Asia D
I want to purchase a pocket bike, mini dirt bike, or mini quad for my nephew's graduation present. He is 6 years old, about 60 lbs, average Height. I want to know the best thing to get him, if there are any with speed lock-outs or remote shut offs. A few good name brands would be awesome. I also need something I can get training wheels for. I'm looking to spend no more than 500. Please no comments about how he doesn't need one or that he needs to be supervised he is well taken care and we understand this isn't a toy. I just need advice on what to buy. Thank you!
Answer
Pocket bikes are Chinese made knock off's/clones of Japanese and European bikes. They are inferior to the bike they are cloned from. They do not have the reliability, dependability, quality or craftsmanship of the bikes they are cloned from.
With that said, I would recommend you look into a Japanese or European bike. He will fit on a 50cc to a 65cc bike. Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha and KTM all make mini-bikes.
Since you do not have a lot to spend, you will have to look used. Check Ebay, Craigslist, CycleTrader and BikeFinds.
If you go with a used older bike, Honda used to make a MR 50 2-stroke and an XR75 4-stroke. The XR75 is built like iron and will last for your nephew's children.
The Yamaha PW50 has a restrictor that can be removed.
When it comes to training wheels, just Google mini-bike training wheels. There are a lot of different ones out there. Example: http://gokartsusa.com/EZ-Bike-Mini-Motorcycle-Training-Wheels.aspx
Training wheels are not cheap, they cost around $150. You can also look for used training wheels on Ebay and Craigslist.
If your nephew can ride a bicycle, he will be able to ride a dirt bike. I am not a fan of quads. When I taught my children to ride, I also let them ride my buddies quads. They all preferred dirt bikes to quads. Quads are super easy to learn to ride, but are very easy to tip over and if they do not keep their feet on the pegs can get run over by their own machine. Quads are also heavier than dirt bikes and if the child flips the quad, they may not be able to get our from underneath it without help.
This is the motorcycle racing section, so we mainly only recommend racing machines, but since he is just starting out a true mini-bike from say Sears or Pep Boys might fit the bill fine. These mini-bikes brand new cost under $400. Have large 4-stroke lawn mower engines on them and are perfect for trail riding and basic transportation. If your nephew likes riding though, he will outgrow the mini-bike within a summer.
Don't forget riding gear. Helmet, goggles and a pair of riding boots. Goggles, gloves, shoulder pads with chest protector, kidney belt, armored riding pants and racing jersey can come later. You can find used gear at Ebay, Craigslist, garage sales and flea markets. Does he need the protective gear for a mini-bike? Probably not, but a helmet and goggles are the minimum he should have.
If he ever needs tips on riding or maintenance, tell him to check Youtube. The amount of information on there is unbelievable. He can learn everything from fixing a flat to rebuilding an engine.
Pocket bikes are Chinese made knock off's/clones of Japanese and European bikes. They are inferior to the bike they are cloned from. They do not have the reliability, dependability, quality or craftsmanship of the bikes they are cloned from.
With that said, I would recommend you look into a Japanese or European bike. He will fit on a 50cc to a 65cc bike. Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha and KTM all make mini-bikes.
Since you do not have a lot to spend, you will have to look used. Check Ebay, Craigslist, CycleTrader and BikeFinds.
If you go with a used older bike, Honda used to make a MR 50 2-stroke and an XR75 4-stroke. The XR75 is built like iron and will last for your nephew's children.
The Yamaha PW50 has a restrictor that can be removed.
When it comes to training wheels, just Google mini-bike training wheels. There are a lot of different ones out there. Example: http://gokartsusa.com/EZ-Bike-Mini-Motorcycle-Training-Wheels.aspx
Training wheels are not cheap, they cost around $150. You can also look for used training wheels on Ebay and Craigslist.
If your nephew can ride a bicycle, he will be able to ride a dirt bike. I am not a fan of quads. When I taught my children to ride, I also let them ride my buddies quads. They all preferred dirt bikes to quads. Quads are super easy to learn to ride, but are very easy to tip over and if they do not keep their feet on the pegs can get run over by their own machine. Quads are also heavier than dirt bikes and if the child flips the quad, they may not be able to get our from underneath it without help.
This is the motorcycle racing section, so we mainly only recommend racing machines, but since he is just starting out a true mini-bike from say Sears or Pep Boys might fit the bill fine. These mini-bikes brand new cost under $400. Have large 4-stroke lawn mower engines on them and are perfect for trail riding and basic transportation. If your nephew likes riding though, he will outgrow the mini-bike within a summer.
Don't forget riding gear. Helmet, goggles and a pair of riding boots. Goggles, gloves, shoulder pads with chest protector, kidney belt, armored riding pants and racing jersey can come later. You can find used gear at Ebay, Craigslist, garage sales and flea markets. Does he need the protective gear for a mini-bike? Probably not, but a helmet and goggles are the minimum he should have.
If he ever needs tips on riding or maintenance, tell him to check Youtube. The amount of information on there is unbelievable. He can learn everything from fixing a flat to rebuilding an engine.
Should I buy a motorcycle?
Chris M
I am thinking of buying myself a motorcycle. Not a superbike, but a Ducati GT1000 (retro styling). I have always thought motorcycles were awesome ever since my uncle took me on a ride on his Ducati when I was growing up.
What I'm asking is this: Do you think it's a smart idea to get a motorcycle? But be specific.
Issues like safety are my prime concern, as being dead isn't really in my list of things to do. I'm also looking into a motorcycle for gas mileage saving, and possibly a drop in insurance payments if I make it my main source of transportation. I have absolutely no experience in anything other than automobiles so I don't know.
Give me some pros, cons, and possibly statistics that may change my mind. I know motorcycles are supposed to get into more fatal accidents, but how often do fatal accidents actually happen? I've been driving a car for 6 years, and I have never even gotten close to being in an accident.
Also, if you think the bike I might be getting is no good, give me some other options that are better. I'm looking at around $10k.
Thanks in advance.
Answer
Some of the answerers before seem to think that anything Ducati must be a hot superbike. The GT1000 is a standard. It's sporty but luxurious, like a Mercedes two-seater. It's a -very- beautiful bike, and if you owned one and asked me if I'd like to ride it a few miles I'd say yes without much thought. 8^) This is one of those machines where people who know nothing about motorcycles will say 'Wow, what a beautiful motorcycle!'
But it's not a great beginner's bike. Just too big and heavy! It's not too much power--you can handle the power if you just act like a grownup. And it's nice to have some power in reserve. The problem is the weight and size. A 1000cc bike is just really big and unwieldly!
Anyway, you don't want to learn on your dream bike. You'll drop it and feel really bad. Ducatis don't drop cheap. 8^< My advice would be to start on a Japanese bike, 500-650cc, maybe 5-10 years old--old enough to be depreciated ,new enough that you can still get parts. After six months or a year, you can sell this old beater for about what you paid, and by then you'll have a better idea of what you really want. For $10,000 you can buy 3 or 4 starter bikes.
Motorcycling is more dangerous than driving a car. You have more of a chance of getting into an accident, and of course the consequences are more serious. You should know that half of all M/C accidents happen to riders who have less than a year's experience. (My dad said nobody should be allowed to ride a motorcycle until they've been riding 5 years. 8^) ). This is not to scare you or discourage you, just to make you aware that safety should be your 1st priority. And from what I see here in California, I'd guess that young men suffering from 'testosterone poisoning' skew the statistics. If you've driven a car for 6 years with no accidents, you probably have a better chance than the average guy.
So anyway, save room in the budget for a good helmet, jacket and gloves, all motorcycle-purposed. Take the MSF course (Motorcycle Safety Foundation). They don't teach you to ride, you learn that on your own, but they teach you some valuable safety habits to keep you alive while you learn. If you never rode a bicycle, you should start on one of those, at least to learn to balance and steer.
My two motorcycles are my standard transportation. I have a car but I only use it when it rains or when I need to carry something big. In good weather, motorcycles are all you need to get yourself around. They don't save that much money, because parts are more expensive, tires only last 10k miles. I know it's more dangerous, but riding my bikes is also one of the most enjoyable things in my life. I'm willing to take the risk.
Ducati is famous for its 90-degree V-twin engine. A good Japanese bike, not equivalent but similar, is the Suzuki SV-650 (or the touring version, the V-Strom). You could learn on a used one, then trade up to the Ducati. All the Japanese mfgrs are very good--well-engineered, reliable, long-lived. Not nearly as beautiful and sexy as a Ducati, but a better deal for the money. If you just gotta have a Ducati, see it as something to work up to.
Some of the answerers before seem to think that anything Ducati must be a hot superbike. The GT1000 is a standard. It's sporty but luxurious, like a Mercedes two-seater. It's a -very- beautiful bike, and if you owned one and asked me if I'd like to ride it a few miles I'd say yes without much thought. 8^) This is one of those machines where people who know nothing about motorcycles will say 'Wow, what a beautiful motorcycle!'
But it's not a great beginner's bike. Just too big and heavy! It's not too much power--you can handle the power if you just act like a grownup. And it's nice to have some power in reserve. The problem is the weight and size. A 1000cc bike is just really big and unwieldly!
Anyway, you don't want to learn on your dream bike. You'll drop it and feel really bad. Ducatis don't drop cheap. 8^< My advice would be to start on a Japanese bike, 500-650cc, maybe 5-10 years old--old enough to be depreciated ,new enough that you can still get parts. After six months or a year, you can sell this old beater for about what you paid, and by then you'll have a better idea of what you really want. For $10,000 you can buy 3 or 4 starter bikes.
Motorcycling is more dangerous than driving a car. You have more of a chance of getting into an accident, and of course the consequences are more serious. You should know that half of all M/C accidents happen to riders who have less than a year's experience. (My dad said nobody should be allowed to ride a motorcycle until they've been riding 5 years. 8^) ). This is not to scare you or discourage you, just to make you aware that safety should be your 1st priority. And from what I see here in California, I'd guess that young men suffering from 'testosterone poisoning' skew the statistics. If you've driven a car for 6 years with no accidents, you probably have a better chance than the average guy.
So anyway, save room in the budget for a good helmet, jacket and gloves, all motorcycle-purposed. Take the MSF course (Motorcycle Safety Foundation). They don't teach you to ride, you learn that on your own, but they teach you some valuable safety habits to keep you alive while you learn. If you never rode a bicycle, you should start on one of those, at least to learn to balance and steer.
My two motorcycles are my standard transportation. I have a car but I only use it when it rains or when I need to carry something big. In good weather, motorcycles are all you need to get yourself around. They don't save that much money, because parts are more expensive, tires only last 10k miles. I know it's more dangerous, but riding my bikes is also one of the most enjoyable things in my life. I'm willing to take the risk.
Ducati is famous for its 90-degree V-twin engine. A good Japanese bike, not equivalent but similar, is the Suzuki SV-650 (or the touring version, the V-Strom). You could learn on a used one, then trade up to the Ducati. All the Japanese mfgrs are very good--well-engineered, reliable, long-lived. Not nearly as beautiful and sexy as a Ducati, but a better deal for the money. If you just gotta have a Ducati, see it as something to work up to.
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Title Post: Best pocket bike for kids?
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Rating: 100% based on 9998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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