Can you guys recommend a kids quad? - moved from open

[Frankencelery]

I'm looking at buying my son a quad for his 5th birthday. I have an ATC90 that's being rebuilt that's technically his, but the truth is it'll be a couple of years before he can ride it safely.

So I decided to get a quad, and there's no way I'm going to pay the prices of one of the "big four". My budget is $500-$600. Wickedrocket.com has a Meercat 50 and a Kamakazi 70 that are in that price range, and that's the price shipped, but I don't know if they're worth a crap.

Anyone have any experience buying quads for little kids? Please share!

Thanks!

[smokinwrench]

I started both my kids boy and girl on LT80's at there 5th birthdays. I bought both machines used and blown up. I had about $300 in each when they were finished both mechanically and visually. Both looked great and ran great for that price. We still have my duaghters LT80 and it is perfect for her.

One of my main concerns for a youth beginer quad was brakes and auto trans. The LT80 is one of the few quads that has a foot operated rear brake. Most other machines only have hand operated brakes. Little kids hands just aren't big enough or powerful enough to run hand brakes. My boy had a trizinger for a bit when he started riding and it was obvious when he was using the brakes, he would actually quit watching where he was going and look at his hand while he was using the brakes. The LT80 has a throttle limiter screw so it can be very detuned for the beginning few months of riding. Then when they get better at ridign it is easily upgradeable. LT80's are plentiful and seem to be cheap on ebay.

I have a friend that has a kazuma 50 for his kids to start on. I have also seen many of them at the dunes. The 50cc quads don't have enough power to go in the flat sand at the dunes. My friend doesn't even haul the 50 to the dunes. The LT80 is very impressive for a mini quad at the dunes.

I think if you buy the Kazuma 50 or other tiny youth mini quad it will be to small in no time and you will buying a 80-90cc quad next birthday.

Good luck on with whatever you buy. If you get an LT80 a few of us have them and could give you plenty of help and advise.

[Frankencelery]

That would be ok if you could really buy an LT80 for that price, but I'd spend 6mos waiting for the right one and then have to fix it! Nah, I want go get him something new and shiny. We don't have any sand dunes here in Iowa, but I'm still thinking you're right that he might grow out of the 50 too quickly. As far as transmission goes, a lot of these are "fully automatic" which boggles me. How does THAT work? Are there gears at all? I'd almost rather he had a standard semi-automatic, because shifting one of those is no big trick, and in a couple years, he'll be able to ride the ATC90.

[smokinwrench]

Yes fully auto like a Polaris atv or snow mobile. They just have a belt on centrifigal clutch.

[TimSr]

I agree with Smokin, that the hand brakes are the biggest obtsacle for kids. TimJr used to let go of the bars, and grab the brake lever and pull with his whole arm.
A lot of the 50's and 90's two stroke models are actually almost the same chassis, and sometimes even the same motor bottom end, so you end up with similar physical machine weights.

"Automatic" is very confusing in that it gets tossed around a lot but it doesnt really apply to any mini, since none of them actually shift automatically.

You have auto-clutch manual shift models like the TRX90 and Raptor 80. You have centrifugal clutch models that are simply gas it an go, with no shifting involved, but gearing doesnt change, so its like being in one gear all the time. This would be your Suzuki/Kaw 50's, the old LT50's and your TriZingers. Then you have CVT trannies which operate the same, gas and go, but an internal drive belt rides on spring squeezed pullys that change belt ride height on the pulleys as you go, and actually changes the gearing with pulley size, but you never actaully shift gears. This would be most of the Taiwan models, and your LT80's. Most of the Taiwan models are similar, but Ive never seen or heard of the ones you mentioned, and the price would set up a red flag for me. They may be as good as the others, but I think Id look at something used with a good reputation over an unknown that sounds too good to be true.

[Frankencelery]

Yeah Tim, I know that there's some risk with these cheapo models, but I figure he'll only be on it for a couple years, and the price is a THIRD of one of the Japanese quads. There's no way I can afford one of those, and a used one that's inexpensive is another project, and I have enough of those right now....

[brapp]

i have an lt80 for 400bux but needs lower rod bearing and plastics.

[TimSr]

Ive got a good running E-Ton 90 too, but Its not much of a bargian after shipping to Iowa. Coming to Trikefest Franken?

[Frankencelery]

I doubt it this year. I'd love to sometime, though.