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Posted by: terd
BIGGONE,
I like that link THANKS!!!!
Posted by: maddog56
I would suggest something a little less powerful for a beginner, preferably a 250 class 4 stroke.
Posted by: reconranger
Suzuki LT160 for an in between machine. Honda 250EX/Recon if you are big for your age or a Blaster if you can handle a full manual clutch.
Posted by: Raptorlegs
Quote
Originally posted by: srevare
Hi i'm new to this forum and i wanted to know what a good atv would be. I'm 5'4" and 12 years old thanks.
Where will you be riding? Trails, sand, etc?
Do you have any experience at all? If so, tell us about it.
Posted by: Raptorlegs
If you plan on riding tracks, they will likely limit you to the cpsc guidelines of 90cc's.
With that said, you will find a "stock" 90cc machine to be too small and underpowered for your height and weight. Not to mention the lack of suspension.
If you will have lots of supervision and you can avoid these limitations(cc's), I'd recommend a 250ex or z250.
Posted by: Raptorlegs
If you are riding alone....50cc's or smaller.
If you're riding under the constant supervision of a responsible adult...150cc'ss or larger.
Posted by: Raptorlegs
Spike, you did read where he said, "I'm a 6'1" man weighing in at about 250 pounds"? BR>
That boy should be on a DS650 or something!
I do agree that their are only a handful of off-brands I would consider. Especially in adult quad market. And most of those would be determined by local support.
Posted by: Raptorlegs
Quote
Originally posted by: spike99
thanks for pointing out that my previous post should not have been so generic.
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Spike, we've been hanging out at these forums together a long time. I don't need a sugar coated nipple. lol! BR>
You can tell me what you really think! You've earned it.
Srevare, I think that lt160 will make you very happy for a year or two.
Posted by: BIGGONE
Okay YOU guys scared A NEW MEMBER AWAY!!!!!!!!!! LOL! HEHEHE!
Maybe he's that new to the sport that he knows what he wants, but doesn't really know
what the reason would be for. Maybe a LT160 would suit him just fine thats if he just plans on checkin out the scenery on the trails, if he plans on maybe racing then perhaps the Blaster
will suit his needs,it's cheap lots of upgrades available for it and it's a good entry level race machine.I don't know if he should step aboard a 250 4 stroke on his first adventure into the
great unknown though sometimes that quiet powerband can sneek up on ya and get ya introuble.
Atleast with the 2 stroke the noise will create an alertness to the power about to come on.
Just my 2 cents.
Posted by: BIGGONE
VERY VERY WELL PUT!!!! Spike99, I think you may have thourghly explained to the boy,
what he and most people don't realize when doing those deals from the factory.
They may sound "good" but in reality they aren't so good.
I agree with you 100% on the riding gear issue too as well as "WHO'S GONNA BE RIDING WITH YOU"?
I tell ya SREVARE you can't go wrong with the "older folks" here on this site whatchin out
for our "FUTURE RIDERS"! Stick here with us and you'll learn alot if your unfamiliar with
the atv's, and remeber this ANY QUESTION YOU HAVE IS NEVER A STUPID QUESTION.
Posted by: BIGGONE
Here try this, it's from a dealership in my area. http://www.xtremepowersports.com/Discount_Suzuki_ATV_-_Buy_Here/discount_suzuki_atv_-_buy_here.html
I hope this works for ya. just high light it all and left ckick your mouse and select copy then go up to your web search thingy and left click again and select paste and then hit go.
Let me know if it doesn't work.Hope it does.
Posted by: oldyeller
The Honda 250EX would be an excellent choice.The blaster is a great little bike but a little harder to learn on with the 2 stroke power band and fully manual transmission.I would stay in this level just above the mini's because suspension improvements for the smaller bikes are very expensive and you can end up spending more on a mini that will still be underpowered and too small for you in a very short time.
Posted by: spike99
Welcome to this forum. We don't see "1" posting very often...
Generally speaking, there are many "good brands" currently on the market. To help better us make the best recommendation for your unique riding conditions, tell us what type of riding you'll be doing (re: trails only, sand dunes, racing, mostly water, etc.) and your weight. Also, advise if you'll be running in any regulated trails and/or "private property only" and if you have previous riding experience. Also, tell us if you like auto transmission, don't mind shifting, like Reverse, or other preferences you have.
To start your search, focus on Kasea, E-Ton, Xtreme, Blast/LXR, Predator 90, etc. These are the more common brand that folks tend start comparing, then narrow it down to the best for their unique riding conditions. You're probably looking at a 90+ to 150 cc (if you don't have previous riding experience).
Hope this helps...
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Posted by: spike99
How abour a Predator 500??? I hear those machines are geared really high. 50+ mph sounds like to good way to "live on the edge" while zig / zagging around trees. With "zero to little" driving experience, I would NEVER put my 12 year old on a 250. 125 Breeze would be his/her MAX until age 16. Gee whiz, I'm starting to sound just like "WhoDatInDaMud". Ouch!!!!
On the more serious side.... If you plan a racing you may be stuck within a certain engine CC range for your age group. Do your homework really well, then pick the brand and CC size that meets your legal &/or riding condition needs the best. Here's a few things to keep in mind: I know a person who has a 5 year old. He purchased a E-Ton 90. He told me many times that if he picked a 70, he could run it within more races and/or take more wins in the 70 class. If you plan on driving wthin legally regulated areas, you may be stuck on a 90/110 until age 16. Sometimes, bigger isn't better. Most important rule: Pick one that "fits your body size & posture" the best.
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Posted by: spike99
My 9 year old son at 120 lbs (130 lbs with fully safety equipment) drives an '03 Predator 90. The Pred-90 is great for trails but it does have its improvement areas. Here's a few things to consider:
- At 125 lbs, you're looking at an immediate rear shock upgrade for Extreme trail and/or jumps. Add $200-$300 (???) for Works Performance or Elka upgrade on its rear Swing Arm. Also look at strengthening its upper frame with 45 degree braces (near its upper shock tower area) and add a longer Swing Arm. With your height and body weight, its short wheel base will do an end/end flip on very steep hills.
- The Pred-90 doesn't come with driving lights. For trails that are in a dark bush (like my local riding conditions), you should immediately install a front light. Add another $80-$90 For details on a customized front lights, surf: - Press Here -
- Generally speaking, the Pred-90 doesn't like water. We do lots of mud / water trails but the Pred-90 does have it's limit. If your trails are loaded with lots of deep mud / water crossings, you may want to look at another brand. To see pictures of its open belt case and front vent, surf: - Press Here -
- For trail riding, you should install a skid plate. Go with a steal plate for rocks and logs riding. Add $50.00 - $120.00. For details of a customized 3/4 length Plate, surf: - Press Here -
- On the positive side, the Pred-90 has lots of bottom end power, has a very quiet engine (great for camp grounds & horse trails) and has lots of suspension. Also has cool looking plastic. No matter what engineering & safety improvements I do to my son's Pred-90, he still thinks its the best.
- For your local trails, Reverse might be important to you. For our trails, I sure wish my '03 Pred-90 had Reverse.
- The Pred-90 is 233 lbs. I've read many posts from Drag racers asking how to reduce its weight size.
If your riding area is NOT patrolled with engine CC to age authorities, have a serious look at the Breeze 125, LT160 and maybe the 250 4 stroke (with throttle restrictor for the 1st 2 years). If you have bottomless pockets, consider purchasing a Trail bike and a seperate Racing bike.
As a suggestion, rent and/or borrow each model for a weekend and take each of them for a spin. From there, you can then decide which trail bike is the best for you. For a good racing bike, head down to your local racing track and investigate what the other 12/13 year old racers are using. Also notice what mods they are using and other critical info. You'll find that many like a certain brand of trail bike and racers like a different brand.
Also, what brand and size of Quad do your parents feel you need? I suspect they will be paying the bill, thus should have some say on the size of engine, and possibly their brand preference...
Hope this helps as well...
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Posted by: spike99
If you are purchasing a new quad yourself, here's a few things to keep in mind:
- Purchase your safety equipment first. Being a new rider, don't go whippy in this area. Get the "great stuff" because one day, it will save your life.
- Visit many dealers in your area and get a great "body fit". This is the second most important thing to do.
- Before purchasing any new quad, do the math. Some of those 0/40 or 0/50 look really good but if you focus on the fine print, it may NOT to such a great deal. For example, on some loans you must "pay the interest first". If you decide to perform a 0/50 deal and put down 100/month, that extra 50 isn't going on the capital, it's going against the future interest. If you decide to pay if off early, you still end up paying the entire amount. I know because my wife & I got suckered into a car loan like that once. Today, we focus on the "fine print", then work backwards from that.
- If you have limited dollars and know you'll be outgrowing a great "body fit" quad within a few years, consider purchasing a used one. I know some people don't like used. "It isn't the norm these days". If you are trail riding, are a first time rider, I suspect you may be replacing plastic, handle bars and seat within 2 years. Hence, save a few dollars on "used" NOW and pay for "new" broken or lessons learned parts in the future. As I look back, my adult size quad should have been "used". Used would have allowed me to save enough dollars on its purchase in order to buy a motocross for my son. As an option, purchase a used Trail Quad NOW and if you into serious racing in the future, purchase your Racing Quad "as new". By then, you'll know what you like and don't like in a Quad. Or, your next trail bike at age 16 could be new - if you are still into racing. Something that you don't have to perform "lessons learned" on. re: roll overs, end/end flips, over reving, etc.
- Always keep in mind that quading may NOT be your passion in life. Some kids drive theirs for a season then park them. For other kids, you can't get them off. It would be a shame if you purchased new (under 4 or 5 year loan) and it sits in the corner of your mom's garage for the next 3 years - as you are still making payments on it.
- In 4 months, if you are still into quading, take a course. It will teach you a few safety tricks that can't be "self taught" on the trails. Remember to save a few dollars for this course. To some on this forum, a safety course is more important then safety equipment. Re: Proactive avoidance vrs reactive protection grid.
Being 12, I'm wondering who you'll be riding with? Your mom, your dad, your uncle? Perhaps they have enough ATV experience to show you how to body fit on a quad, how to perform the basics, and escort you within the most dangerious parts of your local trails. Perhaps they can tell you what they like and/or don't like in a trail quad and the best approach for the financial loan stuff????
Hope these ideas help as well...
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Posted by: spike99
Here's some brands and their sub-models to further investigate:
Suzuki
Yamaha
kawasaki
- etc -
If I was age 12 at 120 lbs and had to opportunity to purchase a "new" or fairly new Trail Quad, here's the features I'd focus on:
- Front lights -> a must for dark bush trails and NOT getting caught in the dark.
- Combo foot brake & hand brake levers -> just like on my AC 500i unit.
- 2 stroke - for bottom end power in that "help - my rubber boot is stuck" type of mud.
- Automatic transmission
* For me, I prefer an auto transmission in the mud. I hate shifting in the middle of a power spin.
- Lots of deep suspension
- Decent back bumper to manually pull it backwards out of the mud.
- Reverse -> great turning around on those skinny trails.
- Nerf bars or extremely wide running boards
- Disc brakes both front and back (hydrolic controlled).
- Full length Skid Plate
- Dual A-Arms to keep its tires vertical during the deep bumps.
- Adjustable shocks, for light trail and extreme trail adjustments.
- Mirrors on both sides of its handle bars.
* Great for watching behind you.
- Wide back tires with deep knob / turf type tread design.
- Shock covers all around.
- Thick chain. If possible, go with shaft drive for sand and mud/water type riding.
As you can tell, I have a few hours experience in the deep mud, deep water, sand and rocky trail riding. If you have the same type of trails, consider the above a shopping list for the features you may or may NOT want on your future quad.
Hope this helps as well....
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Posted by: spike99
srevare,
During your current "on the hunt" activities for a trail quad, ensure you focus on many different areas. Overall price is only one decision factor. Within the above posts, we mentioned the importance of safety (equipment & course), body sizing, possible financial traps on loans, mandatory supervision, suggested engine size, and a shopping list of features. One area we didn't focus on is "Quality". Let's face it. Not all Quads have the same quality and NOT all quads are made for the riding conditions their marketing team tries to fit them into.
To learn how another experienced person on this forum performs reviews and comparisons of a 150cc brand, surf" - Press Here - Hopefully the contents within this post will help reduce your "first time learning curve" for your future quad.
Note: It took my son & I almost 4.5 months to decide on the best 3 brands of minis we liked. From there, we spent another month comparing our "top 3" against each other. If one has limited dollars, take the extra time to purchase what you want / feel you need. Remember, finding something you won't regret later does take time. Time that is well worth it within the long run....
Hope this helps as well...
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Posted by: spike99
Yes, I did read his review. I was focusing more on "viewing every nut & bolt" and noticing things like frame steel thickness, welds on the frame / shock mounts, etc. Sorry, I was focusing less on the content details and more on the idea of "putting the entire unit under a microscope" to ensure it had good quality. Just trying to emphasis to our 12 year old young buyer who wants to perform monthly payments that "quality & time spent" doing indepth research on his top 3 brands is worth focusing on as well. To me, it's more then just "impulse buying!!!!". thanks for pointing out that my previous post should not have been so generic.
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Posted by: spike99
Sorry,
Didn't mean to make people question your LT160 recommendation. I'm sure the LT160 is an excellent machine. Just wondering if many on this forum understand why the LT160 is a great choice for srevare's unique riding conditions? Does it have the control and safety features that srevare is looking for? etc. etc.
I trust my one neighbour. He tells me to purchase brand xyz. I can either go out and blindly purchase brand xyz or I can do more reseach to understand why brand xyz is the best for me. Best for my unique riding conditions, body fit and control comfort. In the end, I'll probably purchase brand xyz. But, I always understand they reasons why BEFORE I purchase.
I'm also wondering what srevare's Trail escort thinks of the LT160 Brand. How does it compare to the other brands his/her Trail Escort is experienced with. What are the features that srevare's escort thinks are needed - for their unque trail conditions? For the LT160, I wonder what training programs phases are planned for srevare. For example, Phase 1 - back yard only for 1 month, Phase 2 - flat trails for 2 months, trees & swamps for phase 3, then onto ATV course before hitting those steep hills? What safety equipment would srevare's Trail Escort recommend?
Note: I know a 12 year old who was killed and a 14 year old kid who was cripped in my area from an ATV accident. Both were riding alone, and both only had 4 hours experience on the machine size they were riding.
Just trying to better understand "the big picture" around the machine you recommended and how it will be used by srevare....
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Posted by: BALDMIKE
Raptor 350........
Posted by: srevare
Hi i'm new to this forum and i wanted to know what a good atv would be. I'm 5'4" and 12 years old thanks.
Posted by: srevare
I will probly be riding trails and tracks. this is my first time and i was kinda lookin at the predator 90 and how many ccs it the blaster? thanks. And if it helps i weigh 125.
Posted by: srevare
Actually i was mostley looking at the pretator 90 because its 0 down 50 amonth but as you said i woould have to up grade it and now i see that yamaha has a 0 down 40 a month deal and i was looking at the blaster? is this any good. THe reason for the 0 down deal is because im paying for it and my mom makes me put alot of my money in the bank so it will take almost acouple years to buy one.
Posted by: srevare
I was also looking at the suzuki 80cc but i dont see the lt160
Posted by: srevare
Hi guys i agree with you spike99. Can i have some info on the suzuki LT160? Thanks guys.
Aim-srevare
Posted by: srevare
Thanks it worked but would dealers still have these?
Posted by: srevare
How many ccs would you reccomend?
Posted by: srevare
Very sorry accidently posted.
Posted by: srevare
Right now im leaning towards the lt160 but open to other brands models etc...
