I’m doing some research to buy a pair of "newer" ATVs for my wife and I. We have had a pair of TRW300 4WD quads in the family since the mid-90s and still ride them today. I also have ridden many different motorcycles and currently have a Yamaha XT225 Enduro that I mainly ride off-road. We have an 11 yr daughter chasing us around on a Raptor 90 quad and a 9 yr old boy on a CRF 70.
After spending a couple of days riding on a friend’s "track", I’m considering upgrading both of us to sport quads that will give us a better ride over the bumps and could feel more comfortable if the tires left the ground once in a while.
We plan to spend most of our time split between general trail riding and blasting around in some of the private quarries here in Michigan. Bundy Hill is our main spot to go in Michigan, although we’d like to try some tracks, such as Morelands this summer.
I’d like to spend between $2k-$3k on each.
For Me: I’m comfortable riding a true sport machine, fully clutched. Just wondering about what size I should look for? I’m 5’8", 170lbs. I don’t need top speed as a requirement. 400EX? 300EX? Other brands? I have to say I’m not tied to Honda except for the fact that our quads have been bulletproof for over 20 years. That definitely gains my loyalty. I grew up riding the Yamaha enduro, which is why I picked up the one I have now.
My Wife: She’s as aggressive as they come when riding. She’s ridden all her life, although I doubt I can get her to go back to using a clutch. She’s fine with shifting though. I don’t really want to go to fully automatic like a Polaris. I didn’t know that Honda even offered this Sportclutch feature until I started researching last night. Would the 250EX be the perfect quad for her? If it’s as fast as our current utility quads, it’s probably fast enough. The only drawback I can see is that the suspension travel is about half of the 400’s. Is that enough of a drawback to stay away from them?
Help me out here please. It’s going to take me a while to get up to speed on the variety of models and features out there.
