ATV Florida Forum

I have a daughter who is 9 that rides with me. I bought her a Baja 90 last year because it was proportional to her size and a good entry level bike. She's about 4' tall and 70 pounds. She fits the bike. Here is my problem. I'm looking to get her a Yamaha 125 Grizzly because of her size and she wants to ride her bike in ONF. Her present bike is good to ride on our farm but it doesn't do too good in ONF.  Of course the dealers and manufacturers have age limits according to the CC's of the bike. Am I wrong to put her on an ATV like that or are the manufacturers and law makers wrong in the guidelines? I don't think they accounted for kids who have bigger frames. ;D I have a friend who's son rides a 250 Honda quad and he's 13. If he was to ride a 90 it might not go. He's a big boy. He's been on a 250 for 3 years by the way and no injuries or accidents as to date. I'm hoping to get a lot of feedback from other parents who have bought a bike larger than reccommended for their childs age. I want to see her have a good time but to be safe as well. What do you do if your kid is too big for say an 80 or 90? Any ideas will be helpful in making a decision. ;D

Thanks,
Donnie

I think a key factor in your decision making process should be your childs "skill" level.

I think that's far more important then size and age.

Since your child already rides, I would think you would have a good idea of her skill level and her abilities.

My 9 y.o. has been riding a Bombardier Rally(200) for 2 years. I'm moving him up to the Can-Am 250 for Xmas.

I forgot to mention she WILL be right with me on any ride she goes on. When she was 6 I let her ride my Rancher 350 in granny gear and the throttle set to like 3 miles an hour and of course I was almost holding the bike. She was wearing a helmet as she always does even atthat speed. I think the biggest reasons kids are getting hurt and killed on ATV's is because the lack of adult supervision. I see little 12 y/o kids riding on the side of roads like in Palatka and stuff.

I started my son on a Honda 90 when he was 9.  That didn't last very long.  He was too big for a 90.  When he was 10 I moved him up to a Honda 400EX.  He stayed on the 400EX until he was 15.  He is now on a Honda TRX450R and we are just waiting on him to turn 16 (in about 1.5 months) so that he can race in the FTR Motocross series and the Quad Only Series. 

The biggest issue when you have a child (or anybody, really) on a 4 wheeler, no matter what size, is to have the proper safety gear and using common sense when riding.  He NEVER rides without a helmet, goggles, chest protector, riding boot, gloves, knee braces and neck brace.  When he rides, it is always with me in ONF or on a racetrack where we supervise him. 

I think that the age/cc restrictions that the Government places on the ATVs are intrusive and violate my right as a parent to make decisions about my kid and what is best for him.  He is my child and I will determine what is best for him.

My oldest is 11 on a Blaster. He was 10 when he got it. We are looking into putting him on a 300EX soon. My youngest is 5 on a 50. He was 4 when he got it. We will likely put him on a Cobra 50 when we can afford it and keep him on that until he is 8. However, we ride MX and don't trail ride. If we were trail riding I would put my smallest on a 90 sooner but the way the classes work for racing he is better to wait a while.

I bought my daughter a 250 Ozark for her 11 th birthday and she never rode a quad prior. I set the throttle screw and didn't even tell her it had gears, and I rode on the back for a while coaching her. After a while I gave her a little more throttle and taught her to shift gears. It took patience and I never pushed her to go faster, I let her get comfortable on the quad and as she gained confidence she gained speed. She has never had an accident and is a very safe rider. SHE NEVER RIDES WITHOUT AN ADULT WITH HER. I think that is key. She is turning 13 in a few days and I'm glad I didn't get her a smaller quad now as it would be time for an upgrade. In my opinion she will do fine with a bigger quad just don't slack on the supervision, I believe that is more important than any manufacturer or government guidelines because you know what your child is capable of, they don't.

o just go get a 450R. they arent too big. great bikes too.

  My daughter is only 6 months old, so I have a while until it is her time! But this thread reminds me of when I was introduced to the ATV world in 1985 when I recieved a brand new honda 250sx for my 12th birthday. That was a full size bike for the time!! By the time I was 14, I was on a 250x (one of the first grey ones) with mods, etc. I was taught to NEVER EVER ride without at least helmet, goggles, and boots and still adhere to these rules to this day. My point is that there was nothing at all wrong with it when we were kids (as long as the rules are followed) So I don't see what should be wrong with it now. Skill level, and Physical size should be the factors, in my humble opinion.

my son is 5 and has a lt80 its a good bike for him to grow into

2 5y\o 1 9y\o  1 11y\o 1 13y\o  1 15y\o all do fine  under close adult supervision

my brother is 9 months old and already has a xr50. it is bad too. big bars and full exhaust and all sorts of stuff.

My daughter is 15 and rides a 300ex and a rm125 dirtbike,,, my son is ten and rides a polaris 90 and a kx65 dirtbike...

my grandson just turned 2 he has apower wheels raptor.he loves it and he is not allowed on it without his helmet just to get him in the habit of always wearing a helmet.so when he gets a little older and can get a mini quad he will know he has to wear his helmet.

My son is 13 and he rides a YFZ450, but he never ride without me being with him. When my daughter turned 3 I bought her the powerwheels Kawiaski orange one. Now I just bought her a Dinli 50 two stroke she is not used to it yet but she is only 3 1/2 y/o.

im 16 and have a 450r i had it when i was 15 and i had a rancher when i was 14 and had a bunch of  other bikes

i always where a lid when im  on my 450r

Pffft, all this talk abotu young kids on quads.
Man, when I was three I had my own chevy!
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/klutchbuster350/jess9Small.jpg)

Missing teeth and a muddy Chevy... You must be from Ocala.

Hialeah ::)

No dude he's a beaner.  That's the slums of mehico in the back ground.   :o  ;D

Nah, he's as redneck as they come....notice the gallon jug of high grade moonshine in the cab.

i was 11 when i started on a 250 yamaha 4x4. when iwas 12 almost 13 i got my rancher. now im 7 weeks shy of 15. i personally think that the 125 will be fine, friend of mines little brother got one ( not sure how old, under 9 or 8 i think) he rode it fine, i think there was a throtle limiter on it. and I feel that the govt. restrictions are wrong. legally im supposed to be driving a 125, yeah right, I'm 6' tall, think I'll fit that? I wouldnt worry about the restriction if your going to be with her the whole time and she wears a helmet, and she has prevous experience.

definitely bullsh*t!!  as parents we know our kids limitations! i have an 11 year old and he has been riding since i addopted him 5 years ago. he started on a yz 60 and then went to a yamaha 80 and now can ride any bike he can touch the ground on. with proper training a kid can safely ride anything that moves. i taught him that just because there is more throttle dosnt mean you have to go full blast.he has ridden all types of bikes and 4 wheelers from a honda 50 to a yamaha 350 warrior. he rides only with a helmet and only with supervision. my problem is sometimes he is to careful and i have to wait for him to catch up. what ever happened to go out  have fun and break some bones? getting hurt teaches respect. thats how i learned. i dont let my kid go crazy but i do encourage the balls to the walls attitude. and yes  i only let him ride when im right there riding with him

My 13 year old ONLY rides with a Helmet now that she has her own bike...she has a 400 Kodiak 4x4 and the Throttle screw is a great tool to keep them safe. She never rides with out supervision. Get the bike and ride it and find what speed you think is unsafe for her and turn the throttle screw to just below that.

My 7 y/o daughter rides a 50 BMX ( I know a piece of s**t) but a good starter. My 13 y/o rides a 90 Adley, been riding it for 3 years now. And if not to many know, a 90 Adley is a 2-stroke rocket. Next year I am getting her a 125 Grizzly also. Then the 7 y/o gets the Adley.

8 Years old and rides a Yamaha 80

Mine started at 5. He is now 6 and I am getting ready to buy him a 110.

Really its up to the parent.

Im gonna put my kid on a power wheels before he can walk, Then when he's old enough to count, Motocross school starts >:D

I appreciate the feedback on my post. I was worried that most people would condemn my idea of getting her a 125 Grizzly but it looks like most will be ok with it. She has good riding ability's and I'm sure with the proper safety equipment it will work out. Does anybody know where to get a good chest protector? I may start a new thread on that.

Look on ebay, I bought my oneal chest protector from an ebay store, If not I'll look through some of my new gear catalogs for ya.

My youngest is 2 rides a pwr wheels, He has a lt50 that we ride him double on. My youngest dauther is 7 she started rideing at 3 1/2 currently races a 90cc Apex Pro MX Flat track and MX. She has been on a 90cc for about 2 years now. My oldest is 15 and has been riding since 8 currently on a 400ex.
  Im true beliver that a level headed adult knows there kids riding potential and can make the right judgement call on size vs age. ALLWAYS wear the proper gear and educate educate educate safety. 8) 

I agree with Big  Perm! I mean Big Worm.

screw what the law says. my brother who is nine is riding a 350 bruin. it shouldnt matter about what the law says, it really matters about the size.

I used to have a 90 but im 12 and 5`4 and it was way to small for me so now i have my dads old 300 4x4 and i fit perfect,its all about skill and trust.

the group we ride in has four kids 8 year old on a trx90  11 year old on a 250 a 12 year old on a 250 and a 9 year old boy who is on a raptor 80 but shortly will be on a raptor 350 he has out grown and his capabilities are far more advanced than the bike. But they all wear full gear and we ride in a line 1 adult than the 8 year old than the 9 than 11 and 12 year old and always followed by at least two adults .They all know their place in line and all know to follow at a safe distance.

Uhhhhhhhhh NO!  Size doesn't matter...it's all about the skill set and if your parents told you any different, then they need to be sent off for "RE-EDUCATION".

Hey UncleRico (Long time no talk to damn computer when poop)...

Anyway, back to the question.  I 'm going through the same thing w/my 7 year old.  When he was 6 we bought him a Polaris 90.  We ride at SE and just about anyway actually, and we have alot of issues w/the 90.  Hell, Saturday, we broke the chain.  He is a tall boy for 7, and he will be 8 in November, he have let him ride my husband's Honda Rancher and he is great on it.  But it does bother me w/that much power.  The 90, no it is not going to make it another year, he needs something bigger.  Yes, alot of it has to do with skill, and he is a awesome rider, in more ways than one.  And what I mean, he does not try to do stupid stuff, he just wants to be able to go where we go. 

I am way over protected w/my son, he is my only child, and he is my whole world.  When my husband wanted to buy him the 90 I was like now way, he have to get him a 50.  But of course, hubby was right.  The 90 was a great learning tool, and I know that they age limits are there for a reason, but he really needs a bigger bike.  Not sure really what we are going to do.  Been looking at the Polaris Hawkeye, but just not sure.

One thing that I have learned though, the size is important, but what safety features the bike comes with is more important.  I have a Kawi 360 4x4 it has a ton of safety features, but seat is way too high for him.  I look for things such as 1) how my son fits the bike 2) rev limiter (just incase he needs it) 3) engine break (really good for going down hill) 4) good breaks (are they sealed).  These are the things that I am look into. 

Follow your gut, you know what she can and can not handle.  Sometimes a smaller bike is more dangerous than a larger bike.  Let me know what you decide....

My daughter is thirteen and rides better than most of the yahoos I've seen who have had too many longneck buds.

Hey Cheropride..where you been hiding?

I was raised by a single Mom, so I know how protective they can be, and look how I turned out!


OK, bad example.

SKILL is what should determine your ride, not size, age, or any other factor.


"It's just that simple"

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Daughter is 5 (almost 6) and rides a Kazuma KMX 50 (http://www.racewayatv.com/Kazuma-KMX-50.php). Latest ride pictures are here (http://www.atvflorida.com/forum/index.php/topic,17272.0.html).
Are the restrictions on age/CC actually laws or just suggestions? I take them more as a suggestion.  ;)
Like others have said, it should be up to the parent(s) to determine the skill level of their children, teach them to be safe and responsible riders and to not let them ride unsupervised.
But if the restrictions do manage to deter one inept irresponsible parent from purchasing a machine and keeps one kid from getting injured (or worse) then the restrictions have served a greater good.

.02¢


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ok if they can handle it they can ride it. i rode a DR-Z 400 when i was 13. i could barely touch the ground. big deal. my sister rode it when she was 12. she couldnt touch the ground. we are both still alive. if a 8 year old can reach reach the petal and shifter they could ride a 450R if they have enough experience and skill.