Which Quad?

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

I'm finally looking at seriously being able to consider a Quad. Only I know f*ck all about them and don't even comprehend the most basic stuff like what a certain " C.C " might mean in day to day usage terms. I'm looking for advice and guidence here.

 

To make it easier for you guys, I'll lay down my aspirations and what little I do 'know'. K? I 'know' I'd want a " Torque ", not a chain drive. Not sure why. Just shit I've picked up. Chain Saw I've just about learned to keep up. Can't see me f*cking with the chain on anything more complex. Plus, as someone said else where here; " Look at what the farmers use. "

 

I also 'know' the tried and tested Japanese ones are the kiddies. Honda seems especially well favoured. Then maybe Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki? What ever. I'm sure a lot of it's personal.

 

Yep. Guess that's about as much as I even Think I know!

 

Here's what I dream of doing with it: Take five mile trips into town. That's a major part of my reasoning. I'll have to try and sort out the Irish legalities elsewhere - unless anyone here knows? Whilst not going into town, I'd like to use it around this place. I can get a small, dumping trailer for it and it can haul my muck and bins for me. I'm too damn old for this wheel barrow shoving shit any more! That's going to kill me!

 

It may also be fun to splash about the bogs here a bit. What ever. It'd give me a way of getting from A to B, across shitty fields, without making it all such a chore. That could be fun, summer or winter.

 

What I'm Not after is a 'Monster'. Please don't start telling me what You'd like. No point. I carry a .22 Hornet, because it's as much fire power as I Need. Everyone else has .223's and Want .243's. Well, I don't. See what I'm saying? I want the tool to fit the bill. Not 'The Biggest and Bestest There Is'.

 

Anyone?

 

Thanks

[big d 1]

hi ditch, kawasaki is a good strong : bike, shaft driven also, keep away from that chinese shite, have a look at this one one on ebay item number360029267701, all the best

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Nice, Big D. And, at £1,350, they're giving it away, surely?

 

First thing I looked at was the speedo. 40 mph? Great! I saw a 600cc earlier. 75mph!!! F*ck Right Off! Anything capable of faster than a Cob would scare me to death. So I guess 300 is around the power I'd be looking for? Learning all the time

 

Cheers for that.

[IanB 0]

Honda all the way ditch, legendary.... One of the farms I go on the farmers 76 and the quad is his legs without it hes knackered....

[mole trapper 1,646]

Ditto what Ian said, my old man is 74 and is still farming sheep up in the hills, he has a small honda, gets him everywhere.

[Chid 6,377]

honda big red or forman ditch you wont go wrong with one of those

[runningdog 1]

suzuki king quad 600cc the mutts nuts..

[dytkos 17,536]

Gonna be best part of two grand, Ditch?????

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Ok then, lads. Honda certainly does look like The One, doesn't it? I've been reading up as best I can too. Haven't found a single argument against that premise yet.

 

Actually, Pat has a Honda. I was up at his place the other week ~ as this whole idea was starting to formulate ~ and spoke to him about it. 'Mind you, he said I shouldn't be driving a quad into town because he reckoned two blokes could lift one into a van - and they bloody well would. Ok, I thought; Discreetly fitted alarm should sort that out. Not as if I'll be parking it up there permanently. They'd actually far more likely try to find my cottage and come here for it anyway. What ever.

 

Funny bit was though when I asked Pat what he thought of his. Something in how I phrased it made him go all defensive! He sort of rushed to its side and almost draped himself over it. Running his hands lovingly over it whilst muttering it's specifics. So many cc. This and that drive. All the things that meant nothing, as such, to me. But I certainly got a first hand look at how a man can come to feel about his Honda. I suspect he was feared that I was going to ask if I could try it out.

 

Now then; I've looked about and they do rather seem to be saying the 250cc is more just a run around than a tool? Fine. But what cc has Mole Trappers Dad got there? " Small Honda - gets him everywhere ". Small as a 250?

 

Towards the other end; The 'Foreman'. Is that not a little bit of a Beast? Would that have 75mph on the speedo? 30mph would be quite enough for me. I've never driven and my push bike going down a steep, long hill is quite 'exllerating' enough at my time in life.

 

I'm not looking for the might of a dumper truck or tractor here. Need a tractor to pull a tree stump out? I'll ask Pat to fetch one of his tractors. I'm thinking of just carting stable muck a hundred yards and maybe fetching in fire wood from round about. Sort of thing anyone in a city would handle with one of those bouncy little trailer boxes ye see in cities. I'll not be dragging an Ifor Williams with two cows in it behind the thing. See what I'm saying?

 

Anyway, thanks, all. We've certainly got it pinned down to a Honda then. There's two or three dedicated dealerships in Eire. Couple are even quite close to me, in the scheme of things.

 

Oh, f*ck it. I Have to ask! I was looking at a Foreman on eBay earlier. 500cc? What ever. Anyway, thing is; It was drab, military green! Still had Honda and the little wing stenciled on the side of it. But f*ck it looked sexy! No Where else can I find other than a bright Red Honda! I desperately want cammo or drab green. I don't want to stand out like a beacon on the bog with it. What do ye suppose is the craic there? Can that bodywork be resprayed, like a motor? Or what?

 

Thanks again, guys. Most usefull so far

[IanB 0]

I wouldn't bother about colour ditch, all the honda's are great motors, was over a blokes the other day who repairs them for a living, farmers lead acid battery had gone and he thought something else was a miss at the time... the bloke was raving about the 300cc don't think they make them anymore, but said hes never once had to break into an engine, he had to top the engine oil up about a litre they really are bomb proof...

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Yeah but, Ian, if I didn't care about colour, mate - or being laughed at! - think of the fun Dean o' and I could have, galavanting about the place in This f*ckin contraption!

 

 

 

Fully Kitted Kawasaki 'Mule' FoxF*ckerMobile!

 

 

 

No. Now ye say red? I say oranges are not the only fruit! Here's the Green Honda Foreman I found, look. Sex or What? Just look at that central headlight!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then there's another of their Very Latest (Somewhat slightly Top of the Range) models. But I'm only showing ye this to point out that there's more to Honda than shiney Red. Personally, this isn't my taste in cammo, but anyway .....

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found all those on the Bay. Under " Honda Quad ". They are out there. I just have to sort out which one would suit me best

[mole trapper 1,646]

Sorry Ditch, my dads is a 350, he has had it about 5 years now, i can guarantee the oil has never been checked, he would not know what a service is, and still it never misses a beat.

[Chid 6,377]

Ditch the forman is a 450 and probally does about 40 mile an hour flat out. if you want to go all posh on us get the es model. push button gear change

 

not much speed differance between the 250 going up to the 450 just torque

[Matt 160]

Ditch

 

If you intend doing a bit of road work, a bike with either 2WD or 4WD is better on the tyres and fuel.

 

I think (?) the newer Honda's have a selector. My experiences with the Honda big red 350 are good. Its a go anywhere machine that is totally reliable.

 

The first quad I ever drove was a suzuki with a 2WD selector and a 250cc engine. It was a cracker for lamping, but lacked the low down guts of the honda.

[tango 221]

I'm finally looking at seriously being able to consider a Quad. Only I know f*ck all about them and don't even comprehend the most basic stuff like what a certain " C.C " might mean in day to day usage terms. I'm looking for advice and guidence here.

 

To make it easier for you guys, I'll lay down my aspirations and what little I do 'know'. K? I 'know' I'd want a " Torque ", not a chain drive. Not sure why. Just shit I've picked up. Chain Saw I've just about learned to keep up. Can't see me f*cking with the chain on anything more complex. Plus, as someone said else where here; " Look at what the farmers use. "

 

I also 'know' the tried and tested Japanese ones are the kiddies. Honda seems especially well favoured. Then maybe Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki? What ever. I'm sure a lot of it's personal.

 

Yep. Guess that's about as much as I even Think I know!

 

Here's what I dream of doing with it: Take five mile trips into town. That's a major part of my reasoning. I'll have to try and sort out the Irish legalities elsewhere - unless anyone here knows? Whilst not going into town, I'd like to use it around this place. I can get a small, dumping trailer for it and it can haul my muck and bins for me. I'm too damn old for this wheel barrow shoving shit any more! That's going to kill me!

 

It may also be fun to splash about the bogs here a bit. What ever. It'd give me a way of getting from A to B, across shitty fields, without making it all such a chore. That could be fun, summer or winter.

 

What I'm Not after is a 'Monster'. Please don't start telling me what You'd like. No point. I carry a .22 Hornet, because it's as much fire power as I Need. Everyone else has .223's and Want .243's. Well, I don't. See what I'm saying? I want the tool to fit the bill. Not 'The Biggest and Bestest There Is'.

 

Anyone?

 

Thanks

what you want is a big red with a road kit i,e indicators number plate hi/lo beam which it should have and it will need mirrors. insurance class them as quadracycles there easy enough to insure i wouldnt know exactly about nct in the south but youre centre could tell you .A few places sell them road registered in the autotrader from the south so there shouldnt be to much hasle. good luck in youre quest ditch