My 15 year old is a born rider. Didn't hardly have to teach her a thing. She rides harder than most of the full grown men we ride with. She embarasses guys with 500cc plus machines with the things she can do with a 300cc straight axle 2WD. She rides that little Kawi better than I can.

My 13 year old, however, just doesn't get it. She doesn't know how to lean, she can't read terrain, she doesn't move in the seat. Just plops down and lets the machine beat her up. The kid thinks body english is an 80's band. She's young though... there may be hope. Or not.

And before I get flamed, both kids were on mini's at 10, and moved up when ready. Haley (we call her mudbug), the 15yo's first time on a Polaris 90, she flipped it... didn't go 5 feet. She got up, climbed back on, and we couldn't get her away from it till it ran out of gas! Nattie, the younger kid, didn't ride much this last summer. She doesn't have the passion for it anymore, preferring a more "urban" lifestyle... Spell that BOYS if you want.

 

Yeah..you are right some just have the intinct and some need more attention...and it isn't gender specific by any means.
I have a niece who is 10..she is the same way,rides very well for her age and experience and loves it..I also have a nephew who is 13...and he is an accident wating to happen on an ATV and is nervous and apprehensive...
My 6 year old daughter is so fearless it scares me....I haven't put her on her own ATV yet as it is illegal in NC for a 6 year to operate ANY ATV ....and unfortuantely with the "job" I have breaking even stupid laws isn't a good idea so I don't know for sure if she has it or not...
But I like to think just about anyone can be tought given enough time and a patient teacher and once comfortable most people tend to do alot better in my experience...but it isn't for everyone..they need to enjoy it IMO.

 

Okay here is an idear! Lets band together for a start up company and go in contract with Polaris to be their product testers! Make the $$$$ and get to ride the toys and work with their research and engineering department on improvements and changes in product design.

That would be a cool job! Sign me up I'm there...lol..lol

R'

 

Is yours a 2009 or 2010?

 

Nervous and apprehensive... great choice of words. Nat doesn't have confidence, is apprehensive, and therefore is not aggresive when she needs to be. I don't know if that's something you can teach. She'd be pleased as punch to just toodle around the yard in the go-cart at 7 MPH.

Haley is aggresive when needed, but has dumped the quad in a ditch, tipped it on it's side, and stood it on it's tail. She hasn't got more than a few scrapes and bruises out of it but I worry sometimes. She has all the safety gear, and seems to know when to bail out when things get hairy, but still.

The day she put the Kawi in a ditch, we were on a really greasy stretch of trail, I looked back and she was 30 yards behind... I looked back again a moment later, and she was 3 feet in the air, and the quad was gone. When the quad started sliding into the ditch, she jumped off on the high side.. landed on her butt in 6 inches of soft mud. She looked hurt, so I stopped and ran over to her, sliding and stumbling the whole way. When I got to her, she was laughing. She was expecting it to hurt, but the mud just brought her to a gentle sliding stop. We got the quad out with winches, got it running again, (Dang carburetors) and kept on going.

Somewhere, there needs to be a balance between those two extremes. I think age helps, and experience. I Dunno, but I'm done rambling for now.