I would agree with you in most situations and with most 9yr olds. There are some adults who shouldn't even be on them either let alone one with more hp. I fought my husband about the 250ex too until I started looking at that bike in conjunction with my sons riding experience. The only stipulation to moving to the bigger bike some time this desert season will be his abilities on his 80. We have very strict rules and a very low tolerance for stupidity. If we feel that our son is not ready, then that purchase will not happen until next year but we will watch closely. Thank you for your opinion on the 250 for the 9yr old. That is why we would select the 250ex, because the throttle can be choked down and you don't need to use the clutch to shift. What a great way to learn how to use the clutch/shifter/throttle but on a bike you can at least control how much power it can give.

Sorry to have hijacked this thread about 4yr olds...not 9yr olds.

 

The 250ex is what I ride, and I'm 40+, it is way too big for my 9 year old, and he has experience. I'd go with a 180 or 200 first.

 

it only takes a fraction of a second just one time, maybe even not the childs fault
but picture what a 250ex looks like on top of a 9 yr.old. just think it all the way through

 

It is amazing to me how our perspectives have changed on this list and the sport in general. Just a couple years ago, we would have had multiple persons vying for the title of earliest kid on a quad... Now we see people with opinions that might suggest this to be wrong... and shall I say it, possibly irresponsible?

Before we get our knickers in a snit here, I just want to say that I am not judging anyone's decision... I can't look at a few words on a computer screen and tell anything about your child's ability.. I can't know how they react to parental instruction etc... In short, I haven't a clue what is right or wrong for your child. The parent is the best judge of that... however with that decision power comes a great deal of responsibility... and you the parent must be able to deal with the consequences if something, God forbid, does happen to them.

We can't make the world safe from all harm. But we certainly can mitigate the danger by making sure they wear the proper gear, and they are only allowed to operate under extremely controlled conditions.

The CPSC guidelines referred to are a guide that many states use for establishing ATV laws. It may not be in effect in your state today, but the trends are pointing to them either directly verbatim, or in with the majority of data being applied in the near future. Crossing state lines may cause you to be in violation.. so be aware of the ramifications if you find yourself in that position.

Although we criticise the guidelines greatly for their inflexability and for being outdated, there is a lot of hard evidence and data that went into their creation. Statistics have proven their premise time and again. The AVERAGE child under 6 years may have the motor skills to operate the throttle, shift gears perhaps, and use a brake lever. They may even have the ability to hang on and take a jump or two, or follow mom and dad through the woods.. but one very important area where a child that young is sorely lacking is in the decision making capacity. Especially when confronted with a dangerous situation that requires an immediate response.

Children learn by repetition... but emergency situations are something that you can rarely practice under riding conditions. Emotions, attention spans, levels of concentration have not been developed yet... and all contribute to the safety and welfare of the child.

For those that do put their children in the seat.. remember that the child places their trust in mom and dad, that they would not put them in a situation where they can get seriously injured... All I can say is you need to be extremely vigilant, and only let them ride under very controlled conditions until they grow to the age where they can not only demonstrate the fundamentals of riding, but also demonstrate the thought processes that go with the riding experience.

Until then, watch them like a hawk.... If your child becomes bored, or their concentration level drops, it is time to stop and do something else for a while. Perhaps fishing or cooking a meal etc. Don't let them ride half asleep to what is going on around them. This may mean you have to stop after 15 minutes. So be it.

If your child is one that does not listen or obey your commands, then it s time to find another sport for them... Riding an ATV is a priviledge, not a right. Don't make decisions based on what Johnny down the street is doing.

Responsibility is something that is learned... Use the ATV experience to treach them responsibility, and how to become good citizens.. The future of our sport depends on us parents doing a better job of growing a safer, more responsible generation of riders... ones that not only have a passion for the sport, but for the environment they ride in as well. Let's leave this world in better hands than ours...

 

Dragginbutt....you couldn't have said it better and I agree wholeheartedly. I know many here may think that my children are too young or too small to be on certain ATVs but I can guarantee that they are watched over continuously. Our kids are not allowed to ride when they are tired, crabby, disobedient and/or not doing good enough in school. Their bikes are not babysitters, in fact the only time in camp when we adults get to relax is when they are off their bikes. Its very true about how we handle our kids will effect our sport. I try to share everything I have learned and experienced over the years with anyone, new, old, smart, ignorant, stupid, whatever, about the safety, about the whole picture, not just the fun but the bad and ugly too.

Do I think that every child that is the same size or age as mine should be on the same size/type of bike, heck no! It's all based on their own capabilities, riding conditions and mostly, what their parents are like.

I do have one more thing to share and then I'll be done...we ride in sand, soft sand, sand dunes. We adjust our bikes according to riding conditions. Sand vs. harder-packed surfaces are a whole different ball game and because of that, when we do go to areas different than sand, throttles get choked, tires get changed (or at least air pressure adjusted) and much more instruction takes place. We are not irresponsible. My children can get hurt riding their bicycles, snowboarding or skiing or their scooters just the same.


The reason for sharing my opinion in this tread is because I've had 2 4yr olds and both of their riding styles are different and I wanted to share my story, and once again, I keep getting off topic...lol but at the same time, I think these posts are an education to the new - there is more to the sport than just buying some ATVs, putting some gas in them and turning your kids loose.

 

Well said and Ditto.

 

Hope to move mine up to a blaster or 250cc at 9-10 and pass the mini to the youngest. I'm don't want to buy something I have to modify so heavily next time just to get around. It can be easily justified in my mind as a 2nd quad for an experienced rider.

 

"legs, that sort of brings up another of my favorite subjects. Racing in general, but mainly for the young set. After having lived through being a child phenom on wheels, I can relate to the negative aspect that is experienced with not only organized racing, but also just about every sport a person can name today. In my expereince, the racing deal became a real chore for me as a kid. The racing got to be so cut throat that the fun went out long before the money...

Too often we try to measure our skills and prowess by competing with others. Truth be told, it turns out to be a contest of money spent rather than rider skill in most cases of motorsports. Trouble with that, is no matter how much you spend, there is always someone that will have more to spend than you.

I admit to be a MX dad (Like a Soccer mom, or basketball/baseball dad) with my older son. I pushed him hard, and although he responded well, the fun aspect, and the sharing of good times were overshadowed with concerns about lap times, traction, suspension settings etc... In short, we were so busy with the details, we lost sight of what we were supposed to be accomplishing. What was supposed to be a bonding experience, turned into a source of argument between us. I let my personal experience (Semi Professional MX and Dirt track) get in the way, and be my motivation. I was living my childhood over with my son... for which I can never recover the lost time with him...

With our youngest, just the opposite is being tried. We ride trails, enjoy just being out in the woods together... We stop and take in the sights, pick wild black berries and turn our mouths purple eating them... have fun splashing each other when passing through mud holes, and occasionally spraying the other with tons of mud when it is available. We camp, we sit by a fire, we cook.. in short, we just get to take our time and enjoy the time away from our normal daily routine.

We are much closer because of it.... and that is the reason I still ride.. even though physically, my body is not as capable as it used to be, and the pain seems to be more pronounced... it is worth it.

I know some people take great enjoyment in watching their children compete and perform... and I don't knock you for that.. it is a thrill and memory that nobody can take from them. Just make sure that you do it for the right reasons, and you make sure that we are not creating the win at all cost mentatlity that you see all too often these days and cheating them out of their childhood. If it isn't fun, why do it? Truly passionate kids will prevail no matter what.

Lastly, I have come to the opinion over the years that making major modifications to the mini machines in the name of speed is definately NOT the way to go. In most cases, you spend a great deal MORE money on mods and lost reliability than you would have spent if you had moved up in class of machine. (Assuming skills are there )

For this reason, I am critical of the CPSC guidelines, because they have no formal mechanism that allows a certain class of rider to move up as their skills and experience increases. I do not advocate placing a 10 year old on a Banshee... but in many cases, I think a 10 to 12 year old can be allowed to move up to something like a blaster if their skills can be demonstrated and documented.

I also think with our kids being bigger these days, that the manufacturers have not kept pace with a bridge class of machines that provides a chassis that fits somewere in-between a true mini and a true full sized machine. It isn't the size of the motor in many cases, it is the size of the chassis that we force a 12 year old to ride that in many cases creates an unsafe condition. Face, it, some kids are too big for a mini chassis.

Here is a novel concept, why can't they create a chassis that accepts different size motors, so all we have to do is buy the motor to upgrade, instead of a whole new machine/chassis. Hmm that would work...

Like them or not, the CPSC guidelines are the closest thing we have to a set of rules that can be used to educate the masses and be enforced across the country with any consistancy. And that is a BIG problem right now... I heard recently that the CPSC is looking at a review in the near term... so it is important that we all take time to let them know what our thoughts are... so it can register with the policy folks... My worst fear is that the review panel will take the injury stats on face value and eliminate mini's altogether.. which is a distinct possibility.

 

I agree DB. I love to see my daughters eyes light up when I tell her I'm thinking about heading to the dunes. It should be fun. My whole idea was to spend more time with the kids and to find an activity we could all enjoy. I watch these "race dads" fight around here and remember why I don't really want my kids in any competative sports. Just an endless source of frustration. If my kids want to, I won't stop them. But I won't encourage it either.

I do think I made the right decision is starting out with a mini. The size and weight are really important for a young child. And hopefully those modifications I've made won't cause me too many problems. I agree there is a trade-off with reliability. Add the fact its a cheapo quad really makes me cross my fingers and pray. But so far, so good. AND she does fly up most of the hills now without a tow rope. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Dragginbutt, that was an incredibly insightfull and thought prevoking post. Thank you for sharing with us!