Kids QUAD BIKE

[jetcrew]

Ok myswaggers,

Please no disscusion on how safe they are or anything like that,

I have made a decision to buy my kids a quad bike...

Now thats said what I am after not being a bike person so to speak is some advice on brands.

I have ruled out an ebay import bike, for various reasons , so not going there either  

So I have found

Polaris $2999.00  (only one with lights and reverse)
http://www.polaris.com/en-au/ATV-RANGER/Youth/Outlaw-90/pages/overview.aspx?

Kawasaki  $3200.00 (only 1 with rear disc brake)
http://www.kawasaki.com.au/atvs/sport/kfx90yamaha

suzuki $3440
http://www.suzukimotorcycles.com.au/bikes/atv/fun-atv/2010/quadsport-z90.html

honda $3100.00
http://motorcycles.honda.com.au/ATV_Sports__Fun/TRX90X

Yamaha $3299.00
http://www.yamaha-motor.com.au/products/atv/sports/13-raptor-90

So as you can see i am sticking to the big name brands , I have decided to go for a 90cc over the 50 as the boys are 6 and 15 ..there is no expectation that the 6y/o will  be riding this bike on his own for some years to come.  I just figure its a better size than the 15y/o trying to fang a 50cc that is to small for him to ride.  And the little one can grow into it hence buying a well know brand with warranty and parts etc.

So I have a Honda generator/mower/whipper snipper and love it all..
I have a Suzuki outboard and love it
I have had Yamaha outboards and loved em
I had a ninja 600 road bike and a ZZR250 years ago
Never had anything Polaris.

So all you small engine people what brand edges out the others and why or is it buy by best deal / price. 2nd hand prices are steep so new seems the go.

Any advice or reports greatly appreciated as I have no idea on small bikes.


Thanks heaps

Jet    

[Mandrake]

Pity you ruled out the imports as one of my old clients imports them into Melbourne ..
His 110 cc jobs are quite good I believe ...
http://stores.ebay.com.au/Cob-and-Co-Imports/110cc-Quads-/_i.html?_fsub=9979260&_sid=129465773&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322
If you change your mind let me know ...
Steve

[Nomad]

I was a half owner in a second hand Polaris Jet Ski. Motor was good. It did get the nick name of the black anchor though................

The FIL and BIL have a couple of the Yamaha 450's (the FIL is in a wheelchair from a motorcycle accident) and they go like the proverbial and seem pretty bullet proof.

So pretty much a useless opinion to you but there is my experience with them.

Cheers Nomad

[baldheadedgit]

X2 with Mandrake,,,
Grandkids had a 110cc import,,, was a top little quad they had loads of fun on it,, we governed the throttle so they could get used to it,, then once they had the feel for it  we set it back to normal... it never broke, started first time everytime,,, they just out grew  it,, but i still had a few good rides on it,,   
 

BHG

[Bird]

Theres been numerous failures of chinese bikes down at the Frankston track, with frame snaps and all sorts.

Good idea to stick with the Jap stuff, but sadly you get no resale, as 99.9% of people buy on price.. new chowfung for $300 or a used Honda for +$1000...

Polaris are huge in USA, just check some forums.

Personally I'd go with Honda or Yamaha, as mates farm has about 5 of the Big Red Hondas that are years old, and few mates back home raced Yamaha's with top success in reliability.

You should get em a bike, I have a good RM65 forsale

[rockman]

We have got a suzuki 50cc quad .... had it for about 10-11 years now , flogged the crap out it , my young bloke started to ride it by himself at around 5-6 , flogged it around as his confindence grew , dragged me around heaps as well ,, never missed a beat ,  my little 5 year daughter now rides it .
We also have a 70-75 cc honda 2 wheeler for when the young bloke grew sick of the quad , it abouts 4 years old , never misses a beat .
We had a import 90cc quad that was a piece of crap , ride it once , fix it , ride it again , fix it .... I buried it .

[jetcrew]

Theres been numerous failures of chinese bikes down at the Frankston track, with frame snaps and all sorts.

Good idea to stick with the Jap stuff, but sadly you get no resale, as 99.9% of people buy on price.. new chowfung for $300 or a used Honda for +$1000...

Polaris are huge in USA, just check some forums.

Personally I'd go with Honda or Yamaha, as mates farm has about 5 of the Big Red Hondas that are years old, and few mates back home raced Yamaha's with top success in reliability.

You should get em a bike, I have a good RM65 forsale

Thats my thoughts on it mate and not to make any judgment on anyone else, I would not buy and ride a cheap import bike for myself so I won't do it to the kids , I wanted him on a bike but the quad is a compromise with the wife. and my father and MIL  who are pitching in for xmas. I know quads are no safer than 2 wheels but they all feel better. It's about the only thing i could buy a 5y/o and 15 y/o and they will both be happy to share. and I'll test it out of course  

Prices are all over the place will have to do some calling around but the 90cc is the better value it seems.

Jet

[jetcrew]

We have got a suzuki 50cc quad .... had it for about 10-11 years now , flogged the crap out it , my young bloke started to ride it by himself at around 5-6 , flogged it around as his confindence grew , dragged me around heaps as well ,, never missed a beat ,  my little 5 year daughter now rides it .
We also have a 70-75 cc honda 2 wheeler for when the young bloke grew sick of the quad , it abouts 4 years old , never misses a beat .
We had a import 90cc quad that was a piece of crap , ride it once , fix it , ride it again , fix it .... I buried it .

That 2k on the suzuki has well and trully paid for itself then  our neighbours have an import quad and it takes him forever to get it going by which time his kids go back inside and watch a dvd or something and he cuts a lap when it concs out he swears and pushes it back in the shed untill his kids nag him to the point he tries again , he said to me "never again pay the money" so I am taking his advice as i want it to last 5 years min.

Thanks for the feedback mate

Jet

[cmsimmons]

I fully support and agree you simply cannot beat Jap quality...... however we have had un believable success with our 125cc chinese quad from A&S Power seller on ebay. As with anything tho, i look after it, so it looks after me. Drive it like it was stolen, and no doubt it will break.

[jtraf]

I bought my boys 3 and 5 a Suzuki 50cc LT50 quad blue and white that was 10 plus years old when I bought it. They kept fighting over it so I bought another new one which was one of the last of the LT50 2stoke available a yellow and black model. They can be governed down so speed is not an issue while learning. They are now 7 and 9 and as long as the bike have fuel they start without question. I too tossed up cheap but the simply reliability just can't be ignored.

Video of boys inaction

Suzuki LT50 Fun

[Burnsy]

Polaris are a big name in quads and ATV's.  I would find it hard to go past it given it has reverse and lights, both will come in real handy if you take it camping on fishing trips and the like.  I cant imagine pushing a 90cc quad with no reverse out of a hole or any tight spot backwards would be fun.  And to top it off it is the cheapest

I am looking for a mid 80's z50 at the moment to mount on the CT but they are currently worth about three times what they were new for one in decent condition

[jetcrew]

I bought my boys 3 and 5 a Suzuki 50cc LT50 quad blue and white that was 10 plus years old when I bought it. They kept fighting over it so I bought another new one which was one of the last of the LT50 2stoke available a yellow and black model. They can be governed down so speed is not an issue while learning. They are now 7 and 9 and as long as the bike have fuel they start without question. I too tossed up cheap but the simply reliability just can't be ignored.

Video of boys inaction
Suzuki LT50 Fun

Thanks heaps for that mate , they were having a ball, do you think they will grow out of the 50,s soon ??

Jet

[jtraf]

My nephew is also 9 but already almost 5 foot tall and just under 50kgs and he still rides.  Yes it looks a little funny but the bike just goes.  Man even I have had a go. I wouldn't sit on it but kneeling it takes my 100kg for a run.  Simple reliable and bullet proof I never regret buying the suzuki's.

HTH James

I reckon my older boy will have  few more years fun and space and dollars permitting will get him a 2 wheel version.  I have another 3 year old as well whom is ready to ready to take up where the older one leaves off.

[KingBilly]

Hi jetcrew.  Ridden and owned bikes almost continuously for 40 years.  All of the makes you have mentioned should do the job for your boys for many years.  There is only $400 odd between them so I think it will come down to specifications and what you consider is important.  Is a reverse gear essential for you?  Your choice is made.  Is a rear disk important?  Maybe, maybe not.  Have a good look at the suspension setup and the driveline.  May help you decide.  How close is the dealer of each make?

Good luck (and lucky boys)
KB

[michael h]

Hi Jet
I've had a 2009 DS90x Can Am quad when the kids were younger its wider than most small quads and very very stable.
It also has the throttle screw that you can limit if needed to but I would just monitor the kids as they rode and pull them up when ever they started to push the their limits and they are very confident riders now
My 12 YO girl rides my Big Quad but unlike her 2 younger brothers she has the fear of GOD in her I dont let my boys ride my big bike unless I'm with them as its a two seater

Heres my youngest I think he was only 5 YO and could just touch the foot pegs tippy toed

P.S "Ozatv" is a quad bike forum with a fair bit of info if your interested

Cheers Michael

[Cloud Basher]

Jetcrew,
We were in the same position as you 2 years ago (post is on here somewhere).  We had decided on the Polaris as the four wheeler of choice out of all of them but ended up going the two wheeler route in the end.

One thing I have seen out riding with my girls watching them and other kids and this doesn't matter if it is 2 or 4 wheels, is always and I mean ALWAYS ensure they are wearing ALL their safety gear.  Just this Saturday we were out riding at a popular park in the Sydney area and a number of kids and adults were injured.  EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM was injured because they failed to put on elbow pads, or knee pads or whatever. At the very least full safety gear would have made the accidents minor and not major.  Two required ambulance response.  Helmets are compulsory but proper boots, knee guards, elbow guards, gloves, goggles, body armour (I like the integrated suits that stop my wonky shoulder from dislocating) and possibly neck braces  My kids would have had broken bones and serious cuts if it were not for full protective gear. As it stands the worst they have had is a couple of small bruises. I see at least two kids not wearing full protective gear injured every time we go riding have some minor and/or some major incidents.  Full safety gear would have resulted in either zero or only minor injuries.  But the best part of not getting injured is the kids get straight back on the horse and give it another go and thus are increasing their skills.

My mates wife and their 26 year old son have both done serious damage to their legs on two separate trips because they decided "I won't need my knee guard".  His wife still has a nice blue and purple bruise just above her knee and doesn't walk straight six months after she injured it.  The son, just this weekend got the handlebar smashed into his knee when he came off at slow speed.  It is the size of a football.  I will say full protective gear will not stop all serious injuries, but it will stop most I have seen.

Our appetite for risk is different between all of us, but it only takes a small off to do a lifetime of damage to small bodies.  The number of kids I see in t-shirts, shorts and a helmet really does scare me.  You seem very sensible about this from this and other posts so please don't take this post as telling you to suck eggs.  I just want to ensure our kids are safe as they can be, but they do get to have fun and experience most things in life. 

Sorry for the sermon.

Cheers
CB

[Bird]

Dunno bout other states, but finding places to ride them is an issue, same with motorbikes.

The fines are very nasty these days <$1000...

[Matto]

+1 to CB's sermon above - it's easy to slip, especially on a hot day, but it only takes the once to give you a really bad time.

As for the quads, I'd go the Polaris. For me, the reverse gear would be very handy. I'm also partial to the Yamaha though, just cause it's cool.

I know that some people have a good run out of the import quads, but I'd pay the extra for a big-brand unit. My brother-in-law bought an imported one for his son. He was riding it one day in the park near their house (yes, I know), and the jolly thing caught fire. Luckily the boy was smart enough to dive off it - Bren went racing into the neighbour's yard to "borrow" his hose and put it out. The fire brigade came and indicated that it's not an uncommon call out for them. Maybe it's just that the local guy here doesn't assemble them correctly? Either way, he was out of pocket his $500 and it had only been used a couple of times.

Good luck!
Matto

[chester ver2.0]

Ok my 2 cents worth from 2 nieces and 1 nephew out on the farm and their old man does not have that much mechanical knowledge so when i am out there is spend at least 2 days getting 4 bikes going again

Chinese - Unless you have ready acess to parts dont. Everything is different sizes to the usual we had problems getting even the basics such as tyres tubes and sprokets cause it is all just slightly different sizing to the Japanese equivelent. The other thing i found with the chinese stuff is that the frame size is usually smaller and unless you have tiny hands they are a pain to work on.

As for the bike

If you can get one with a disk brake rear as kids seem to have this fear of going over the handlebars if they hit the front brakes, so they go through the rears and a disk is far easier to change pads

Get one with reverse as kids also like to park nose in all the time and guess who gets to push the thing backwards

We have found Polaris and the Suzuki to be quite reliable in both 2 ans 4 wheel versions.

Helmets are a must and a good pair of motobike boots as the most common one with the kids on the quad seemed to be a side rollover with the bulk of the bike stiking the lower leg

[Burnsy]

He was riding it one day in the park near their house (yes, I know), and the jolly thing caught fire.

Karma at it's best

[Cloud Basher]

If I can add one more thing.  There is nothing more disheartening than watching the kids come out to go riding, get all kitted up and then their Chonda fails to start or dies after a short time.  See it all the time.  The old adage, buy cheap, buy twice holds true.  Jetcrew you will do well with any of the Jap brands.

Yep some people get a good run out of the Yamachinks but it is a lottery.

Cheers
CB

[Burnsy]

Theo, you know that what you really want is to find one of these

http://www.atvriders.com/atvmodels/honda-history-1979-atc110.html

[Matto]

Theo, you know that what you really want is to find one of these

http://www.atvriders.com/atvmodels/honda-history-1979-atc110.html

I was thinking more along these lines:
http://www.offroadfabnet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9558

Cheers!
Matto

[Smoko]

Jet just get one of these and say yes honey it really is for the kids............i will hand it down to them when they turn 20

Yamaha Raptor 660

[Red Dog 4x4]

I was thinking more along these lines:
http://www.offroadfabnet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9558

Cheers!
Matto

Yes please  matto... sorry off topic Jet crew, My brother has raced against these in CAMS Class 7 Off road racing and the are very hard to beat