What do we know about ATV's?

[A930Rocket]

I used to ride a dirt bike, but it's been a long time, I'm 61 and thought I'd get a used ATV to try out. Something under $3k. Being 6' 4" and 275 lbs., what size would I be looking for? Is a 250 too small?

What brands are the best for DIY maintenance?

Keep in mind, I'm not jumping hills or setting land speed records, just cruising in the woods, etc.


Here are a few in my area I'm seeing online.

Edit: there seems to be a lot of scams for nice looking ATV's for dirt cheap. Scammers must have moved on from cars to ATV's?

https://charleston.craigslist.org/snw/d/johns-island-07-honda-recon-250-atv/7228666606.html

https://charleston.craigslist.org/snw/d/summerville-sc20011-honda-rincon-680/7205714648.html SCAM

https://savannah.craigslist.org/snw/d/savannah-honda-4x4-atv-motor-680cc/7210186779.html SCAM. Same ATV as above, but the picture is reversed and a different town.

https://charleston.craigslist.org/snw/d/walterboro-2008-yamaha-grizzly-350/7217985050.html

https://savannah.craigslist.org/snw/d/midway-polaris-atv-425/7219969239.html

https://savannah.craigslist.org/snw/d/midway-yamaha-big-bear-250/7223671653.html

[Seahawk]

There are some deals in the links and the below is scam-ma-lama, ding-dong:

https://charleston.craigslist.org/snw/d/summerville-sc20011-honda-rincon-680/7205714648.html

My daughter lives in Charleston and "go see it".

ATV's are great but a side by side is more better [sic] depending on the trails you want to ride.

Honda is the standard in my experience - never owned one but have had a number of friends bring them on the farm. A 250 is plenty but smallish.

[Rusty Heap]

at 6' 4" you're way too big for those "mid size" machines.


Yamaha has one of the best over-all platforms...........I've owned all mfr's.



grizzly 660 or 700 with powersteering is hard to be beat.


Don't forget the option of getting a side by side for the comfort and passenger hauling.

[A930Rocket]

Thanks. guys.

I'd like a side by side, but don't have a place to keep it or want a trailer to haul it. Plus, I want to keep the price down for now.

Just noticed that some have automatic transmissions. Is that an issue vs. manual shift?

Edit: I need to look at places to ride again. Last time, we used to ride in the Francis Marion National Forest. Lots of sand, swamp and pine trees.

[ckelly78z]

I have had many different Honda, and Yamaha 3 wheelers, and now have a Polaris 330 Magnum that is a full sized unit, but 2WD. I picked up a used Kawasaki Mule side by side that is much easier to get into, and out of, (55 and not getting any younger) not to mention a comfortable bench for 3 people, a tilting bed, and a roof/windshield. We also mounted an LED lightbar on the hood for nighttime work.

I still enjoy bashing around the farm lanes, and trails on my Kawasaki KLR250 enduro, but it takes some effort to swing a leg over, and kick start.

My first choice will always be a Honda because of dead nuts reliability, and I think at our age, a side by side makes the most sense, and utility, but they aren't cheap because everyone wants one.

[911boost]

Polaris, hands down if you can find an older Sportsman.

Made in the USA (as are a lot of them now actually). I had a 1996 Polaris Sportsman 500 for about 15 years and it never failed to start, even when cold where my friends fuel injected ones would not. One was a Grizzly and the other a Honda. It was pretty indestructible and I am 6-4, but 215# and fit just fine.

[BK911]

The honda trx250ex is an auto clutch, meaning you dont need to clutch it to switch gears.
That's wifey's go to so she can actually stop on the trail and not stall out if forgetting to clutch it.
Most (all?) SxS are clutchless with the CVT transmissions.
Just point and go.
I have a polaris 570 SxS. It is only 50" wide, about the same as a standard size 4 wheeler.
Perfect for cruising around trails or free riding through the woods.
It even fits in the back of a full size pick em up truck.
Even has cupholders.
Never been stuck, but have rolled it a few times. Mainly because it has cup holders.
I rarely touch the bikes or 4 wheelers since getting the SxS.
All are fun, but the SxS just clicks all the boxes.

[3rd_gear_Ted]

If your older like me, a step thru, instead of a throw your leg over machine is nice.
Why I like my Bombardier.

BTW, you can lay a bike down, but an ATV will always high side, wear a good lid

[svandamme]

They are more dangerous then a dirt bike, because of their tendency to roll over you..
VP of former company is paralyzed from the neck down because of an ATV flipping and rolling over him

I would never even consider them
For me it's either buggy with seats and roll cage or a regular old dirt bike.


"ATVs are involved in fewer accidents but with deadlier outcomes than those of dirt bikes.
Victims of ATV incidents were found to be 50% more likely to succumb to their injuries
and 55% more likely to be taken to the intensive care unit in comparison to victims of dirt bike crashes.Mar 31, 2020"

[vash]

Originally Posted by svandamme

They are more dangerous then a dirt bike, because of their tendency to roll over you..
VP of former company is paralyzed from the neck down because of an ATV flipping and rolling over him

I would never even consider them
For me it's either buggy with seats and roll cage or a regular old dirt bike.


"ATVs are involved in fewer accidents but with deadlier outcomes than those of dirt bikes.
Victims of ATV incidents were found to be 50% more likely to succumb to their injuries
and 55% more likely to be taken to the intensive care unit in comparison to victims of dirt bike crashes.Mar 31, 2020"

you talking about 3-wheelers here? yea, dangerous. the four wheeled ones are safer.

what about t side by side buggies. you wear your seat belt, use a device to keep your arms in..it is all very safe.

my advice. buy a 4 seater. much much more room for stuff. my brother got a Polarios and that thing just chugs up any mountain. its slow and boring but the torque is amazing. i bet it could pull out a stuck vehicle.

[svandamme]

even the 4 wheelers.. they don't flip as easy as the 3 wheeler, but when they flip, they crush ya.
VP i mentioned was a 4 wheeler.

[911boost]

He said he doesn't have room for a side by side and the 4 seaters take up a ton of room. I have a buddy with a 4 seat Teryx and a $$$$ suspension kit on it and its fun. I like the side by sides but they still roll, just are safer.

I have a Polaris Razr XP1000 and like your brothers it is fairly unstoppable. I will be buying a full windshield and door tops for it this offseason. Just got back from freezing using it for elk hunting this week and it was miserable.

With that said all of my friends and their families had 4 wheelers for years and years and somehow we are all still alive. As with anything, ride like an idiot and bad things happen. Ride like a sane person and use your brain they can be safe.

That does not apply to 3 wheelers, the devil created those.

[vash]

got it.

my friends 80 year old grandma runs a 4x4 ATV on her farm. she hasnt hurt herself yet.

[Rusty Heap]

[Bill Douglas]

Oh yes... the four wheelers flip alright!

20 years ago. It was like going through a bacon slicer, I still have the scars to prove it.

Hehe, great bike though. Yamaha.

[rusnak]

This thread made me look at ATV rollover accidents. Ouch. As kids we used to flip our ATC 3-wheelers and the 4-wheel Honda Odessey all the time. We used to ride on the farm all year and go to the Pismo sand dunes probably 6 times per year. With the 4-wheeler you knew to hold onto the steering wheel. Amazing to me now that no one ever got hurt. Either we were lucky or just good at riding back then.

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by Rusty Heap

Nice! I don't have the coin for one of those or at least I don't want to spend it.

No three wheeler for me.

I checked the National Forest website and all the trails are closed due to wet conditions. They must be REALLY wet, because they are a mud bog in the heat of summer!

Besides the NF, we don't have a lot of nice options close by like some of you guys...mountains, sand dunes, etc. I'd like a place I can go for the day.

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by rusnak

This thread made me look at ATV rollover accidents. Ouch. As kids we used to flip our ATC 3-wheelers and the 4-wheel Honda Odessey all the time. We used to ride on the farm all year and go to the Pismo sand dunes probably 6 times per year. With the 4-wheeler you knew to hold onto the steering wheel. Amazing to me now that no one ever got hurt. Either we were lucky or just good at riding back then.

I think it's the lucky part.

It's like riding our bike with no helmet, riding in the car with no seat belts or riding on the package tray, etc.

I always ride with full gear. Saved my head one day when I hit a tree years ago in the NF, but did it hurt!

Edit: The Honda Recon 250 has already sold. Snooze, you lose!

[porsche930dude]

I would never get anything polaris or can-am from the ones iv worked on. Just a pain the arse to work on. Infact anything that you need to remove 50 pieces of plastic just to see anything id run away from. Go for a light enough machine that you can push or lift if it gets stuck or incapacitated and its not going to crush you if it rolls over. Anything made in the last ten years will have a higher price tag for parts. I also dont care for machines that use a cvt which are the automatics you mentioned. But it doesnt really matter anything is good as long as it works and gets you out riding.

[911boost]

My 96 Polaris was easy to work on and the basic machine didn’t change for years and years so parts availability when I needed them was a snap.

A 250 is going to be way too small for you.