o.k. i bought my son who just turned 7 in nov a yamaha raptor 50 witch we jeted the carb opened it up all the way by cutting slide valve we hooked up a new cdi box for twice the rev increase new header and pipe and offset racing rims and tires that little thing is very stable NOW plus it will kepp up with my 660 in mid second gear .very cool to hear that little 50 really put out plus we lighting the atomatic clutch by pulling 8 out of 12 of the roller ***** now it s blows dirt 4 feet from the rear tires on take off funny to see that little 50 puting out so much
good luck thats what i did to get my novice up and then running with the big boys plus if you go yamaha check out raptor80racing.com thats were you'll find the goodys plus there way more then i listed were no done up gradeing his ride not by a long shot happy riding

 

For those of you already tired of reading the same thing - I apologize in advance -

For PikeyRaptor -

I work with youth and parents in ATV safety certification and I get to read a lot of child development research. This is some of that –

A “average” 5 year old - has enough coordination to – jump rope. They may even be able to balance on one foot with their eyes closed or use a scissors without cutting themselves. Five year olds are just learning to tie their shoes and can stay inside the lines when drawing. A five year old is able to put their pants and shirt on without help and maybe knows the alphabet. Most 5 year olds cannot ride a bicycle and are still happy with a tricycle.

Five year olds can become difficult, have temper tantrums and often consider fantasy real. They cry easily and have a wide range of tension-releasing behavior – some not so pleasant. A five year old is two years from the generally accepted age to have the ability to reason and concentrate.

I’m often challenged to determine if it’s the child that wants this or if its the parent wanting to move the child into more grown up things that Dad can relate to and participate in. Having 4 daughters I can atest to this condition myself. Barbie dolls? Not. Go-karts – hey now!

When working with youth (12-15) during ATV certification I have determined that there is a remarkable lack of awareness by parents about the risk for their kids when they're riding ATVs. Many don't appreciate the dangers and the child is certainly unable to. The number of parents who can’t tell me how much the ATV weighs is unbelievable. When I ask the parent if I can have three men stand on there child’s chest to see what it will be like to have the machine on top of them – there is a new look in their eyes. The boys all know how fast the machine will go. Most parents don't beleive it when they hear it. Many have never been on one.

According to hospital accident reports for ATV injuries the youngest children -- those aged 5 and under -- are almost five times as likely as children between 11 and 15 to suffer severe oral or facial injuries from a ATV accident. I liken this to the child getting scared and riding full throttle into the nearest fixed object. I know – because my niece did this on the go-kart. A few facial stitches and a couple of teeth caps later – all we had to do was explain that to her parents… Not good.

When choosing a ATV for a 5 year old – one choice is to wait until they are closer to 7 years old when all of the gears in their little noggins are turning in the same direction. At least then you will have some expectation they will have some clue as to what they are doing.

Good luck in making the best decision

 

very well said and totally true my son has been wanting a quad since he was 4 and i made him wait until he was seven hence i hade to wait to but in the end it worked out very well the differnce in 24 months is of age really did become clear to me when he began his atv class i watched him take instruction very well and knew that when he was 5 he would not have been able to understand as much as he does now plus i made my son read his hand book he knows his quad wieghs in at 246 pounds he all so knows that high speed cornering will get you tipped over but we fixed that a bunch wiht a widing kit 6 inches in front and 4 inches in the rear i'm glad i waited it was worth the wait we are now going on our 12 quad trip and so far no stacks just good clean fun happy riding every body . oh yeah he loves the hop ups we did and i still have it tunred down at the throtle cable he just does not know that yet more to come as he gains riding experince. allright good riding every body

 

Wait until age 7? I know an older then 7 year old who can't handle a mini-ATV. This specific 8.5 year old young rider should never be allowed near a mini-Quad, bad enough drive one. Unlike her older brother at age 8, this older then 7 girl can't even drive her paddle bike without wipping out. She's a "wild animal" on a mini-quad, regardless how low its throttle is turned down....

At age 5 or age 50, ATVs aren't for everyone. Some folks can't even properly drive a car - yet they've managed to pass a Class G test. If the driver can't handle it safety, then immediately sell it. Sell it before a serious accident "will" happen. It's as simple as that....

.

 

Your absolutely right Spike - not everyone is ready at age 7. There is nothing magic about the number but there are generally accepted child development levels that a majority of children reach by a certain age. With the wide brush that paints the range of humanity and Blessings in skills we are sure to have young people reach these milestones at different times. Or as you mentioned - possibly never. I think I have some relatives that fit into that bucket and lord knows they will remind us over the Christmans holidays why they do.

Good luck and God Bless everyone with Joy and Peace this Christmas season.

 

Whodat and Spike, for those of us that have made the little one's our cause in life, I think we have turned blue in the face trying to get this message across, and yet parents will continue to buy them. We have tried to get parents to own up to th efact that as a parent, one of the most important skills you need to learn is how to say NO. I agreee with you WHodat, I made the same mistake when my youngest was 6. He is now 10, and only now starting to get interested in riding again.

Don't for a minute think that this is a-typical.... This is the norm. Kids capable of riding an quat at 4 or 5 are one in a million, and even then you have to question the sanity of the parents if they beleive their child is the one... We all want our kids to be the best... it takes experience to decide that having safe/healthy kids comes way before watching junior smoke the neighbor's kid in the back yard.

 

The best way to get your kids on a quad is to progress slowly. Electric power wheels at age 3, bicycles at age 4, and then maybe a small gas go cart at 5 or 6. That is the way my kids learned, and they are doing great. But, its always the parents choice to ride or not. I know some 10 year olds that don't know the difference between gas or brake. And the parents keep asking me to take their kids out, while they go away for the day. Funny stuff these days.

 

Even a powerwheels is not safe at 3 but they have to start somewhere. I would much rather a 30lb powerwheels roll on my 3yo then a 200lb atv. My 3 yo rolled his powerwheels sportsman the first week he had it. He rolled it in a ditch that was about 4ft deep. I can tell you that he stays away from that ditch now and has not rolled it since he got it over a year ago he is now 4. No matter how many times you tell your kids not to run with thier shoe laces untied they wont learn till they trip and scrape a knee. Its the smart ones that learn the first time and the not so smart ones that still need velcro shoes. I think it all comes down to how the parents teach, watch and guide the kids. Just like teaching them to ride a bike. You should never leave thier side.

 

WhoDatInDaMud,Dragginbutt and Spike

I have had the problem with my wife having zero tolerance for any ATV because how "deadly" they can be. Me and friend have a ranch out in west texas and have a set of Artic Cat Manual 500's and a 250 for guest when they visit...that brings me to my subject. I have a 10 year old and twin 7 year old boys. With the correct information about safety my wife has decided to let me visit the issue of getting one for the 10 year old so that we can ride together when we hunt and fish at the place. We don't race...see what we can climb...how far we can jump. We use it to "ride around". You guys seem to offer the most reasonsable advice that i've seen. The press will jump on all the bad stuff....but hopefully I can find some supporting information as to how to and what to purchase and still feel that i'm doing my job as a parent in protecting my child....i just don't want to over protect him to the point of not letting him experiencing some quality father and son time..and for him to gain some self confidence and freedoms of growing up.....

I can't even change my oil....so I want something dependable that dad doesn't have to work on.....the only mod that I seem to see that I like is the spaces on the front and back to make it more stable. I would like to purchase a 90 with a speedlimiter and a 4 stroke....or should I stay with a 50.

Thanks if you can reply with any info. Sorry if you have to do this every three months when somebody wants to buy a new atv for a kid.

 

for the 10 year old i'd look at the 110's, if you can't work on them yourself, you'll be better off looking at japenesse quads, like honda yamaha,suzuki,. the chinesse quads are great but require a little more maintenance . their's a trade-off ,cost vs. maintenance. if you do decide on a chinesse quad, then look at the kazuma 110 , cost less than $900. also have you thought of a mini sand rail? cost about the same,but has roll bars ,seat belts ,and a lot safer and my opinion is a whole lot funner. might even get appoval from mommy. after all, its all about having family fun