jfurniss

~SPONSOR~
Aug 22, 2000
98
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I've noticed that there are a LOT more 4-wheelers than dirt bikes around. Are they on to something? I've never actually ridden a quad and wonder how it compares to a bike. I have to admit that they do look fun. Who has an opinion on this?
 

Casper250

Motosapien
Dec 12, 2000
579
1
I own a quad. It's a 15 year old polaris trailboss. It was given to me because it didn't run at the time. Is fun for clibing and slow speed stuff. I use it for hauling wood around and little things like that.

I think a reason that Quads are more popular is because learning to ride one is alot easier and quicker then a bike. Alot less balance involved and it gives a false sence of security.

I also noticed that even though Quads are easier to ride in the begining, it seems they are harder to ride upper levels like in MX racing. Thats just a personal observation, not sure if it's true or not.

I think i read somewhere that twice as many quads are sold each year compared to dirtbikes.
 

pyrofreak

Member
Apr 9, 2003
819
0
I think the reason for them being so popular is the reason being that most of them are automatics, and easier to learn to ride, and they are better in mud, but IMO the ergonomics are all wrong and they dont turn worth a $hyt.
 

Endless Mike

Member
Oct 30, 2003
55
0
Dont you have an LT250r?

I have a Raptor, its fun, got good power but it isnt meant for MX. It does good in the trails, thats it purpose. Ive got 2 other MX bikes for the track
 

CaptainObvious

Formally known as RV6Junkie
Damn Yankees
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Jan 8, 2000
3,331
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They're great for people who don't have any balance.

Really, they are OK. Lots of fun for powersliding. Fun to jump too. But they will wear you out fast. A real hoot in the snow.

They are also very dangerous (tipsy).
 

gwcrim

~SPONSOR~
Oct 3, 2002
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Somebody gave me one... an old LT125.

I didn't want my kids to ride it. I gave it back and bought a minibike. :thumb:

I know of too many folks that have been hurt very badly and/or killed on quads. Ya really have to try and get hurt on a dirtbike. IMO, of course.
 

Okiewan

Admin
Dec 31, 1969
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Neil Wig

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jun 22, 2000
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I had to drag a whitetail deer out of the bush by hand this year....I do see some value in having a quad for hunting (allowed in the Northern Provincial Forrest). I could also see them being very useful on a farm.
 

XRpredator

AssClown SuperPowers
Damn Yankees
Aug 2, 2000
13,510
19
They are good for that, Neil. Not bad for just plonking down a logging road either. Still not as cool as a dirt bike.
 

Treejumper

2 wheeled idiot
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I have a Kodiak which i use for making trails for the bike, carrying the chainsaw, pulling the snow board behind it in the winter, hunting with. So yeah they are useful and fun to ride. I enjoy the dirtbike way better but in the winter around here its not much fun on the bike.
 

Midhigh

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Jul 19, 2002
481
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I have two quads. A Honda TRX and A Kawasaki Mojave. My wife and daughter ride them. I agree with RV6junkie, they will flat wear you out. Fun in the sand and in the snow (mostly the snow). And they are very good come riding day when someone goes down or help is needed away from the pits. If for that reason only, I would keep at least one quad. They also work good to pull your (I mean your friends) bikes out of the mud.

Bikes are ten times the fun, Stay on two wheels.
 

OnAnySunday

Big Pig
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Nov 20, 2000
998
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lost in the deserts of NM
We had an Odyssey a few years back.....although is an Odyssey considered a quad??? Hmmmm? :think:
It was a blast to ride, but what a P I G !

Had a couple of ATC70's too.
I remember one time after work me and a couple of the guys got together and raced 3 of them (atc70's) around this little home made circle track on the lot beside the warehouse.
Gosh, what a BLAST!
2nd gear-throttle pinned, just slidin round and round!!! :) :laugh:
 

Gary B.

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Apr 17, 2000
684
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I rode ATV's only for about 7 years before getting my first bike. In sand and snow they are much more fun than a bike, and bikes are way more challenging in general. My wife and younger son ride a quad and enjoy it more, but they don't ride that much. I borrowed my boss's Rincon a few weeks ago for some lumberjack work - it is truly the ultimate weapon for that. I couldn't imagine trail riding it though, it's like driving a truck with handlebars.
 

KTM Mike

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Mi. Trail Riders
Apr 9, 2001
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My wife has a Polaris Trailblazer, and my oldest son a Yamaha Blaster.  My wife simply was not interested in a bike, my kid just somehow convinced himself he could not ride back when he was about 7 years old (though he was actually doing fine and never had a hard get off).  I ride both on occasion.

I do find it fun sometimes to play around on the Blaster.  It has a FMF pipe and silencer etc, and does OK for a little 200. - it is a Blast (pun intended) to play on, to pop wheelies etc (it has such a short wheelbase for a lard butt like me).  I do find it actually harder to really push it in the woods though - 2 times the lines to worry about!  More tiring in that regard.  Personally, I will stick with a bike!  But what ever floats your boat, go for it!

Some bike guys give quads a real hard time - a rather adversarial relationship.  I dont feel that is necessary.  Sure there are idiots on quads, but there are idiots on bikes to.  But because quads are easier for the less "serious" riders to use, it does seem you see more tank top, flip flops, helmetless riders out in the trails than on bikes, or some young punk tearing things up riding where they should not be.  This is a function of the rider...not the machine!  If they were on bikes, they would be doing the same stupid pet tricks.

 

 
 

Dirtvet

Member
Jan 23, 2000
187
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Those type of riders described by KTM Mike wouldn't last on a dirt bike. Maybe its just where I live, but dirtbikers tend to be in better shape and wear proper protective gear, while ATVr's weigh 300 lbs. and ride in shorts and a T shirt without a helmet. You can't carry your beer, pole and pork rinds to the river on a dirt bike though, so ATVs serve a noble purpose.
 

bbbom

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Aug 13, 1999
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Originally posted by Casper250
I think a reason that Quads are more popular is because learning to ride one is alot easier and quicker then a bike. Alot less balance involved and it gives a false sence of security.

I think i read somewhere that twice as many quads are sold each year compared to dirtbikes.

Many quads are simply used for utility purposes like hunting, farming, ranching and general work around acreage. They are also popular for people that are physically challenged - balance and age related.

That is why you rarely see a quad out on any real trails. I rode my dad's once and I prefer my Gator - at least we can haul a good load of firewood with it and it works great as a rescue vehicle when needed (the Gator that is).
 

KTM Mike

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Mi. Trail Riders
Apr 9, 2001
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Perhaps what Tommygun is saying is simply natural selection!  NOT due to them being quad riders, but for being the off road counter part to what I called in street bike riding a "squid" - the 19 year old, flip flops and shorts on a GSXR1100 riding wheelies!

 As to the "mix" of sales ATVs vs dirt bikes etc - here are some solid industry statistics - forecast for 2003 shows 72% of all off road sales will be for ATVs, 19% "enduro" bikes, and 9% motocross bikes  (that enduro bike stat excludes dual sport type bikes.  Now if you factor in street legal bikes into the equation - ATV sales outstrip ALL street bike sales by a huge margin, with ATVS at 135% of what total street bike sales are!  Here is the overall breakdown:

  • Street bikes:    35%  (all types combined)
  • MX                      6%
  • Enduro              12%
  • ATV's                  47% 

Reasons for all this (sorry to hijack a thread here!)  ATV riders are barely short of outnumbering ALL other kinds of riders, street and dirt combined!  We had better work with "them" when it comes to land access issues etc. 

Now clearly we all (off road bikers, ATVers and Street riders) have those few bad apples that lead to comments like I even made about the "idiots"  (WARNING dont get me going on the loud pipes saves lives argument!).  So the issue is not the vehicle...its the loose nut behind the bars!

Back to bbboms comment about quads for essentially the "infirm"  (those physically challenged) yep - of course they are popular in that group for obvious reasons.  In my area however, we do see a large number of quads out in the "real trails" - ranging from the farm implement variety to the quad equivalent of say a RM or CR or my EXC.  Oh...my oldest son might be a bit insulted by bbboms comment there , but he is used to me giving him a hassle, so she wont have to worry!

Now...speaking of those more physically challenged as it relates to unit sales....think about the population of the US and the large blip in age demographics from the baby boomers...more and more people will more and more likely be attracted to the (perhaps false) sense of increased safety and ease of use of a quad.

I think we had all better go find a quad rider to become best buddies with real quick!  If we dont, our voice will be lost!

Sorry for the rant guys...now back to our regularily scheduled programming!

 
 

bbbom

~SPONSOR~
Aug 13, 1999
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Originally posted by KTM Mike
Oh...my oldest son might be a bit insulted by bbboms comment there, but he is used to me giving him a hassle, so she wont have to worry!


I wasn't worried about it anyways - no way he could catch me with a quad on our trails, it wouldn't fit through the trees!!! ;)

Seriously though, a lot of the quad riders that we deal with on the access issues are old dirtbikers that can't dirtbike anymore. They still want to get out into the woods but they don't want to go on the trails that they used to ride on dirtbikes. They want to be allowed to use the old logging roads that the FS has closed down and the wider trails that are already open to motorized use. They also want to be allowed to make their own trails and to keep them open.

They don't want to ruin the singletrack that they used to enjoy, they want to leave that for the current dirtbikers.

The problem is not the ATV vs. dirtbike it is the FS and their lack of understanding that all motorized recreation does NOT necessarily belong together on the same trails.

Our club has been working with the FS and other user groups to figure out how to share the trails. It has finally been accepted by the FS and a few other land managers that trail use is not as simple as motorized and non-motorized. Trails need to be available for non-motorized uses and for the different motorized uses - singletrack (dirtbikes), widetrack (quads & dirtbikes) and roads (4x4's, quads & dirtbikes).

In our area, many of our dirtbike trails are not suitable for quad use - they are too tight and too technical for all but the most experienced quad rider. In some sections, the trees are too close together for quads and the goattrails are way too narrow for them.

I agree that quads need trails but they don't need to take over our trails. The Land Managers need to address the need for quad trails. Our club has even volunteered to build & maintain quad trails if they will just leave our singletrack alone.

You are correct Mike, we need to work with the quad people because they are a big share of the market but we also need to make them understand why we don't want to share ALL of our trails with them.

It is interesting though, I know of only one Land Manager in our area that has actually performed on the ground research on the types of users on their trail system. It is a trail system designed for motorized use but they have 4 Rangers that basically survey the users to determine what the spread is across the different uses. The majority of their users were dirtbikes something like 37%, followed by ATV's at like 18%, then MTB's, horses, hikers & 4x4's.
 

KTM Mike

~SPONSOR~
Mi. Trail Riders
Apr 9, 2001
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Originally posted by bbbom
The problem is not the ATV vs. dirtbike it is the FS and their lack of understanding that all motorized recreation does NOT necessarily belong together on the same trails. ...

You are correct Mike, we need to work with the quad people because they are a big share of the market but we also need to make them understand why we don't want to share ALL of our trails with them. ....


You got to the core of the land use issue!  Now...if we could only eradicate the "squids" from all forms of our sport we would be in great shape!
 

DezDuster

Sponsoring Member
Sep 19, 2002
38
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I began to think that as I got older (I'm fairly ancient now) I'd have to evolve down into quad-dom. You know -- less balance and longer reflexes that are supposed to happen when the years add up. So I took a friend's offer of a nice quiet trail ride with him on a Polaris. It was a disaster!    I missed the first mid-speed turn due to lack of throttle control ( I didn't respect the connection between steering and throttle) and then I bailed out on a hill when I got sideways. Of course I landed in a rockpile and broke three ribs.

Never again. I've been rebuilding my Husaberg during my recovery and can't wait to roost some quads.

"Old" is a state of mind..Quads are a state of insanity. :confused:
 

bh

Member
Nov 26, 2001
158
0
The thing we get into here where I live is these kids whose parents buy them everything get quads for their kids. Because they think they are so much safer. You know 4 wheels are safer than 2!
 
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