ATV's

[drumz2129]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm just going to get a straight forward 2wd. I just want to do some mild trail riding with my daughters.

Well then that will severely limit your selection unless you are buying a sport bike. Just about all manufactures make 4x4 a standard feature on all their full size utility atvs. Suzuki and Honda offer a 250cc 4x2, Arctic Cat, Yamaha, and Kawasaki offer a 300cc 4x2, and Honda offers their rancher 420cc in a 4x2, which IMO, if you are set on NOT having 4x4 would be the best choice. If you are going to do any type of work like pulling a light utility trailer or disking a food plot, or even riding someone double, you should really go with a 400cc or larger water cooled motor. The smaller 250 and 300 cc motors are usually air cooled and require you to be moving to properly cool the engine.

I have two daughters 12 & 13. Can they ride on their own with me on another four wheeler?

It is completely dependent on their ability. I know of 4 and 5 year olds that handle mild trails just fine. I have also met a teenager year old that could hit a lone tree standing in a 40 acre pasture.

 

[Col_Sanders]

I would definitely NOT buy an Arctic Cat. Try finding one of their dealers/mechanics, then try to find a Polaris, Honda, Kawasaki, Can Am, or Yamaha dealership. There is a reason ther are much fewer Arctic Crap dealers.

Honda or Yamaha would be good choices for what you are describing. Suzuki makes good quads a well, but they are not as common and parts are not as easy to find as the other Japanese brands.

I'd go with 4x4 myself but my trail riding on my ATV is not what you would consider "mild".

 

[Dishonored]

In the low priced yet still a very nice bike I would go with the ozark 250 from Suzuki. We have a 2007 and has done all it is asked since we bought it.
Yard work. Sand bags for hurricanes. Haul deer. Trail rides. Utility trailers. Pull a kneeboard lol. No problems.

If you want a lite bigger bike in 4x2 I would go with the Honda rancher.
I would steer clear of the Kawasaki bayou. Have owned a 220 and rode a 300 4x4 for a year at a Texas deer lease. Hated them both.

 

[del4]

Is there anything technically illegal for someone under 16 riding on their own?

The rancher is looking good for me. I've owned a Honda CBR and it was a good bike. I had a Honda three-wheeler which tells you how long it has been since I've dealt with ATVs.

 

[edman87k5]

Guessing you are buying new? Supposedly the new ranchers (420) are better than old 350 but the old ones smoked like a 90 year old woman playing slots. I had at least a dozen friends with them (including me) that had them and only 1 didnt smoke. Cylinder would actually warp.