Advice required - pocket bike for 11 yr old

[ABS]

Hey,

I know this might be better suited for pocketbike section but i need the masses help, my brother has wanted a bike since he was 5 and in the last year has matured alot, he has saved $150 of his own pocket money ( at $6 a week! ) and wants a bike...

I promised my mum i'd find a bike that was sturdy, well built and not super crazy fast...

Can you guys suggest options in terms of specs, price and where in perth?
I'm holidaying back home dec 8th to 31st and will probabaly pick him one up then ( if we find something suitable)

Im wondering if a 50cc actual dirt bike might be better??

I appreciate the help and advice
Michael

[rover]

Get a pee wee 50
you can get a speed limiter for them too, so you can gradually increase speed as they get better at riding

Sorry, but I'm not sure how much they cost :S
Surely more reliable and will last longer than a cheap pocket bike though.

[thro]

+1 for proper dirt bike - and not a PW50.

Being 11, he's right at the age where he's going to grow fast and before you know it, he'll look like a gorilla on a tricycle...

At age 11 i was riding an MX-100 (old school 2 stroke dirt bike) and had a ball. It was my first bike - powerband, no throtle limiter, 6 gears, etc... I was still riding it at 15, and it was still fun

I'd be looking at 2 stroke 80s or 4 stroke 125s if he's tall enough to ride them?

I'd definitely go secondhand if you decide to get a proper dirt bike, as it *will* be dropped and bent, etc


or, lower budget... pocket bike...


Obviously with a proper dirt bike, you'd need a trailer/ute to get it to the dirt... if you don't the pocket bike is probably a better option - can just chuck it in the back of the car...




edit:
Maybe something similar to this, second hand:
Honda MPE - CRF150R 08


My concern would be that if you get something like a 3 speed small 4 stroke or auto pw50 or something - it WILL be outgrown within 6 months I reckon.... 11 is old enough to learn how to ride a "proper" bike.

[=Stevo=]

a pee wee 50 will be too small at 11 I would have thought....

I had one and grew out of it at about 8 or so, was onto the 3 speed 80 as soon as my feet could almost touch the ground on it

[Psyched]

+1 for a real dirt bike. Every pocketbike I've seen is poorly built. Also there is really no where appropriate to ride the fuking things. I've only ever seen them on the footpath taking stuipid risks. Usually with an adult you'd think knew better on it.

my 2 bobs worth.

[rover]

Yeah. Now that I think about it () pw50 is probably too small :S

I've never ridden a pocket bike, but I'd assume that you can't learn to ride a real bike by riding a pocket bike? Wouldn't they just be too small and unco.

[jak47]

makes me sad the bikes your recomending are as powerful as mine
125

[stone]

11,get him an 80cc at least. If your worried he might be a bit of a hoon and hurt him self on a MX style 80,Id sugest an old Suzi DS 80,very reliable and long lasting for a 2 stroke.

One thing you should realy look at is how tall is he? I was very small at eleven and a motorcross size 80 was a tad on the tall side,where as I was very cumffy on my old yammy GT 80,(it was basicly the trail version of the first YZ 80).

[Ken Oath]

IMHO an 11 year old will be too big for a 50cc.

Got a TT-R90 for my oldest, he was about 9 at the time and graduating from a Z50, but he outgrew it, (size-wise, not performance wise) in a matter of months.

So my 8 year has the TT-R90, and I got a TT-R 125 for the odlest. He's 12 now, had it for about 18 months. However I got the large hweel version, which was a bit too big for him for some time.

The problem I found is that size wise, there's a big jump from 90cc to 125...like an 11 year old will likely be too big for a 90, but if has only just started riding, a 125 may be too powerful for him.

If he hasn't ridden before, suggest getting a small wheel 125.

[esquire]

Honda XR80

[taint]

Is he about avg size for an 11yo. Get him either a 65cc 2-stroker KTM or yami, or an 85cc 2-stroker from any of the larger manufacturers.

The kawasaki 85cc has a power valve(as does the KTM) I think and this allows you to tune the power delivery.

You can also get throttle stops put in to stop them messing themselves up too badly

The large/small wheel 125 referenced above is a 4-stroke I am assuming and may be decent for an 100 yo, they will make about the same HP as a race 65-2 stroke and be about the same size

[thro]

makes me sad the bikes your recomending are as powerful as mine
125

Horses for courses. Your CBR125 will put out a fair bit more power than a dirt 125 four stroke i would wager.

[cebafed]

what does he want???

[ABS]

Hey thanks for the advice thus far,

he is 28kgs and 140cm
He is ADHD and has a bad bad temper ( main reason for trying to restrict him! )
he has never been on any bike ( even mine )
they live in banskia grove near the track out there ( i think dirt riders go out there too?)
he wants what ever we get him!!!
budget about $300-$400

thanks for the help thus far, a print out of this thread will be used to help "sell" mum !!

[thro]

realistically, if your budget is 300-400 you're either limited to a pocketbike or a project.


which might not be a bad thing, a project bike will give him a hobby