Kids Bike for 6-7 year old?

[Woods_Rider]

Hey guys,

Thinking about getting a used dirt bike for my girls. One is 6, the other is 7 1/2. Would be there first dirt bike. I was thinking about something like a Honda 50 or PW50, but wondering if that will be too small for them. Maybe something like a PW80?

I guess I should bring them to the shops to see what fits, but wondering if anyone can give me any advice before I head out.

Any tips greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Ed

[XRIowa]

I say go with the CRF 50 nice bike with gears no clutch and tons of aftermarket.. Unless they can fit on something bigger the CRF 50 is the premier starter bike in my book.. I also have a JR 50 and dont like near as much

[cardiffdrz]

i got my boy an XR50 as his sarter a good bullet proof bike unfortunatly it got stolen and i replaced it with the PW50 another great bike tho it is a lot harder to start after it has been idle for a while than the XR was. I have just ordered a new PW80 this evening as the next bike up, i was torn between the TTR90 and the PW80 i went with the PW as it is the lighter of the 2 bikes. Go look at the thread i posted in the general forum "PW80 V TTR90" i had some great feedback from the guys on here maybe some of it will be of use to you too 😢

found the thread for you PW80-V-TTR90

[SidewinderX]

Good, relativley cheap, bulletproof, starter bike. CRF 50. 😢😢

[4mykids]

It depends on what, if any, motorcycling experience they have. If they have none, then stick with a CRF50. My 6.5 year-old daughter can put her feet down flat on either side, and it gives her so much more confidence than if she had to tiptoe it. A PW50/JR50 would be too small, the CRF70/PW80 too big (IMO). Better to start off on a bike that is a little on the small side to let them build confidence.

One other thing I've noticed is that the stock suspension on the CRF50 is outgrown quicker than the size and speed of the bike. My daughter is going fast enough now that the minimal suspension travel makes for a really bumpy ride, forcing her to stand alot. Not necessarily a bad thing, but the stock suspension is the weakest point of all the 50cc minibikes...

[cardiffdrz]

I'd also add that i think the XR/CRF50's feel a better built bike than the Yamaha yet i prefer the Yam, thats not to say tho that the Yam is not well built too, but the Honda has a slight edge over the Yam 😢

[needsprayer]

Depends on size of the child and their athletic inclination. If tall enough and plays a sport like kids soccer then a PW80 would be a good choice. It is throttled down. A friend of mine bought this bike for her 7 year old son on my recommendation after taking him in to sit on it. He gets it this Christmas.

[ttr125lerider]

i would say the pw 80. the power is certainly not going to scare them. its got three gears but no clutch, so just change gears whenever you want. i know a two kids, one of them got the pw50 and one the pw 80 and the pw 50 still looks like its still of the show room floor. it never gets ridden. they both still have about the same seat height i think.

[cardiffdrz]

i would say the pw 80. the power is certainly not going to scare them. its got three gears but no clutch, so just change gears whenever you want. i know a two kids, one of them got the pw50 and one the pw 80 and the pw 50 still looks like its still of the show room floor. it never gets ridden. they both still have about the same seat height i think.

Please tell me your wrong about the seat height, i have just ordered a PW80 as my boy 7 is now too tall for the PW50 that is gonna get handed down to my youngest boy 5 would be a silly thing to do to go order a new bike that will have the same problem as the old one 😢

[cardiffdrz]

ok after a serious sweat i just had, i have looked at the Yamaha website, here are the specs for the PW's 50/80

PW50

Length (mm) 1,245mm

Width (mm) 575mm

Height (mm) 715mm

Seat height (mm) 485mm

Wheel base (mm) 855mm

Minimum ground clearance (mm) 105mm

Dry weight (kg) 37 kg

PW80

Length (mm) 1,540mm

Width (mm) 640mm

Height (mm) 880mm

Seat height (mm) 635mm

Wheel base (mm) 1,055mm

Minimum ground clearance (mm) 185mm

Dry weight (kg) 57 kg

[blinkiam]

CRF 50 http://powersports.honda.com/motorcycles/off-road/model.asp?ModelName=CRF50F&ModelYear=2005&ModelId=CRF50F5[/url] .would be good but if they are tall for their age you may consider a CRF70http://powersports.honda.com/motorcycles/off-road/model.asp?ModelName=CRF70F&ModelYear=2005&ModelId=CRF70F5 A TTR-90 http://www.yamaha-motor.com/products/unitinfo/2/mcy/28/239/0/yamaha_tt-r90e.aspx may be an alternate way to go since it has an E-start. It has a seat height between the CRF50 and CRF70. My son is 7 and has both the CRF50 and the CRF70. He is small for his age and can ride the 70 fine but can't touch on both sides so when we go trail riding he rides the 50. His cousin who is 8 has the TTR90 and is nice because of the E-start.

[CaptDan]

Here is advice on kid's bikes I was never told...

-Start saving NOW for your child's NEXT bike. Kids grow soo fast you will be lucky to get two years of use before they outgrow a bike.

-Try to keep the bike in good shape. These beginner bikes enjoy a solid resale value (most only see two seasons of use - see above), but a clean bike will be a deal clincher.

-Don't try to upgrade the bike to keep pace with your growing child. The kid will STILL grow too fast. (Ignore this if YOU will get the bike when your child moves up.)

-Get them onto a bike with a clutch as soon as possible. A clutch adds a whole new level of fun for a kid - wheelies, holeshots, roosting dad, etc.

Tip: Teach clutch use on a quad with an electric start.

-Always make sure YOUR bike is ready to ride at a moments notice. You won't want to miss any chance to ride with your child.

Dan.

P.S. IMHO, the XR50 is a great starter bike.

[Woods_Rider]

Wow! Thanks a bunch guys. Great advice. I think I will take them to the shop with me the next time I go and get them sized up. If they fit the Honda 50, I will go with one of those I think. -Ed

[PBR_StreetGang]

Here's my $0.02. After learning to ride on a PW50 (the throttle limiter screw rules!), I got my almost 8 year old daughter an XR70. Guess what? She didn't want to ride anymore. She finally told me that it was so heavy (120+ lbs), she was afraid it would fall on her and hurt her. I sold it and we got a KTM 50 Sr. Adventure ( the air cooled one). Same seat height as the XR (but narrower), real suspension, and it weighs about the same as a PW50 (somewhere in the 80 lb range). She is a happy rider again.

[BigDesto]

Pw50 will be too small!!

I'm selling my daugthers PW80 $ 800.00 firm

[jwriott]

The XR50 is much better made than the PW50. For the same $$, it's a no brainer. It's also larger than the PW50. I've got both in my garage right now.

[minibikedad]

XR50 is also 20% heavier than a PW50.

That's like riding an XR650L in single track woods.

[cardiffdrz]

My boy had an XR50 and a PW50, i just got the next bike up and went with a PW80 work out what you want from that 😢

[jwriott]

XR50 is also 20% heavier than a PW50.

That's like riding an XR650L in single track woods.

It has better suspension, brakes in the correct location and a transmission with 3 speeds as well. It also doesn't free wheel when you back off the throttle like the PW50 does. This tends to scare the crap out of first time riders when they go down a hill.

There's a reason why they are so sought after and have been for over 30 years.

[justarider]

Suzuki DS-80 if you can find one.