I know this is slightly off-topic, but I value you folks' input.
My son wants a dirtbike, he's never had or ridden one. I am not that familiar with dirtbikes, but want to get one that he will be able to learn to ride easily, won't have too many problems, and will fit his size.
He's 13 years old, but he's a little short fella (4'7" or so)
It's possible that my 11yo daughter will want to ride it as well (she's 5'2") so I want to try to find something that will work for both of them.
will a bike like a kx60 be too small for them? or a pw80? It's hard to tell from pictures, looking on e-bay and the like.
also.. tips on what type of riding gear would be appropriate will also be greatly appreciated (we live in florida, have a lot of open dirt/grassy areas around us)
Why don't you and your son take a ride to a local bike retailer to check them out and have him sit on them, to get a feel for what your looking for
:P
that would be great if any of them were open on sundays... that's my only day off on the weekend, cause I always have to work saturdays
IMO a PW 80 would probably be a little small. Also, it has an automatic clutch so your kids won't learn about using a clutch. That's alright for little kids that don't have much coordination, but an 11yr old and 13yr old should be able to handle a clutch. The KX 60 is a much more serious motorcycle with a good off-road suspension and better ground clearance, but the motor is going to be a little more high-strung. Your kids may still outgrow it quickly, even though it is a more potent bike.
What do your kids plan to do with the bike? Is this an intro to racing? Or, are they just going to play around in some fields? If they want a play bike, stick with the four-strokes. They are easier to ride (a little bit more grunt down low) and maintain than the 2-strokes. I'd look at the TT series (Yamaha) or the CRF series (Honda - and not the R).
If they are aspiring MXers, look at the motocross bikes (KX, CR, RM, YZ) and maybe start with the 80s/85s. They usually offer these bikes in 2 versions: a standard or and expert. The expert bikes get the same motor but longer suspension and bigger wheels.
Gear:
1) Good helmet (mandatory)
2) Good motocross boots. Again this is a must. Get-offs in the dirt are frequent and good boots help prevent minor wrecks from turning into trips to the emergency room.
3) Gloves (a must).
4) MX pants. This is nice to have. They are durable and provide good freedom of movement. They also normally have some padding in the hip area for a little added protection.
5) Knee and elbo guards. This is a little extra peace of mind, but if your kids are hanging it out in the corners, I would promote this to a must have.
6) Chest protectors. I usually only wear one if I'm riding with other people and I think roost will be flying. They provide an extra measure of protection, but they restrict movement, IMO.
Hope this helps.
Rich
I would say getting your kids started on something comfortable, as in, low enough to inspire confidence, is the best way for them to learn and enjoy riding motos. Starting out on a bigger bike is harder to control when you have no idea what you are doing.
LOL, My friends & I got together and bought a KX80 to mess around on. We are all 5'6" + and 140lbs + each. We take turns on it. It is a manual shifting bike, 1 down 3 up I believe. It hits 40 mph if you are crazy enough to try it. ;)
The little 80 intimidated a 28 yr old woman who had only ever ridden street bikes before. It's the difference in the powerband of 2-strokes vs 4-strokes and traction in dirt vs street.
Good luck!
PS: My dad made me ride a CT70 and a 3-wheeler before allowing me to move on. Thanks dad! :) Now I ride a 400 off-road and it's NUTS! :P
yeah, just kicking around is the plan... so 4-stroke.. cool
thanks !
http://www.dirtbikeschool.com/index_1.html :mrgreen:
I'm sure this would be a good idea so your kids will get some basic training and also you'll know if they like riding before you buy a bike. I assume they provide bikes like the street MSF but I don't know for sure.
I would also try to get a bike that comes with a green sticker intead of a red sticker. I don't know if they have that in other states but here, red sticker bikes are restricted to running in parks at designated times