thinking of moving to quads (good or bad idea?)

[honda_atc200es]

yes i own a trike, but unfortunately i have never ridden a trike, in fact i have very little expierience on a quad, i mostly grew up on dirtbikes. today was one of my first real trial rides, having mostly ridden quads on dirt paths, and i learned on a 100cc. i was a little nervous on my brothers 200 (maybe 250, i dont know what engine is in it)the trials by me are extreemly rough and while i didnt fall off or get hurt, i had close calls, at points the bike felt like flipping, and on the road pushing 50 it felt unstable. now i can only imagine what a trike would be like for an inexpirienced rider, not saying trikes are bad, but i dont have leaning down pat yet., my trike is in bad shape, and it isnt suited for the purposes im going to use it for, i might get it running clean it up and sell it for 500, and buy a cheap quad somehting i can learn on and get used to riding and leaning beofre i ruin a good trike, hurt myself, and get more uneeded publicity for trikes. maybe at some point when im more expierienced i will get a trike, but i dont need one now, i will test to see what the trike is like and how it handles and if i have one close call ill sell it and get a quad. does anyone think my opinion is wrong?

[TimSr]

I wish more people would realize and admit their limitations, and act accordingly. Another statistic does not help our cause, and I would support your decision. From the thread title I thought this would be about conversion kits, but your choice to sell the trike and buy the quad rather than fab a conversion is the smart way to go.

[3Wheelers4Life]

i would keep the trike, and go slow at first and get the leaning down. also ride and get more experience, the more you ride, the more experience you get and the more fun it is. you might find a 3 wheeler more fun then a quad.
also the way i see it is if you ride and learn on a 3 wheeler and get good on it, since their harder to ride for most people when you switch to a quad you will be twice as good on it.

[honda_atc200es]

thats a very vaid point as well, if i can get my trike runnig good i will keep it. it is a bigred so i will not have to worry about going way to fast, and it has baloon tires, perfect for the terrian in my area (lots of rocks, trees and clay). maybe once i get used to it i will buy a 350x or 250r (if i can find one).

[cr480r]

it is a bigred so i will not have to worry about going way to fast...

I disagree... The big reds go plenty fast to become unstable... IMO the low-powered ballon tired machines are more dangerous than the performance bikes... The more powerful machines slide much better and imo are more predictable... Be careful while learning the limitations of your skills and machine...

[MO dx]

Sell it buy a utility big quad. there tanks very stable

[gravelord]

For what you described, it sounds like the big red might cause you some bodily harm. if your hitting ruts and making you feel wobbly on a dirt bike, imagine having no rear suspension ? please, do your self a favore, sell it, and start out with a NICE 200x...... it would be the perfect bike to learn on for the trails, but please, also when you get one, make sure you have 20" tires if your going to be taking fast turns. those 22" tires that come stock on it i didnt feel comfortable with at all a nice set of 20" tires on a 200x goes a long way. you can buy a 200x with the money you make from a 200es, i almost garuntee it.

[350Xhilaration]

Sounds like you should keep the trike if you can afford to and get a quad to learn on.

250X, 250EX, or a blaster would be my recommendation. They each have enough power and some suspension. They are relatively cheap to buy used. They also can go many places with varying terrain.

Don't let trike guys sway you to stay on a 3 wheeler. They are more unstable than a quad. Especially for someone with limited experience on any off road vehicle. Get comfy on a quad while you fix up the big red. I agree with the statement about the balloon tired trikes being easier to lose control of at higher speed. No need to go fast on a utility trike. Use it for what it was designed to do....work.

[honda_atc200es]

i gotcha. thats what i have been doing is learning on a quad. from what i know its a beefed up trx200sx. my biggest issue is leaning, thats what worries me about riding a trike, but once i learn to lean well i should be fine on a trike. another reason why i am a little nervous about riding a trike is that even quads are unstable at high speeds. i was driving on the road with my freinds doing about 60, and its so fast that you cant even touch the handel bar without feeling like its gona go over. the reason the quad felt unstable though for the most part is because the suspensoin is shot, and that it was a rough rough trial. i guess i over reacted about saying i should get rid of the trike. i just need to learn at low speeds first. i could see the bigred being an excellent trial bike for the terrain i would use it for. (drit,clay mud.water,rocks,sand,pavement) i have a question though, how rough is a hardtail bike, is it a little softer with the baloon tires, and would lowereing the tire pressure somewhat compensate?

[SYKO]

at high speed is where a trike is super stable at, I feal way more stable at 70mph on my 250r then any quad I have had.

[Yamahondaman]

MAN ..... SOOOO MUCH Reading !!! ... i didn't read ALL of it ... just kinda Browsed down abit but i think if you have BOTH ..3-wheeler and 4-wheeler .. your COOL !!
4-Wheelers are cool around the house and ALL Around thing's "like Racing,Trail Riding,jumping,Mudd'n,Hauling and Pulling Stuff,Etc." ...3-Wheeler's are cool to have at "3-wheeler" event's,Pit Riding,Show,etc. , We Have Both ......02 Cents

[Kilborg]

As 350xhileration said, Get a quad to learn on. A recon, 250ex, blaster, 250x, mojave, etc are all great starter bikes that you can ride for years. I know a few people i went to highschool with still have 300ex's and blasters that are riding them well into their 20's. Trikes are cool...but honestly, not for learning. Alot of us here learned because quads were basically new when we were learning and trikes were what was popular.

Either way, I think if you learn how to ride on a trike..especially a performance oriented machine, your more able to get on anything and ride. However, each machine has its quirks...Experience is key when your getting stupid out in the sandpits...usually the difference between leaving on the bike and in the ambulance. Just be careful however you decide to learn and youll be riding with the best of em before you know it.

[3Wheelers4Life]

...how rough is a hardtail bike, is it a little softer with the baloon tires, and would lowereing the tire pressure somewhat compensate?
i had an 83 atc 200 with front suspension only, and i personally dont think it was that rough. i ran big balloon tires on it, lowered the pressure and bent my knees a little. But it all depends on the rider. its nothing like having a fully suspended bike though, you cant go as fast on rough terrain as a suspended bike because you get thrown around a lot more, but its not like most people say that its very bad and you cant go above 5 mph with out being thrown off it.

[Kilborg]

As far as how rough a hardtail bike is...if you have no experience it isnt bad. Go ride an atc250r for a month where your bombing through the same trails at 3 times the speed and getting 15 foot of air in the sandpits and go ride the same bike....you will realize it is simply no comparison.

I started on a 200s and rode it for a couple season when I was 5 or 6. After a couple season riding that I moved to a 200x and later the 250r...Every time I ride one of the no rear suspension bikes I really appreciate the better technology.