Automotive Truck, Motorcycle And ATV

My Quad Bike is a site where reputable dealers advertise their Quad Bikes, ATVs and Buggies. To find more information on Quad Bike dealers, go to the Quad Bike Dealers section on My Quad Bike for a comprehensive list of UK based dealers.

Being a father myself I can understand the pressure your under as a parent obviously when your kid comes to you saying: Dad I want a quad bike! You want to do all you can to make sure they are happy but you also have their safety to consider. Ultimately the best person to decide which quad bike is right for your child is you! You are the one that knows their capabilities best, hand eye co-ordination, balance and fitness. In order to decide which quad bike is best you need to look at the following things:

The first and most important thing to avoid any accidents is to make sure you buy a good quality quad bike. A lot of accidents are caused due to faulty parts and breakages. By buying a good quality well built quad in the first place you are at least minimalising this risk. This does not mean they need to be expensive just ask lots of questions to assess the quality such as warranty, guarantee, parts stocked, manufacturer etc.

Secondly you need to make sure you are buying a quad bike of appropriate size, I know you want to look at something they can grow into but this is not always the safest option. You would be better off buying one they can ride safely now and looking after it well and then part exchanging it for a bigger quad bike when they are ready. Ask yourself the following questions: Can they get on and off it easily? Can they reach the handle bars? Can they turn the steering? Can they reach the brake, clutch or accelerator?

Thirdly you need to look at the safety feature on the quad. Does it have a kill switch? Some kids quad bikes have remote control kill switches so if your child gets into trouble on the quad you can push a button on a remote to kill the engine and they role to safety. The one thing you have to be careful of here is that sometimes these remotes have a range so if they get to far away they wont work, it would be like trying to change the channel on your TV at the bottom of your road! The safest way is to have one that is operated via a cord so that you can hold it and give them more line as they gain in experience. This way they have to circle you and stay near. These helps teach them throttle control, braking and importantly to be observant! Another great safety feature on children’s quads is a throttle screw. This is a screw that can be wound in or out to regulate the amount of throttle they have available to use therefore you can restrict them to 2 mph until you are confident they have the hang of riding a quad.

Fourthly, ride it somewhere sensible. Do not use footpaths,roads or bridleways. Visit a quad centre or speak to a local farmer or land owner and use it in the middle of the biggest field you can that way if you child has any issues on a quad bike they have much longer to think for themselves and bring the quad under control.

Finally probably the most important point make sure that when you buy the quad you buy well fitting good quality quad accessories and safety equipment. The things you really must have are a helmet with goggles or vizor, gloves and ideally good quality boots. You are also able to purchase body armour which protects from stones and minor impacts. Again make sure these items are good quality and fit your child well.

Quad Bikes, ATVs and Buggies can be used on public roads as long as you have in your possession the correct licence to use this type of vehicle. Two things you need to remember should you be caught using any vehicle on the public road without the correct licence are:

• You will suffer penalty points on your licence when you receive it should you not have one. This alone will go against you when you try and insure any vehicle in the future.
• Should you be caught in possession of a machine with an engine that can be driven or ridden without a licence or insurance, then the machine can be confiscated by the police – and not returned unless you provide the correct documentation to authenticate it’s release.

Road Laws are regulated by each individual country by a motor division of the government, like DVLA in the UK. These departments set the regulations, and once set, they are easy to break should you not have the complete details.

What you will find below is a comprehensive guide to what the requirements are for ridding either a Quad Bike, ATV or Buggy on the public roads within the UK.

Three and Four Wheeled Vehicles
The legal requirements for this section are as follows:

• Anyone over the age of 17 can ride a Utility Vehicle ie: Quad, ATV or Buggy as long as you have a category B1 on your driving licence and the vehicle is not in excess of 550Kg.

NOTE: The only time you can ride on of these vehicles at a lower age of 16, is when you are in receipt of disability living allowance graded at the higher rate.

Vehicles in excess of 550Kg:

• Anyone over the age of 17 can use a Utility Vehicle ie: Road Legal Quad Bike, ATV or Buggy, should they be in possession of a FULL UK Car Drivers Licence, Quad Bike Insurance and a valid Ministry of Transport Test Certificate. (M.O.T)

NOTE: Should you be claiming full disability living allowance, the same DOES NOT apply as stated above. The break point in the law is 550Kg.

The only major concern is that most vehicles, utility or otherwise exceed the weight restriction in the UK which makes it difficult to find a machine that is not restricted in this way.