Getting my son his first 4 wheeler, any advice?

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UltraFJ40

UltraFJ40

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He's four and has worn out his 24 volt motorcycle.

Initially I thought about getting him a dirt bike, but am now considering a four wheeler instead.

You guys have any experience with small atv's and what's your take on them vs a two wheeler?

I appreciate the input.

:beer:

Doug
 
My son has one of those electric motorcycles. I think he is going to graduate to a 50cc motorcycle(5 going on 6). If you are going the 4wheeler route, maybe try a cheap chinese model. Just because he will outgrow it pretty quik.
 
Thats a thought. I've been looking through the craigslist ads but have come up empty handed so far.

One thought on the motorcycle, my son's was a 12 volt Kawasaki made by power wheels. I ran another 12 volt battery in series and it gave him more "go fast" according to him. It easily fits under the seat on ours. I bought it from Gruber Power Systems in AZ.

It's a nice way to get some extra usage out of it.
 
My son has a razor pocket rocket. It always runs out of power too soon. Another thing, it doesn't have suspension.
 
My son just turned 4 and I got him a Chinese made 50cc ATV. It has a parent lanyard for engine kill and a throttle limit-stop. While it was cheap, the quality was also reflected in its price. If you don't mind working on it and hunting down parts for it, it is a good deal. If you are looking for a no nonsense deal, buy a used Japanese (Honda, Yamaha) model and resell it for close to what you pay for it when your boy outgrows it in a few years.

And make sure to wear a helmet. These ATV can go 20MPH given its gearing and light weight. I ended up purchase some close-out XXS and XS adult helmets for my kids that were a fraction of the price of the regular kids helmet.
 
I should add that it only has rear suspension and single rear drum brake. It stopeed adequately when I rode it, and I easily exceeded the 70 lb weight limit.
 
Thanks for the information. The info on the razor is nice to know. I've seen a few of those around for what seems to be "too cheap" for like new condition, so I figured there was something going on.

The OSET bikes seems pretty decent. I'll keep an eye out for one. I'll do some searching around and see what I can find. A test ride would be :cool:

The Chinese made rides are........well, Chinese and I'm still holding a grudge for reproducing old Toyotas under the Great Wall brand that are garbage. :) I do however strictly enforce the helmet rule, even on his 24v Kawi. We're to the point now that wearing it has become second nature.

I spoke with my brother in law a few days ago about this. His take (with three daughters who all started riding before 5) was that a cycle is too hard to steer for early learners under 5 because of our sandy trails.

FWIW: James "Bubba" Stewart and Ricky Carmichael are both from Florida and learned to ride here. :hhmm:

I guess I'll shoot for an ATV from one of the biggies unless a knockout deal falls into my lap on a two wheeler.

Thanks for the input. If you have any other thoughts, please feel free to post them up. Hopefully it'll help someone else out too.

:beer:
 
bought my son a 50cc dirt bike at 5...i had a 4 wheeler...polaris 350...as he got older he abandoned the dirt bike in favor of the polaris...he was much older....i was not in favor of him riding the polaris...so...i bought him and 1968 fj40...much safer and just as much fun...hell more fun....my son on a 4 wheeler has always made me nervous....kids do stupid things....my son in his fj40 does not bring that same sense of fear....just my perspective

osagecruiser
 
we put our guy on a PW50 when he was 5, they're a great beginner bike.
 
Wish we had not wasted our money on the power wheels. Finally bought a Yamaha 4-wheeler and all 5 of my kids learned how to ride on it,great little 4-wheeler that will be used for the grand kids one day. Mike
 
I have read a lot of people suggesting that you keep kids in a 2 wheeler so that they develop a respect for the machines. There was a parent with a small kid on another ATV forum saying that his son was starting to develop a lack of respect for the 4wheeler because he was pushing it's limits too far and wasn't making wise choices. He put the kid back on 2 wheels and the kid started to ride a bit more safe.

Just food for thought....
 
Nothing wrong with the electric power wheels. I started both of my kids with them. I paid $50 for a new one that had fallen off the shelf and damaged in the store display. I hooked up to a Optima battery and it can go for hours without flattening the battery.
 
Look at some later model Kawasaki KFX50's they are larger framed machines for 50cc's. I've had my son on one since he was 3 and he loves it.
 
Thanks for the contributions. I am still leaning on it. It seems the market downturn has made a bunch of beginner rides more available.

:beer:
 
I bought a chinese quad for my son , because I knew he would outgrow it fast,and he did. He now has a honda 400ex. If you really want your son to learn riding skills, start him on a 2 wheeler first. To Each His Own. Good Luck.
 
Michael Hanson said:
Finally bought a Yamaha 4-wheeler and all 5 of my kids learned how to ride on it,great little 4-wheeler that will be used for the grand kids one day. Mike
Click to expand...

X2 on the Yamaha. We bought our son one when he was 5 also to teach him how to ride. He rode the hell out of it. Good little starter 4-wheeler.
 
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