[roadkill]

I believe that a quad's capability should always exceed the rider's skill level. This will give the rider's skill room to grow and not be held back because of the limits of the quad. That said... skill and age are NOT the same thing and therefore when a kid is ready for a larger quad (mo' power) should not be dependent on age. Some states may have laws regarding at what age a kid can ride a full size quad, California doesn't. California does have a law about being able to reach all controls... being able to use the clutch in a full right turn and so forth... A tall 14yo may be able to ride a full size quad, but a short 16yo may be screwed. A kid's time riding does not necessarily equate to skill... A kid riding for 2 years just putting around on the farm will not get the same experience as another kid riding for 2 years doing MX. My 2 nieces 10yo and 15yo currently ride a 250ex and a 450r... to keep up with dad... their pictures are in my garage pics. I think that most states reguire some kind of safety certificate for riders under 18, but as far as I'm concerned... the sticker on your quad about riders under 16 and what it says in the manual don't really mean shit.
JMO.

roadkill

 

[rappyfreak]

Could not agree with you more roadkill. Did not know about the law in Cali, sounds pretty well thought up and one can actually change or setup the controls for the kids to reach them and ride safely and comfortably.

 

[700xxmaniac]

my first quad was the recon 250 i got it when i was 5 and even then id be going 45mph on that thing... and i got the pos sportsman 700 at 7 then aroud 10 i started to drive my ferids (who was 15) raptor 660. and when he got the 700 i drove that to.... ow i have the xx.... im 15 now and alotof ppl say that quads to powerful for me....meanwhile ther fippig there quad over 3 times in one day.... i have only fiped 2 times on my recon 1st time was a trail that was on a bad angle and 2nd time i runing on a flat and turned to fast but 3 years sins my last flip so......

 

[Simplyorange]

my 3 year old rides a bike rated for a 16 year old, 110 motor. and will do 35 with the throlle stop out and my fatass on it.he handles it alot better than i ever expected and is getting pretty good at drifting it and trail riding on small elevation changes.

i think its about the rider, i started riding streetbikes on a 1000cc bike, was told i needed a 600, now im one of the faster guys in my group only after 2 years of riding, people learn at different rates, my friend started riding a 600 shortly after me and i will lap him about 3-4 times in a track session.

people who are willing to take risks for the sake of learning will accel faster than the careful ones.

 

[RemingtonSteel]

I like you answer simplyorange that is a problem i am having i want a cbr1000 to grow in to i guess but friends have been telling me to get a 600. i dont want to "out grow something that cost that much. and as above also i think it is totally on the rider not age the 700 is my first sport bike and i still want more power.

 

[700xxmaniac]

I like you answer simplyorange that is a problem i am having i want a cbr1000 to grow in to i guess but friends have been telling me to get a 600. i dont want to "out grow something that cost that much. and as above also i think it is totally on the rider not age the 700 is my first sport bike and i still want more power.

id like a quad with more power i wana se a trx1000xx

 

[RemingtonSteel]

id like a quad with more power i wana se a trx1000xx

that wil do nicely!

 

[Simplyorange]

I like you answer simplyorange that is a problem i am having i want a cbr1000 to grow in to i guess but friends have been telling me to get a 600. i dont want to "out grow something that cost that much. and as above also i think it is totally on the rider not age the 700 is my first sport bike and i still want more power.

it depends on rider and bike, it will take forever for you to max out a 600 to its full potential in a curve, 1000 are harder to handle(depending on the bike) i have found my gsxr1000 handles just like my cbr 600.. my first bike was a 2006 cbr1000, it handled like shit and had torque for days, i totaled it when i flipped it over backwards one day @ 55mph. i think you will be fine starting on a 1000 if you have self control and respect it, it will get you in trouble quicker.but in my opinion anything smaller is inadequate for street riding.the 08 and newer hondas are awesome

referring back to how fast i learned(not tooting my horn) after my 5th track day i grudge raced a 10 year veteran on his modded r1 for 3 laps, he finished about a bike to 2 bikes in front of me.but i have been on my gixxer since my first track day and im always chasing somebody faster to build my skills.

dont let this be you...

 

[scuzz]

I can't wait to get my lil boogers riding.

 

[TRipleXX]

i think you will be fine starting on a 1000 if you have self control and respect it, it will get you in trouble quicker.but in my opinion anything smaller is inadequate for street riding.the 08 and newer hondas are awesome

wow...what do you do on the street that you need that much power? I felt that my SV was all I'd ever need on the street. It could get frustrating on the track because of the screamer/parkers on liter bikes though lol. I really think that we should look into a tiered license system like in japan for motorcycles where you have to prove yourself on progressively bigger machines.

As far as atv's go, I feel that it should be up to the parent's discretion. Hopefully as parent's they are responsible enough to judge their own kid's ability. As long as they have the proper gear let 'em at it...

 

[BlackSheep]

it depends on rider and bike, it will take forever for you to max out a 600 to its full potential in a curve, 1000 are harder to handle(depending on the bike) i have found my gsxr1000 handles just like my cbr 600.. my first bike was a 2006 cbr1000, it handled like shit and had torque for days, i totaled it when i flipped it over backwards one day @ 55mph. i think you will be fine starting on a 1000 if you have self control and respect it, it will get you in trouble quicker.but in my opinion anything smaller is inadequate for street riding.the 08 and newer hondas are awesome

referring back to how fast i learned(not tooting my horn) after my 5th track day i grudge raced a 10 year veteran on his modded r1 for 3 laps, he finished about a bike to 2 bikes in front of me.but i have been on my gixxer since my first track day and im always chasing somebody faster to build my skills.

dont let this be you...

jarod, it wasn't the 2006 cbr that handled bad..... it was YOU! we both no mine handles just fine, and i even have the same color. don't blame it on the bike.

 

[rodeo]

i like this topic

well here in utah it is really stupid law say any one under 8yrs cant ride any size of quad. thats a bunch of bull i think children should ride and be taught to ride. i think it helps with reaction and helps them learn how to handle in sketchy conditions. i think those who learn to ride will be able to drive better too cuz they already have some experiance with mud, snow, rain, ect... even though it doesnt have a steering wheel you still have to manualy control it ha ha ha. I dont know a officer that enforces the utah law but i still think its stupid. Although i havent heard of any limit to the bike you can ride. o and after the age of 8 you need to have a certificate till you get a valid drivers licence to show you can ride a atv ha what a bunch of bull my 13 yr bro can out ride a whole lot of people trust me i have seen it many many times. Yes there is many who can out ride him but i think he would give the instructors a good run for there money and possibly piss some of them off:yay:. SO I THINK ANY AGE LAW IS VERY STUPID. and i agree that a person should have a bike they can grow with and once out grow get another bigger one to better there skills!!!!!!!!

 

[vfm2010]

I did some research on this awhile back and there is no law(fed or state)restricting atv size based on age. The age safety tags on the machines are "Recommendations" by the Consumer Safety Committee, they have worked an agreement with dealerships to restrict sales of machines based on age to offset a reduced insurance liability. Many states do have restrictions on under age (under 16) operating an atv without adult supervision when not on parents private property, requireing an atv safety course to do so. Check your states DMV traffic laws for any variations, but they should be about the same. I had too defend my self from threats made towards my kid riding in my own yard after chasing a kid off the baseball feilds riding his atv with no helmet. The father felt because he volunteered working on the feild his kid had a right to ride there and if I didn't let him he was going to call the cops on me for my kid riding an age inapropriate machine. I set him straight after a little research.

 

[vfm2010]

The recent ban on smaller machines was based on "lead" content just in case your kid chews on their little four wheeler. If manufacturers take the steps to eliminate the lead threat we can buy our little ones new machines.

 

[smo0oth1]

The ban of the little chinese crap wheelers were because of lead?

 

[NHXXTRX]

I'm glad this topic came up. I have soon-to-be 6 year old son, who is on the smaller side of average size for his age group. I plan on purchasing his first "real" atv for his birthday this spring. His experience thus far is on one of those battery-powered Raptors you purchase at stores like Walmart. Originally, my plan was to purchase a Honda 90 for him.

He seems to fit good on the 90, although it is slightly large for him. I placed him on a Suzuki 50, and he seemed quite comfortable size-wise on it, but I think he would outgrow it in both physical size and horsepower very quickly. With some of the deals Honda has offered on the TRX250's this winter, I debated purchasing one of these for him. I finally placed him on one, but it seemed way too big for him. Now I'm back to thinking the Honda 90 would be the right size for him.

So for those of you with children and atvs, what are your opinions or recommendations on which size to purchase for my little guy?

 

[scuzz]

You know, once you get quad for your kids you gotta get a toyhauler. It is the next logical step.

Once I have a steady job for more than 12 months I'll buy one.

 

[700xxmaniac]

I'm glad this topic came up. I have soon-to-be 6 year old son, who is on the smaller side of average size for his age group. I plan on purchasing his first "real" atv for his birthday this spring. His experience thus far is on one of those battery-powered Raptors you purchase at stores like Walmart. Originally, my plan was to purchase a Honda 90 for him.

He seems to fit good on the 90, although it is slightly large for him. I placed him on a Suzuki 50, and he seemed quite comfortable size-wise on it, but I think he would outgrow it in both physical size and horsepower very quickly. With some of the deals Honda has offered on the TRX250's this winter, I debated purchasing one of these for him. I finally placed him on one, but it seemed way too big for him. Now I'm back to thinking the Honda 90 would be the right size for him.

So for those of you with children and atvs, what are your opinions or recommendations on which size to purchase for my little guy?

get him the recon es i got mine when i was 5..... but the 250 ex will get him shiften better...

 

[vfm2010]

I'm glad this topic came up. I have soon-to-be 6 year old son, who is on the smaller side of average size for his age group. I plan on purchasing his first "real" atv for his birthday this spring. His experience thus far is on one of those battery-powered Raptors you purchase at stores like Walmart. Originally, my plan was to purchase a Honda 90 for him.

He seems to fit good on the 90, although it is slightly large for him. I placed him on a Suzuki 50, and he seemed quite comfortable size-wise on it, but I think he would outgrow it in both physical size and horsepower very quickly. With some of the deals Honda has offered on the TRX250's this winter, I debated purchasing one of these for him. I finally placed him on one, but it seemed way too big for him. Now I'm back to thinking the Honda 90 would be the right size for him.

So for those of you with children and atvs, what are your opinions or recommendations on which size to purchase for my little guy?

I think a 250 would be a bit much for a 5 or 6 year old kid. A 90cc makes more sense and when you see your kid doing back flips on it then upgrade it, just kidding, but learning proper body position on a machine that "fits" will build skills and confidence much quicker. A youngster may find a bigger machine intimidating or unmanageable. IMHO

Let me add this, I started my stepson off trying a freinds 90cc at about 7 or 8 y.o. he showed he could handle it pretty quickly and would have been a suitable size for about 2 more years. I came across a cheap LT125 and got him that, I was able to select a gear 1st or second and because of the auto clutch he could just go in that gear. The more skills he learned like how to position himself for turns and braking I would bump up a gear until third gear. Then he was taught how to shift and downshift. This way he was able to progress without having to change machines, for his 12th Birthday we bought him a new TRX250EX. Now at 15 he traded his mom for her DVX400 and the little brat can actually ride wheelies better than me now.

 

[NHXXTRX]

VFM2010,

Thank you for your reply. This was the type of information I've been looking to hear about.