I know it is a bike question, not an ATV question, but I can't find a good forum for discussion of kid's bikes issues, and people here seem competent and friendly. If someone knows a good discussion place for kid's bikes issues, let me know.

We have a 5-year old son, 43 inches tall, 48 lbs. He's doing great with a bicycle (even mild trails), has been riding without training wheels for over a year now. We had long discussed getting him a dirtbike, and friends of ours have an older kid, who has outgrown his little kiddie Honda. I even adjusted his bicycle to have the same seat height as a Honda XR50 = CRF50, and the brake handle on the right like a motorbike.

Today we picked up the bike. Turns out that it is an XR70, not an XR50 as we had expected! And it is considerably too big for our son. His hand can operate the brake lever, and his feet reach the brake pedal and the shifter. But his feet don't reach the ground (not even on toes), and he can't support the weight of the bike with one leg. This means he can't ride it until he grows a considerable amount. You can imagine we have a pretty frustrated kid at home at the moment. Clearly, this problem could be solved: Just go out and buy a Honda CRF50 at the store, maybe trading in the XR70. Big waste of money. Also, I think in the long run the XR70 will serve him much better for more years.

This makes me try to think. What can I do to shorten or eliminate the wait? Here are two ideas. First: Try to put the smaller 10" wheels from a Honda 50 on. This lowers the bike by 2 inches in the front, 1 inch in the rear. Used wheels are probably easy to come by from people who bought a Honda 50 and are tricking it out. Also lowers the speed, not a bad thing for a little kid. Problem: probably the ~ 1.5" at the seat are not enough to make a significant difference. Also, does anyone know whether the wheels on the 50 and 70 are compatible (the two bikes use the same size chain, and the number of teeth on the rear wheel is very similar).

Second: Put training wheels on. For use on paved flat ground (we have a 80' x 24' parking area in front of our house, and 2 miles of paved private road) those might work. This would solve the problem of him falling over sideways and not being able to hold up the bike with his legs. Problem is: I can't find training wheels for the Honda 70 on the web, only for the Honda 50. Anyone have any idea where to find training wheels for a 70? Or whether the ones for the 50 would fit?

Other suggestions would be welcome too.

 

can't answer your specific q's, but i have a few suggestions. my 9 y/o just moved up from the Honda 70 to an XR80 with clutch. so like you, I like Hondas and the 4-stroke.

I found for a beginner bike, even the xr50 is heavy and intimidating for kids. I'd suggest you seriously consider looking for a used Yamaha PW50/ Yzinger. Yes, they're 2-stroke, but they're injected and you don't need to mix fuel. shaft drive= no chain maintenance. they are quiet for a 2-stroke, and super-reliable/bullet proof. NO GEARS. There are lots for sale used. the good news...you'll sell yours for what you paid (buying used). you should be able to get one for around $500. it's easy to ride for a 5 y/o, and lighter than the xr50.

BTW, keep the xr70, he'll be ready for it in a year or two.

 

The pw50 is an excellent beginner bike. Plus they are bullet proof. We had the same problem with my 5 yr old son. He was so short. We bought him a Polini x3works when he was 5. He couldn't touch the ground. When he stoped he had to shift all the way over to one side so he could get 1 foot down. But he wouldn't ride anything else. He said they were all to slow.

But if you can afford it I would keep the 70. The pw50 is a very good bike. They run for ever. I just sold a Zinger 50 3 wheeler that was an 83 model. And it still ran like a brand new one.

You might be abel to lower the 70's front end some. Drop the forks down in the triple clamps, and lower the seat sag more. That's what I did on his Polini.