November 20th, 2023.



Quad biking is the number one attraction for children at The Edge Adventure near Much Wenlock, Shropshire. Owner Jack Palmer, and his partner Lily, saw over 2,200 rider take advantage of their quad bike experiences last year which has led them to invest in new, more exciting Yamaha YFM90R junior racing ATVs.

The Edge Adventure was started by Chris Hill in 2002. Mr Palmer took on management and, subsequently, the ownership of the business in 2016 and has since been building the variety of experiences for people of all ages.

“It is a popular choice for birthdays, stag and hen parties, corporate away days and youth clubs. We offer clay shooting, quad biking, archery, and paintball, with onsite accommodation and camping nearby. The quad biking has become unbelievably popular, and it is definitely the number one choice for kids,” explains Mr Palmer.

The business has grown the fleet of ATVs to eight, of which four have recently been upgraded to Yamaha YFM90R junior racing machines.

“The Yamahas are the class leader for junior ATVs. It is obvious that the machines have been designed to be reliable, the build quality is second to none and we find this helps give parents peace of mind when their children want to ride them,” he says.

The breadth of children visiting the attraction is testament to the inclusivity of outdoor pursuits. Mr Palmer suggests that some children visiting on school or youth club trips have rarely been to the countryside and never had the opportunity to try something like quad biking.

“For some children it is a huge confidence booster, a mental and physical challenge that they can be proud of. This is especially true of children with special educational needs (SEN) who are rarely offered this type of activity, but probably benefit from it the most,” he says.

The ATVs are expected to run for more than six hours a day, almost continuously. This has tested the limits of some of the older ATVs, but Mr Palmer suggests that the Yamaha machines have never skipped a beat.

“The Yamahas are easy to work on, but we really haven’t had to do a great deal. We check the brakes and oil, lubricate the chain and clean the spark plugs at least once a week, but that is about all that is needed. Our goal is to run the Yamahas for up to 12 years, which would be an incredible return on our investment,” he says.

The YFM90R has an 88cc single-cylinder, 4-stroke engine with an automatic gearbox. Mr Palmer can regulate the speed using a plug-in device to adjust the power output. This combined with a parking brake on the handlebars makes living with the Yamahas easy, especially when working with mixed ability riders.

He suggests that an understanding of the Yamaha brand for both motorcycles and ATVs gives his visitors confidence. He has also based his training around the European All-Terrain Vehicle Safety Institute (EASI) guidance and believes the YFM90R is the easiest ATV for children to learn on.

“We have a large, open training area, and we train children from six years old to ride the ATVs. The Yamahas are more intuitive, and the seating position is better because the rider sits in the ATV rather than on top of it, which makes it easier to handle,” he says.

The track at The Edge Adventure has been designed to include plenty of bumps, water, and mud to appeal to children looking to enjoy the fun outdoor activities offer.

“We decided not to include woodland for young riders. We also find that seeing the whole track boosts the confidence of younger riders. The long travel, adjustable suspension on the Yamahas helps to keep the tyres on the ground, even over the bumps, which improves the handling too,” he adds.

The business runs eight ATVs, of which four are Yamaha supplied by Hughes Bros of Oswestry. Mr Palmer is keen to invest in more of the YFM90R machines to further strengthen the junior offroad offer at The Edge.

“Richard and the team at Hughes Bros have been great at finding ATVs when we have needed them and offering after sales support. If I could, I would change all our ATVs to Yamahas tomorrow. Our team and our visitors prefer them to work with and ride. We are hoping to have a full fleet of eight Yamahas in the next two years,” he concludes.


The Edge Adventure Activities: www.theedgeadventure.co.uk/

EASI: www.quadsafety.org

Hughes Bros of Oswestry: www.hughes-bros.co.uk

Yamaha Motor UK: www.yamaha-motor.eu/gb/en/home/