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View Full Version : Need advice on a dirt bike for my kid...



Scarab Jet
11-20-2005, 10:40 PM
Thinkin' about getting a dirt bike for my 10 year old son for x-mas so he can start riding it out in the desert. Given the fact that he has never ridden a motorcycle (all he has had, have been bicycles and has had a chance to occasionally ride quads), what type/model/size do you guys recommend for him?
He is about 4 and a half feet tall and weights about 60 pounds... He is all arms and legs...
I wanna get him something that is made well and is reliable, but hopefully not too expensive (I know... expensive is relative). At any rate, I am also wondering whether I should get him one with a clutchless semi-auto transmission or one with clutch... Since it is his first, I don't want him to get intimidated by using the clutch and all...
I sure appreciate all the advice...
Mike...

76ANTHONY
11-20-2005, 10:43 PM
im no expert but, its pretty easy to teach a 10 year old how to use a clutch. they pick it up quick cause its cool, that and they enjoy poppin the old wheelies :D :D

76ANTHONY
11-20-2005, 10:47 PM
oh and if you get a 50cc, dont invite mainevent over :D :D
i've been lookin into the chinese bikes, i wonder if they are any good, they are 4 strokes, so they might be a little under powered

topless
11-21-2005, 12:35 AM
I have a 50 that I got for my son a few years back. He has since outgrown it but it has a clutch and it was never a problem for him.

RidinRed
11-21-2005, 01:33 AM
We started ours at about 10 or 11. Went to a XR 100, 4 stroke & mild enough to learn but bg enough to ride for awhile. Biggest error (imo) is too small and they outgrow the bike. then it's another couple grand. I also believe they are so popular, unless you know somebody getting rid of One, you might as well buy new. they hold value pretty well.
my .02

Wyoming
11-21-2005, 03:22 AM
KTM 80 about the best one out there. Being 10 he'll be able to ride it a few years with out getting bored with it. These things really go!

Flying Tiger
11-21-2005, 03:33 AM
Honda is the absolute best on honoring warranty, Yamaha the worst.
Some are having trouble on the Yami alternators wireing on the smaller bikes, and Yami has no effective cure yet other than to solder in a tricky spot,, and the problem re occurs.

NashvilleBound
11-21-2005, 05:36 AM
I bought my son a new 03 Honda XR80F (four stroke) he learned how to work it in a matter of a few minutes......went through 3-4 tanks of gas and its been sitting in our garage for over a year now..... now at 14 he's too big for it... go figure. The XR is super easy to opperate and very user friendly.

river redy
11-21-2005, 05:53 AM
We all have Honda's in our family and had no problems at all, very reliable, and parts are all over. My daughter started out on a cr 80 at 9 and road it for 3 years, and grew out of it, then went o a 125 for 3 years and and now she rides a 250f, you need to let them grow into it so your not buying a bike every year, and that cr 80 comes stock or expert which is a litlle taller and they are a good bike and fast, the power band hits hard but still controllable, the 4 strokes are good trail bikes its all up to personal preference. We have 2 and 4 strokes that we ride, just my 2 cents worth. happy trails :cool:

Sherpa
11-21-2005, 06:22 AM
I bought my 7 year old twin daughters both honda crf 50's, and my 9 year old
daughter a crf 70. they're too big for any of them now, (that was 2 years
ago this Christmas) but they can/will ride the 50's, but not yet the 70.
they're still pretty intimidated by the whole motorcycle thing.
I'd say if he's fairly confident, and can ride his bicycle really good, start out
with a crf80. has a clutch, but he'll ride it for quite awhile.... teach him to
use a clutch on your bike, sitting infront of you... my sister taught me how
to ride/shift when I was about 10.
--Sherpa

Skullinator
11-21-2005, 08:32 AM
i bought my son a Kawasaki KLX 110 and it has been great for my 9 year old son plus they say resell on them is great for when the out grow it.

Scarab Jet
11-21-2005, 01:32 PM
Thanx for all the replies... Much appreciate it.
Those of you whose kids have outgrown their bikes... Are any of you interested in selling them? 'Cause I sure rather buy it from a fellow ***boat member than anyone else...
Mike...

SANDBAGGER
11-21-2005, 01:41 PM
I bought a TTR 125 for my now 9 year old, cought right on with the clutch and all.....NO PROBLEMS and it's 2 years old. I don't know what Flying Tiger is talking about, 1st time I've even heard of "problems" :rollside:

Captain Dan
11-21-2005, 02:23 PM
Aw hell, get him on a new CRF450r and let him tear up the desert! :rollside:

Chase
11-21-2005, 02:26 PM
My opinion...start them with a clutch, buy a brand name bike..not some of these crappy things that are cheap, think of things like parts, service, and re-sale, and don't start them on something they will outgrow right away.
the 450 might be a little much... :)

Captain Dan
11-21-2005, 04:22 PM
SJ - yeah, I know - the 450 might be too much :D
I started my son on an XR-80 and one season later had to get a CR-80. One year after that he is on a CFR250.
You might want to skip a step in there, maybe start with the CR-80 first?
Kids soak this stuff up, and the better the equipment, the better they excel in learning. Are you going to ride with him?

supersoaker509
11-21-2005, 05:13 PM
Honda all the way. The xr100 is a great bike. I would definitely start with a clutch.

Wmc
11-21-2005, 06:07 PM
Thanx for all the replies... Much appreciate it.
Those of you whose kids have outgrown their bikes... Are any of you interested in selling them? 'Cause I sure rather buy it from a fellow ***boat member than anyone else...
Mike...
Please check your PM I just sent you a bike that we are selling and a picture. KX80. It has been great, but our son has outgrown.

teamyamahamike
11-21-2005, 06:35 PM
Honda Crf100 :)

76ANTHONY
11-21-2005, 06:42 PM
Honda Crf100 :)
:idea: :idea: :idea:

JetBoatRich
11-21-2005, 08:23 PM
i bought my son a Kawasaki KLX 110 and it has been great for my 9 year old son plus they say resell on them is great for when the out grow it.
Bought my son the pretty much the same thing, just Suzuki :rolleyes: he is on his third year, bought it for him at age 7 and ready for a bigger bike :rollside: :cry:

Redwing247
11-21-2005, 08:51 PM
[QUOTE=river redy]We all have Honda's in our family and had no problems at all, very reliable, and parts are all over. My daughter started out on a cr 80 at 9 and road it for 3 years
I have a seldom use CR 80, with a strong motor. If you choose to start with CR80, give me a call/pm. If you need ref, give Rev Williams or Altar girl a call.
Need to clean out the garage.
:cry:

HM
11-21-2005, 09:03 PM
I learned to ride a 1974 YZ 80 when I was 8 years old - it was my first motorcycle, and this was in 1975. This was back when YZ 80's were only slightly taller than todays 50's. That thing had the worst engineered clutch design ever and was as hard as hell to pull. But, my dad told me that if he ever caught we shifting without it, he would take my bike away. I learned to ride it with not much problem, except my left forearm would be tired at the end of the day.
I am planning to have my kids on clutches around 6-7 years old.

Scarab Jet
11-21-2005, 11:01 PM
Please explain to me the big deal about having a clutch for a little kid (or an adult for that matter)...
As long as the bike is semi-auto, i.e., you still have to shift but without a clutch (as most of the new ones are today) so you have more control of the speed, why does it matter? I'd think that [for especially] a little kid, it'd be safer since he/she would have more time concentrating on steering and balancing the bike than worrying about clutch coordination...
It just doesn't make sense to me to have a clutch for the sake of having one... Am I missing something here?

GAME TIME
11-21-2005, 11:06 PM
Please explain to me the big deal about having a clutch for a little kid (or an adult for that matter)...
As long as the bike is semi-auto, i.e., you still have to shift but without a clutch (as most of the new ones are today) so you have more control of the speed, why does it matter? I'd think that [for especially] a little kid, it'd be safer since he/she would have more time concentrating on steering and balancing the bike than worrying about clutch coordination...
It just doesn't make sense to me to have a clutch for the sake of having one... Am I missing something here?
No, you're right. But I think for a 10 yr old he'd be able to understand it better than a 5 or 6 year old. Being that it would be his first bike, maybe something without a clutch is the way to go. But chances are he will outgrow something that comes with out a clutch soon.

SB
11-22-2005, 07:21 AM
I have a Honda z-50 for my 6 yr old, an xr 70 for my 9 yr old, and an XL 250 for me. With the clutch you get more gears. At 60 lbs. the 9 yr old has a hard time picking up the bike (120 lbs) when it falls. If it were to fall on top of him, he could be hurt, so he has to be watched constantly. On the other hand you want enough bike with enough tire that he doesn't get stuck in the sand. I would have no hesitation buying a 10 yr. old used Honda. With the Chinese imitations you have no idea what you're getting.

HM
11-22-2005, 07:35 AM
Please explain to me the big deal about having a clutch for a little kid (or an adult for that matter)...
As long as the bike is semi-auto, i.e., you still have to shift but without a clutch (as most of the new ones are today) so you have more control of the speed, why does it matter? I'd think that [for especially] a little kid, it'd be safer since he/she would have more time concentrating on steering and balancing the bike than worrying about clutch coordination...
It just doesn't make sense to me to have a clutch for the sake of having one... Am I missing something here?
It is no problem if you are planning on raising little girly boys. J/K'ing :D
My first bike had a clutch when I was 8 and I thought it was the coolest thing that I knew how to use it. Kids have an unlimited capacity to learn, the only limiting factor is the teacher. Teach them real young and it becomes natural very fast. Adults are the only ones with limited learning ability. All the other concerns of speed and safety are negligable in reality...you stand a much higher chance of dying in a car crash on your way to your riding spot. You know what kept my speed under control? Crashing. :D