Bikes for Son & Dad (2-Fer)

[BigLarry67]

My son is 8 (almost 9) and no small dude. He's about 90 lbs and 4' 6" tall.

I am a big dude, 5' 10" and almost 300 lb (hey, I'm working on it!)

I have about 20 years of riding experience, but virtually all of it is on the street. He has only ridden with me on the back of my bike or in my sidecar....

We'll likely do most of our riding on trails, but I'd like to try out the local mx track too somewhere down the line (what the heck, I have really good health care coverage...)

For him, I'm looking at the Honda CRF70F, the Yamaha TT-R90E, and the Kawasaki KLX 110 (which is the same as the Suzook, I believe).

Am I on the right track? All of these are about the same $-wise and all have 3 speed clutchless trannies. I believe the Yamaha is electric start, others are kickers. Will the larger engined bikes have more staying power? I mean, he fits well on the CRF, but isn't he going to outgrown that really quickly? Would the Kawasaki provide more cushion for growth, or are we going to be upgrading in any case if he falls for it hard and wants to move up to a real mx bike?

For me, I'm thinking about going used, maybe a 250cc 2-stroke. I've also looked at the a bunch of 4 stroke thumpers such as the KLX300R, the TT-R250, XR250R.

Thanks in advance,

Larry

 

[Chili]

I think you're on the right track for your son. Any of the three bikes you mention would make excellent starter bikes for him. If it was me personally I'd go with the Honda as none of those three bikes are gong to satisfy him for long and when it comes time to sell at least in my area that Honda will move very quickly and for darn near what you paid for it. For you I think all three of the thumpers you mention would leave you wanting given your size, expecially if you have aspirations of hitting an mx track at some point. That being said they would all be fine choices for tooling around behind your son on the trails.

 

[ChopperDave]

Go with something a little bigger than your son can currently sit on flat footed. I made the mistake of buying bikes for my wife and daughter, bikes they could comfortably reach the ground on and they quickly outgrew them. My wife did not outgrow so much in size as she did in ability. Get something for your son that will stretch him a little. You don't have to go clutch-less, he can learn clutch/gas/shift very easily. The Hondas have particullarly smooth clutches. He's young and will adapt/learn quickly!

As for you;
a 250 2-str might be a little much since you have no exp on them. You might be better off with a 250 or bigger 4-str which has a smoother power-band. The 2-str is not out of the question for you since you have been on bikes all your life, but they will take some learning! If you go 2-str make sure to sit up on the tank! :moon:

P.S. You and your son are about to enjoy a sport, together, that niether of you will ever forget! :cool: