Need help on NEW small 4wheeler.

[foreman Etexas]

My boy turns 5 Monday(17th) but party is Saturday. I need help on what brand/size to get him,does anyone have the smaller 50 to 90cc,that can shed some light on them? I am kinda torn between Can-am/Artic Cat/Kawasaki/Polaris looking more towards the 90,he does drive my 650 with me on it,so he isn't green at riding. The 50 I think he would out grow it pretty quick, Can-Am has a 70 but think same size as a 90. I looked at the RZR170 but he wouldn't be able to reach the pedals. Any to stay away from?

 

[mikehaugen]

Only one I have any experience with was a Honda fourtrax 90. Neighbors had one and would get abused constantly... full grown men flying around neighborhood on 2 wheels around turns, wheelies, jumps constantly. They never managed to break it that I know of.

 

[MotorSeven]

A 50 is more his size, then later a 90/125 when he is big enough to handle it. He needs to progress and grow out of his machine even though it will cost you a few bucks. My daughter started on a motorcycles(Yamaha PW50, then a 90, then a Honda 125) then moved up to a Beartracker when she was in her teens. If you are starting him on a 'wheeler I would highly recommend a neck brace to go along with his helmet. Unlike bikes, 'wheelers as they turn over under power can trap the rider in unusual positions. The result in kids is often a broken neck, so get him a neck brace and make him wear it from day one:
Atlas Youth Tyke Neck Brace - Motorcycle Superstore

Don't get me wrong, I am not the safety police(all my friends and family ride). But I think we owe it to our kids to give them the best chance of survival in a crash, and boys tend to push the envelope(me) and crash a lot. Getting him his own machine is a wise choice since small kids on adult 'wheelers are way more dangerous do to the weight of the machine. Keep him off that 650 as a driver until he is a young adult and step him up as the years go by with machines that fit his size. Crashing is part of riding and trauma teaches, so having the right gear can make it a learning experience and not a medical one.

I would stick to the big name brands and look at used first. Many have done exactly what you are doing and sell off lightly used 50-90's as their kids grow up. Buying used can take some of the sting out of it because most likely you can sell it 3 years later for what you paid for it. I bought used from friends/co-workers & never had a problem with any of the bikes.

 

[YardBikeBob]

My boy turns 5 Monday(17th) but party is Saturday.

5 years old is pretty small. Various Gov'mt regulations killed that market. The new 4-stroke 50's are slow, heavy, & complex dogs. My advice is a used Suzuki LTA50 or Kawasaki KFX50 (same machine). They look like this:



They are sized (and perform) well for small children, keep their value (as long as ridden by small children), and stone simple centrifugal clutch 2-strokes.

They'll show up occasionally on Craigslist and expect to pay $750 to $1000 for newer machines in good condition.

[video]http://liv2play.com/OldMerrittProperty/Taylor4Wheelin.avi[/video]

The above link is to an AVI with my grand daughter riding mine. [The guy in front is my adult son riding an LT80. Even that machine is too much for a 5-year old.]

Bob

 

[GolfAddict]

I'll agree with the others - a 50 is a much better size for that age.

We got our grandson a Polaris 50 Outlaw this last summer, and he loves it. Don't know if the other brands have this, but on the Outlaw they have little "platforms" that mount in the foot well spot, so their shorter legs can still reach properly. They're form fitted right in there nicely, but then as he grows a bit, you just unscrew those and remove them.

They also have throttle limiting so you can set the top speed, and I'm sure they must all have that.

 

[roadhunter]

We had a couple of the 90 cc Polaris models for a few years. They are nice small machines, never had any trouble with them. Ended up getting most of my money back when I sold them as well. My wife and daughter rode them quite a bit. Heck I even rode them quite a bit and I'm 6-2 and 230 so they will definitely handle adults as well. Lots of fun.