Toggle sidebar

OT - Recommendation for a youth ATV/4-wheeler

Seinfeld

Seinfeld

All-American
Nov 30, 2006
11,122
6,942
113
So I should probably preface this by saying that we don't hunt or spend a lot of time in the woods, so I'm not looking for something that can crawl through lava or that will last til the end of time.

However, I do have a couple kids that would love something to run around the yard/cove in, and I'm honestly lost. I started looking at electric options by MotoTec and Pioneer, but those things look a lot smaller than what I had in mind, and the reviews are saying that you're lucky to get 45 min on a charge. Then, I started looking at X-Pro, but by the time I got to one that looked like the right size, I was quickly getting up into the $2-3k price range.

Do y’all have any recommendations for a purely recreational ATV for a 10 year old? Also, any advice on what I should be on the lookout for in terms of quality and safety?
 
S

stateu1

All-Conference
Mar 21, 2016
3,009
1,078
113
Seinfeld said:
So I should probably preface this by saying that we don't hunt or spend a lot of time in the woods, so I'm not looking for something that can crawl through lava or that will last til the end of time.

However, I do have a couple kids that would love something to run around the yard/cove in, and I'm honestly lost. I started looking at electric options by MotoTec and Pioneer, but those things look a lot smaller than what I had in mind, and the reviews are saying that you're lucky to get 45 min on a charge. Then, I started looking at X-Pro, but by the time I got to one that looked like the right size, I was quickly getting up into the $2-3k price range.

Do y’all have any recommendations for a purely recreational ATV for a 10 year old? Also, any advice on what I should be on the lookout for in terms of quality and safety?
Click to expand...
Advice: Do not tell them your are buying for the kid. I got turned away at a dealership about 10 years ago because I told them I was buying for a kid that was under 16. Why they didn't just tell me to go outside, come back in and don't say that I have no idea.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Seinfeld
o_Hot Rock

o_Hot Rock

Senior
Jan 2, 2010
1,833
761
113
Bought my first motorcycle when I was 12 first, horse at 5. I wrecked that bike so many times, it's a miracle I am alive but the horse was more dangerous as she was skittish as heck. I got thrown so many times that I learned to fall and be prepared for it all times. Any sun reflection or movement in the grass and her butt is gone, hang on at your own peril or jump off if you dare to save yourself. She would absolutely lose it.

Not saying don't buy it. Go for it but keep their asses out of the road or take it away. Even experienced riders get killed on the roads on these things. Good friend of mine lost his life on one.

There is something to be said for allowing kids to do dangerous things but within some sort of control. Only thing my parents required was wear a helmet, glad as freak I did to, full face guard type or those two trees (different wrecks) would have probably killed my ignorant ***.

Horse ran into a tree as well, with me on it, we both hit our heads. Both dazed, she stumbled back as I was gathering my thoughts hanging from her neck and head area as I was riding bareback. She was spooked by me raising my BB gun over my head an yelling like an Indian. I was 8. I jumped off as she was about to start running again. She was gone for hours, finally came home.
 
  • Like
Reactions: patdog, Seinfeld and OopsICroomedmypants
The Peeper

The Peeper

Heisman
Feb 26, 2008
15,412
10,559
113
My son in law bought 2 for his boys (age 11 and 8) and they outgrew them fast and don't even want to ride them now because they are small, they want full size . Save your money for a few years until they can handle a large enough one (mentally & physically) that will last them for some years, at least that's what he said he would do now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: patdog, Seinfeld, InTheIttaBenaHotSun and 1 other person
horshack.sixpack

horshack.sixpack

All-American
Oct 30, 2012
11,360
8,258
113
The Peeper said:
My son in law bought 2 for his boys (age 11 and 8) and they outgrew them fast and don't even want to ride them now because they are small, they want full size . Save your money for a few years until they can handle a large enough one (mentally & physically) that will last them for some years, at least that's what he said he would do now.
Click to expand...
They will be mentally ready somewhere between 25 and 32...
 
  • Like
Reactions: dorndawg
Yeti

Yeti

Senior
Feb 20, 2018
654
958
93
Don’t buy one. If you were hunting it on a farm yes but just around the yard and neighborhood is asking for trouble. Neighbors kid gets on it gets hurt and it’s Hi I’m Alexander Shunnaraha
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pilgrimdawg
J

johnson86-1

All-Conference
Aug 22, 2012
14,301
4,814
113
o_Hot Rock said:
There is something to be said for allowing kids to do dangerous things but within some sort of control. Only thing my parents required was wear a helmet, glad as freak I did to, full face guard type or those two trees (different wrecks) would have probably killed my ignorant ***.
Click to expand...
This is something we struggle with. Don't want to put them in a position to permanently make their life worse, but they need to be exposed to real risk to learn how to spot it and manage it. Litigation has largely done away with the playground equipment where you'd break a limb if you were reckless. Kids jump to electric scooters and bikes that can kill them before they learn to ride a regular bike. I can't remember the last time I saw kids trying to jump their bikes on anything, which is a great way to get hurt but rarely permanently injured (talking plyboard over cinder block type jumps, not anything death defying). But I do see 9 year olds going 20mph on an e-scooter without a helmet or driving a golf cart going 30 on public roads with kids hanging off the back and sides.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LADog, patdog and o_Hot Rock
M R DAWGS

M R DAWGS

All-Conference
Apr 13, 2018
2,148
1,936
113
I’m normally a Yamaha guy, and when my son was little he had a 90 Grizzly which was a great ATV. He is 10 now and has since upgraded to a Honda 250 Recon. I like it and he does as well, but it is cold-natured as hell.

Yamaha for some reason doesn’t have an atv in the 200-250cc range.

My advice would be to go with a brand that is known for reliability. I have had family members buy cheap Chinese atvs for their kids, and they lasted a couple of weeks before having major problems. Buy something that will last.
 
Last edited:
Dawgbite

Dawgbite

All-American
Nov 1, 2011
8,745
9,315
113
Xenomorph said:
They were dangerous but when treated with respect they were the best damn thing ever built for hunting. Would go absolutely anywhere. Easy to work on. Cranked on first pull. Wish I still had mine.
Click to expand...
My brother in law just sold a mint Big Red for $2800 and had people fighting over it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: o_Hot Rock
Pars

Pars

All-Conference
Oct 11, 2015
1,573
2,209
113
My poor dad saved up and bought a Yamaha Big Bear in the 90s l. I wrecked that thing and about killed my brother the first weekend.
he also had a three wheel golf cart for about a month before I somehow flipped it and almost killed my sister.

me being a 17 up middle child was discovered at an early age
 
  • Haha
Reactions: mcdawg22
Walkthedawg

Walkthedawg

All-Conference
Oct 3, 2022
970
1,744
93
Seinfeld said:
So I should probably preface this by saying that we don't hunt or spend a lot of time in the woods, so I'm not looking for something that can crawl through lava or that will last til the end of time.

However, I do have a couple kids that would love something to run around the yard/cove in, and I'm honestly lost. I started looking at electric options by MotoTec and Pioneer, but those things look a lot smaller than what I had in mind, and the reviews are saying that you're lucky to get 45 min on a charge. Then, I started looking at X-Pro, but by the time I got to one that looked like the right size, I was quickly getting up into the $2-3k price range.

Do y’all have any recommendations for a purely recreational ATV for a 10 year old? Also, any advice on what I should be on the lookout for in terms of quality and safety?
Click to expand...
Don’t mess with electric or Chinese crap. You want a 250 Honda Recon. At 10, they are going to grow out of a small one before you break it in.

there is a way to limit the throttle on them so they won’t be running around too fast on it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Seinfeld
o_Hot Rock

o_Hot Rock

Senior
Jan 2, 2010
1,833
761
113
Limiting throttle sounds good and it works until they figure out how to change it themselves. That's the first thing we would do to everything we got our hands on was to figure that out. In today's world, google will expedite that process unless their is some sort of parental lock but even those can be figured out.

I let my daughter drive a golf cart way too early unsupervised. She ran over a propane tank and panicked. Gas was spewing and she still held the throttle down freaking out. I heard the crash around the house and went running, scared the heck out of all of us.

My rules would be:
1) helmet required or you don't get on it.
2) no riders - that's what caused my daughters wreck, passenger messed with the forward/reverse on the cart and cart went backwards.
3) only ride when you can watch them - you can still watch without them knowing to make sure they are following whatever limits you set. Modern cameras are pretty cool what you can set up.

They can be managed and are probably safer than any trampoline.
 
  • Like
Reactions: patdog
I

InTheIttaBenaHotSun

Junior
Jan 9, 2016
2,284
307
83
HailStout said:
View attachment 956548
Remember back in the day when no one saw the possible flaw in this design?
Click to expand...
'79 model? ^^ needs extensions.

Every kid in the delta had one of these back in the 70's & early 80's. It's a wonder I'm here considering how I rode as a kid. Grew up with a guy that developed narcolepsy in high school from multiple ATV accidents.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: HailStout
Dawgbite

Dawgbite

All-American
Nov 1, 2011
8,745
9,315
113
Drebin said:
Hey, let's put helium in the tires and drive it on the lake!
Click to expand...
Didn’t need helium. Went across the stock pond behind the house hundreds of times. Even lost my balance and fell off a few times and got really wet.
 
Drebin

Drebin

Heisman
Aug 22, 2012
21,490
25,035
113
Dawgbite said:
Didn’t need helium. Went across the stock pond behind the house hundreds of times. Even lost my balance and fell off a few times and got really wet.
Click to expand...
definitely didnt need it, but it helped.
 
Dawgbite

Dawgbite

All-American
Nov 1, 2011
8,745
9,315
113
I spent the better part of my life on two or three wheels so I’m probably not the best person to opine on this subject but if I was buying something that I wanted safety as the prime criteria. I would buy one of the Polaris Ranger 170 UTV’s. When I was looking for a full size Ranger on marketplace last year they where for sale everywhere and seemed reasonably priced.
 
greenbean.sixpack

greenbean.sixpack

All-American
Oct 6, 2012
8,781
8,068
113
On the first one, don't break the bank. If he uses the heck out of it and shows responsibility, you can upgrade down the road.
 
M R DAWGS

M R DAWGS

All-Conference
Apr 13, 2018
2,148
1,936
113
Break out the wallet and buy him a Yamaha or Honda.
 
Last edited:
M R DAWGS

M R DAWGS

All-Conference
Apr 13, 2018
2,148
1,936
113
Seinfeld said:
So I should probably preface this by saying that we don't hunt or spend a lot of time in the woods, so I'm not looking for something that can crawl through lava or that will last til the end of time.

However, I do have a couple kids that would love something to run around the yard/cove in, and I'm honestly lost. I started looking at electric options by MotoTec and Pioneer, but those things look a lot smaller than what I had in mind, and the reviews are saying that you're lucky to get 45 min on a charge. Then, I started looking at X-Pro, but by the time I got to one that looked like the right size, I was quickly getting up into the $2-3k price range.

Do y’all have any recommendations for a purely recreational ATV for a 10 year old? Also, any advice on what I should be on the lookout for in terms of quality and safety?
Click to expand...


Suggestions have been made. What are your thoughts? You started this 17’n thread.
 
T

turkish

Junior
Aug 22, 2012
964
349
63
Seinfeld said:
So I should probably preface this by saying that we don't hunt or spend a lot of time in the woods, so I'm not looking for something that can crawl through lava or that will last til the end of time.

However, I do have a couple kids that would love something to run around the yard/cove in, and I'm honestly lost. I started looking at electric options by MotoTec and Pioneer, but those things look a lot smaller than what I had in mind, and the reviews are saying that you're lucky to get 45 min on a charge. Then, I started looking at X-Pro, but by the time I got to one that looked like the right size, I was quickly getting up into the $2-3k price range.

Do y’all have any recommendations for a purely recreational ATV for a 10 year old? Also, any advice on what I should be on the lookout for in terms of quality and safety?
Click to expand...
For the neighborhood? $5M umbrella… minimum!
 
ETK99

ETK99

Heisman
Jul 30, 2019
9,321
13,093
112
IMG_9393.jpeg
When a profile picture fits a thread lol
Surprised I wasn't beaten to it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.