Youth Racing - Beginners
BIKE BUYIN’
Sounds easy, doesn’t it? But which bike to buy? So many bikes, so little time! Buying a kid's motorcycle for the first time can be a very confusing experience so we have put together some tips to help you out as much as we can.
Size matters! The most important factor is getting the right size bike for your rider. Make sure they can touch the ground easily, feel comfortable, and like they are in control of the bike, not vice-versa. It is always better to buy a bike a little smaller or less powerful than needed until they learn the basics, so they do not feel overwhelmed, then move them up to a bigger, faster bike once they have mastered the basics. The beauty of buying youth motorcycles is they usually hold their value well.
This is good because they outgrow them pretty quickly! In order to control the top speed of a beginner bike, many beginner bikes also have adjustments (governor) for the throttle (typically located on the throttle assembly) and/or a removable limiter plate in the exhaust so you can control the top speed of the bike and adjust it as they gain more experience.
Obviously, they will also need the proper bike for the race class(es) they are planning to enter. Check out our race series pages, as well as the classes available. The classes are usually separated by age and/or motor size, as well as skill level. For example, there are typically 50cc, 65cc, 85cc engine classes but those are usually based on two-stroke motors. Larger cc sizes are sometimes allowed if you have a four-stroke motorcycle.
For example, if you have 125cc four-stroke, it may be allowed in the 85cc class, and the 16-and-under class may allow you to race anything up to a 150cc Four stroke or two-stroke. Make sure you read the rules on the race leagues (located on the menu above) and decide which classes may be the best for your child. It might be a good idea to contact the race league in which you plan to race before making a purchase.
Fortunately, even if you already have a bike, there is almost always a class available for whatever you already have. Again, you want them in a class they feel comfortable in, so they do not feel overwhelmed, you also want to make sure the bike, as well as their age/skill level, are eligible for the class entered. Believe me, you do not want to get them all excited and pumped for their first race only to pull up to the starting line and then have to tell your child they cannot race because you entered them in the wrong class. We have seen too many tears shed from this!
Pro tip: If you buy a bike from a dealer, most will help with some sort of package discount on gear and accessories, so be sure to let them know if you are planning to spend more money on other products. If they offer you a package discount it is probably a good time to investigate purchasing some initial items you will need right away such as riding gear, handguards, skid plates, oil, chain lube, other accessories, etc
GEAR BUYIN’
Riding gear is next on the list. Avoid purchasing these items online until you have some more experience and know exactly what you are looking for. You might save a few bucks online, but you will not have the option to try things on or ask a salesperson about the safety features and different components of each product.
It will save you money in the long run and you will know it fits properly, feels comfortable, and is what you are looking for. You typically cannot return these products after using them, so you want to get it right the first time! Walk around the store with boots on to see if they pinch, shake your head with the helmet on to see if it is loose or not.
See if the chest protector works with the neck brace. All this cannot be done online. Our partners on this page are usually giving great discounts so contact them and go to their store and they will help you choose the right products for your needs. We always recommend all the different types of safety gear that is available. Even though the costs can seem like a lot up front, it is always cheaper than a trip to the doctor! Listed below is the typical gear needed to ride. Most people buy them in this order of importance.
Helmet: Quality is king! Do not skimp here! Remember, this is to protect the brain! Check the safety features of the different helmets and choose wisely. Most quality helmets have some sort of system in them to let the helmet move separately from the head in the event of an accident; make sure and buy quality over looks. You do not necessarily have to buy the top helmet just because it has the coolest paint job, but you do not want a cheapie from a box store either. Try many of them on before purchasing to make sure they fit correctly.
The helmet should be somewhat tight against the cheeks without crushing your face. A good test is to shake your head back and forth and see how loose the helmet is. It should stay with your head for the most part. There are many different head types and different helmet brands can fit differently. Also, Hand-me-downs are fine if they have not taken a big hit or aren’t too old and brittle; either of which could compromise the integrity of the shell. We use the 5-year rule here regarding age.
While Grandpas sparkly green open face helmet from 1974 is pretty cool (we would agree), the newer generation of helmets far exceed the safety standards from back then. Speaking of safety standards, did you know that helmets have different test ratings? Some are more rigorous than others. There is way too much detail to go into on this page but you may want to check out the different ratings and tests involved in this short article:
https://www.gearpatrol.com/cars/motorcycles/a488762/motorcycle-helmet-rating-guide-dot-ece-snell/.
One reason certain helmets may cost more is that they have gone through higher tests standards, which costs the manufacturer more money to get approved. These ratings will typically be marked on the back of the helmet. The most common ones are DOT (Department of Transportation), ECE,and SNELL. Also, if you see any damage to a helmet, just replace it. Ask yourself, Is your child’s brain worth using an old broken helmet?
Goggles: Proper goggles protect your eyes from rocks and dirt being thrown from the rear tire of the bikes in front of you, as well as tree branches, rain, snow, or even hail! They also keep the wind and dust from your eyes so you can see better while riding. In general, most goggles do a pretty good job of protecting. Make sure they work well with the helmet and that they fit the riders face well. There are some that have other features you may want to look into. Some have tinted lenses (for sunny situations), dual pane lenses (to help with fogging), and lenses with posts for tearoffs.
Tearoffs are typically used for motocross and are basically plastic shields that you put on the front of the lenses before a race and tear them off while riding to remove any mud or dirt that may hit the goggles. Keep in mind that these are usually not allowed in trail areas or off road races, such as Enduros and Hare Scrambles as they are as thrown on the ground and would be left all over the forests and on the trails.
They are usually allowed on private land where most motocross tracks are located. Please check with your race league if you have any questions. Alternatively, they are also goggles that use Roll-offs. These have spools on each side of the goggle with a string that you can use to pull a plastic strip across the lenses from one side to the other. These typically are used for off road racing or trail riding and can be used anywhere as they stay attached to the goggle for later disposal.
Boots: Good boots are next on the list. Your feet can catch rocks and bumps, so they need good protection. The bike can also fall on your ankles when tipping over, or at the very least, they give you a stable platform on your arches on those skinny foot pegs compared to sneakers. Most standard motocross boots do just fine.
Try to get some that have decent ankle protection on the sides. Make sure they do not pinch toes or ankles when walking or riding. Walk around the store a little bit and bend your knees while standing so you and see if they pinch at the ankles. As your kids start getting faster and jumping and outgrow them, you may want to upgrade to better boots with more ankle support, stiffer soles, inner booties, etc.
Gloves: Gloves are typically cheap and will help from blisters while riding and help keep their hands safe during the inevitable tip-overs they will experience. There are usually package deals along with jerseys and pants so look for those. While theoretically you can use any type of glove, riding gloves are usually designed to help protect the knuckles and are flexible for using the controls easily. Using leather work gloves may seem like a good idea, but they are typically bulky and get in the way, making it hard to use the levers and throttle.
Jerseys and pants: You will see alot of kids (and adults) just wearing jeans and a t-shirt while riding. This works ok if you are on a very tight budget. However, riding gear is specifically designed to be more comfortable, flexible, breathable, and a more durable than jeans/t-shirt. For example, riding jerseys are made to wick sweat away and are usually vented to keep you cooler than a cotton t-shirt.
The pants are designed to wear while in the riding position for comfort and to compensate for knee braces/guards and typically have extra protection on the inside of the knees and other areas that wear quickly. If you are just starting out or your child is going through a growth spurt, look for package deals on these and you will find it is not necessary to spend a huge wad of cash on the newest fashion or performance. Chances are, they will not know the difference anyway and will outgrow them fairly quickly.
Chest protector: These help protect the upper torso when falling on rocks, hitting trees, or just hitting the handlebars. Most brands are decent for learning how to ride but upgrading to higher quality plastics with better padding is a good idea once the speeds increase.
There are many different styles of these. Some are worn over the jersey while others are designed to be worn underneath a jersey. Pay attention to the sections of padding that are attached. There are some that only cover the chest. Others have additional protection over the chest, back, sides, shoulders and even elbows. More coverage is always better. Make sure you try them on so they fit comfortably, or they will not want to wear them. These have come a long way and now some are designed with neck braces already built in or slots to attach the neck brace and chest protector.
Neck brace: These are designed to help protect damage to the neck and spine from the helmet being pushed too far forward, backward, or side-to -side in the event of a crash or even just a hard landing. There are many different versions of these, and prices vary greatly. Typically, the more expensive ones are better developed, lighter, and have more adjustability for comfort, so it depends on what you are looking for. Try these on with the helmet and chest protector to make sure they have enough freedom to be able to look around. These are sometimes integrated into a chest protector, or they are made to coincide with certain chest protectors, so try them together before purchasing.
Knee guards and knee braces: Knee guards usually strap on and cover the front of the shin and knee. They are not expensive and will help protect knees and ankles. Knee braces do the same but also support the knee from side-to-side motion and add strength while standing. There is also hybrids that meet in the middle; so look around and do your research before grabbing something from the shelf.
Elbow guards: Sometimes these are built into the chest protectors, and they can also be purchased separately. Look for the style that have plastic on the outside and are adjustable, so they will not slide down to the wrists while riding.
Gear bag: If money is tight, you can honestly use any bag when getting started. However, it is nice to be able to have a large bag with specific pockets for all the gear as it helps to keep things from getting lost. It also aids in learning organizational skills for the young rider. Getting one with wheels is another bonus as you will be loading and unloading it quite a lot.
