That is why I suggested going with the 90, if, and only if, the child fits the quad properly. You can limit and restrict their performance until the child is ready for it. IMHO the Suz/kawi 50 is a piece of garbage for the money. No suspension, pull start, no power, single speed tranny. People seem to be wooed by the name.

 

If you insist they must have a bike before they are 6 get the LT80. Kink it Waaaaaayyy down, It has smaller Ergo's than some others. Widen it with wheel spacers from http://www.crjperformance.com/crj-pe...5ltkfwhsp.html or there are others. WATCH them like a hawk, which really you need to do no matter what you ride. You'll have a good bike for them for 5 years.... ALso search on this subject because it's been debated 63 million times....
jarsong

 

ok i juess i should of clearified a few thing's...... my son is 6 w/b 7 this march hes 52 inches tall and 93 pounds. the 90 cc polaris has a 36" seat height, the 50 cc has 28" your only talking 4 inches!
you have a ignition limiter AND a throttle limiter........for the kids that only know 2 speeds!
some people are not made of money to just go buy a new quad every 1-2 years for there child.
as far as the controls, whats the difference in the controls from a 50 to a 90 ????????
there the same, i have a 500 and my thumb also gets sore, that just goes with riding..dont you think? i just think for my son the 90 would of been a better choice for him. the polaris 50 only has a rider cappacity of 90 lbs, the 90 has a capacity of 150 lbs, just something to keep in mind when you decide on you choice............you know what they say about opinions!!!!!!!
just keep in mind, rider height, weight also should be a factor in your decision.