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View Full Version : What mini for my son????



Jailor EX
05-06-2004, 06:56 PM
Hello all, I am considering buying a mini for my son who is 3 1/2 we ride mostly at the Oregon dunes and I want something that is going to be able to handle the terrain. My friend has a 4 yr old daughter that rides a predator 90 and he swears that you can't have any less than a 90 for riding the dunes and it has gliders and Mohawks on it. I have seen smaller mini's at the dunes but they seem to just get stuck. I want him to be able to climb at least the small hills with out getting stuck. But I am not sure that I want to put him on a 90. Any info appreciated. I really like the looks of the E-Ton Viper and the Kasea skyhawk.:confused:

400exdad
05-07-2004, 06:52 AM
Dunes are great, you almost :) can't get hurt on'em. However, dunes do rob horsepower! Your friend is probably right about the motor size, but maybe someone will post who has a 50 that gets along well with a tiny rider aboard. Its a fine line between just enough power and too much speed for the little ones. Good Luck!

Samson
05-07-2004, 06:21 PM
My 45 lb kid has a 100 and it struggles in the dunes. You buy a 50 get ready to do some major upgrades.

Unless you want to stick to level areas anyway.

Snow
05-08-2004, 04:40 PM
you should buy my honda trx 90 its customized for better handling and has other great accesories:D :D ;)

400exdad
05-09-2004, 07:56 AM
Originally posted by nacsracer250r
you should buy my honda trx 90 its customized for better handling and has other great accesories:D :D ;)


He's only 3 1/2. Of course, with the smilies, you may have been kidding.

I'm partial to Suzuki's, as far as mini's go. Our LT80 has been everywhere! Dunes (it struggled a little bit there when it was stock), woods, and rocks. Its been through more than I believe most of the other minis could think about taking.

My point is this.... I saw a LT50 yesterday that seemed pretty awesome... The kid came out of the woods and gassed it through this mudhole. It looked like it had plenty of power and appeared to be stock (pipe/tires). I think I would have to suggest the LT50 after seeing that.

Samson
05-09-2004, 08:44 AM
At a minimum get something with a cvt. The most UNSATISFIED people on these forums are the ones that bought a single speed micro-mini. No way it will handle sand.

Snow
05-09-2004, 09:16 AM
ohh lol i didnt know you son was that old, i was kinda joking as well. I have heard good things about lt50s, also my little cousin has a kasea 50 and he loves it.

norcalatver
05-09-2004, 09:28 AM
I bought both of my kids quads at the age of four. My son an lt-80, my daughter a LEM Cayman 50. With the experience I have gained I would suggest the Suzuki 80. The 50's just don't have enough power. I also ride at the Oregon Dunes and my kids Lt-80's both do good. What's also nice about the Suzuki is you can limit the throttle as your kid learns to ride. The 80 also has a ton of mods you can do that are readily available. My kid is now 10 and still has the 80. It's now a 105, with CT Racings pipe, clutch work etc.., works shocks, + 3 a-arms, widened rear +2. I also have a Honda 90 and the preferred quad to ride by my kids are their LT-80's because the 90 is a pull start and you have to shift it. With the 80's the kids can do everything by themselves.

foleyit
05-09-2004, 10:07 PM
I haven't had a chance to take the Kasea Skyhawk 50 to the dunes yet, so I can't give you any feedback how it performs in th dunes. My guess, is that it will do just fine in the flats, and some of the small hills. The 50 is for racing and the LT80 is for leisure and recreational riding. The LT80 has never disappointed me with it's performance. The CVT tranny is nice for a young rider, the throttle limiter is a bonus too. The 50 will be going to Pismo on 6/5 weekend. I'll let you know how it does when we return.

However, I can say that when comparing the Skyhawk 50, to the LT50 the Skyhawk 50 flat out performs the LT50. The Skyhawk is longer and wider than that of the LT too.

Hawk III
05-10-2004, 06:53 AM
What ever you go with, do NOT go with the suzuki lt50....I have one and what a POS!! The quad is the most underpowered 50 on the market...I have had nothing but problems with it also. :grr:

Chad W
05-10-2004, 08:57 AM
Go with the LT 80. It comes stock with a couple of power restricting measures that can easily be removed when your child grows in experience. It also has a great reputation for reliability.

onall4rs
05-10-2004, 03:21 PM
the skyhawk 50cc would be a good start and a easy quad to learn
on and ther is plenty of upgrades

phaster1
05-10-2004, 11:00 PM
Sorry but the lt50 is not the quad for your little one....upgrades are not as plentiful as they are for the others...ie:Kasea, Eton & DRR.

Look around the other forums and you will see where buying an lt50 will become a problem. Most are screaming for more power after the first month...there really isn't much more you can get out of it. No suspesion to speak of on the lt50, alot smaller...I really think the lt should be considered a micro-mini.

Just my .02

goodluck in whatever you choose and remeber gear them up right and be safe!!

madmac
05-11-2004, 11:58 PM
For christmas I built my daughter (4 yrs. old) an lt 80 and she and I absolutely love it. Im not sure how good it will work in the sand though. my only complaints are:

#1) not wide enough and prone to tip.

#2) the throttle limiter really doesnt restrict the "snap" as much as it should. it only limits the top speed partially.

#3) it doesnt have a removeable rear grab bar (which really isnt a big deal)

like I said before over all we love it! ( and I have a lot of fun riding wheelies on it hahaha)

foleyit
05-12-2004, 08:03 AM
Originally posted by madmac
For christmas I built my daughter (4 yrs. old) an lt 80 and she and I absolutely love it. Im not sure how good it will work in the sand though. my only complaints are:

#1) not wide enough and prone to tip.

#2) the throttle limiter really doesnt restrict the "snap" as much as it should. it only limits the top speed partially.

#3) it doesnt have a removeable rear grab bar (which really isnt a big deal)

like I said before over all we love it! ( and I have a lot of fun riding wheelies on it hahaha)

#1 You can buy some aftermarket rims with wider offset. Also, I have the front extenders 3" a side. That took care of the "prone to tip" problem.

proracer23
05-13-2004, 11:15 AM
You can also buy a Eton Viper 50 and buy the 70cc big bore kit with the rhyno pipe and it would be big enough for anything. With the child only being 3 1/2, there is no gears and there is the kill switch on the back that you can change to the handlebars so in case he falls off, the quad will shut down.