How did you get into Quads?

[schroedz]

I started out on dirtbikes as a kid and had a blast on two wheels. Last year I had an high school automotive class I was teaching and keeping my eyes open for simple projects for my students. Found a honda rancher on Craigslist that had been rolled and appeared to be seized. $250 and I couldn't pass it up. Plastics were crap and handlebars bent, meter cracked but lights still worked. No battery just the pull start. Turned out the the piston wrist pin clip jammed under the wrist pin prevent it from being able to rock back and forth with the connecting rod movement. Drilled the piston off and hammered out the pin. $80 on a new piston and the thing fired up second pull! Eventually got different plastics and repaired a few other cosmetics bits and its been running great since (with a few aluminum piston bits inside lol). Same spark plug and head (just dingle balled it a bit).

[johniii]

28 minutes ago, schroedz said:

I started out on dirtbikes as a kid and had a blast on two wheels. Last year I had an high school automotive class I was teaching and keeping my eyes open for simple projects for my students. Found a honda rancher on Craigslist that had been rolled and appeared to be seized. $250 and I couldn't pass it up. Plastics were crap and handlebars bent, meter cracked but lights still worked. No battery just the pull start. Turned out the the piston wrist pin clip jammed under the wrist pin prevent it from being able to rock back and forth with the connecting rod movement. Drilled the piston off and hammered out the pin. $80 on a new piston and the thing fired up second pull! Eventually got different plastics and repaired a few other cosmetics bits and its been running great since (with a few aluminum piston bits inside lol). Same spark plug and head (just dingle balled it a bit).

you worked on this in class?? sounds cool. nice for the kids!!

[George Henry]

22 hours ago, schroedz said:

I started out on dirtbikes as a kid and had a blast on two wheels. Last year I had an high school automotive class I was teaching and keeping my eyes open for simple projects for my students. Found a honda rancher on Craigslist that had been rolled and appeared to be seized. $250 and I couldn't pass it up. Plastics were crap and handlebars bent, meter cracked but lights still worked. No battery just the pull start. Turned out the the piston wrist pin clip jammed under the wrist pin prevent it from being able to rock back and forth with the connecting rod movement. Drilled the piston off and hammered out the pin. $80 on a new piston and the thing fired up second pull! Eventually got different plastics and repaired a few other cosmetics bits and its been running great since (with a few aluminum piston bits inside lol). Same spark plug and head (just dingle balled it a bit).

I would love to see pics of that.  Before, after or whatever.

[House]

A friend made a trade with someone for a Suzuki 230 and 250. We got them running and took them up to his dads cabin, haven't stopped since

[P Dubya]

My Dad got me into dirt bikes and it evolved from there.  Can't thank my Dad enough!

[Gtc4d]

Just bought mine to work around the house, but hopefully can start riding some trails in the near future.

 

[michael absher]

 I'm new to quads, just had two given to me... But I've had a Gator for a little while, does that count as a quad?  Is it a sin to even ask that?  Pretty much got into them by buying some land up here in very steep North West CA...

[Allen Ballard]

started out riding a good friends 3 wheeler. burnt my leg and the rest is history. 

[Tommy K]

My grandfather had a brand new Suzuki lt230 shaft drive in 1986.  I was 3.  It was everything i ever wanted for a long time growing up

[bradley nelson]

Ive always worked on anything that had an engine and i like to go fast so i bought a chinese pit bike and quad. Rebuilt them to tip top shape and ride em everyday. Plus i build motorized bikes have a dune buggy suzuki 230 quad and a pocket bike. Oh and im only 16.

[Belmontie]

I moved from London (England) to a place called Connemara it’s In county Galway on the west of Ireland 11 years ago.

Its very rural and very unspoiled still has the wild feeling about it, well from being born in a city like London where the off road opportunities there were slim and none to coming to a place begging to be explored so I bought a Land Rover Defender with a Ramsey hydraulic winch it’s rough but fun almost zero electrics not even a stereo (you wouldn’t hear it anyway) I loved taking of and getting stuck in various holes around the county, it was around the time I bought this my dad sent a container back from the US with various bits for the farm we were setting up and his house and inside was a Suzuki eiger 400cc with a warn  winch and that’s what got me going with quads he sent back a polar tipping trailer too the amount of work those two have done is phenomenal from firewood, putting out turf (peat ), carrying feed, to mucking out stables. 

I got an opportunity to buy an old Yamaha Big Bear 350 for cheap so i took it, needs tlc but I like the fact I’ll learn more about them when fixing them (or not fixing them)

looking forward to sharing my mishaps with you all.

[MD570]

Age - got to the age where I needed something for hunting coues whitetail deer in some rough country in southwest AZ.  Getting to them is difficult.  Spent 25 - 30 years walking; glassing and stalking them and body just wants to do it a little easier.  Used to ride bikes in my early youth, love all things mechanical - worked on heavy equipment for 42 years, so ATV's are a nice break to work on; ride and just enjoy in the outdoors!

[afa913]

Rode when i was young, now 35 i finally got one, needs some work but my son and i will enjoy it soon

[RAYAR]

Thinking of retiring in the spring. Was at a buddy's this summer and had a chance to ride his 2003 Sportsman 500 HO (possibly a H.O.R.S.E model) a bit helping out at a music festival he hosts. Was going to buy it, but he decided to keep it. It's in great shape.

Bought a 2001 Xplorer 400L a few months ago, won't go into reverse. A little more trouble shooting and I may have to pull the tranny out for repairs.

Just bought a 1996 Sportsman 500 with factory service manual. Previous owner of eight years practically rebuilt it over that time, needed TLC when he bought it. Stills needs a few things, but in quite good shape. Trans been replaced with one from a 2000.

Also just bought a 1998 Sportsman 500 not running. Just quit on him on the trail, likely the pick-up coil, but will trouble shoot and repair, then re-assemble. Chassis in decent shape otherwise, but needs front tires.

Photo: 1996 Sportsman 500. Just picked up.

[Pete van veen]

Had to figure away to clean driveway quad is the way to gp

[BradF80]

Was tired of removing the deck on my lawnmower every time I wanted to drag something out the the woods and back. So I figured I would by a quad as more of a utility vehicle.

[Squirrel]

Grew up around dirt and street bikes as a kid, then bought the devils dirt bike about 15 years ago and sold it off to buy a cruiser when I met my wife. I've rode friends quads off and on over the years camping and hunting but the funds always went to other projects instead of buying my own. Finally bought a '00 bayou 220 on Black Friday for a price I couldn't walk away from. Now waiting on parts to get it running so I can go play in the mountains before the snow gets too deep. lol

As much as I'm glad to finally have my own quad for a change, come warmer weather I'll probably still be out on my cruiser most of the time. Hell, my truck barely gets used 6 months out of the year! hahaha

[arlford]

Been riding since I was a kid

[nel79]

Growing up we had Honda Big Red three wheelers on the farm...They were great machines

[mugwampbro]

started riding honda 90's atv

[nix377]

I didn't discover ATV's until I was in my late 30's. In 2004 I bought a Polaris 250 two stroke from a co-worker to use for hunting. I was immediately hooked. At one point I had the wife and kids involved. We had four atv's and a SXS. Sadly over the past few years we have dwindled down to one again.  The kids are in high school/ college and between sports, friends, and work they have little time for the sport. My wife can no longer ride due to a back injury.

I still ride as much as I can and I have a side business doing repairs so I still get to put my hands on all kinds of machines

It's a great and highly addictive sport

[David C]

Was living in Anchorage, AK about 2002 or 2003 and some of my friends would go to a place called Jim's Creek to ride quads, dirt bikes, even trucks sometimes. I did get my truck stuck out there one time (different story). Any ways I had always wanted a motorcycle, atv, etc. as a kid so went and bought a 2003 Suzuki LTZ400 and have been riding whenever I can as often as I can since. No longer have the 400, but currently have a 2016 Honda Foreman, 2006 Suzuki LTZ250, 2016 Polaris Sportsman 110 (Son's)and a 2006 Kymco Mongoose 90 (Arctic Cat 90 Clone) (Daughter's) and getting ready to possibly pick up a Kawasaki Lakota 300 (KEF300) tomorrow.

[Michael Thibaudeau]

Same way I get into anything Kids!

[Jcl98bayuo]

Been riding since I was 8 and couldn't stop

[pokolbinguy]

Found a  cheap YFM250 Moto 4 ....now to get it working

[AC1]

I started riding old coal land in KY

[Arby911]

Friend of mine had one and we used it to haul an elk from the middle of nowhere. Would have taken a couple days on foot, took a couple hours instead. 

I was sold!

[dee004]

Hey all. Don here. I'm new to the forum and I got into the ATV scene after years of Kart racing and decided I needed a pull vehicle in the pits. 

[r97f1504x4]

Hello, I'm new here too!  Had them on the farm growing up.  Then a little riding with Warrior and Predator for a few years in the past 20 years.  Anyways, winter has not been the same around here, sleds don't get used so finally decided to get a wheeler again.

[Jones21]

Started very young with my uncle.