Road legal quads

[Booldawg]

Seriously thinking about buying a road legal quad as a form of transport. It'd be ideal for the 3 mile commute to work and other local journeys. It'd also fit in the garage and will be safer than a motorbike in the bad weather.

It wouldnt replace the car, which I dont really use as Mrs B needs it for work. ATM I cycle to work which is ok, keeps me fit etc but not nice for 6 months of the year in the wet and cold!

You can get them brand new for around 2500GBP which seems a good price for a brand new form of motorised transport. The model I've been looking at is a Quadzilla 250e.

Has anyone had any experience of riding a quad on the road and offer any advice/warnings?

[bednobs]

hiya, i don't have one but (from my previous experience of riding motorbikes) i know that you get just as wet and cold on any sort of motorised bike as you do on a pushbike. In fact, sometimes wetter and colder (plus you have to have mouldering wet leathers at work all day)

[TWR]

Keep HGVs well within your view, your view to them is zero at times, the way the roads are with pot holes thee COULD be every chance of loosing control & coming off.

[Graham-W]

Ask Ozzy Osbourne what he thinks to them.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/3302405.stm

[xud]

I like quads, but don't forget if you buy one and use it for commuting, you will get stuck in traffic as you would in a car.

[Hopkirk]

I don't see why it should be any safer than a motorbike, and as xud says, you wouldn't be able to skip past the queues.

[Booldawg]

tbh its fairly rural where I live. My thinking is they are pretty good in snow/icy conditions whereas a motorbike isn't

[bednobs]

but still cold! ^^^^^

[MantaRay]

Two things to bear in mind;

Parking...a bit of a grey area on where you can legally park. Solo m/c bays...you'll probably get a ticket. Car parking bay, yes, but you haven't got a windscreen to display the ticket.

Theft...without doubt the biggest problem/worry of owning a quad. You need to keep it chained and alarmed. Fit a tracker also. Make sure you are insured against theft, the insurance company will advise you what conditions you need to meet in order to cover you fully.

Other than that, I loved everything about my quad, particularly in wet or slippery conditions. I've never had so much fun in the snow before, particularly on days when everything else was struggling.

As you might have guessed...mine got stolen.

[MantaRay]

No problem with your choice of Quadzilla. Just avoid some of the cheaper and relatively unknown makes that offer you too much for your money.

[MantaRay]

TWR is right, more so than with a car, watch out for potholes. However, quad tyres, being high profile and running on low pressure actually cushion pot holes and speed humps rather well. So, in that respect, a quad is much better than a motorcycle regarding the likelihood of getting thrown off.

Also, I'd say that a quad can probably brake better in the wet or slippery conditions...or at least gives you some chance of recovery should you lock a wheel/axle.