Thinking About Kids Dirt Bikes

[Ted]

Out of our three kids, two of them (boy age 9, girl age almost 7) have expressed interest in dirt bikes.

Although my wife grew up riding her friends' dirt bikes, I certainly didn't. In the end, neither of us know much about what's out there and what's worth getting. The cheap Chinese dirt bikes are, well, cheap and I'd imagine likely to be troublesome and not ride particularly well. I don't know much about the kids bikes available from the standard Japanese manufacturers (Yamaha, Honda, etc.) but I'd imagine that any of them are fairly similar. I'd probably rather stick to 4 stroke vs. 2-stroke if those are even available, just because of the better overall engine reliability.

So, what are thoughts from those who know more about these than I do?

 

[SoonerAviator]

Find a nice used Yamaha/Honda/etc. 80-110 and have at it. Plenty of used ones out there that get outgrown pretty quickly and sold off. I'd stay away from the cheap Chinese ones just because parts are generally tougher to find. They will break stuff (plastics) and at least there's a ton of parts availability for any of the major manufacturers. I've always been a Yamaha guy, but I seriously doubt it makes a difference in brand in that size class. I always liked Kawasaki, too, but only have direct experience with their Jet Skis and UTV products. Most of those are going to still be 2-strokes, but it shouldn't be too much of an issue. I do believe they have some "Trail" bikes that are 4 stroke if you prefer, but obviously the power-to-weight is a bit different than the 2-stroke Supercross-style YZ-models. The trail bikes often have features like electric start and some models have clutch-less shifting, if that's a concern.

 

[Spring Ford]

and some models have clutch-less shifting, if that's a concern.

I am sure Ted will be able to avoid those.

 

[Bill]

Concur with @SoonerAviator , any of the "big four" 100cc four strokes will get them going. After they gain some experience and inseam, move them up to a 125 four stroke.

 

[SoonerAviator]

I am sure Ted will be able to avoid those.

Lol, well it just depends on their skillset and the type of riding environment. You can get some pretty frustrated kids if they keep killing it or don't know how to quickly get in the right gear when in tight quarters/wooded environments. You still have to select the gear via foot-lever, it just takes the clutch out of the equation. Sort of a stepping-stone before introducing the full setup I suppose. Most all 50CC bikes are like that.

 

[bbchien]

AVOID HEAD INJURY, TED. It's the only brain they'll even have.

 

[MonkeyClaw]

My son started at 3, he's 6 now. The biggest thing, aside from avoiding the chinese junk, is making sure they can stand over the bike and put both feet down. This will inspire confidence and allow them to step off when they get in over their head. The Yamaha PW50 is the smallest out there, Honda has 50 and 70cc bikes that are common and easy to ride, if a little heavy. KTM also has a 50cc 2-stroke, but it's a lot of bike for a new rider. I think all of the sub-100 bikes are clutchless.

 

[Ted]

AVOID HEAD INJURY, TED. It's the only brain they'll even have.

And they have brains based in part off of mine, so they're already at a disadvantage.

We are big on safety gear and helmets. It's a non-negotiable part of inherently dangerous activities.

 

[PaulS]

I rode a dirt bike when I was a kid, put thousands and thousands of miles on it. You are right, don't buy a cheap one, a friend had a walmart special at time, it would strand him more often than not. Opt for at least 70ccs to start, manual is better. It takes a little time if they have no experience, but worth it as they get comfortable.

There were no sanctioned places for us to ride, so we rode powerlines and railroad ROWs mostly. I lived in a rural Massachusetts area. These were established trails, but I suppose not legal. We stayed off the roads except to cross, occasionally get stopped by a land owner telling us we were trespassing, they were all nice, we'd tell them we thought it was a trail and we would avoid it in the future, all but a few would say as long as we didn't hang around or cause problems we could pass through. The few who had a problem we avoided.

Since there were no sanctioned trails near us, occasionally we would get stopped by a cop. Most of them were nice too, would just tell us to go home. There was a few jerks, but I never really got in trouble since we avoided roads. I did have a few friends who would ride on roads, they would get tickets and have to go to court. Supposedly they would make you wait until you were 18 to get a drivers license but no one I knew had that happen.

 

[Ted]

There were no sanctioned places for us to ride, so we rode powerlines and railroad ROWs mostly.

One of the fortunate parts of living on 11 acres is that all we have to do is go outside. Although I do need to take the tractor and brush hog out to clean up the back 3 or 4 acres to get some more good riding area.

 

[Bill]

One of the fortunate parts of living on 11 acres is that all we have to do is go outside. Although I do need to take the tractor and brush hog out to clean up the back 3 or 4 acres to get some more good riding area.

Hmm, 11 acres, tractor, brush hog, dozer...

I can see Ted's most excellent motocross track opening soon! By the time those kids are in high school, they'll be fantastic riders!

 

[MauleSkinner]

I know this isn’t part of the thought process, but don’t get one of the old Honda 3-wheel ATVs. I’m surprised none of us were killed or maimed.

 

[SoonerAviator]

My son started at 3, he's 6 now. The biggest thing, aside from avoiding the chinese junk, is making sure they can stand over the bike and put both feet down. This will inspire confidence and allow them to step off when they get in over their head. The Yamaha PW50 is the smallest out there, Honda has 50 and 70cc bikes that are common and easy to ride, if a little heavy. KTM also has a 50cc 2-stroke, but it's a lot of bike for a new rider. I think all of the sub-100 bikes are clutchless.

I took a brief look at Yamaha's website, and the Trail bikes are automatic clutch up through the 4-stroke 110cc, then go standard setup at 125cc and up. All of the Motocross bikes (YZ) are normal clutch down to the smallest 65cc model. FB Marketplace has a ton of good-looking used YZ 80/85 models as well as a few TT 110 models for $2K or less. Many look like they didn't have 30 hours of run time on them. I'd take my chances on those rather than trying my hand at the Chinese bikes, especially when it comes time for resale.

 

[SoonerAviator]

I know this isn’t part of the thought process, but don’t get one of the old Honda 3-wheel ATVs. I’m surprised none of us were killed or maimed.

Lol, they were outlawed a long time ago (for buying new). I watched my cousin roll a Big Red 200 right into the pond one Easter, lol. Definitely not the best of designs, but they still have a pretty stout following and can be found fairly easily used.

 

[Ted]

Hmm, 11 acres, tractor, brush hog, dozer...

I can see Ted's most excellent motocross track opening soon! By the time those kids are in high school, they'll be fantastic riders!

The property already has some pretty decent areas for practicing with some hills, ruts, etc. Once I mow the back few acres it'll be even better.

I know this isn’t part of the thought process, but don’t get one of the old Honda 3-wheel ATVs. I’m surprised none of us were killed or maimed.

Yeah, that's a hard pass. My wife hurt herself on those as a kid.

 

[Oldmanb777]

I grew up on dirt bikes. One thing for sure, they WILL out grow what you aquire for them. So hand me downs are a real good rule. Hard to beat the, Honda,Kawi,Suzuki,Yamaha, for a first bike. Check out ADVenture rider online. Your local forum may have some easily acquired beginner bikes and ATGATT. The Rockies section often has bikes and gear swapping from out grown stuff.

 

[Oldmanb777]

I was commuting home on the jumpseat a few years ago. Told the CA and FO I was going on a multi day ride when I got home. Both said I wouldn;t get on a "murder cycle". Both were into horses. (I love horse). Anyway I asked about horse injuries. Lots more injuries riding a horse than a murdercycle.

 

[N747JB]

I was commuting home on the jumpseat a few years ago. Told the CA and FO I was going on a multi day ride when I got home. Both said I wouldn;t get on a "murder cycle". Both were into horses. (I love horse). Anyway I asked about horse injuries. Lots more injuries riding a horse than a murdercycle.

The motorcycles don’t have a temper!

 

[SoonerAviator]

The motorcycles don’t have a temper!

I dunno. I've had an old 2-stroke that seemed to be temperamental at times, lol.

 

[pilot117]

For the 7yo I believe there's only 1 choice, the Yamaha PW50. It's an oil injected 2 stroke, shaft driven automatic with no gears to shift. It has the lowest seat height and is the easiest bike to learn on for small kids. The bike was introduced in the early 80's and has largely remained unchanged since for good reason, it just does the job of a beginner bike for little kids like none other. They hold their value like almost nothing else. You'll sell it for close to what you paid for it when your kids have outgrown it.

For the 9yo, I'd suggest something in the 70cc-80cc range. I believe the Honda's are superior to the other brands and that would be my first choice. The older model years will be called XR's and the more recent versions will be called CRF's. They are bulletproof 4 stroke engines. The 70cc model has a shifter, but no clutch. I believe the 80cc model has a clutch. The 70cc might be a good choice because it will be easier for him to learn on and be a good stepping stone for the 7yo when she outgrows the PW. You'd be fine with something similar from one of the other manufacturers, but I think you'd like the Honda the best.

For reference, here are a couple pics of my youngest on a PW50 when he was 8. He's small for his age but it should give you an idea of fit for you 7yo. Neither of your kids will be happy with a 100cc bike at this point.

 

[Half Fast]

Heck, Ted, you could have picked up a Honda 50cc dirt bike when you picked up the race car! It’s sitting in my shop. Needs a new carb (about $30) but is otherwise intact. I should have just stuffed it in the back of the RX7......

 

[ktup-flyer]

CRF/KLX/TTR110 if you want something for them to just putt around on. They’re bombproof and the aftermarket is massive

 

[BladeSlap]

Get a normal clutch older Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki off Craigslist or something, if it’s their first bike I wouldn’t bother getting them something too nice lol

Get a normal clutch, if they don’t have the mechanical aptitude to figure that out best they not ride

Per the doctors advice, also remember they only have one life, make it a good one.

 

[topgun260]

I'm in the same boat as you with a 7 yo wanting a motorcycle. I grew up on motorcycle having my first one at 5 yo but now there are some quality electric motorcycles that are very nice. I've been looking seriously at OSET. These aren't the cheap Chinese electric bikes that seem to be everywhere right now. OSET started in the U.S. but is now based in the U.K. Besides stalling the bike when taking off, probably one of the biggest things that takes the fun out of riding for young kids is the weight of these little bikes. The Yamaha PW50 weighs 90lbs wet. The similar sized OSET 12.5 ECO weighs 57.52lbs. Move up to the Yamaha TT-R110E for older kids and the weight jumps up to 159lbs! While the similar sized OSET 20.0 weighs 94.55lbs. Think about how heavy these bikes are compared to your kids. The biggest drawback that I can see is that you can't just fill up with gas again and take off. On the other hand with an OSET you could ride just about anywhere without bothering anyone with noise.

 

[Ted]

For the 7yo I believe there's only 1 choice, the Yamaha PW50. It's an oil injected 2 stroke, shaft driven automatic with no gears to shift. It has the lowest seat height and is the easiest bike to learn on for small kids. The bike was introduced in the early 80's and has largely remained unchanged since for good reason, it just does the job of a beginner bike for little kids like none other. They hold their value like almost nothing else. You'll sell it for close to what you paid for it when your kids have outgrown it.

For the 9yo, I'd suggest something in the 70cc-80cc range. I believe the Honda's are superior to the other brands and that would be my first choice. The older model years will be called XR's and the more recent versions will be called CRF's. They are bulletproof 4 stroke engines. The 70cc model has a shifter, but no clutch. I believe the 80cc model has a clutch. The 70cc might be a good choice because it will be easier for him to learn on and be a good stepping stone for the 7yo when she outgrows the PW. You'd be fine with something similar from one of the other manufacturers, but I think you'd like the Honda the best.

For reference, here are a couple pics of my youngest on a PW50 when he was 8. He's small for his age but it should give you an idea of fit for you 7yo. Neither of your kids will be happy with a 100cc bike at this point.

View attachment 101967 View attachment 101968 View attachment 101969

Those pictures are excellent. And good gear practice.

Thanks for the specific advice on bikes to look for. We'll start looking around some.

Heck, Ted, you could have picked up a Honda 50cc dirt bike when you picked up the race car! It’s sitting in my shop. Needs a new carb (about $30) but is otherwise intact. I should have just stuffed it in the back of the RX7......

Yeah, a year ago admittedly I was a lot more reserved about letting the kids (especially the boy) have dirt bikes. Being careful with dangerous things is not always one of his strong suits. I'm coming around to it more, especially now that I'm doing some off-road riding myself and can help instruct him a bit more. I definitely want them to all become good motorcyclists, and given that they're raised in a place where we can do small dirt bikes, it seems the thing to do.

 

[Bill]

I'm in the same boat as you with a 7 yo wanting a motorcycle. I grew up on motorcycle having my first one at 5 yo but now there are some quality electric motorcycles that are very nice. I've been looking seriously at OSET. These aren't the cheap Chinese electric bikes that seem to be everywhere right now. OSET started in the U.S. but is now based in the U.K. Besides stalling the bike when taking off, probably one of the biggest things that takes the fun out of riding for young kids is the weight of these little bikes. The Yamaha PW50 weighs 90lbs wet. The similar sized OSET 12.5 ECO weighs 57.52lbs. Move up to the Yamaha TT-R110E for older kids and the weight jumps up to 159lbs! While the similar sized OSET 20.0 weighs 94.55lbs. Think about how heavy these bikes are compared to your kids. The biggest drawback that I can see is that you can't just fill up with gas again and take off. On the other hand with an OSET you could ride just about anywhere without bothering anyone with noise.

Electrics are nice, but were talking @Ted here, the king of combustion, both internal and external!

 

[Ted]

I'm in the same boat as you with a 7 yo wanting a motorcycle. I grew up on motorcycle having my first one at 5 yo but now there are some quality electric motorcycles that are very nice. I've been looking seriously at OSET. These aren't the cheap Chinese electric bikes that seem to be everywhere right now. OSET started in the U.S. but is now based in the U.K. Besides stalling the bike when taking off, probably one of the biggest things that takes the fun out of riding for young kids is the weight of these little bikes. The Yamaha PW50 weighs 90lbs wet. The similar sized OSET 12.5 ECO weighs 57.52lbs. Move up to the Yamaha TT-R110E for older kids and the weight jumps up to 159lbs! While the similar sized OSET 20.0 weighs 94.55lbs. Think about how heavy these bikes are compared to your kids. The biggest drawback that I can see is that you can't just fill up with gas again and take off. On the other hand with an OSET you could ride just about anywhere without bothering anyone with noise.

I had seen some of the electric motorcycles looking around. And despite @Bill 's extremely valid point, I had thought about some of the benefits of electric. That weight aspect is definitely an interesting one that I'd not seen or considered. Having not really touched any of those things (or let the kids touch them), it's hard to make much of a determination on how they'd handle the weight of one of these kids dirt bikes. My first motorcycle was a 1984 KZ700, Google says dry weight of 475 lbs, so figure wet weight was probably somewhere in the 525-550 lb range - which isn't all that far off from the R1150GS I'm riding off-road now. It was fine (I dropped it once), but I do remember the weight at the time being a bit intimidating. If I think about a similar ratio, that TT-R110E weight would be close to that same weight ratio of the 9 year old to the bike, although the PW50 would be a better ratio.

I definitely agree with the aspects of wanting the things to be fun for them, that's the whole goal.

 

[Ventucky Red]

Having been an avid dirt-bike owner and racer for 30 years, my advice - talk them out of it, it becomes an addiction.

But sounds like that it not going to happen. Like others have said, the Honda/Kawasaki/Suzuki/Yamaha brand are the best way to go. My partiality lays with the Honda XR series 80 & 100

 

[MonkeyClaw]

My son started on an Oset 12.5 since it was the only bike he could touch the ground on. He still rides it at 6, but I've been transitioning him to the XR50 (he can barely touch the ground with his tippy toes). I wish I'd bought a PW50 but they are hard to find.

 

[BladeSlap]

I had seen some of the electric motorcycles looking around. And despite @Bill 's extremely valid point, I had thought about some of the benefits of electric. That weight aspect is definitely an interesting one that I'd not seen or considered. Having not really touched any of those things (or let the kids touch them), it's hard to make much of a determination on how they'd handle the weight of one of these kids dirt bikes. My first motorcycle was a 1984 KZ700, Google says dry weight of 475 lbs, so figure wet weight was probably somewhere in the 525-550 lb range - which isn't all that far off from the R1150GS I'm riding off-road now. It was fine (I dropped it once), but I do remember the weight at the time being a bit intimidating. If I think about a similar ratio, that TT-R110E weight would be close to that same weight ratio of the 9 year old to the bike, although the PW50 would be a better ratio.

I definitely agree with the aspects of wanting the things to be fun for them, that's the whole goal.

How’s the R1150GS off road?

 

[Tarheelpilot]

Heck, Ted, you could have picked up a Honda 50cc dirt bike when you picked up the race car! It’s sitting in my shop. Needs a new carb (about $30) but is otherwise intact. I should have just stuffed it in the back of the RX7......

You should hang onto that for the grand kids.

 

[steingar]

I know this isn’t part of the thought process, but don’t get one of the old Honda 3-wheel ATVs. I’m surprised none of us were killed or maimed.

I'm with Bruce on the whole head thing. I spent a lot more on gear than on my first bike. They even make airbags for bikers now, and I'm probably going to buy one soon.

 

[Half Fast]

I'm with Bruce on the whole head thing. I spent a lot more on gear than on my first bike. They even make airbags for bikers now, and I'm probably going to buy one soon.

When I had a minibike as a kid, Dad told me I didn't need a helmet to ride a little minibike. Then he removed the governor to make it go faster.

I don't think Dad liked me very much....

 

[steingar]

When I had a minibike as a kid, Dad told me I didn't need a helmet to ride a little minibike. Then he removed the governor to make it go faster.

I don't think Dad liked me very much....

I didn't get my first bike until I moved thousands of miles away from home...

 

[BladeSlap]

I'm with Bruce on the whole head thing. I spent a lot more on gear than on my first bike. They even make airbags for bikers now, and I'm probably going to buy one soon.

Read up on the airbag vests for horse jumpers. Might want to save your money

 

[Brad Z]

I cut my tooth on my friend's Honda XR-80. It was an ideal starter bike.

 

[Oldmanb777]

I have the Helite Turtle vest. I'm probably going to replace it with the smaller one. I think it's a Hiteair brand. One of my rudding buddies just bought one. It's more like suspenders, and pretty much does the same thing. The turtle does what it says, and has been tested in real life a few times (not by me). But its heavy to wear, and very hot in the summer as it covers any vents in your jacket.
Look around for used gear. Kids out grow stuff and you can really save a small fortune buying used gear for them.

 

[Ted]

How’s the R1150GS off road?

I've been riding for about 18 years and something in the range of 10-15 bikes, but up until recently it's all been on road riding. So, my response comes from that perspective.

The R1150GS is heavy for a bike to be used off-road at something in the range of 575-600 lbs wet. It's heavier than is ideal, and in my other thinking about a dirt bike thread a lot of people noted that they think the Yamaha TW200 is the best dirt bike, or otherwise something that's smaller and lighter.

On the flip side, the suspension on the big GS is quite good (this one also has Ohlins front and rear put in), and the boxer engine has a powerband from idle all the way up to redline. When another riding friend took the BMW off-road course, the instructors there said that overall the R1250GS (what they have there for the big adventure bike) is actually the easiest bike to do off-roading on of the three they off (G310GS, some F series, and R1250GS/GSA) in large part because you don't have to rev it to get power out of the thing. For low speed stuff where you're mostly going around at idle, I can definitely see that. Power modulation is easy and if I go through a rut and need some power to get out of it, I just twist the grip a bit and have what I need with no concerns of bogging or stalling.

On the gravel roads around my house it does fine as well.

Physics is what it is and so you can't get around the weight, but some of heavier bikes depends on your comfort level with them. This portly GS is still 250 lbs lighter than my Harley. But by comparison, my friend's R1200GSA (water cooled variant) is absolutely orders of magnitude better as a bike and from a weight perspective.

 

[Bill]

I have the Helite Turtle vest. I'm probably going to replace it with the smaller one. I think it's a Hiteair brand.

My wife and I now use this Hit Air:

https://www.hit-air.com/en/motorcyc...harness/all-in-one_harness_type01/mlv-yc.html

The Turtle is a better vest overall, but the fully enclosed back is too hot for the south where I ride. The Hit air has a gap down the middle of the back and has more open spaces in general, and I find that I'm good with the airbag over a mesh jacket up to the low 90's. Much above that and the vest gets stowed for better airflow and cooling.

 

[pilot117]

Yeah, a year ago admittedly I was a lot more reserved about letting the kids (especially the boy) have dirt bikes. Being careful with dangerous things is not always one of his strong suits. I'm coming around to it more, especially now that I'm doing some off-road riding myself and can help instruct him a bit more. I definitely want them to all become good motorcyclists, and given that they're raised in a place where we can do small dirt bikes, it seems the thing to do.

I think your heart and head are in the right place. It's a balancing act between letting them have fun, allowing them experiences and opportunities to do things that help them grow and foster decision making skills, and trying to keep them safe at the same time. Unfortunately it's a little like engineering something. You want fast time to market, with high quality, and CHEAP to produce and we know you don't get all three of those usually. The kids are probably going to experience some injuries with whatever they do in life if they're pushing their limits to find the boundaries and learning the decision making skills to evaluate how much risk is too much.

As a kid I rode bmx bikes, motorcycles, played football, and did other foolish things that led to more injuries than most kids. One thing I learned from that was injuries heal and life doesn't have to stop because you're hurt for a bit. I raced motocross for a long time up until my first child was about 1. I had quite a few broken bones and an ACL reconstruction in my right knee along the way. When my daughter was 1 I decided the risk of injury wasn't worth the enjoyment I was getting from motocross at that point so I decided to quit racing and find something safer to to enjoy. I started mountain biking and found I enjoyed it more than motocross and felt it was much safer. 6 or 7 years into mountain biking (6 years ago) I suffered a life altering spinal cord injury on my bicycle. I'm not in a wheel chair which makes me luckier than most people with spinal cord injuries, but I can no longer do almost anything I enjoyed doing prior to the injury. I tell you this because it would be very easy to say, don't let your kids do things that could injure them because nothing is worth living with a spinal cord or other serous injury, but the reality is most times injuries like this are rare and completely out of your control. Living a life limiting yourself and missing out on memorable experiences out of fear is no way to live. I have 2 kids, a 15yo daughter and 13yo son. Both race BMX bicycles at a very high level, ride motorcycles, play soccer, ski, rock climb, and any other thing they want to try and I help and encourage them with all of it. My approach to risk assessment and decision making is to coach and advise but always leave them final decision with them. For instance, in bmx racing if there's a jump on a track I think one of them can jump that will help them be faster I'll point it out and tell them I think they're capable of doing it but the decision is theirs weather they want to try it or not. Conversely, there are times when my son will tell me he's going to jump something huge that I don't think he's probably capable of. I never tell him no you can't do that. I'll tell him I don't think he'll probably make it and try to explain what might happen if he doesn't make it, tell him it's probably going to hurt if he doesn't make it, but tell him the final decision is his if he wants to do it. Usually he'll head the advice and make the safer decision because he's learned to trust me and knows I'll encourage him when I think he's capable. Sometimes the risk is worth the experience to him and sometimes it doesn't end well. Both kids have broken an arm and my daughter has had surgical staples once and stiches once from bicycle related injuries. She took the staples out herself with help from her mother, and took the stitches out solely by herself. Those injuries have helped them understand in very real terms the consequences that can come from things and help them assess and make decisions for themselves. I've seen lots of other kids who don't value their parents advice because they feel like all they ever hear is don't do that, or you can't do that because it's too dangerous and you might get hurt and don't know how to make good decisions for themselves.

Because you're investigating dirt bikes, and because I think your family might enjoy it, I'd encourage you to check out bmx in addition to getting some dirt bikes. My kids started bmx when my son was 4 and my daughter was 7. We've raced all over the US and in Canada and have made life long memories together as a family. I'm not saying you need to do that but there are lots of opportunities for fun experiences as a family if it's something your kids are interested in. There are 2 good tracks in the KC area 1 on the MO side SE of downtown and the other east of town near Blue Springs.

https://www.usabmx.com/tracks/1498

https://www.usabmx.com/tracks/0844