I want to buy dirt bikes for my son and I - any advice?

The title kind of says it all, but I’d like to try getting into dirt biking with my 8 year old son. Can anyone give me advice about how to get into the sport on a somewhat limited budget? I’ll obviously look on Facebook marketplace and Craig’s list, but any insight would be appreciated.

 

Get something with dealer support, you will break things.

 

Beginners need to avoid the big displacement bikes.

Son.....recommend 100-150 cc
Dad.....recommend 250-300 cc

DON'T FORGET THE GEAR. Helmet (minimum)

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/motorcycles-bs-thread-2-0.420753/

 

Just bought my son a dirt bike for Christmas. (Was tired of him sitting inside and playing video games all day with no school because of this covid mess). My son is 11 and has not ridden a dirt bike since he was 4 years old, so a decided on a 4 stroke because they are a lot easier vs a 2 stroke. Id recommend looking at a honda xr80 or xr100 depending on his height if he is just learning. They are great bikes and run really well. Another great option is a yamaha ttr90. You can find these bikes for fairly cheap (compared to new). I purchased my son a 2002 ttr125 due to his height (and it runs awesome for being almost 20 years old). Just make sure that your son is properly fitted with all the safety gear because yes he will crash, and the better protection he has the safer he will be. Its an awesome sport to get into. My son and I are heading out to the track to ride today in a few hours! Good luck to you and your son!

 

I have been riding since I was five and am now pushing 40. My son and daughter both ride now, and have been riding foncè they were 4. Definitely get a 4stroke, and would suggest staying around an 80-125cc. Best would be to take to dealer, look and size him up... then look online for used. That being said since COVID hit, bikes are very scarce... everyone bought them up to occupy their free time. And dealers can’t get them on the floors bc they are all stuck in customs. Stick to good brands... save your self a bunch of headache down the road, Yamaha & Honda. Good luck with everything and hope you guys have a blast!!

 

Not really a thing. Dealers will work on stuff but the cost is outrageous


As for the right bike or quad. I recommend buying a name brand. Parts are available and it’s just overall a better machine. For age 8 of you could find an XR70 or maybe a 110 that would be perfect.

But as for finding one it’s about impossible right now. Demand is high because of Covid. And the used bike market is through the roof. I lived in Cleveland and drove to PA to find a quad for my son. Only dealer within 6hrs of me that had one.

 

See if there's a MSF Dirt Bike training facility in your area.

I have ridden dirt bikes since I was 7 and when my daughter was younger, she started out on a Honda Z50. When it came time to move up to a bike with a clutch, I had her attend a MSF Dirt Bike class. It was very beneficial for her.

https://www.msf-usa.org/students.aspx#special-dbscre

The other piece of advice is to let your kid pick out their own helmet. If they choose what they like, in regards to graphics/colors/etc., they'll be more likely to wear it.

Have fun!!!

 

Lifetime rider. 40 plus years.

Look for a pair of Honda XR. They are very hard to kill, huge aftermarket parts availability for both upgrades and repairs, plenty fast, 4 stroke reliability. VERY common choice for father son.

 

Trail riding just for fun? Go the Honda XR route as previously mentioned.

Competitive? Look in to a two stroke of some sort just for the ease of rebuilding and simplicity of design.

 

For sure what he said! My boys and I rode XRs since they were 5 and now they are both in their 20s. I only sold my XR400R about 1 year ago with probably >50K miles. One boy has a KTM500 now and it is not as bullet proof as the XRs for sure.

 

I second the XR! I picked up an XR200R as a covid project and so I could join my friends out on the trails. Its been a blast to work on and ride. Even before rebuilding the top end, it would start first kick while burning enough oil to smoke out and 2 stroke (Previous owner I think didn't run an air filter). Now its all freshened up and I enjoy it a lot

My recommendation for your son would be and air cooled 4 stroke in the 80-150cc range, depending on your assessment of his abilities. As mentioned before, air cooled 4 strokes are pretty much bomb proof.

Spend a good chunk of cash on a helmet to keep the brains on the inside of his skull, and other gear to keep the other parts safe.

Learn how the bike engine works with your son. Especially since a dirt bike isn't a daily driver, it can be down for a few weekends in the garage while you guys tinker, without making you miss work etc. Will also be fun project to do together, I love wrenching with my friends.

 

Just finished up a JR50 build for my son

 

If you want cheap, look into the Yamaha TTR's. You can easily step up after some seat time.

 

The newer version of the Honda XR series are the CRFs
Both are great bikes and that would be my recommendation.
I have CRF 70 and CRF 110 for the grandkids. The 110 actually has electric start.
Either would be a good starter bike for an 8 year old.
CRF 230 or 250 would be a good starter bike for dad.
Now for me (Papaw) I ride the CRF450L

 

I hope the middle weight dual sports take of. I'm digging the 450 Rally, 490 Husky, and hoping Yamaha and Suzuki gets in on it. I had a DRZ400 a few years ago that I had to sell b/c my work decided to start asking about "extreme hobbies" I wanted to turn it into an expo bike. Was almost there.

 

Still have a '79 in the garage that my sons learned on. Starts first or second kick to this day! Sweet bike you have!

 

Thank you!!! It was a fun little project for the winter. My son is very excited for it.

 

Look into some smaller pit bikes with a 100 or 125 cc motor. Company called
T Bolt USA sell all kinds of pit bikes. Piranha and Thumpstar are the top two.
Pit Bikes are super fun

 

i learned on a ttr 125 when i was..12 or something like that lol. Pretty gutless so you cant get into too much trouble, but still enough power to last 3-4 years depending on how much the kid rides and progresses. I would start there, and not go much lower in displacement so you dont need to buy too many bikes. Bikes are scarce, especially in the smaller displacement range. For dad...if you are a beginner or even getting to intermediate rider, dont think you need a 450. Ive seen many friends that get great deals on 450s because some hot head dad thinks they know how to ride cuz they had a dirtbike at the lake house in the 80s...and it fucks them up first time they whiskey throttle on the trail so they have to sell it and downsize to a 250. Especially if you are mostly riding with your kid...a 250 is pleeeenty.

I would absolutely get a fuel injected bike for dad, anything above 09 for most brands is when they went to FI if i remember right. The older 125s that are carbbed will be fine for your kid since hes not really looking for performance...just make sure you are there to help get the bike picked up before it leaks fuel over everything. Youll figrue out how to clear a flooded engine or bump start the bike real quick if your kid is laying it down all the time.

side question, how much experience do you have going into this? Assuming if you're asking the answer is not much...so how are you planning to teach him? I might look into local FB groups for people who ride and see if there are other dads with kids or maybe a class or something you can take?