I missed the last ATV safety course by a weekend.....next one comping up we are BOTH taking it. In Iowa if your an adult you dont have to take the course.....if your under 12 you dont have to take the course......only from 12 to 18 are you required to take the course. So taking the course wont count for him but I talked to the instructor and he said they teach the little ones right along the big guys BUT they take extra time and give them more attention......and of course Ive never taken it so I see no reason not to......and it helps to show him I dont know everything and need to learn to.

Hoping to get it in early Spring and maybe get him comfortable on the trails. If there is an inclide.....side hill or any type of camber he freezes up.....and Im fine with that, we just stay on the motocross track and roll the hills or piddle around on the large main trails....but it would be nice to have a trail buddy - but in due time.

 

I've taken the course twice. They are a good idea!

They don't teach the "K" turn anymore. I thought it was a good lesson. (the K turn is what to do when stuck on a hill).

 

Only concern I would have is the wieght of it and the size of child. If he ever happened to tip it on its side on top of him could he get out by himself?

 

No...Im sure he couldnt. Thats why he must have very direct supervision for it while the LT80 is what he rides if Im just "around" the house.

That was my reasoning for the rule in fact. While we are riding on mostly flat ground all it takes is one power slide to catch just wrong and you have an ATV blanket on you.....

 

Aaron, I posted some pictures of my son on his yfm100 today. He fits and can stand with clearance. There's just a bit more power than he could handle.

I was explaining to him that exact thing this morning. If he were riding alone and it rolled on him, he would be hard pressed [pun intended] to get that 200 pound machine off by himself. Our one dog is 150+ pounds and he likes to pin the boys to one of the sofas and lick them, or throw a paw over them on the floor and do the same thing. I tried to explain that it's easier to get the big, dumb dog off than a lump of hot, sharp steel.

I too was thinking of taking both my boys, and myself [I learned in the "good 'ol boy" school of dirt bike drivin'] for an atv safety course. I'm sure I could still learn a thing or two...or at least get refreshed on the basics. The only thing is, in southern NJ, there are no hills so we'll have to travel to get a course on hill climbing...lol.

 

Yeah the 200cc Honda in question and pictured above weighs more like 425lbs.....hes not getting that off him by himself.

 

That where Im at....Ive never had a formal class but Im old enough to have common sense. None the less if hes going anyways I might as well go......plus if he sees me going to learn hopefully that will inspire him to pay attention.

At any rate I checked out your pictures and that Yamaha 100 looks to be a great fit for your son....a little big now but not bad and it looks like you have some fairly simple terrain for riding - dont see any way for him to get into to much trouble.

Ive considered a teether kill switch system for my boys ATV in the past and shrugged it off, Im thinking harder about it now.....and maybe even on the bigger Honda. I realize its a utility ATV and not really the "go fast" type....but he is 8 so it may not be a bad idea.

 

The pictures were taken in our back yard. I want him to get used to the controls in a small area before he gets brave. I feel better with the size of this over his relative mass on top of that little 50cc. This has some weight and is much more stable. It's easier for him to keep his seat under him while riding. Still, the terrain here is all pretty flat with sandy soil and not much change in elevation. We're only 20-some feet above sea level so, you won't find too many deep holes...lol.

I was thinking about rigging up a "dead man switch" on the Yamaha too. Like you said, it might not be a bad idea. The little 50 has the tether and the knee-level pull-out. I thought something like the pull-out style might be good. [there's no way I'm holding a tether on that 100cc...lol] Maybe a waist strap? I thought about for his wrist but, if he reached up to adjust his goggles, it would kill the motor. At least if it was on his waist and he slid too far back, or fell off, it wouldn't keep running.

He's only ridden it for about a half hour so far. He was out this morning and the sky opened up. Tomorrow I'll take him over to the property on the river and he can open it up a bit...a little bit...little, little bit. lol

 

Hows it running and how did your repair go.....its a nice looking ATV, looks like someone really took care of it.

 

It has its nicks and dings but, generally, it's in great shape. The motor runs great. So far the thing runs smoothly. I'm hearing a bit of a "tap" and can't tell if it's a valve needing adjustment or it needs a new exhaust gasket. There's also some cam chain noise. Maybe because the cylinder walls are so thin on these I'm not used to it. I'll have some time tomorrow...oh ****, it IS tomorrow... to go over it again and double-check all the parts and mechanical workings.

So far so good.