Chinese atvs

Kenneth in Texas · Oct 16, 2015

any good? just need something for wife to go back and forth on from house to shop couple times a day, a 300' distance. Cant spend mucho dollars like some atvs im seeing so just wondering about the chinese brands.

moriboy · Oct 16, 2015

Some guys love them, some hate them. While I've never owned one, I know people that have. Generally they will start, run, and do what you need but will need some degree of tinkering to keep them running good. Tightening loose bolts and fixing crummy welds also seems to be fairly common.

If it were me, I would look for a used Honda or Yamaha. Even ones from the late 80's can be found in good working order.

MMagis · Oct 16, 2015

How about a used golf cart? They go pretty cheap, and are fairly reliable.

4570Man · Oct 16, 2015

The only Chinese ATV I have had experience with was a POS. It lasted about 50 hours before it broke down, and good luck finding parts.

Hilbilly · Oct 16, 2015

I bought 2 Chinese quads 2 years ago for the grandchildren to use. One was new and the other was slightly used. Bought them from a shop that swore up and down they would be in business for years to come and had all the parts needed to repair both machines. Three months later the shop went out of business. I couldn't find parts then and nobody wants to work on these.

After one season of constantly fixing things on them I gave up and bought a new, brand name quad and new, brand name dirt bike. Now I get to ride with the kids and they get to play, without me having to fix something or worry about them getting stuck somewhere with a break down. The 2 Chinese ones now sit in the shelter and will likely just rot there. The Chinese machines were constantly throwing chains or not starting. I had to repair around 4 welds that broke and weld up some replacement parts for chain adjusters, as the original ones just kept stripping threads. The rear brake cylinder on the new one doesn't work anymore either.

My son also bought a new Chinese quad for his son and right out of the box it would not start. The place that sold it to him told him it was his problem, there are no warranties with these things. He had a hard time finding a mechanic that would work on it but eventually found a backyard mechanic that did the work. Took the guy a while to find the problem but did get it running. Turned out the carb was full of gunk and one of the electrical wires was broken inside the insulation . The repairs were almost as much as the quad cost to buy. Then after numerous problems during the first summers use it finally quit working. He ended up buying a used brand name quad that is 10 years old and has now had it for 2 years with no problems.

Our experience suggests they are junk. Find a used name brand machine.

fordmantpw · Oct 16, 2015

I second the golf cart idea. We had a Chinese go kart for our son and it was a PITA! Couldn't find parts and constantly working on it to keep it running. We sold it quickly!

Texas Dawg · Oct 16, 2015

I've never owned a Chinese ATV but did buy a go kart/dune buggy for the kids that was Chinese made. I have had the same experience as the ATV owners. Constantly having to fix things on it. Fortunately there as several dealers/repair shops that sell and service them so no problem with getting it fixed (other than the inconvenience and cost). When it runs it's a lot of fun, but you never know when it is going to die on you.

Kenneth in Texas · Oct 16, 2015

Thanks for the replies, im looking for a brand name atv but so far all im finding have been trashed by the owners or run into the ground, a good used one thats reasonably priced has been hard for me to find, so far. Im just looking for a stock atv and thats been hard to locate, either they have been jacked up and numerous after market parts added or they have been abused to the point that im scared of buying. Not entirely sure i just wont get a new one and finance it. What would be a good size for a small 60 year old woman to put around on? A 250 cc one or?

tractorshopper · Oct 16, 2015

Does anyone have experience with Kymco brand specifically? I was looking at a couple of these and the dealers swear they are as good as the name brands. I don't want to end up in the same boat as some others here have already posted.

fordmantpw · Oct 16, 2015

Personally I would recommend a Honda Recon. It's a 250 class machine and it will likely run forever. You can get it with electric shift to make it easier to operate. We have two Honda Ranchers and love them. They hold their value really well so may as well buy new.