How young should a child be to learn how to ride

[NitroHonda]

I've got a 6 year old boy. I'd like for him to become a motorcyclist.

How old should he be before he rides behind me as a passenger?

How old should he be to learn how to operate a motorcycle?

What type of motorcycle?

All suggestions strongly welcomed! We'd like to do this the RIGHT and SAFEST way for him. Advice on classes are strongly welcomed. I'm in Austin for what it's worth.

Many thanks in advance!

[Princess]

You can get him on a bike now. Honda CRF 50 with training wheels perhaps.

[ANTISOCIAL]

I've got a 6 year old boy. I'd like for him to become a motorcyclist.

How old should he be before he rides behind me as a passenger?

How old should he be to learn how to operate a motorcycle?

What type of motorcycle?

All suggestions strongly welcomed! We'd like to do this the RIGHT and SAFEST way for him. Advice on classes are strongly welcomed. I'm in Austin for what it's worth.

Many thanks in advance! My son started at 5 . But he learned how to ride a bicycle first w/no training wheels . If they can ride a bicycle with no training wheels they won't need them on a motorcycle . I bought my son a ttr-50 then i bought me a crf50 and i'm hooked . Buy a helmet/gloves/and riding boots . Then screw in the throttle stop screw till there going only 5 miles an hour or less .

[ANTISOCIAL]

To answer your second question i would NEVER ride with my son on my big bike . But thats just me .

[Vandals]

I started riding dirtbikes and four wheelers before I learned how to ride a bicycle at age 4. It all depends on if your kid has an interest in it.. I know I did.

[Tojo92]

My kids started riding on a PW50 with training wheels at 3 and 4 years old. I occasionally would let my 4 year old ride with me on the DRZ400 between me and the tank, but that was very slow out on a couple acres when I lived in the Rio Grande Valley. He always wore a helmet when we did that.

I don't think I would ride with them on the bike in a street environment until they are much older and had full protective gear available and I really doubt I would even then. That's an issue with traffic and the fact that I can do everything I can, but there is always a chance of some moron pulling out in front of me.

My 0.02.

Staton

[vmaxgirl]

HI and here is my opinion... coming from a mom of 4 :hello:


My kids started riding by them selves on a PW50 at about 4 - 5 years old. Four wheelers since they were about 18 months or so on my lap. They have always worn gear on the dirt bikes so it has always been something the know as a requirement, not an option.
They all ride as passenger on both of my bikes with me and have ever since they were old enough to hold on (which varied between the kids). They are now 9, 11, 12 and 14 and love bikes :D

[1fastchevy]

I may cruise around the block with my boys but never hit the freeway, Both have been riding since 3 and 4 yrs, my youngest sam was riding our RM 80 yesterday, he's 5, my older ones 10 he's doing stand ups on his 4 wheeler.
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w224/1fastchevy/IMG00035.jpg
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w224/1fastchevy/IMG00027.jpg

[vmaxgirl]

I may cruise around the block with my boys but never hit the freeway, Both have been riding since 3 and 4 yrs, my youngest sam was riding our RM 80 yesterday, he's 5, my older ones 10 he's doing stand ups on his 4 wheeler.
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w224/1fastchevy/IMG00035.jpg
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w224/1fastchevy/IMG00027.jpg

were you driving down 2090 west yesterday just after 12?

[1fastchevy]

no Havent ridden since last week with you guys, Maybe Sunday, Hows your new shield for thr Vmax ?

[vmaxgirl]

no Havent ridden since last week with you guys, Maybe Sunday, Hows your new shield for thr Vmax ?

have to pick it up this afternoon.:D I think we are making a Fayetteville ride tomorrow.
Seen someone on a Suz wearing uniform blues yesterday after I picked up my oldest from the HS, thought it might be you.

[jgixer]

my daughters 2 yrs old and she has her own 4 wheeler, but i always ride with her cause she cant reach the floor boards. but she is in control. she will get her own pocket bike in about two weeks. shes hooked and so am i its our father daughter time. and i live on a dead end and she gets on me gsxr with me but i never throtle! also she has a helmet and she wears cowgirl boots. its a bonding thingy

[Cherub]

I started an x's son on a electric pocket bike at 4yo. He had no problem.

[hotnanas]

Mike....what up bro! Long time!

Hit me up sometime! Sorry, I don't know anything about kids.

[07SLVRCBR]

I started very early, too (4-5). Like others said, make gear mandatory early. If they understand it early, it'll be customary when older. If he/she can ride a bike, a lil moto shouldn't be too much to handle.

Good luck and remember it's all about safe fun. I remember riding when I was a wee young lad, and those times were some of the best.

[txferrari]

You can get him on a bike now. Honda CRF 50 with training wheels perhaps.

Agreed.

[matemike]

I know a 4 or 5 yr old who rides a lil 50 cc bike governed down so low that it wont go in high grass.

[DLSGAP]

i got a little Honda 50 when i was 6... then a YSR50 for my 8th birthday to start on pavement..by the time I got my first big bike ('92CBR600F2) for my 12th birthday, I had logged about 5k on the YSR and ridden my mom's honda shadow alot on the street. including road trips with dad... rider rally, GWRRA rallies, etc. I even road my dad's 78 goldwing to the GWRRA spring fling in 94 just because it was the first year i was licensed and i could technically win the youngest rider. I was snubbed out the previous years on the technicality that i wasnt old enough to be licensed...

now that i have a son.. we've already started looking for a 50 for him...he's 4 months old now so i'll play on it til he's ready :)

As soon as he can ride his bicycle.. he'll be given a chance on the 50... if he wants to keep it up.. it gives me an excuse to get a supermoto so we can go riding together

[CaligoneTx]

As for riding ON large bike, look into the snow mobile kid harnesses... straps around all their appendages as well as yours...

First time I saw it was with Navigator. Awesome design, built well and seems to work incredibly.

[Scatter]

my 8 and 5 year old can ride pyrofallouts little 50. the 5 year old makes me nervous though, he is balls to wall all the time (climbed on the roof and jumped off yesterday). my 8 year old does wonderful on it.

[Mr.P]

To throw out different idea, let him start on a Razor motorized scooter. They go about 10 MPH and are very light. Once he as the hang of it, step up to a bigger ride, like an xr 50 or chinese knock off of one. I got my son going on a kids push scooter with an idling weed eater motor pushing him around when he was 3. By 3 1/2 he was comfortable at 20 MPH. So we got him a little Honda Monkey clone.

Another cheaper option is the JR50 or PW50, but these are two strokes.

I have a JR50 and my younger son is a very small 5 and is just starting to enjoy riding it. He's timid about it falling over, but he can barely ride a bike without training wheels. The limiter is nice, keeps it under 8 mph, and everything fits his hand. AND he says it tathtes good thoo!!!

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa13/peshaddock/Minibikes/jr501.jpg

Conversely, my oldest son jumped on a too big bike at 3 1/2 and by age 5 was riding the Z50 like he stole it. He's on a 150F now and going up to a 2 stroke 125 soon. Here he is defying my ATGATT creedo:

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa13/peshaddock/Minibikes/IMG_3981-1.jpg

[TexasPsyclone]

Funny - I just changed my Avi - thats me when I was about 7 I guess. Maybe 8. But I didn't get my first street bike till I was almost 18.

[vmaxgirl]

I have four kids, youngest is almost 10 and the oldest is almost 16, both girls with 11 and 13 yr old boys in between. They have all been riding passenger with me since the age of 4 and have all been riding dirt bikes and four wheelers since the age of 5. They love them and enjoy going to the track with me. Funniest thing I have heard one of them say at a track event is when I showed up at another track org's day to see some friends and within 5 minutes my 11yr old boy says "geez mom, everyone knows you everywhere there are motorcycles" :keke:

[bentgixxer]

my son will be 4 next month. he already has an electric 4 wheeler im teaching him the basics on. soon he will get a big ( er ) bike. ill get him a knockoff 50 to learn on.

i didnt get my first bike until i was over 20, and i always loved bikes. i would like my son to love bikes to.

[GABRIEL]

Mine will be 2 on May 28th and we have a bike for her and are getting it setup for her. She already knows how to work the trottle and wants to ride everthing we have with 2 wheels. She rides wheelies, and dose endoes on her pink kawasaki that I got her from walmat, Really.

[GABRIEL]

#1 Rule is do not let them eat the bike.

[AJFLo]

I learned on a 4 wheeler at 3 and got my first lil 50 at 5.

[slowblack05]

i was 3 1/2 learned how to ride a motorcycle before a biycycle

if i have a son, ill have him a crf50 with training wheels and he will get the fundamentals down at age 3

[Bama275]

I have been riding since i was 5 on a phiddy and traing wheels i think you just need to gve him or her a set area and watch them til he/she gets the hang of it then let him/her loose on the world lol :)

[1340HIGH]

I started at 12, and had to come up with 1/2 the money for the bike, Dad covered the rest.

That seems like a good age to have some understanding of it too.

It was bicycles only before that, it was 1972.

[BabyGirlGSXR]

I had my first quad at age 2 1/2.. a 1985 50cc Suzuki, then dirt bike crashes started for me at age 3to 3 1/2