I am going to purchase an ATV for my 7 year old son, I have been looking at the 50cc, but the ones I have seen all seem a little small for him. He is a little tall for his age. Does anyone have experience with the eton 70? They are actually a 68cc, so technically would be within the recommendations for his age group, I think??. Safety is definatly the most important thing to me, but I'm afraid that with the hills around where I live that the 50cc wouldn't have enough power and he would get discouraged and lose interest. Any thoughts? Should I stick with the 50 for now? I don't see him being able to stay with a 50cc until he's 12.

 

I think even the 70cc atv would be too small for him. My son is 7 and 50" tall 65lbs. He rides a 110cc atv. It fits him very well. If you think that is too big then seriously look at the Unison 90cc atv. Not as big as the 110 sizewise but bigger than the 70. The thing with most atv's is that engine wise they fit the age but the age does not fit the atv. The unison is the perfect size. Not too powerfull but will fit a bigger size kid for a few years. The Unison is up there with eton,dinli, honda and other name brands.

 

The key word in this post is "fit". It is so important to have the right fit when matching a ATV to youth. Having 3 inchs between inseam and seat when standing ont he foot rests. Having the ability to fully grasp and operate the brake, having the strength to set the parking brake (its a guage - not perfect but not bad) and having the arm length to fully rotate the handlebars to each limit while remaining seated - these are good starters.

A remaining "fit" is in regards to child development. Not all 7 year olds are ready for a motorized toy that weighs a couple hundred pounds and can do 30mph. Temper Tantrums have to be a thing of the past. A above average maturity and respect for rules and authority is a good sign a child is ready or not. A child emotionaly weak or easily distracted is a warning sign.

Safety equipment - SUPERVISION - proper riding area and adults who have a healthy attitude about safety in the sport are key points in deciding whether to put Jr on a quad. They are not motorized baby sitters.

Check you states laws regarding youthful operators before purchasing. Its really really hard to take a ATV away from a boy because he has to wait to ride it.

 

Well said! That is my whole point. It is up to the parents to find an atv that fits the size and maturity of the child.

 

I can agree with this to a point. Its the parents failure to excersize good judgement that has led to the regulations we have today. The Guidelines were established to be a safety net for catching the bad choices sometimes made either from ignorace or incompetency. I'm not saying the guidelines are perfect - but one should pause and think about the rationality of not following them.

 

Just for the record, 68cc's meets the cpsc guidelines for a 7 year old. But it is the same chassis used on the 90's which is the same chassis eton uses on it's 50 too. I won't tell you what to do, but I'd personally rather have the fan assisted cooling and the extra power of the 90.

I would look at the GPX. It has a rear hydraulic foot brake, which I would recommend for any small rider. The Kolpin, Unison, Eton, Kasea, LRX and Dinli would be good choices too. Some being a bit on the pricey side imo.

Or if you're a cheap sob like me, look at the Vento, QJ or Madami/Sundiro Sunray.

 

Even though this is an old thread, I gotta comment. The federal law dictates that 70cc is cool for a 7yr old, but you gotta be, I believe, 12 for an 80cc. I find it ridiculous, but I can't afford the $2500 fine.

 

ditto on the old thread! what federal law are you talking about? i thought the ages vs. CC size was a guideline. i've never heard it was a law! besides, i fit the youth to the machine (along with maturity/etc.....). my son WAS going to be limited to a 90cc because he's under 16? no way! not at 5' 5" tall! that's dangerous. i put him on a 125cc. after he proved competency, i graduated him to a 250cc. now that he's 16 yrs old, he knows that he still has to learn more as he will one day graduate to bigger machines. the stickers on the atvs concerning the 16 yrs of age, i believe, are disclaimers to remove liability from the manufacturer! someone please correct me if i'm wrong!

 

On the other hand......
I see alot advancing their child to a bigger machine just as soon as they are big enough to ride the machine, not the machine ride them.
My daughter raced a LT80 when 15 and she was 5'5" or so (per AMA rules at that point in time). They can really throw a machine around and have fun iof parents would only let them. I see no safty issue other than a too young of rider going to a bigger machine too soon.
Now,,,Back to the above reply on Size requiremants and how the kid fit's the machine.

 

i'm sure age is a variable to contend with. i'm also sure maturity, physical strength, and physical dimensions(ie height,weight,etc....)play a large factor in fitting a machine to a person. true: ride the machine or machine ride you. yep i agree. you would want to control the center of gravity on a machine or catastrophic things could happen. i don't advance my kids to a bigger machine solely based on physical characteristics. there's a whole lot more that goes into the decision. also true: it is a concern about the younger riders on bigger machines. anymore, they want speed, speed, and more speed. at least that's what i've heard from a bunch of them. sometimes i wonder if they realize the consequences of bad judgments vs. speed and what the outcome will be. see ya! this was a nice chat!