What do you mean why? Heck man, his thumb fits the throttle.. shoot what else do you need? <insert many head shakes>

You sort of got a small one there though.. My 9 year old is bigger... maybe I should be letting him take my Raptor 660 out on his own, and get rid of that pesky little Raptor 80.... no wait.. my 5 month old grandson should be able to reach the handle bars on that in a couple years.. maybe I should just keep it for him....and put him on it at 2... before he walks... Heck, his grandpa used to be a big time bike racer, it is in the genes right?

Shoot.. what was I thinking?
Oh by the way, I just happen to have a used R-1 in my drive way that my older son is waiting until the weather gets a little better before he takes it back home... maybe I can use that...

 

first off all he needs to gain some experience riding. if he has friends that have quads let him ride theirs for a few months and learn how to ride it well. quads are very different with dirtbikes and need certain skills to be mastered before they move to a more powerful quad. like dragginbutt said he needs to be responsible and u need to ask the question of ur sons maturity. It is as much of a mental decision as it is physical. Have someone who has been riding for a few years teach him on how to ride before he actually gets the quad. Then he will be more comfortable when riding. Also teach him tips like.... if u've been riding for a whole day take it easy at the end of the day, your body would become much more tired and less aware. Also, don't go into places where u don't knwo how the terrain is, look first. Things of that nature. Prep him before u get the quad on all those matters

 

Get him a 400. I got my KFX400 when I was 13 (as my first quad), have'nt wrecked ever (I'm 15 now). I just had a hard time with that manual clutch. I kept stalling it, only 'til about 3-4 weeks I did'nt even have to think about it, and I basicaly taught my self.

 

I had a Blaster when I was 11-13 years old, it was fun, but I felt it was slow after a while. Only fell off it once in a year and a half, so:

When I was 13 I talked my dad into buying me a TRX250R "with the line it's only 50 more cc's", which I spent my lawn mowing money on a pipe, carb, axle, k&n. Then I talked my dad into letting me race motocross with it right before I turned 14. I even had riding lessons from Joe Byrd. So I was a very good rider for my age, and could keep up with middle of the pack local amatuers, even won a 250C class once. What I was better at was falling off, it was too much for me to handle when it got out of control, I broke an ankle, hip, shoulder, wrist, couple ribs,( different wrecks) and 12 stictches in my upper lip from over jumping a sizeable table top. I wouldn't be alive if I didn't wear helmet, all the time. I would fall off that bike probably once a week.

So if you get him a bigger bike, I hope you have good medical insurance because you are going to need it.

EDIT: I would say go with the blaster, I'm 23 now and I still think they are fun to ride...but get some tires that aren't so round accros the tead.

 

Thanks for being honest Chewy. Full size ATV's can be a handful for the younger set... It really isn't only the ability to hang on that counts. I suspect you will admit that in retrospect, the issue was more one of making good, or rather the lack of making good decisions, and not physical ability that got you into trouble more often than not..

Mental development in that "golden age" leaves a lot on the table. After the fact I swear, I must have unscrewed my head and put my brain on a shelf for those years. I survived... but looking back, I have no idea how I managed it other than it must have been an act of God...

 

I am struggling with this very same issue right now. My son is 13, 5'11, 150+ lbs. He's a pretty cautious kid and I never EVER let him ride anywhere without me...and I do mean EVER. I always let him ride in front of me and I get on his **** when he does something stupid. He currently rides a dirtbike, an XR100 which is quickly getting too small.

I also have a Polaris Trailblazer which he rides as well on occassion. Tonight I was out looking for a new Ute for me and while at the Honda dealer, I had him sit on a Honda 90...a bike he should be riding according to his age. Imagine being nearly 6 feet tall and sitting on one of those bikes. The kids knees were dang near up to his chin and I am not exaggerating. Believe me, I don't want him on anything that could get him hurt or even killed. He's my only son, not that it makes any difference at all, but I am often a little overly cautious.

I agree with what everyone is saying about the size of the atv and the size/maturity of the kid. Only you know that about your own son. I urge you to really look at your son with an open mind...do you HONESTLY feel he can handle a bigger machine? Will you be riding with him? What is his experience? Answer your own questions honestly and you will come to the right conclusion.

As for me, my kid has outgrown his XR100 and wants a quad. He's likely going to get one...but only when I am comfortable with what he gets.

I will close with this. ATV Safety warnings are important, but in my humble opinion...are a little off. Putting a kid on a bike that is WAY too small for his body frame can be just as dangerous and the kid is going to get hurt. Hell, my son wears a size 12 shoe for crying out loud. On the 90, his toes were darn near touching the ground. THE most important thing you can do as a parent is to teach your child responsibility when it comes to riding. My kid knows that if he screws up, he's DONE.

Good luck with your search.

Steve

 

Well, don't they say all things are bigger in TX? I sympathise with you on the size versus age thing. My older son is 6'4", my 9 year old is over a hundred and is already 5' tall. I am 6'3" 300.. so we grow them big in my family too. I don't know what the answer really is. A lot of us have been complaining for some time now, and in the absence of any guidance, it would be very dangerous for many not under the same kind of scrutiny that you give your son. I commend you for being diligent. If only every parent was.... Subsequent to the rules, it is appparent that they do not fit all cases, and could use some updating... perhaps a method to allow riders to demonstrate their abilities. Some states have adopted that procedure. But sadly, many have not.. and their idea of increasing safety, is to ban all riders under 16... That is a popular option these days.. and one the greens would love to see implimented.

In lieu of that, I suggest a blaster, or one of the many intermediate machines now coming on the market from China. What ever you go with, it is going to be a temporary fix I am afraid. Your son is going to out grow just about anything on the market. It is going to be awkward, but you must juggle a fine line between fitting a machine to his size, versus the legal definitions... You are going to have to juggle that decision in your own heart. But please do not fall prey to going big for his first quad... Even though he has experience on dirt bikes, that can prove a bad thing, since the natural thing to do when upset in the corner is to put his foot down... That can result in running over the leg and a nasty break... Get his some professional training..... it is imperative ...

 

i would get im good on a 2 stroke powerband so yeh a blaster or then again a warrior would be a good start for him real easy to ride plus reverse and a warrior he wont grow out of any time soon the warrior is bulletproof

 

TX dad, just remember one thing.... we are the parents, they are the kids. Our job is to make sure whatever we do is within reason, and that it is safe. We don't promise them that they will have the fastest, or prettiest, or the one with jump over your barn speed. Our jobs are to make sure the kids make it to adulthood. This has more to do with peer pressure than with real need.

I have seen kids complain about not being fast enough... well Waaaa waaaa. Given the choice between watching their friends ride, and riding a slower model... I suspect they will find ways to still have fun on it.

 

In Minnesota the ATV regulations use to have some pretty strict warnings regarding youthful ATV operators. Many parents ignored them.

Now - we are begging

A Message From Your DNR Conservation Officers-

Parents and owners of ATVs - we need your help to reduce the number of ATV accidents.
Accident data tells us we need to keep our teenagers without driver's licenses out of the road right-
of-way. Not only is it illegal, road rights-of-way are the single leading location of ATV accidents.
When you look at the age groups of ATV accident victims, teenagers account for a very large percentage. Those
10 through 19 years of age are involved in 42% of all ATV accidents and 40% of those accidents involve youth 13 through
15 years of age.

Why Children Are At Risk Operating ATVs

Children cannot maintain position or control without increased risk of falling or being thrown from the machine because:

Leg Length - A minimum of 3 inches of clearance between the seat and the top inseam of the pants when standing on the foot rests is required to enable the operator to maintain balance on the foot rests when turning and riding over hills and rough terrain.

Arm Length - While seated on the machine and gripping the handle bars there should be a distinct bend in the arm at the elbow. Without a bend, there will not be sufficient reach to properly grip the handle bars when turning.

Hand Size - While gripping the handle bar with fingers extended to the brake lever, the first joint of the index finger should extend beyond the brake lever. If it doesn't, the hand is too small to safely operate the brake.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) states that a variety of factors converge to place children at risk as operators of ATVs including:

• Children believe products purchased by their parents are safe.
• Danger and risk are underestimated because of the child's own lack of experience with accidents.
• Children between the ages of 12 and 15 often overestimate their skills, particularly with increased experience.
• Children can easily get into trouble trying to imitate more complex maneuvers of older friends.

Like DB says herein - These are not toys and the risks should not be considered lightly.