Quad question (don't shoot!)

[mowtown]

I have ridden bikes all of my life and now my 2 young kids ride also. Things are great...except the wife hasn't "taken" to the lifestyle. She'd rather go to a spa than ride. I bought her an XR100 2 years ago, she rode 1/2 lap and said, "Sell it".

Fast forward to today when she came out with us because some of the other wives were going. She rode one of the wives atv (Yamaha 2 stroke) and really liked it. Now, she's thinking she might want to get one.

I NEVER thought that I would ever own a quad but if it gets her out there with us, I'm game.

QUESTION:

What should I get her? I am completely ATV ignorant. She's 5'2", 130. I'm thinking a 200 or 250. E start is preferred. Any brand/model suggestions would be appreciated. I'm going to buy used.

Thanks

(Yes, I did a search)

[gobes32]

I would go with the yamaha that she rode.

[cr977]

I would go with the yamaha that she rode.

if it is a yamaha 2 stroke quad it will not be an e start, get her a honda trx250ex

[mowtown]

Thanks for the info, guys.

Any others?

[Crazyced]

trx250ex/trx300ex and raptor 350 sounds like good choices. The clutch on the trx250ex looks interesting.

I'm guessing the one she tried was a Blaster?

[motokid338]

trx250ex...most of them have electric start and there a easy quad to learn on and they are fun to ride.

[MUSTANGCOBRA1353]

I was in the same boat. I got my wife the same 4 wheel LTZ400 I have. She loves it. I have to beg her to ride her TTR125LE.

[250Nasty]

trx250ex...most of them have electric start and there a easy quad to learn on and they are fun to ride.

they are very fun to goof off on, i never thought i would find somthing like this after riding dirtbikes like 50's and 110's, but if that is the only thing she will be riding, she might get bored quickly,

[jbrandt]

just make sure she knows that you can flip those suckers even at low speeds if you're not careful. Make sure she is LEANING into every corner. It's less intuitive on a quad - on a bike you naturally lean into corners. Other than that, take it slow and have a good time!

[2stroketim]

The Yamaha Blaster 200 is a fantastic quad.

I recently taught my mother (55) to ride one and she was cruising around like a vet.

no e-start, but the compression is light and super easy to start.

you should be able to find a quality used blaster for around 1500.

As for the quad thing, who cares? She's going to be out riding with you, and thats what matters.

[Anthony Haas]

Sounds just like my wife. I ended up getting her an Arctic Cat 250 and she loves it. It's just a utility model, but its fully automatic with reverse and she never has to mess around with anything, just dump in straight gas and ride- the only problem now is that my son would rather jump on it and ride tho the store than his dirt bike????

[125pinger]

The Yamaha Blaster 200 is a fantastic quad.

I recently taught my mother (55) to ride one and she was cruising around like a vet.

no e-start, but the compression is light and super easy to start.

you should be able to find a quality used blaster for around 1500.

As for the quad thing, who cares? She's going to be out riding with you, and thats what matters.

My thought exactly:thumbsup: A 4 srtoke quad is easier to ride than a 2 tho, You might want to check out a Yamaha warrior if you are getting something used. It has a bulletproof motor and it's easy to ride, and It has an e-start.

[balls deep]

the blaster is an awesome, if you want about the same power in a easier to handle, e-start 4stroke, i would look into a raptor 350 or a suzuki lt-z 250. or a mojave if they still make them. the only reason i dont recommend a blaster is cuz you probably cant buy one new and they dont have e-start. other than that they're awesome.

[mowtown]

Great answers, guys. Thanks.

The e-start is not mandatory. Yes, she was riding a Blaster and liked it (but, at this point, she wouldn't know the difference:busted: ).

[Chickenhauler]

Great answers, guys. Thanks.

The e-start is not mandatory. Yes, she was riding a Blaster and liked it (but, at this point, she wouldn't know the difference:busted: ).

If you do decide on a Blaster, be sure to get one that is post-2003, so that you don't have the crappy cable drum brakes-the hydro disc's are sooooo much better.?

The Honda 300 has a good reputation for reliability, easy on the wallet, and not a bad machine, in all.

SO, now that you got the wife riding a quad, how much longer til you turn it into a gas tanker and start planning longer rides?

[Octane250F]

I wouldnt sell a 250 4x2 utility quad short either. Honda Recon, Yamaha Timberwolf/Beartracker, Kawi Bayou and Polaris Trailboss/Trailblazer are all good machines.

They are all pretty good machines, its just going to be a matter of finding a machine that she can be happy with. You know what they say, "happy wife, happy life"!

[mowtown]

SO, now that you got the wife riding a quad, how much longer til you turn it into a gas tanker and start planning longer rides?

You know what they say, "happy wife, happy life"! ?

Well, you both seem to be right there in my head. The longer rides are a vision of mine but I'm going to be careful not to shove this down her throat. Ideally, she'll get some confidence on a quad and then want a bike.

Thanks again for the help.

[roberts814]

hey mowtown...

I currently own an 02 honda 300ex. It used to be my main toy while growing up, but now my sister rides it when we go out to the track and she'll just put around on it.

My .02

The warrior, 300ex would be fine quads for your wife and the style she rides from what I can tell... but the bottom end is strong on those. Rather, the 250ex will be able to be ridden slower with less effort. No, I am not bagging on your wife's ability, but to put it into bike language... compare the low gear speeds to a TTR-125 and a KXF 450F... Get her something that is able to be ridden slowly with minimual effort.

Hope this helps.

[teknomedic]

My parents have a Honda 300EX that I ride when I go out trail riding with them. It is extremely reliable. It has reverse, e-start, no mixing fuel. It rides well on the trails. It is capable of going fast for if/when she wants to get to that point. The center of gravity is low. It handles small jumps well--flies straight and predictable. Other options would be Suz. Z400 (haven't ridden this one, but heard good things) or Polaris machines (the two stroke Polaris machines are funner than most of their four stroke machines, but some of the new ones might be better).

If possible, go to a dealership that will let her test ride a few machines and let her decide for herself.

[mowtown]

hey mowtown...

I currently own an 02 honda 300ex. It used to be my main toy while growing up, but now my sister rides it when we go out to the track and she'll just put around on it.

My .02

The warrior, 300ex would be fine quads for your wife and the style she rides from what I can tell... but the bottom end is strong on those. Rather, the 250ex will be able to be ridden slower with less effort. No, I am not bagging on your wife's ability, but to put it into bike language... compare the low gear speeds to a TTR-125 and a KXF 450F... Get her something that is able to be ridden slowly with minimual effort.

Hope this helps.

My parents have a Honda 300EX that I ride when I go out trail riding with them. It is extremely reliable. It has reverse, e-start, no mixing fuel. It rides well on the trails. It is capable of going fast for if/when she wants to get to that point. The center of gravity is low. It handles small jumps well--flies straight and predictable. Other options would be Suz. Z400 (haven't ridden this one, but heard good things) or Polaris machines (the two stroke Polaris machines are funner than most of their four stroke machines, but some of the new ones might be better).

If possible, go to a dealership that will let her test ride a few machines and let her decide for herself.

Thanks