Bike for 3yr Old

[cteteacher]

My little girl will turn two in October. I want to get her a bike next fall. She loves riding with me and she loves to ride theme park rides so I figure she is taking after her Dad :) . I really don't want to spend a whole lot on the first bike as she may outgrow it quickly or decide she does not like to ride after all. I have been looking all over at the cheap bikes. If I could afford it I would probably get her a TTR-50. I ride a TTR-230 and I wish I could get my wife to ride a TTR 125, but that is a whole other battle. Any advice would be great. Thanks.

 

[pyrofreak]

How 'bout a PW50? It seems that you are partial to Yamaha and this is also a great beginner bike. They are smaller, lighter, and theres alot of used ones out there. I believe that they were white and pink in '91 too!

 

[FruDaddy]

PW50, IMO it's the only Yamaha suitable for a child so young (smaller than the TTR). Don't rush her though, wait until she can ride a bike without training wheels, and let her ask for it. The only bike that is really comparable in size is the JR50 but you seem to be a lover of blue, and I prefer the PW anyway.

Oh, and don't be too dissappointed if she doesn't want to ride herself. My daughter loves to ride on the street with me, and doesn't hesitate to jump on the back of my dirtbike, but she lost interest in solo riding a long time ago. She does know how, and can ride if she chooses. The last time that she rode was a little over a year ago, when I taught her how to use a clutch on a TTR125. Before that, it was a couple of years.

 

[cteteacher]

Thanks

Thanks guys. I will look into a used PW50 then. She has already asked for one. We went to the dealership about a week ago and she asked for the PW50 so I guess that is what I will do, especially if I can find a pink one.

 

[CaptainObvious]

My youngest son was walking at 8 months and at the age of 3 was riding a bicycle without training wheels. A real coordinated kid. On his 4th birthday I put him on his older brothers' XR50. He took right to it, riding in circles in our field. It was a proud moment for me...right up to the moment that he got confused and held the throttle open and forgot what to do (throttle stop installed but it was still a run away situation).

Luckily he threw himself off the bike before the bike entered the hedgerow. He is going to be 8 years old next month - and I still can't get him on a dirtbike. I pushed him too soon and he probably will never ride. I figured he'd get over it by now. I don't ask him to ride but once a year and he doesn't even look at that 50. I'll probably sell it this winter as he is now too big for it.

I learned to ride at 7. My other son that rides learned at 7. Six to seven seems to be an age that kids can really comprehend what's going on. Three seems way too young to me, in my opinion.

 

[cteteacher]

I appreciate this and the thought has ran through my mind. I have never asked her to do anything. I always wait until she asks. She has had similar instances with other things so far as she is an exceptionally coordinated kid as well. The first time I let her go on her tricycle she turned the wheel too far and turned it over. She initially got up and tried again and then showed no interest for a while, but one day just told me she wanted to get on and go for a ride. I am still trying to decide about it, but she will not be two until october 19 so I am just trying to plan ahead. I will watch her grow over the next year and see how she develops. It is a planned birthday present next year, but you never know she might not want to ride things next year and may just want to be a princess all the time. That is the best part about having a small one to me, it is just so much fun to watch them develop their own self and see what happens. It is also fun to help guide them toward the things that will be beneficial later in life and see what they choose. Thanks again to everyone for chiming in.

 

[_JOE_]

It is a very rewarding thing. I know what you are going through. I have twin boys that just turned two the end of last month. I want them to ride, but won't push it. I don't think I'll have to though, any time they see a bike they get all excited and want to sit on it. Once on, they want it to be started, lol. I'll tell ya, a CRF250 is too big for a two year old, but don't tell them. They also like mommy's TTR125, which is still a lil big. I may get a two-seater go kart or something for them to play around with when they are four or five, just to see how it goes, learning throttle/brake control and stuff. Well, have fun, and enjoy the little one!

 

[dirt_devil]

I Jus Got One Question.. Does She No How To Ride..

 

[NM_KDX200]

I have 2 boys, 6 and 3. The 6 yr old has some physical problems which will probably keep him off a dirt bike forever, but the 3 year old is stout. I bought the older boy a Kazuma 50 ATV nearly 2 years ago and he likes it really well. We've easily gotten our $400 out of it. I put my daughter (now 13) on an XR50 when she was 7 and she did well with it. She's on a TTR-125LE now and likes it. I tried putting the 3 year old on the Kazuma a month or so ago and it was no dice. He simply doesn't have the "look ahead" that he needs for an engine powered device, IMHO. Maybe next summer.

Anyway, in our family, none of my kids have been ready for motors at 3. 4-5, yes, but not 3.