yzf virgin
Member
- Aug 24, 2001
- 22
- 1
I have a 4 yr old I am starting on a PW. Any tips for making this process easier on both of us? Any help would be very much appreciated.
mini riding tips?
- Thread starter yzf virgin
- Start date
Have the patience of JOB. Keep it fun for him and put him in situations where he will suceed, not fail. Keep the bike up on blocks and work with him on the controls until he knows them well. HAVE FUN with it. It is way to much time/effort/money not to. I hope he likes it. Me and my 5 and 8 year old sons have a great time together riding, racing and wrenching. Hope all goes well. If you have any specific questions, let me know!
- Dec 26, 1999
- 19,765
- 1
Find an OPEN place to practice! People tend to fixate on objects and ride right in to them when they are learning. Lots of protective gear makes everybody feel better and is worth every penny. Keeping it FUN is the biggest priority, sometimes if they crash kids want to take a break but if at all possible have them finish the day riding so that they are not afraid to get back on the next time.
I agree, take your time with him. Set up a few small cones and have him negotiate around them.
Make him feel comfortable when coming to a stop by making sure he can stand the bike up on his own.
I think the PW you are refering to is a "gas and go" no shifting at all. As soon as he gets comfortable on that bike, get him into a shifter type otherwise he will grow into the non shifting type and may not want to learn how to shift.
I bought a used Z50 back in 97 when my three boys were 6, 4 and 3. They looked at the bike and said "wow, cool Dad", I said great lets get it out and learn how to ride.....well, for 6 months they did not want anything to do with it. I finally got my butt on the bike with them and got them somewhat comfortable with the throttle, brakes, shifting etc. with me on board. Not much fun having a 200 pound guy riding a Z50 with his Son on board. But, that was the best thing I could do because it made them feel good on how the bike rode.
Soon after that, they rode all by themselves and learned how to shift and I could tell that my 6 and 4 year old were going to hurt themselves if I didn't get something alittle bigger (kids learn real fast).
I bought a 00 XR80 which was an excellent bike to buy as it gave them the experience to shift a manual clutch bike and yet not be scared of the powerband. Again, my now 9 and 7 year old were riding the XR80 beyond its limits and it was time to do something else. I sold the Z50 and purchased a KX65 and TTR125. Both great bikes for them.
My youngest Son now rides the XR80 but is not as aggressive as my other two Sons so for now, the XR80 will last him a few years.
This week I am taking my two oldest Sons up North with me and about 20 other guys 4-wheeling and MX bike'n. It tickles my heart knowing that I took the time to get my boys started because now they fit right in and have as much fun as their Dad. :)
Make him feel comfortable when coming to a stop by making sure he can stand the bike up on his own.
I think the PW you are refering to is a "gas and go" no shifting at all. As soon as he gets comfortable on that bike, get him into a shifter type otherwise he will grow into the non shifting type and may not want to learn how to shift.
I bought a used Z50 back in 97 when my three boys were 6, 4 and 3. They looked at the bike and said "wow, cool Dad", I said great lets get it out and learn how to ride.....well, for 6 months they did not want anything to do with it. I finally got my butt on the bike with them and got them somewhat comfortable with the throttle, brakes, shifting etc. with me on board. Not much fun having a 200 pound guy riding a Z50 with his Son on board. But, that was the best thing I could do because it made them feel good on how the bike rode.
Soon after that, they rode all by themselves and learned how to shift and I could tell that my 6 and 4 year old were going to hurt themselves if I didn't get something alittle bigger (kids learn real fast).
I bought a 00 XR80 which was an excellent bike to buy as it gave them the experience to shift a manual clutch bike and yet not be scared of the powerband. Again, my now 9 and 7 year old were riding the XR80 beyond its limits and it was time to do something else. I sold the Z50 and purchased a KX65 and TTR125. Both great bikes for them.
My youngest Son now rides the XR80 but is not as aggressive as my other two Sons so for now, the XR80 will last him a few years.
This week I am taking my two oldest Sons up North with me and about 20 other guys 4-wheeling and MX bike'n. It tickles my heart knowing that I took the time to get my boys started because now they fit right in and have as much fun as their Dad. :)
I started my son at age 4 on a PW50. He's now 6 (almost 7) and I have two more sons coming up so I've learned a few things.
* Every child is different so there is no cookie cutter approach. You know your child best so accommodate their needs.
* Be very very patient. It is very easy to get caught up in the moment and want them to like it as much as you do. Their attention span and interest is much shorter. The day I brought the PW home for my sons 4th birthday he immediately rode it around the back yard a few times and then hardly touched it again for the next several months. It is easy to get frustrated with this.....resist the temptation.
* Give lots and lots of encouragement and let them know what they're doing well and make it fun!
* Don't confuse child with too many instructions at first. Each time before starting out I quizzed my son on where the rear brake was and had him show me that he knew how to use it. I didn't even bother with the front brake.
* Use consistent terms....don't call the throttle different names such as accelerator, throttle, gas, etc.....when coaching/encouraging you can confuse the little ones with different words.
* Find a very flat area that is very open and free from rocks and bumps. Think about it....the 10" tires on those tires hitting a 4 inch rock is like you or I hitting a 10 inch rock with our tires.
* The obvious.....make sure they have the proper safety gear. I insist my son wear everything every time he gets on his bike. Knock on wood, but so far he has taken a lot of spills with nothing but a few scrapes to himself and bike.
* Once they gain a little confidence practice a few drills/skills with them such as setting up a small course with cones or something to practice turning and braking.
* For me....what has worked best is to present then with the opportunity to ride at their convenience. I know, this is difficult, but it can be disheartening to load the bikes up for a day of riding and get there only to have your child say they are "through" after 10 minutes of riding. For me, because I have several young children, we like to try and camp as a family in open areas that allow riding right from camp. That way, the kids can ride at a moments notice when they get the urge.
* Try and find a riding buddy or sibling who can ride with them. There is nothing that seems to motivate the little ones to ride longer and learn more skill, than riding with somebody else. My son will ride for hours when we are camping with another family with young kids who ride, but only lasts 20 minutes when there is nobody else to ride with.
* Be realistic, and make it fun. Believe it or not, your child is probably not the next Travis Pastrana and will not make you independently wealthy through their riding career. The reason the majority of us all enjoy this sport is because of the great fun that it is, and the chance to spend time together with family and friends. If your child is having fun riding, they will most likely enjoy it for a long time.
* Every child is different so there is no cookie cutter approach. You know your child best so accommodate their needs.
* Be very very patient. It is very easy to get caught up in the moment and want them to like it as much as you do. Their attention span and interest is much shorter. The day I brought the PW home for my sons 4th birthday he immediately rode it around the back yard a few times and then hardly touched it again for the next several months. It is easy to get frustrated with this.....resist the temptation.
* Give lots and lots of encouragement and let them know what they're doing well and make it fun!
* Don't confuse child with too many instructions at first. Each time before starting out I quizzed my son on where the rear brake was and had him show me that he knew how to use it. I didn't even bother with the front brake.
* Use consistent terms....don't call the throttle different names such as accelerator, throttle, gas, etc.....when coaching/encouraging you can confuse the little ones with different words.
* Find a very flat area that is very open and free from rocks and bumps. Think about it....the 10" tires on those tires hitting a 4 inch rock is like you or I hitting a 10 inch rock with our tires.
* The obvious.....make sure they have the proper safety gear. I insist my son wear everything every time he gets on his bike. Knock on wood, but so far he has taken a lot of spills with nothing but a few scrapes to himself and bike.
* Once they gain a little confidence practice a few drills/skills with them such as setting up a small course with cones or something to practice turning and braking.
* For me....what has worked best is to present then with the opportunity to ride at their convenience. I know, this is difficult, but it can be disheartening to load the bikes up for a day of riding and get there only to have your child say they are "through" after 10 minutes of riding. For me, because I have several young children, we like to try and camp as a family in open areas that allow riding right from camp. That way, the kids can ride at a moments notice when they get the urge.
* Try and find a riding buddy or sibling who can ride with them. There is nothing that seems to motivate the little ones to ride longer and learn more skill, than riding with somebody else. My son will ride for hours when we are camping with another family with young kids who ride, but only lasts 20 minutes when there is nobody else to ride with.
* Be realistic, and make it fun. Believe it or not, your child is probably not the next Travis Pastrana and will not make you independently wealthy through their riding career. The reason the majority of us all enjoy this sport is because of the great fun that it is, and the chance to spend time together with family and friends. If your child is having fun riding, they will most likely enjoy it for a long time.
Jasle
Sponsoring Member
- Nov 27, 2001
- 1,358
- 0
Can he ride a bike without training wheels? If not you could put training wheels on the bike. PM me for instructions if you interested. Don buy the crap ones the dealer sells that attach to the shock. The bike tips too easy. Make sure you have the exhaust limiter installed!!!!! The bike will top out at about 6mph this way. Also we attached a rope to the back loop under the seat and I ran around behind my 4 year old daughter until she learned how to use the brakes.
Don't shortcut the safety gear. not just helmet. Get elbow pads, knee pads, gloves, chest protector and boots that go over the ankle.
We have three that ride. 6,4 and almost 3. It can be tons of fun but the person above that said non of them is the same is very wise.
Whatever you do don't push them in to it too soon. If you do they won't want to ride it will be like a punishment. We see that all to often at the track.
Jason
Don't shortcut the safety gear. not just helmet. Get elbow pads, knee pads, gloves, chest protector and boots that go over the ankle.
We have three that ride. 6,4 and almost 3. It can be tons of fun but the person above that said non of them is the same is very wise.
Whatever you do don't push them in to it too soon. If you do they won't want to ride it will be like a punishment. We see that all to often at the track.
Jason
yzf virgin
Member
- Aug 24, 2001
- 22
- 1
- Thread starter
- #7
Thanks alot for the advice guys. So far he is loving every minute on the bike and I will do my absolute best to keep it that way.
I did all of the above and it worked for my son. One thing I would add:
Everytime he gets on the motorcycle go through all of the controls including the choke and how they operate and what they operate. My son new about throttle, brakes, choke etc and we covered it until he told me without me asking. Then when he moved up to using a clutch on a 60, we did the same thing.
I would make him parctive using each control as well. We spent some afternoons just braking and then truning and then gassing and braking. When he got bored I would let him ride for a while without instruction. But we always kept it fun. if I didn't have the patience to pick him up or start the bike or whatever, I would get the wife to help so I didn't ruin the fun factor. my son loves to ride but it came slowly. he used to ride because he thought it may me happy(it did). Now he rides to make himself happy and that makes me even happier:). He is 12 and has been riding since 3. He is a mid pack Hare Scrambler in the Junior class and a decent motocrosser usually a top 5 finisher, handguards and all!
Everytime he gets on the motorcycle go through all of the controls including the choke and how they operate and what they operate. My son new about throttle, brakes, choke etc and we covered it until he told me without me asking. Then when he moved up to using a clutch on a 60, we did the same thing.
I would make him parctive using each control as well. We spent some afternoons just braking and then truning and then gassing and braking. When he got bored I would let him ride for a while without instruction. But we always kept it fun. if I didn't have the patience to pick him up or start the bike or whatever, I would get the wife to help so I didn't ruin the fun factor. my son loves to ride but it came slowly. he used to ride because he thought it may me happy(it did). Now he rides to make himself happy and that makes me even happier:). He is 12 and has been riding since 3. He is a mid pack Hare Scrambler in the Junior class and a decent motocrosser usually a top 5 finisher, handguards and all!
Freaknzoid
Member
- Jul 23, 2002
- 35
- 0
If he falls or brakes anything don't get mad at him make it really fun don't lay on the preasure to soon and don't get him to a point on a trail where he is way to much over his head.
