Bikes for Dad and 9 1/2 year-old son

[terramar]

My 9 1/2 year old son and I are ready to start riding.

I'm 43. I rode for a couple years as a teen-ager - I had a street-legal honda 250 to get around on, but after I figured out the basics, I never had it off-road again. And once I got a car, well, I haven't ridden since. But my son is rabid about it, loves his bike and the little electric razor he saved up to buy a few years ago, and he's ready to start riding.

We live in the Los Angeles South Bay - Manhattan Beach, specifically. I'm thinking we'll get out to various desert or other areas, and, knowing him, he's going to want to try the track and racing once he gets comfortable.

I'd like to find bikes that will be easy to maintain. Electric start sounds great, but I don't know that it's a requirement.


On my bike alone, I'd like something that's street legal, so on a nice day I can jump on the bike for a quick ride.



1) your physical size (both height and weight are important)
Me: 5'10" 190lbs.
Son: 4'6" 62 lbs.

2) How physical / aggressive are you ?
Me: not very...not to say I won't get back there again, but its' been a while :-)
Son: Very.

3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or
Not sure exactly - still researching all this, learning about the areas within a few hours of Los Angeles. Son will want to try the track and racing - I'm about 90% sure of that.

4) Do you have any riding experience?
Me: 25 years ago, for about 2 years. None since then.
Son: None.

5) Do you think you will race ?
Me: No
Son: Yes

6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work?
Somewhat. These days I usually let experts handle most things, but I really believe that for something like this we need to get our hands dirty, and if he's going to ride, he needs to know how to do his own maintenance.

7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)?
Me: I'm guessing 4-stroke, since I want street-legal, right?
Son: I don't know - tell me what's best.

8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?
Yes - pretty much everything.

9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike?
I'm open. I was hoping to see if we could get by for $2500 for both bikes (obviously used)...but tell me if I'm being ridiculous.

10) Do you live in California?
Yes. And I was reading about green and red stickers - sounds like we'd really want green.

11) Your age?
Me: 43
Son: 9 1/2

12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion
I'm wondering if 9 1/2 is a good age to learn to use the clutch....My son is pretty adept and coordinated, and very motivated, but I also want him to have fun. I remember spending a few afternoons as a teenager figuring out how it all worked (my "lesson" was a dad saying "here's the clutch, here's the brake, neutral is up one, now go for it"), and I don't remember it being that big a deal...but 9 1/2 is very different from 16.

 

[GoldDrum]

I know nothing about the stickers, others can answer that question. My son rode a CRF50 for a year and we talked about how to work the clutch. We then moved him up to a Kx65 (2 stroke) just before he turned 8 and he took off. No problems at all on his first time. It took a bit to get used to using the clutch to stop, but no biggie. That is a great bike, it has lots of power so it may not be a great beginner bike. You may want to start off with something in the CRF80 size and then once he is comfortable on it move up the the Kx. I do not know about dual sport bikes either. The price for the little bike wil probably be $1000 or a bit more so your $2500 budget may need to be increased.

 

[YZ__rider]

$2500 for both bikes wont get you very far. For you, I am thinking an XR400 would fit the bill...reliable, low maintenance, and they can be made street legal. I have an 01 XR400 and love the bike. I got a really good deal on mine for $1800...but that is in Texas. I have heard from people I ride with that used bikes tend to run more, like most things, in CA. An XR80 might work for your son...again..reliable and low maintenance. I started on an XL75 (or 85) when I was 9. Dont forget about the cost of equipment...for 2 riders it wont be cheap. You might try Ebay for SOME of the equipment... i bought a nice pair of boots that were almost new...very cheap.

 

[GoldDrum]

Yes, definately get a helmet, boots, and goggles for both of you. Gloves are nice and once the confidence and speed builds a chest protector.

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

For your son, I would recommend going to a few dealers and having your son throw his leg over a few bikes. Check several different brands as Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki all have different breaks in their bike sizes for that range of a bike.

What you want is something that he can touch both feet, even if it is only tip toe. He will grow fast so if he is tip toe now he will be flat foot before long. For a first time beginner it is important that the bike not be too tall for him. I am thinking of something like a Yamaha TT-R125 (30 inch seat height), Kawasaki KLX-110 (27 inch seat height) or Honda CRF100F (31 inch seat height) but I am not sure what the seat height for a 4'6" person would be. I wouldn't go electric start on your son's bike, the battery adds so much weight to such a small bike that it just isn't worth it.

Once you find a bike or two that is the right size then start looking on Craigslist to find a used one. Kids out grow these bikes so fast that they generally spend more time with the for sale sign sitting on them then they do being ridden so a ten year old bike can still be in great shape. They also hold their resale value pretty well so can buy it, use it for a year and sell it for almost what you paid for it.

For yourself, I think you are going to need to adjust your desires or increase your budget. A street legal dual sport bike that is in any decent shape is going to be more than $3K. It didn't sound like you were the type that would enjoy working on the bikes so I wouldn't recommend buying something that needed a lot of work. If you don't mind the work then something like a 20 year old Yamaha XT-250 would be good. I've seen these sell for around $1200 and they can still have a fair amount of life left in them.

If you wanted something a bit newer then I would forget the dual sport and go for something like a Yamaha TTR-230 or a Honda CRF230F. What bothers me about these bikes is that they (at least the newer ones) are electric start ONLY, so a dead battery can leave you stranded. They are good bikes to learn on but in a year or two you will probably want a more powerful bike.

Do you have friends to ride with?

I have found that having the right circle of friends will greatly enhance your off road riding experience. By right I mean families that enjoy riding and spending time with their kids instead of sitting around drinking beer all day while their kids amuse themselves.

There are a number of riding clubs in Southern California. Many are focused on racing but a few are very family oriented. The club I belong to, TWMC, is especially family friendly and you might enjoy the club outings. From October through June we meet once a month out in the desert (usually around Barstow, Ridgecrest or Lucerne Valley) for a weekend of camping, riding and activities. On Saturday we organize some races for the kids so they can get their feet wet. There are also organized family rides and occasionally some fun and games.

If this sounds interesting to you shoot me a PM and I can give you more details.


Rod

 

[YZ__rider]

Rod, you seem like a very knowledgeable guy. Why not an XR400?

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

I don't have any first hand knowledge of a XR400 but based on the specifications it seems like it would be a good bike, but a bit more expensive.

I believe that the XR400 can NOT be made street legal in California, at least not any more. There are not a lot of options for dual sport bikes in California.

Rod

 

[YZ__rider]

Terramar

It may be worth investigating which bikes can be made street legal in CA. I know nothing about CA, but here in TX, you can make almost anything with 2 wheels legal...excluding 2 strokes. If an XR400 is legal, that would be my vote. If not, I would forget about dual sport. The thing about a dual sport is this...it does both dirt and street sort of half a$$, but neither really well. If your son improves his skill and wants to ride tracks, forget about MX tracks on a dual sport.

 

[YZmidLife]

You might be able to find a DRZ400E or an XR400 that is already plated in California, but they are going to be rare (and command a higher price). Both have a reputation for being bullet-proof, but also heavy. A DRZ400S would be steet legal, but I wouldn't ride one of those on anything but a fire road. Also, I would be hesitant to go with anything that a seller claims is "ready to be plated". You may find that the California DMV disagrees. Other "if I had to do it all over again first bike" bikes would be a KDX200/220 or RMX250 (<-this one might be a little "spirited" :eek: , so try before you buy). Since these are smokers, you should stick with a 2002 or older to get the green sticker. They are also going to be more in line with your prices. Figure between $1200 - $2200 for one of these.

My son is the same size and age as yours. We just got him a KLX110 and he can sit on it flat-footed. I'm sure he will outgrow it within a year. A CRF80 may have been a better choice, as the seat is taller and it has a clutch, but then the KLX will become something for me to play with when he does move up :) . Figure between $800 - $1200 for a nice KLX, a couple hundred more for a CRF.

 

[ws6transam]

This is the very first season that my 9 1/2 year old has been riding on a motorcycle. He's learning quick after only about eight hours of seat time, and a few spills. What I got for him, is a used 2003 Honda XR80. My son is pretty much the same size and weight as your son. We recently took it up through woods trails, and the little machine will motor up any of the trails. It's a bit wallowy in the deep sand, but the tires are old and hard, and in need of replacement. So, I'd recommend an XR80. The clutch hasn't been much of a problem; and my son is shifting well. We spent the first several afternoons just learning how to start and stop with the clutch. Now, it's become habit. So, in essence, the clutch adds a couple of afternoons to the learning process, that's all.

Don't know what else to tell you with regard to dualsports in California. I recommend you stick to 200cc to 250cc, because you'll be putting along with your son on the trails.

 

[rider38194]

you need to go to your local dealer and see what bike fits him the best and which one he likes. i would reccomend the yamaha 110 ttr-e or kawasaki 110 ttr-e for him or the xr80. for you do the same thing. you need to fit comfortably on your bike so try a few that will fit your standards. you can go to a local dealership and they will have street legal versions of their dirtbikes like yamaha 250, honda etc.... and yes most are 4 stroke