How did you get into Quads?

[vagoscm]

@optionizerSS I'm sure you gonna experience the riding with your quad! Enjoy!

[Jim Denton]

And then you'll look through the woods and say...hey....

[biran]

I've worked on cars for quite a while, and I'm a sucker for a bargain. At some point I started doing maintenance and repairs on a family friend's quads and hanging out at his house all the time. Then I got a project quad of my own, one thing led to another and now I keep a few more quads on his property than he does lol

[LARRY01Z28]

got to old for dirtbilkes. so i got a ltz 400. then a rancher for my wife. a bayou for my oldest son and a polaris 90 for my youngest son. 

not i am looking for inso on newer quads

[Adamap1]

We always had a 4 wheeler or a 3 wheeler when I was a kid. I didn’t use them much but did go rip around gravel pits with my buddies from time to time in high school. After that I didn’t own one til this weekend and only occasionally rode them in the last 20 years. That being said, I discovered that I really love working on engines. I’ve always done all my own maintenance on my vehicles even though I don’t have formal training or interest, I was just cheap. I have this thing about not paying people to do something I’m capable of doing myself. I’ve done anything from oil changes, window motors, replacing fuel pumps and a clutch. Generally using a manual and recently youtube and the internet as my guide! So from there I really found some sort of calming relief and joy from working on small engines. I love it. There’s nothing like taking a weed whip, chainsaw, or snow blower and getting it all cleaned up and running again! I love the solitary part of this, the trouble shooting/research and thinking it takes to diagnose and fix an issue. Anyways, worked my way through some riding lawn mowers, motorcycles, and my bobcat fixing whatever I can. I ran out of things to work on this winter and went shopping for a project! In order to convince the wife I needed a project it had to have purpose! I decided to get a 4 wheeler with a plow so I can move snow quicker and easier(on the times when it’s only a couple inches.) and since I live in Minnesota that’s quite often. Anyways, I shopped for quite awhile for the right machine and found a 1994 Polaris sportsman 400 with a brand new plow, no major cosmetic issues other than the seat, with only 540 miles on it. It does need some work though and makes it the perfect project!  I already know this is just the start of a likely obsession with atvs… I’m already shopping for another one and can’t wait to get the one I just bought cruising and it snow plowing condition. So that’s my story. The reason I’m here is that I love forums like this and rely on people to share knowledge! That’s how I’ve taught myself anything I know about engines or anything mechanical. 
 

Also, one of the big reasons I joined is I can’t seem to find an owners manual or any service manuals. Other than the ones on websites I’m not familiar with and don’t know if I can trust, looking to sell me a digital copy. I’ve had bad luck with that stuff before. Does anyone have  any suggestions on where to look? Any free download or even a trustworthy site to pay for one? I would appreciate the help. 
 

It’s a 1994 polaris sportsman 400 4x4. 
 

Thank you all in advance for the help and I look forward to learning and contributing where I can. 
 

Adam
 

 

[satmac]

I grew up in the country and learned early that if i want to get around i needed a ride. So fist it was dirt bikes and snow mobiles. Then finally quads and ive been riding them for 35 yes now

[WillrogersII]

Buddies in high school had some and i would ride on the back. As i got older and could afford one, had to get me some. 

[Wookard]

Drove a Jeep for about 9 years and went off road a lot over that time.

Met a guy who was huge into Trikes, Quads and Dirtbikes and became really good friends and he would take me out during camping trips.

Im in the middle of rebuilding a Suzuki Quadrunner I bought from him and will be my first Quad ever.

Hoping to get it fixed up before summer starts and possibly get to test it out in the bush during camping trips.

[Gwbarm]

Nothing like a Jeep, iv drove all different models over the years and still have 2, but an ATV is still more fun, feeling the wind hitting you in the face.

[unirambler]

I grew up riding dirt bikes and motorcycles. Never had a quad but rode some and some 3 wheelers. Now, I have kids and want to enjoy some time outdoors doing some of the things I did as a kid. We just had a quad given to us and it will be a project for my son and myself with the reward at the end being some fun riding (assuming we get it going!) 😀

[ExtATV]

I got started when I met my wifes (girlfriend at the time) parents, they have a 1986 Suzuki 185 that still runs fairly well.  This last Christmas my wife and I just got a Kawasaki Brute Force 300, and I finally took it out on her parents farm this week.  Great time!

Edited April 13, 2023 by ExtATV

[lbdrummer3]

I worked at a bike shop in my early 20's and got to ride my share of Banshees, Warriors, and Blasters.  Super fun quads but way out of my affordability range at the time.  Years later when I could afford one I didn't have space so I got a YZ250 instead.  We just moved to the country now and have plenty of space and some land so a work quad makes sense.  Neighbor gave me a Polaris Magnum 425 so yeah that's do.  I'd still like to get a Warrior or a 400EX eventually.  Got too many projects though and my 85 4runner rock crawler project is getting priority for KOH next year. 

[Big_McLargeHuge]

I like dirtbikes, but the wife will only let me have quads.

[jbutler9555]

My family couldn't afford these types of toys when I was a kid.

After I grew up, I got a job in the IT Field, started making a decent living, but still couldn't afford to buy a new quad.

I ended up moving out of the City and into a rural area, where I now have a 2019 Sportsman XP1000 Highlifter Edition.

I absolutely love it and wish that I would have gotten started earlier on in life.

[frugalsob]

I got my first quad in high school.  It was a 92 Yamaha Big Bear 350.  After high school it was sold and I fell into motorcycles since then.

Now as a parent, I've gotten back into it and plan for my son and I to take it up as a summertime hobby!

[blasirl]

I rode an old ATC in the snow in my teens, but recently I inherited a 2003 Honda Rancher ES 350.  I am considering adding a snow plow to it, at least in the winter. Is there a sub forum here that speaks to accessories?

[Gabster]

Just got my 1st quad.

[Gwbarm]

Ranchers are nice , have fun with it.

[George Henry]

On 5/3/2023 at 10:38 AM, Big_McLargeHuge said:

I like dirtbikes, but the wife will only let me have quads.

Buy a dirt bike and keep it at a friends place.

[jatho]

Had them on the farm for years, particularly the Suzuki King Quad 300s. The hi-lo and super low range proved invaluable when working in the steep hills of New Zealand. Great bikes in most aspects, although many seem to have an issue where the top gasket on the cylinder head fails and leaks oil onto the exhaust below. This is quite a common problem, and have seen it on multiple bikes. Will cause a fire and excess heat/smoke if not repaired or replaced. 

[DayBreakJim]

Started riding my friends 99 honda recon at the age of 12 in WV on his parents land. Lots of trail riding. Then slid into a stump on the side of the road going about 40 on their Foreman. Flew over the handlebars and into the creek 8 ft down. My shoes flew off. I looked back to see the Foreman rolling down the hill into the creek where it landed upside down. Cost 400 to bend the frame back which I payed back in small amounts over the years until I payed it all back. 

[Gwbarm]

yeah at 12 we all did a lot of unsafe things, not even the thought of getting hurt crossed our minds, we were invincible.

[LS_Noma]

Growing up we had an 84 Honda TRX200 that we got cheap, my dad and I rebuilt the engine and I had a lot of fun riding it around. We just got a 06 Polaris Sportsman 500 X2 as we wanted something that could work a bit harder dragging things around the yard and had 4wd.

[Gwbarm]

No greater memories than working with dad on some piece of junk we found, wheather it be cars or motorcycles, there werent any 4 wheelers back then. 

[Doublewidekings]

My wife's grandfather left us an ATV when he passed

[jscarter32]

bought 10 acres of wooded land.. first purchase was 2 older ATVs.

[Gwbarm]

Perfect plot of land for riding quads, did the same about 30 years ago and made trails all trough for the kids to ride on, lots of fun.

[1998Zuki250]

I always wanted a quad and finally as an adult, (29) I finally pulled the trigger. So far its been a fun ride! thanks for the add!

[DarkRider]

It's interesting seeing everyone's stories here! I grew up in rural NJ and I vividly remember exactly how I ended being into quads. I was invited to a 10th birthday party by one of my friends. He had a small red dirt bike, I don't know the model now, but it was definitely a 4-stroke manual. Probably a Honda 80 or 100 maybe? Anyway, he was giving dirt bike rides for everybody up and down the street, and that instantly made me want one.

Fast forward a couple years. After two years of bugging my dad to get one, I finally got one around 12 years old. My dad knows how to fix all that stuff, cars, boats, etc, so it was an easy sell.  He also wanted to get something for himself too. I got my first bike, an 86 KX80. I really didn't know how to use the clutch or throttle at all, probably not a good learner bike haha. I ended up crashing the thing into our metal shed and putting a huge dent in the side.

I wouldn't get on the thing for another 4 years haha. THEN, someone I know got an old used Honda 50 from a friend for free. He gave it to me and while it was goofy riding this thing around, it was perfect for me to learn on. It was a 3 gear semi-auto transmission. I didn't need to worry about a clutch, I could just get on the thing and practice actually riding without fighting the clutch.

I rode that thing all over until the trans finally died, which brought me back to the KX80 that was just sitting in the shed. I was also a bit small for the KX when I was 12, now at 16 years old I was taler and less afraid of it, and also started driving. Plenty of things helped me get some experience with motor vehicles in general. From that point, I learned to ride the KX80 no problem and by that time, a lot of my friends were starting to get into riding too. In this part of rural NJ, it was popular since we had easy access to plenty of woods. I remember the days where I wouldn't even call any of my friends before I went out, I'd just show up at the sandpit and most times they were there. Different people sometimes, sometimes we'd band together and look for a few of the other kids and see if they wanted to go with us. No particular plan, just...be there.

ANYWAY.. A lot of my friends had dirt bikes, but a couple had quads, and that's really when I started to lean more towards quads instead of dirt bikes. I think my interest in quads was a heavily influenced product of the time. I was just learning to drive, and I was admiring some of the creature comforts that came with ATV's. Having storage to throw a few things, racks to strap backpacks or bags for more extra stuff, not having to worry about leaning it against a tree because none of us had kickstands, electric start and headlights, etc. I think it was just the perfect age where all of that seemed like fancy luxuries and something about it just appealed more to me than the bikes.

So at that point I sold my KX80, saved up my measly $100 paychecks from working part time, and got myself a quad that was nothing like what I really wanted haha. Got myself a Yamaha Blaster, bored out to 239 or 240cc, I don't quite remember. I think it was a 1999, I know it had an oil injector on it which was VERY nice. I hated mixing oil and gas for the KX.

From that point on, I sold that quad and ended up experimenting with ALL kinds from 2wd sport quads to 4x4's, trying to figure out what I want the most. I had internal struggles between wanting a sport quad to pull sideways all the time and hit jumps, and a 4x4 that would get me anywhere and not leave me stranded. I've mellowed out over the years and settled on 4x4 utility quads, especially for this area of NJ. It's notoriously hilly, rocky and bumpy. It's just more fun to be able to go along at a slower pace, enjoy the scenery and know you've got your 4WD, diff lock, and winch.

It's actually amazing and pretty nostalgic to really think back to the "paper trail" of how I got into the hobby and how my preferences shifted along the way. I've never bought brand new, and the used market prices really seemed to have elevated quite a bit since then. I'm seeing quads sell now for higher prices than I bought them almost 15 to 20 years ago. A couple examples:  in 2008, I bought a 2002 Honda Rancher 350ES in basically perfect condition, with a plow and extra set of wheels and tires or $2550. I'm now seeing them go for about the same price or higher. I bought a 2009 Yamaha Wolverine 450 4x4 just 6 months into the year of 2009 for $3900. Today I'm seeing them go for usually $4k starting depending on condition.

This story was WAY longer than I expected it to be. What a wild ride to really think about how one ride on a dirt bike at 10 years old would trigger a long history of riding, researching, buying and selling quads as I figured out what I like the the most. The people that have come and gone from my life, that I've ridden with and went our separate ways. I do miss those days of being a teenager when you got out on the trails, rode for hours, then stopped and shut the bikes off. The roaring motors died down, silence took over and time stood still. No particular time to be back, just hung out and talked about life for a while, and back to the trails.

Thank you to this thread for allowing me to revisit those buried memories.

 

[Gwbarm]

I really enjoyed reading your story, thanks for sharing, brought back lots of memories, my brother had one of those 50s. I has a 90 but mine had a clutch, fun little rides.