what type of riding?
First of all you have to decide, will he ever want to race his first bike?
No Racing:
Hard to beat the reliability, comfort and ease of learning on a Honda CRF 70, or XR 70. 4-stroke, no clutch yet teaches the use of gears. These are very versatile bikes for trail riding, jumping etc. they also hold their resale value very well. You could try a TTR model too, but hte Honda's seem to hold their value a little better.
Yes Racing:
2004 or newer KTM SX 50 Pro Senior or Cobra CX 50 Sr. I know the KTM's have an adjustable suspension height that raises the bike considerably. Under the seat there is a two position mount for the monoshock.
These are great bikes to let a 7 year old learn about power, power-band, cornering, and have plenty of suspension for jumping. This way they learn solid riding skills before having to worry about what gear they are in. Typically through 8 year old riders are on 50's.
When he's ready to move up, there's no problem getting your money back out of either the 2004 or newer KTM Sr, or the Cobra. Then move him up to either a KTM SX 65, or a Kawasaki KX 65.
Lucky kid. I hope he enjoys riding.
Enjoy,
:ride:
04' KTM pro Sr., 03'KTM Sr. Adv, 04' YZ85, 02' XR 250R, 02' XR 100R, 00' XR 100R