Hey whodat I almost always agree with you but there is one thing that I would like to bring up to be the devils advocate in a sense for a moment. Take a beginneer kid, 8 or 9 average height and wieght, and put him on one of those yamatto 150s. Now take a kid and buy him a 400ex chassis with a built cr80 motor. In theory one is legal and right, the other is not. But if it was your kid and there was a choice most would pick the 150 even though it is almost twice as many cc's.
I am one who lets his kids ride lt 80's and they are not of age. I believe in safety I just wish there was a better way of determining wether or not a child is ready or not.
Keep up the educating[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

 

I think there are as many sides to this as a diamond ring... I started out believing that nobody had the right to tell me what to do with my kids...

Then I decided I needed to educate my self on the issues, just in case someone asked me a question that I didn't have a quick reply to... man was I ever in shock over what I discovered... I found out that I didn't know JACK. When you look at the injury stats (I'll do it Whodat), it is hard to argue against the sheer numbers.

The numero uno injury statistic that keeps jumping out at you is that the dead child was riding a machine that according to the guidelines was too big for them. I am not talking about 90's versus a 50 either... we are talking full sized machines in the 400 class in many cases...Next came lack of training, and lack of safety gear.

You have to question the parents motives... I have come to the conclusion that the parents made a bad choice and I wondered why? I think education is one reason... They just did not know the statistical data behind the CPSC guidelines. They had no place to go to find out the information they needed to make a rational decision. That is where we come in and can help.

My search turned up several training courses available, I found also that Honda has a brochure designed to help a parent analyze their child's ability and determine what size is right for them. I also for the first time plugged my Yamaha video in the machine and found sound information on riding there too. I guess what I am saying is that there is a lot of information out there if you look.

One last thought... Body size, and strength alone are not enough. Just because the kid can reach the pegs does not mean his ability to make snap decisions in emergency situations is there... The head part plays a much bigger part than a strong thumb. I myself fell victim to this with my youngest. When he was 7, I bought him a Raptor 80 thinking he was big enough for it.. but inside, I couldn't judge the fear factor and found too late that he wasn't ready for it emotionally. Other parents are blessed with just the opposite.. but if the kid starts talking about wheelies and getting air as a total novice.. watch out... and keep your insurance paid up...

We all want our kids to enjoy the sport. but they are not baby sitters... They are not toys... they carry a great deal of responsibility in ownership, and in riding. And it is the parent's job to make the tough decisions. Not the kids. Your job is to see that the kids live to the age where they can make those decisions.. which is normally 18... We never promised them that they would have the best, or the fastest... our job is to make sure they survive their childhood and our poor decisions.

Please, don't fall victim to the buy it big and let them grow into it syndrome... that is a disaster waiting to happen. I learned that the hard way.

 

There may be others, but the full size 50cc that I am familiar with is the Kazuma. My local dealer had one in his place when I went to buy 110s for my sons.

 

I would be first in line to vote for better measuring tools than age and engine size. But what are those tools? Being 12 does not mean your ready for 800cc quads and being a hormonal over-achiever in height and weight doesn't prove your ready either.

But not unlike things like drivers licenses, voting and drinking minimum age, - age seems to be the only "fair" measuring tool that is generaly accepted. Why 90cc and not 110cc? Those are why questions that can be argued until the end of time. The line was drawn in the sand many years ago and that is where the definition is set between youth and adult size ATVs.

There is a very strong Federal movement to make any atv operation without a drivers license a crime and it is coming - like a frieght train. For those youth now lucky enough to enjoy the sport they should be appreciative of likely being the last of the under 16 year olds permited to ride a quad. There is even strong support in making the ATV manufacturer recall and buy-back all of the youth ATV's that will be banned in that same federal legislation. If you think it won't happen - think again as my contacts are saying the only issue currently not agreed upon with the manufactures is the amount they will be required to pay-back for the used kids quads. Manufactures will be banned from selling any ATV in the U.S. if they don't participate in the recall. This kind of plan has actually been in the works for many years (Since 1992 from my research) and is being argued in the courts now. More information is at
FindLaw Link

 

That would be HORRIBLE!

 

notagain,
after reading the following posts, hopefully you have some ideas on choosing an atv. being a dealer in the atv business is getting increasingly harder to stay informed and on top off the laws and regulations for youth quads. i am very glad however to see that there are people willing to accept some of these laws to protect our kids and future riders. as dragginbutt stated, it can be hard to find info sometimes. however, i will tell you that one place you can start is by going to a reputable dealer who can help you with choices, rather than just looking for a sale.

i don't know how other manufactures work or other dealers handle it, but as a polaris dealer i know that we cannot and will not sell an atv to someone outside of the age requirements. if a seller tells you that your kid "should" be able to handle a machine that is clearly marked for an older or more experienced rider, he is only interested in your wallet!! go elsewhere. legally if he knows that an underage rider is getting the machine, wether you buy in your name or whatever, he is not allowed to sell it to you.

finally, the main thing here is saftey. whatever you decide on make sure they take a riders cours and get all the proper gear. this more than just the helmet and gloves!! teach them safety by doing, too. too many times out on rides i've came across a youngster arguing about a helmet " I don't want to wear it! But, dad never wears his!" with kids its all about the logic.

Good Luck and Safe riding!!

 

Hi all,

amazing posts, thanks to everybody for the input and info. tonight I did buy my son a Polaris 90. Got him complete safety gear. When we got it home i figured he would want to hop on and go for a spin in the yard and drive. He did not. He said he had not got his safety gear adjusted properly and even tho we have lights he said as his bike doesnt have lights it would not be a good idea and he would wait for a better time. The throttle has already been screwed way down!

Yes the P90 is technically too big, however a 50 and he WOULD have hurt himself he was so bunched up, a 70 really was not much better. I hope this thread does not die anytime soon as the issues we have all brought up need to be continued. I really appreciate the wisdom experience and downright caring many of you have shown. without your input and this forum as a whole I may well have bought him a 110 or something equilavent. Thanks again.

 

notagain,
congrats on the new bike! and tell your son the same and thanks for being safety minded enough to know the gear needs adjusting and not to ride before it is. hope you all have many years of fun and safe riding together. Its what keeps our sport alive. my son is going to be 12 this summer and my daughter is going to be 4 next month. i'd like to get them both into riding. my son is mostly into other sports, baseball is his passion. but we all like to ride!
Again, safe and happy trails!!

 

Jeffro, it is good to see an honorable dealer who is willing to turn down a profit to uphold the CPSC guidelines. Unfortunately, because they have entered into a voluntary phase, and not all manufacturers are signing up to follow these rules, we are seeing a great number of second tier machines being sold through non traditional outlets, with no regard to anything once the plastic comes out of the wallet and the machine rolls out the door. You can't walk into a PEP boys, or the local BJ's etc without seeing them for sale anymore where I live. Just about every street there is someone selling them, along with these mini crotch rockets. God knows they have been responsible for a lot of injuries and accidents, but I don't hear any complaints.. at least not with the veracity that ATV's get.

Anyway... I sure hope that the mini quad deal does not go through. Not only will it hurt the ATV industry, it will bankrupt many companies that have acted with integrity and good faith. All in the name of the environment.... Make no mistake, the issue isn't injuries... the issue is environmentalists wanting to get rid of us... if they can kill an entire generation or enthusiasts, they will significantly reduce the numbers of ATVs.

We as responsible leaders need to press for INCREASED FUNDING for rider training, public awareness etc. An informed public will in time reverse the injury trends... but it is going to take a major overhaul in our thinking.. and our actions. We need to sell the sport as a FAMILY building experience. Not the hooligan tear it up, bent on destruction mentality that the media and environmental lobby is trying to make everyone beleive is the norm. Hey, if the Bikers can change their image... why can't we? Don't get me wrong, there is an element out there that only thinks of their own interests... the live for the thrill of the moment bunch that frankly I think we can all do without. We need to police ourself and educate the masses.. otherwise we might just as well take up family needlework... and become even more mindless blobs addicted to gameboys and TV. What the enviro's forget is that we will all be too tired to enjoy nature... and be left to reading about the good old days in some coffee table book...

I know that it may sound a bit like Henny Penny running around claiming the sky is falling... but trust me... Some of us have lived through this before. History has a way of repeating itself if you don't learn from it the first time....

 

Once again thumbs up! It is too bad that quads couldn't be more like bicycles, where the safety of adjusting the bikes ergonomics could be made to fit the individual riding it. Of course some brands kind of do that but it is more to do with motor size and performance.