Kids first motorcycle

[flatbutt]

It's time to get FB III on two wheels. I'm looking around at the offerings and considering electric as an alternative. If I could find one of those old 50cc Yamaha minis I'd jump on it but they seem to be unobtainium. The new ones are $1600+.

He's 9 yrs old , 90 lbs, strong beyond his age and about 48 inches in height(ish).

So any recos from the collective?

[javadog]

I Started my kid on a used Suzuki RM80 that I rebuilt for him. Not enough power to get him into trouble but a big enough bike to allow him to transition to a 125 two stroke in a few years, or maybe a 225/250 four stroke.

Not a fan of the little 50s, or the various Chinese products. He needs to learn how to use a clutch and gearbox.

[LJ851]

I was just in that boat. I bought a 20 year old Yamaha PW50 off a buddy and rebuilt it for my son’s 7th birthday. He is about the same height as your grandson but half the weight. The PW50 is slightly small for him which I wanted and I plan on using it for his younger sister and brother in the future.

I looked into buying a new PW50 since the resale is so high but out the door price is $2600 around here, $1000+ in fees on a $1600 bike !

I think your grandson is probably too big for a PW50 or a JR50 and should at least go up to a 4 stroke 50 like a CRF50, TTR50, etc. or possibly a small 80cc bike.

Here is my sons bike.

[LJ851]

Here is a lousy video capture for scale.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by LJ851

I was just in that boat. I bought a 20 year old Yamaha PW50 off a buddy and rebuilt it for my son’s 7th birthday. He is about the same height as your grandson but half the weight. The PW50 is slightly small for him which I wanted and I plan on using it for his younger sister and brother in the future.

I looked into buying a new PW50 since the resale is so high but out the door price is $2600 around here, $1000+ in fees on a $1600 bike !

I think your grandson is probably too big for a PW50 or a JR50 and should at least go up to a 4 stroke 50 like a CRF50, TTR50, etc. or possibly a small 80cc bike.

Here is my sons bike.

I was wondering about that too. Thanks for the tip.

[Ayles]

Originally Posted by javadog

I Started my kid on a used Suzuki RM80 that I rebuilt for him. Not enough power to get him into trouble but a big enough bike to allow him to transition to a 125 two stroke in a few years, or maybe a 225/250 four stroke.

Not a fan of the little 50s, or the various Chinese products. He needs to learn how to use a clutch and gearbox.

My dad did the same. This was in the 80s with a late 70s rm80. I loved that bike and was able to grow with it for many years. It seemed to have enough power to keep me respectful of it. I think overall I got 3 or 4 years out of the bike.

[908/930]

Thinking that a RM80 could be a little too powerful and heavy for a 9year old, I had a 77 RM80 as my second bike, 76 MR50 was my first, that was a great bike. I agree that a 50cc bike will be outgrown quick but less intimidating. The old XR75/80 were also good trail machines back then, also heavy though.

[porsche930dude]

I would get him a chinese 110 they are only about 5-700 brand new. The engines last forever. Their main drawback is all the wiring they put on the bikes but it can be easily simplified when it fails. They come in all different sizes 50 90 110 125 . Automatic single speed , semi auto 4 speed , 4 speed with reverse, 5 speed, Kick start, electric start . Iv had experience with about a dozen of them they are easy to work on and parts are super cheap. He will outgrow a pw50 in about 30 minutes they are basicly a gas powered powerwheels. Too small for a 10 year old. These chinese bikes have power for an adult whereas the japanese bikes in my experience are quite anemic. So if you go chinese make sure it has this style engine

[unclebilly]

My son started on Chinese 50 cc 2 stroke quad at 3. He moved up to the 50cc Honda just before he turned 5. He is now on a CRF110F and is getting a KX65 for Christmas. He is 10 now. The Kawasaki is the same size as his 110 but 17 HP compared to 7 that the Honda has.

The 50 and 110 are bot auto clutch too whereas the KX65 is a 6 speed with a clutch.

[ckelly78z]

My sons first bike was a small tire Honda XR 70, then an XR 80 big tire, and then an XR 200....all great bikes with Honda reliability. He had started out on my Honda ATC 125 3 wheeler.

He now rides a Honda XL 650.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by porsche930dude

I would get him a chinese 110 they are only about 5-700 brand new. The engines last forever. Their main drawback is all the wiring they put on the bikes but it can be easily simplified when it fails. They come in all different sizes 50 90 110 125 . Automatic single speed , semi auto 4 speed , 4 speed with reverse, 5 speed, Kick start, electric start . Iv had experience with about a dozen of them they are easy to work on and parts are super cheap. He will outgrow a pw50 in about 30 minutes they are basicly a gas powered powerwheels. Too small for a 10 year old. These chinese bikes have power for an adult whereas the japanese bikes in my experience are quite anemic. So if you go chinese make sure it has this style engine

Brand name plz?

[ckcarr]

You know the rule on the BMW r1100s board. It must be a KTM...

https://www.ktm.com/en-us/models/mx.html

[porsche930dude]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

Brand name plz?

They go by alot of names google chinese 110 dirtbike you will see. Tao Tao is a popular one also Coolster and Apollo

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by ckcarr

You know the rule on the BMW r1100s board. It must be a KTM...

https://www.ktm.com/en-us/models/mx.html

$5K!!!!

[unclebilly]

Don’t get Chinese. I spent 30 minutes fixing for every 30 - 60 minutes ridden. The suspension sucks on both Chinese quads we have had, 5hit breaks at random, parts fall off (the carburetor fell of that first 50cc quad twice), the cylinder came loose was the last straw. I tried to improve the suspension by putting in softer springs that I designed. They are complete garbage.

The new Honda’s such as my sons 110 are made in China too and just not the same as the Japanese bikes but still ok. It is a fairly low hour bike but has had a stretched timing chain and guides replaced once already.

When you sell the Honda, you will break even on used or only lose a couple hundred on new.

[Tim Hancock]

I have a couple Chinese Honda 50 knockoffs that have had no issues over the 10 plus years I have had them but are mainly used by me to give the baby grandkids rides around the yard. My wife and I and even my 250+ pound dad have used them as pit bikes at Oshkosh for many years now. They are not race bikes, but work good for yard play bikes.

Years ago I started my daughters at about 6 and 7 on old Hondas I restored for them... A QA50 (auto) and an MR50 (manual clutch). After a year I moved them up to KX60 and then CR80 race bikes.

I now have also picked up a used Yamaha PW50 for my little grandkids and a KTM 50 race bike in case I can get my oldest grandson more interested in racing.

I would suggest looking for a Honda or (chinese knockoff of Honda) 70 or 110 for FBIII. The 110 would be the smarter bet for his size weight IMO. These are easy bikes to learn to ride on and will be fun for play riding. Obviously they are not "race" bikes, but that can come later if he gets into it. (If you can find one, an older Honda XR75 or XR80 would make a good starter bike also)

Honda 50 knockoff


Daughter's old race bikes


3 wheeler rides for grandkids


Daughter who I started on Honda 50 when 6 years old bought herself this about 12 years later.... Both girls transitioned to manual trans first cars with no issue due to their early years on minibikes then race bikes.


Grandson's first time riding PW50 by himself (about 6 years old) I followed him on one of the Honda 50 knockoffs.


One of my grandaughter's getting her first taste of dirtbikes... Start em young!

[LakeCleElum]

For wifes grandson a few years ago I started him on a KX65 got with low compression for $300. $50 Piston Kit and he rode it for 2 or 3 years till he outgrew it.

Then, sold the KX65 for $675 and fixed up an old '73 Honda XL250 I got for free......He rode it a few more years and his family moved to Colorado.....Sold the XL for $1,100 and he has memories to last a lifetime.....

So, start FB II out on anything small and cheap, fix it up and you make a few $ when he outgrows it.....

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

For wifes grandson a few years ago I started him on a KX65 got with low compression for $300. $50 Piston Kit and he rode it for 2 or 3 years till he outgrew it.

Then, sold the KX65 for $675 and fixed up an old '73 Honda XL250 I got for free......He rode it a few more years and his family moved to Colorado.....Sold the XL for $1,100 and he has memories to last a lifetime.....

So, start FB II out on anything small and cheap, fix it up and you make a few $ when he outgrows it.....

That's the goal my friends but the pickins' be slim right now here in jersey.

[flipper35]

Had a Honda Z-50 at 5 and graduated to a Kawasaki 90cc MC1 on my 9th birthday. That would top out about 60mph on a good day. Easy to ride and the new stuff is lighter and easier to ride.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

That's the goal my friends but the pickins' be slim right now here in jersey.

There have to be plenty of small Japanese dirtbikes out there. The brand really doesn't matter. Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki... they always have made a ton of them. Even an older one will work.

Get him something with decent size and power so he's not going to outgrow it in the first month, get his something with a regular clutch and gearbox, so he learns how to ride a motorcycle. Sell it and put the money towards a bigger one in a couple years.