Safety issues aside, I'm surprised no one has brought up the fact that this is a Chinese made piece of crap atv.
...poor track record when it comes to quality and the average consumer doesn't have the mechanical skill to keep them running. It's cheaper to go buy a new one.
I ain't no fool... I know exactly what I bought... and I bought exactly what I wanted.
And
no it ain't necessarily cheaper to buy a new "brand name"... in fact, depending on your plans for it a new "brand name" will cost you a ton more!!
I know what it is... and compared to something 4, 5 or 6 times the money it is a piece-o-crap. But that ain't a fair comparison, it's like comparing a Chevy Vega to a Rolls Royce. Making the generic statement that Chinese ATV's are a "
piece of crap is sort'a snobbish... sure, ya' get what ya' pay for, but that ain't a problem if ya' pay for it with your eyes wide open. Are they the right choice for everyone?? Nope. I sure wouldn't recommend one to a single mom, or any parent that don't know how to "turn-a-wrench"... but for a guy like me...
I did my research on these things, if you're mechanically schooled, they're one heck of a good value for a child's first ATV, and here's why...
- Price - The cost of a new kid's Chinese ATV is less than the value you lose by taking a (so-called) quality ATV out of the dealers showroom. In fact, it was only a couple hundred more than a battery-powered ATV from Walmart. Sure, I could have looked for a used (insert brand name here)... but the neighbor bought a used Yamaha for his kids three years ago and it's been a friggin' money pit. Between what he paid for it, plus the immediate expenses like new tires and such, plus what he's spent on keeping it running... he'd have been better-off buying a new Yamaha.
- Maintenance costs - The price of parts and pieces for "brand name" kid's ATV's are off the charts... I know from the neighbors Yamaha. A few years ago parts for Chinese ATV's were difficult to get, but that's changed; there are now several online sources stocking a full line of parts, at just a tiny fraction of the price of "brand name"... heck, I can buy a complete, brand new, running engine assembly for less than $200.oo.
- Reliability - The engines on these things are Honda-knock-offs and are darn good for the money (just like the Harbor Freight Chinese engines); some of the stuff attached to them may need a bit of "tweaking" (such as the carburetor)... but if you're mechanically adept like me that ain't any problem. And changing the oil 2 or 3 times during during the first couple of hours run-time is a good idea. Contrary to popular belief, Chinese steel is good stuff, but machined surfaces, tolerances and quality control are not... meaning you need to spend a little time making sure fasteners are properly tightened (maybe add some thread-lock to some), giving the machine a good looking-over checking that all small parts are in place, inspecting welds, and lubing wear points before ever running them. After a couple hours use it's a good idea to give them a second going over to head off anything that might be a problem later... and then do a weekly or monthly (depending on usage) 10-minute inspection/maintenance thing. But again, for someone like me, none of this is a problem... heck, because I am-who-I-am, I'd do the exact same thing with anything my child is riding/using anyway, even a "brand name".
- Longevity - This one is relative. Exactly how long do you want it to last? Likely it will be worn-out much faster than a "brand name"... but for 5-times the money, the "brand name" should last 5-times longer. Actually, with a little diligent maintenance there isn't any reason a Chinese ATV won't easily last the 3-5 years before my son out-grows it... maybe longer. And heck, for the money I'd be more than happy with 3 years (that's what I'm planning). After-all, he's 5-years-old... he ain't gonna' be jumping school buses with it!! I'm 55, I ain't gonna' have any more kids to pass this thing on to... it needs to to be a child's first ATV, just one single child, nothing more.
- Value - This one is also relative. These things have zero value used... but at the same time the "new" price is about the same or less than the depreciation of just taking a new "brand name" off the showroom. Nope, I won't have anything to sell when he's done with it... but I also won't have $3000.oo-$5000.oo invested for 3-5 years either. The "loss of value" is the same... the difference is, I've spent no more than I've lost (again, eyes wide open). Basically it's no different than that battery-powered ATV a Walmart (which also has zero value used, and cost about the same money)... ya' just throw it away when the kid has used it up.
Ya' just can't compare these things to a Honda, Yamaha, Polaris, etc... ya' can't look at them the same. That's where the word "crap" comes in, by comparing a Chevy Vega to a Rolls Royce... it ain't a fair comparison. They are actually damn good for the money invested... dollar-for-dollar, they're way more than any other manufacturer can provide... but they ain't the right choice for everyone. In my mind it was ridiculous to fork out the money for a "
brand name" so my kid could ride around the yard and woodlot for a couple years, it's a child,s toy after all, nothing more... it's just the next step up from his little electric Gator, nothing more. I wouldn't recommend one of these cheap ATV's for someone without mechanical know-how... if you can't rebuild a carb, rebuild a clutch, diagnose ignition issues, understand how to align front wheels, and don't own more than basic tools you need to buy with dealer-support in mind. But if you're mechanically minded, and own the proper tools... and most importantly, go into it with your eyes-wide-open...
I ain't no fool... I know exactly what I bought... and I bought exactly what I wanted.