looking for advise from the dirt bike gurus

[idlegossip]

Ok, so my 9 y/o boy and 14 y/o girl are driving me mad that they want to learn how to ride trail bikes. I haven't ridden trail bikes since the late 80's learning on an old XR250.

I want to get them a bike that they can trial and see if they like bike riding before I go out and buy myself one and a third. I know I don't want to buy any of the Chinese nasties on the market. Would like to stay with the well known brands like Yamaha, Kwaka, Honda, Suzuki etc. Am also more than happy to buy second hand, but I know much about the modern day bikes so I don't know where to start.  I think thing like the peewee 50 & 80 would be to small for them now. I do like the looks of the Yamaha TTR 90, 110, 125. but  I don't know what the clutchless bikes are like with kids.

So my question is what would people recommend for 2 young kids who have never ridden a motorbike before. What would you also advise that we steer clear from.

I would love to buy then some quads but they want bikes.

I don't know where to start.

Thanks

Theo

[Coolblue80]

I got my boy a TTR50 when he was 2.5y.o & with a set of training wheels he was away. He is now 4.5y.o & rides without his training wheels & loves it. I have a '11 Suzuki dr 650 that I ride beside him when we are out & he thinks that is the greatest thing ever.

Now for the bikes. The clutchless bikes are great for those learning to ride for the first time. One less thing for them to worry about with not having to remember the clutch.  Most of the bikes have throttle limiters as well so you can wind the speed right back.
I'm not a fan of quads. Any kid can jump on one & think they can ride. I feel they don't learn anything riding a quad. Just my opinion. A mate of mine was buying one for his boy & I told him the same thing that the guy in the bike shop told me. Kids will get bored with a quad pretty quick & you'll be back buying a two wheeler.
So he got the quad & sure enough the boy got bored & he was out buying another bike within six months.

Don't discount all of the chinese stuff. From memory the TTR50 is made in China not Japan as you might think. It might pay to grab a cheaper bike for starters until you know that they will stick it out.
Cheers, Mike.

	Small | Large

[idlegossip]

Thanks for the prompt reply Mike.

Valid point on the quad thing about them getting bored, I guess I look at it from my point of view that I would also use a quad for hunting where as they wouldn't, and it is more limiting on where they can ride.

I haven't fully discounted the Chinese bikes and I am happy to hear of any good quality ones that people would recommend. There is a lot of crap ones out there so it is hard to know what is good.

cheers

[Bird]

I haven't fully discounted the Chinese bikes and I am happy to hear of any good quality ones that people would recommend. There is a lot of crap ones out there so it is hard to know what is good.

Don't go near the Chinese ****. I have seen several fall apart out at the Frankston track, including 1 that had the shock links snap and 2 that had frames break. 1 was an Atomik, another had no sticker on it..

I had a chinese Atomik for Cammo, but it wa sa bucket of ****. The suspension didn't work, it wouldn't  move even with my fat arse on it. Sold it for 100.. they have no resale.

Bought him an XR 70 and it was worlds apart. He could enjoy it, and wanted to ride regularly.
Check out this place http://www.mctcriders.com/ We had a great time out there.. Very professional, and take no Shit.
Very good learners program, and close to suburbia.. No 2 strokes as the council have let houses build a few 100 mtrs from the track these days..



Ended up buying an RM65 and tried his hand at racing, but its too expensive and competitive, theres little fun in racing.. some kids had 2-3 bikes each incase one broke.



With the clutch, Cam found it hard going from no clutch to clutch, so I'd say start off with one. But the PW's are a good thing and hard to go past. They also  hold their value well too.

Just remember theres nowhere you can ride outside of clubs unless you own land. The fines from the fun police these days are horrendous.

[DannyG]

All kids are different sizes at certain ages so go and size your kids up on a pw80 or ttr90 etc but they are good bikes to start them on and unless they are keen to push on woth some sort of racing they are good bikes to continue on.
If they are showing some talent or keen to become the next mr motocross etc then id look at stepping up to your yz's, rm's or whatever.

As for quads, stay away from them. I have many reasons for suggesting this but ill leave it alone on this forum....except to say a large group of us dirt bike riders down here once wanted to start a quad klux klan LOL but seriously with out stereo typing too much have a look at the type of person they usually attract

[Dogsbreakfast]

Give the no name brands a miss. You will do your on resale big time. I'd go a drz110 to start off. Good easy bike and reliable as - not loud, no clutch and will always sell easily...

[Hairs]

Don't go near the Chinese

Yep, don't touchem with a ten foot pole.
I good mate was talked into buying two quads from a Sales man from a reputably Motorbike shop, he has owned them for 12 months and they have spent 99% of that time in the shop for electrical problems.
It's now in the hands of the Dept Of Fair Trading.

Edit, The kids are shattered 

[Pling]

My 2 cents worth, stay away from chinese crap and quad bikes.

For learning purposes clutch less are great for building confidence with kids, as they progress up grade to a clutch bike.
If you stay with a good brand like the Yamaha range you will sell no probs and not loose to much If any $.

My boy is 8 yo and luckily for him he has the choice between a Pee Wee 80 and a JR80 manual, he can ride both but prefers the Peewee, Its all about enjoyment.

Good luck!

[Bird]

I've also got some kids riding gear at home I'd sell cheap.

[DannyG]

I've also got some kids riding gear at home I'd sell cheap.

me too actually they have grown out of it all

[speedcomm]

Funny thing about the Chinese, I guess there is good and bad. We have 3 Yamahas but also have a Chinese Jianshe 90 that we were given as a brand new bike about 8 years ago, that little bike has had an absolute flogging and is still going strong, it is a clone of the PW80 but with a 4stroke 90cc motor that looks like a postie motor. I replaced the spring with a heavier spring as the adults burning around kept bottoming out the rear. Our 18 year old learnt to ride on it before graduating to a YZ85, he still now gets on it, takes it for flog and gets off with a grin. I believe Jianshe have some tie with Yamaha in China, the quality shows.

But in saying all that I still wouldn't buy a Chinese bike, just like I wouldn't buy a Great Wall car 

Resale on Yamahas is great, we bought a brand new PW50 a few years ago and the things are still worth nearly that second hand..

[Bird]

. I believe Jianshe have some tie with Yamaha in China, the quality shows.

The story goes (well what my old boss at the shop told me), is Yamaha wanted the PW's and some other dirt bikes assembled in China.

They "did the deal", then the one side backed out after Mr Wong got the plans and specs..

Thus why it looks like a PW.

[idlegossip]

Give the no name brands a miss. You will do your on resale big time.

That was my thoughts initially also hence why I said I wasn't keen on the Chinese crap.

Lost and DannyG, I will be in touch about the cheap gear if we go down this path with a bike.

Sound advise from all thanks.

[jeeps]

I agree with staying away from quads. They don't produce the advanced skills of a 2 wheel bike and when they turn over they go over with a big thud. Check out these kids, all would be 10 or under and some of them would have better skills than most adults:

http://youtu.be/_pA3n-TFpJU
	Small | Large

I was with my bike at a moto trial club ride in Canungra recently when a mum and dad turned up with their 3 kids, 2 boys 1 girl, between 6 and 12 and each had an Oset. They spent hours riding these things around the paddock, up the hills, through the creeks. I reckon these things are one of the best to introduce kids to riding. Best part is, you are legally allowed to use them at the local park    

It's another option, and they're a quality bike

http://www.osetbikes.com.au/

mechatechno also make a quality kids elec. bike:  http://mecatecno.es/


Just another option to think about

cheers

[Bird]

Best part is, you are legally allowed to use them at the local park    

Yea good luck with that round our way..

[cruza driver]

G'day Theo,

I would also look at the new CRF110, not much bigger than a pw80 but a little heavier. Its a 4 speed cluchless bike with electric start. You should be able to get new for less than $2,800 which puts it unde he Yamaha ttr110 price braket.

They are a nice quiet 4 stroke that both your kids should be able to ride it as the suspension is better than the pw80 for the 14 year old and its not to big for the 9yo.

Plus its a great looking bike too 

[fishfinder]

Yep, don't touchem with a ten foot pole.
I good mate was talked into buying two quads from a Sales man from a reputably Motorbike shop, he has owned them for 12 months and they have spent 99% of that time in the shop for electrical problems.
It's now in the hands of the Dept Of Fair Trading.

Edit, The kids are shattered 

I was asked to sort out a new chinese quad that has never been started with starting issues i followed a wire from the ignition switch and it was in three sections all different colours and just barely  twisted together and the carby was all gummed up

[Hairs]

The Chinese are copying everything.
And unfortunately there's not a great deal anyone can do about.
We dig up a truck load of dirt, put it on a train to a loader which fills up a boat that sails for China, they melt the crap and we buy it back as some cheap item and we reckon we get a bargain. 

[Bird]

The Chinese are copying everything.

Several years ago when I was working at a marine company that make outboards they were just building a plant in China to build <60hp engines...
Wonder how that's going..
haven't seen many copies of outboards, but then Im not into boats that much anymore...

anyone know?

[dirtpilot]

Whats the budget?

If you have plenty of $ just head down to the bike shop and buy what you like. If you don't want to spend a lot here my recomendations,

9 year old, PW80, XR70, TTR90 or if clutch is ok Suzuki DS80/JR80. All bikes can be had in good condition for less than 1k

Older kid, Yamaha RT100, XR100, TTR125. All can be had for less than 1.5k

Best budget bikes are the DS80 and the RT100.

[dirtpilot]

Yamaha RT100, i had one. Good ones go for $800 or less. Also consider a Honda postie bike as a good learner allrounder.

[jeeps]

Yea good luck with that round our way..

I believe they're classed as a kid's electric scooter LOL

I learnt on one of these when i was a kid:



Honda Z50 3sp auto clutch, 4 stroke that hardly used petrol and in typical honda theme you couldn't hear it running. As a kid i rode it around a backyard of a 600sq metre house block all day long without annoying the neighbours. I then upgraded to a yammy TY80 then onto the big boys bikes. That Honda Z50 was a great bike!

cheers

[idlegossip]

Whats the budget?

If you have plenty of $ just head down to the bike shop and buy what you like. If you don't want to spend a lot here my recomendations,

Unfortunately, due to the drought the money tree I had planted in the back yard has dried out and not producing in the manner the nursery had said. Very disappointed with it actually. So With that in mind I was more looking at second hand market with the kids bikes being around the 1k mark, and for myself in the 1.5 -  2k mark.

Suggestions made so far is what I have been seeing on fleebay etc but oh so confusing. I am currently interested in the following for myself.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/150989664807?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Looks like a nice clean bike and if the price stays in that area I am keen. And for the kids I like this of what I can tell.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/221185863101?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Watching atm and if the price stays in the right area will seriously consider. I am more interested in getting the 14y/o sorted and seeing what sort of interest the 9 y/o gives before I commit to buying for him. With the TTR 90 the older one can get a good feel for what bike riding is about and yet its a good size bike for the younger one can get onto.

[fishfinder]

I believe they're classed as a kid's electric scooter LOL

I learnt on one of these when i was a kid:



Honda Z50 3sp auto clutch, 4 stroke that hardly used petrol and in typical honda theme you couldn't hear it running. As a kid i rode it around a backyard of a 600sq metre house block all day long without annoying the neighbours. I then upgraded to a yammy TY80 then onto the big boys bikes. That Honda Z50 was a great bike!
 

cheers

I too learnt on one of these, used to race around " what was " Claremont speedway every Saturday the day after the Friday night speedway meets and if you still have one they're worth big $$$ . I then went on to a YZ80 which was taken off me after my parents found out I rode it to school a few times and tore up the oval during smoko, umm lunch break, have not rode much since but am going to go for a big ride on a Ducatti Multistrada in a couple of weeks.

[Dogsbreakfast]

Be careful on the multistrad. They are ugly as julia gillard but go like a stripper on chrystal meth.

They also have a habit of making test riders 20k poorer....