Resend my activation email : Register : Log in 
BCF: Bike Chat Forums


Are quad bikes any good?

Reply to topic
Bike Chat Forums Index -> Offroad & Supermoto
View previous topic : View next topic  
Author Message

ReadySalted
Scooby Slapper



Joined: 23 Aug 2008
Karma :

PostPosted: 15:11 - 23 May 2021    Post subject: Are quad bikes any good? Reply with quote

Hi guys,

Somebody is probably going to say this is the wrong forum to ask this - but I like it here, and I value the collective brain of BCF. I've not posted for ages but I'm still riding on my Tiger 800xc. Before that I had a KTM exc 400 which I sold last spring after 3 years laning with the TRF. Just recently I've moved house further into the sticks and now live on the doorstep of some of the best green lanes we used to ride.

I do miss the off road riding especially when wet days like we have currently mean road rides aren't so enjoyable. Prices seem to have risen this past year so a half decent road registered enduro bike starts around the 3k mark, whereas you can get a farm quad for 2k upwards. I've used them before on a farm and in the military so know they are good fun, obviously very dangerous on slopes with the rollover risk, but then safer than a bike in some ways.

Just wondering if anybody here has any opinions on greenlaning with them? I'm not into the sporty ones which people in vests drive round cities - personally that's not my thing. But I'm interested to know if an old farm quad would make a fun way of getting me and my packed lunch back on the local lanes? How much of a nause it is to road register them? etc.

Cheers!
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

Weisse Schlange
Spanner Monkey



Joined: 09 Nov 2020
Karma :

PostPosted: 15:37 - 23 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bastard evil twattish things that will wait till you are miles from home in a remote area then snap your spine whilst drowning you upside down in a two inch deep puddle.
____________________
Hing Oan
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

kgm
World Chat Champion



Joined: 04 Jun 2015
Karma :

PostPosted: 21:25 - 23 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not a fan, they really tear up the terrain and leave huge ruts on the trails which make it a shit ride on two wheels.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

stinkwheel
Bovine Proctologist



Joined: 12 Jul 2004
Karma :

PostPosted: 23:03 - 23 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't think a quad would be all that great to be honest. Anywhere it would be fun/an advantage over, say, a TTR225 would also be somewhere it's a dangerous liability. That's before you've got into dragging the fecking thing out of a ditch/swamp by yourself.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

Hong Kong Phooey
World Chat Champion



Joined: 30 Apr 2016
Karma :

PostPosted: 23:58 - 23 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rick Mayall and Ozzy Osbourne used to love them.

The usual four wheel physics that car drivers expect do not apply, some think four wheels means they can't fall off them, and start to get cocky, then it rolls on top of them and it becomes apparent how heavy they are.

I've only pootled about on the flat, sub 20mph. That, and towing trailers is the only thing I'd bother with, the minute you get slopes or ruts it just begs to be tipped.

If you run out of fuel or breakdown on a bike, you can push it, you'd not push a quad 20 feet.
____________________
'81 CG125, '97 FZS600 : '99 CBR600F4, '09 KTM RC8
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

doggone
World Chat Champion



Joined: 20 May 2004
Karma :

PostPosted: 10:03 - 24 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

kgm wrote:
Not a fan, they really tear up the terrain and leave huge ruts on the trails which make it a shit ride on two wheels.

Not sure what you are thinking of there, the farm style ones have a low ground pressure similar to a human footprint, the other negative comments about how dangerous they can be still apply, they also use a lot more petrol than a smaller off road bike.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website You must be logged in to rate posts

stinkwheel
Bovine Proctologist



Joined: 12 Jul 2004
Karma :

PostPosted: 12:16 - 24 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

doggone wrote:

Not sure what you are thinking of there, the farm style ones have a low ground pressure similar to a human footprint,


Less, I've more than once got off a quad bike and sunk into the ground over the top of my wellies.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

ReadySalted
Scooby Slapper



Joined: 23 Aug 2008
Karma :

PostPosted: 00:13 - 25 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think it's the ease of them which I find attractive. Having experienced what it's like to greenlane on 2 wheels where everybody you meet seems to think you are a hideous scrote beneath your helmet ring dinging across their beautiful countryside I can't help but think people would view a man on a beat up old quadbike as looking less conspicuous if you know what I mean.

I think back to the greenlanes which I used to regularly ride and most had long rutted sections where you could either ride a narrow earth mound praying you dont slip into one of the ruts, or ride in a rut where your feet and footpegs would regularly catch and attempt to rip you off. It was the bane of my greenlaning life. Again - the thought of being on a quad and just straddling them or worst case having to ride the thing on an angle, is much more attractive. Overall I think quadding a greenlane just looks a less physical, less difficult, and a bit of a novelty.

All of that said - having done more research it would seem that it's difficult if not impossible to get a second hand quad road registered (properly). I'm aware of people using loopholes like registering them as agricultural vehicles, and getting Q plates etc. but technically that would mean it would be illegal for me to use it more than 1.5km from home which is useless for greenlanes, especially considering how keen an interest plod take in patrolling greenlanes these days. So the only realistic option is to buy a quad from a limited selection of manufacturers who road register their quads by default. TGB, Canam etc. Even used they are circa 5k minimum, then you have insurance which is fairly extortionate by all accounts, plus road tax (£120) so it becomes a very expensive set of hoops to jump through!

So I've come full circle now. I've just been looking at CRF 250Ls. They look a bit tamer than my old exc400, but for 2.5k upwards they are by comparison to quads... cheap. Although I still can't believe how all of these things have shot up in value. No idea if it's brexit, covid, or just me getting old! Looks like Ready Salted has some saving up to do. Laughing
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

stinkwheel
Bovine Proctologist



Joined: 12 Jul 2004
Karma :

PostPosted: 12:49 - 25 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Get an old brit scrambler/trials bike. You're more likely to get stopped by someone wanting to talk about the bike than whinged at by a rambler who has seen their arse.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

wr6133
World Chat Champion



Joined: 31 Dec 2013
Karma :

PostPosted: 14:05 - 25 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

^wot he said

I hoon about Salisbury Plain on my Enfields, get lost in places I shouldn't be, rarely know what speed I may be doing. I get totally left alone, old bill and range wardens run round chasing modern bikes doing nothing wrong while my stupidly loud death trap just gets the occasional thumbs up.

Just don't stop near anyone with grey hair unless you enjoy being regaled with tales of how their AJS BSA Super-Norton was a champ bike back in the day when they were a pro scrambletrialer.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

stinkwheel
Bovine Proctologist



Joined: 12 Jul 2004
Karma :

PostPosted: 15:43 - 25 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

wr6133 wrote:


Just don't stop near anyone with grey hair unless you enjoy being regaled with tales of how their AJS BSA Super-Norton was a champ bike back in the day when they were a pro scrambletrialer.


And they had one when they were a dispatch rider in the war, despite having been 10 at the time.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

doggone
World Chat Champion



Joined: 20 May 2004
Karma :

PostPosted: 10:33 - 26 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry for facebook link but this video shows a good range of ways Quads will try to kill you.
They are being stupid and showing off but it is easy to roll one or flip end over end and the result is often nasty
Some of them come to grief in fairly 'normal' off road situations too.
https://fb.watch/5JPIWHgyvM/
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website You must be logged in to rate posts

thx1138
World Chat Champion



Joined: 06 Oct 2005
Karma :

PostPosted: 21:40 - 26 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been out trail riding with a mixed group before. They have their uses, and are fun. Biggest draw back is a lot of of TRO's exempt 2 wheelers, and so quads couldn't go down some of the best lanes.

I did have a blast on one in N.Z, but to be honest I had more fun on the CRF230 bike

https://i.postimg.cc/2SGFN71w/11215056-10152721022761207-3435229928367587482-n.jpg


Last edited by thx1138 on 21:46 - 26 May 2021; edited 1 time in total
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail You must be logged in to rate posts

thx1138
World Chat Champion



Joined: 06 Oct 2005
Karma :

PostPosted: 21:42 - 26 May 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

doggone wrote:
ff but it is easy to roll one or flip end over end and the result is often nasty
Some of them come to grief in fairly 'normal' off road situations too.



https://i.postimg.cc/JnGQqH4Q/anzc.gif
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail You must be logged in to rate posts
Old Thread Alert!

There is a gap of 239 days between these two posts...

Malikamalan
L Plate Warrior



Joined: 18 Jan 2022
Karma :

PostPosted: 23:28 - 20 Jan 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

stinkwheel wrote:
Get an old brit scrambler/trials bike. You're more likely to get stopped by someone wanting to talk about the bike than whinged at by a rambler who has seen their arse.https://twojfilm.online/

Haha can be interesting Wink
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

Weisse Schlange
Spanner Monkey



Joined: 09 Nov 2020
Karma :

PostPosted: 10:44 - 21 Jan 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

Eh?
____________________
Hing Oan
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

Skudd
Super Spammer



Joined: 01 Oct 2006
Karma :

PostPosted: 00:18 - 23 Jan 2022    Post subject: Reply with quote

I hate the term Quad Bikes. It's like say fourtwocycles. They are cars with handlebars. You don't need a bike licence to drive one either.
____________________
Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail You must be logged in to rate posts

trevor saxe-coburg-gotha
World Chat Champion



Joined: 22 Nov 2012
Karma :

PostPosted: 08:06 - 23 Jan 2022    Post subject: Re: Are quad bikes any good? Reply with quote

ReadySalted wrote:
people in vests




https://c.tenor.com/01AX7iDVLL0AAAAd/tony-sopranos-what.gif
____________________
"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts
Old Thread Alert!

The last post was made 2 years, 65 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful?
  Display posts from previous:   
This page may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. By clicking on an affiliate link, you accept that third-party cookies will be set.

Post new topic   Reply to topic    Bike Chat Forums Index -> Offroad & Supermoto All times are GMT + 1 Hour
Page 1 of 1

 
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You cannot download files in this forum

Read the Terms of Use! - Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group
 

Debug Mode: ON - Server: birks (www) - Page Generation Time: 0.09 Sec - Server Load: 0.72 - MySQL Queries: 17 - Page Size: 104.62 Kb