What did you guys start your kids riding on and what age?

[200XMichigan]

Just got my son a YF60 for next summer, actually 2 YF60's. One complete and one in parts. I am debating on converting it to a YT60, or I might wait until after he has gotten a little ride time on it. At the same rate the YF60 is very cool in its own way and is kind of a piece of history in its own way.

Would you guys convert it to a YT or leave it?

I am also asking because I have never ridden a quad myself so I have absolutely no idea what they really handle like. (I know...crappy, but is it safer for my kid)

I certainly don't want to debate quads vs trikes, nor do I want to hear from people who don't have kids that I should turn it into a YT60, because I know its cooler. I really want to know what most people have started their kids riding on.

[Xpress]

I started on a 79 Z50 when I was 12, which was 6 years ago. I think he'll be fine on the YF- as long as he's having safe fun, right? :)

[200XMichigan]

He'll be 3 next July by the way, yeah the trike nut in me want to turn it into a YT60, but there's really no reason to. And I kind of think for a 3 year old a quad may be better to learn on.

[Aregistereduser]

id transform it into a trike. but thats me most of my family has trike bred in em, even my neice's. but how fast would you think hed be going on it?
i started out riding a 200's at like 7.

[shortline10]

I started both my kids off on a 50cc quad at the age of 4 1/2 years old . After a year or so I moved them up to a yt60 which is pretty quick for a little person LOL . Now my oldest child is 8 and she rides a atc110 and loves it . IMO starting them off on a quad till they get the hang of it is best then move them to a 3 wheeler .

[Mr_RPM]

I started on a cheap 5hp Briggs go cart when i was 6 and went to my 110 when I was 7-8. I still ride the 110 11 years later...lol not the whole time but its always been a part of the crew. did not ride a quad till i was around 10 (trx200sx)

[thestud25]

I don't have kids, but my nieces started out on one of my JR50's, and they quickly swithched to one of my ALT50 3 wheelers. The ALT 50 has a throttle stop, a kill switch to walk behind, and not near the torque or speed of the YT60.

[TrailerRider]

We only ride 3 wheelers in our family, we have a big ass 250 quad that collects dust. Frankly it scares the sh!t out of me when my wife gets on it. I watched her roll it along time ago and I would sell that thing if she would let me.

Oldest son 10yrs started on a 90 Honda. Now 14 rides Honda 185 and looking for a 200x and always wants to race me :twisted:
Daughter 10yrs started on 90 Honda. Now 12 but she still rides and loves her little 90.
Youngest son 10 started on 90 Honda. Now 11 but still rides his 90.
Not my kids but I have been giving my nephu rides on my 200s and X and he loves them.
My cousin redid a 200m with a 185 motor I gave to my uncle so he could teach his new wife how to ride.
Just found out a coworker is getting his 8yr old son a 70 atc for xmass.

Long live the 3 wheelers!!

[200XMichigan]

The YF60's have a throttle limiter, doesn't seem to hard to add a walk behind kill switch. That's a good idea. The cool thing is it will be real easy to turn one of the YF60's into a YT60 when he is older.

He just got his first chance to use of throttle the other day on the 250ES, with me actually driving it of course. I had let him rev the YT175 in neutral this summer and he is hooked. For a few days after we would ride the YT175 around the field he would make 2 stroke sounds for all his HotWheels.

[dcreel]

The YF60's have a throttle limiter, doesn't seem to hard to add a walk behind kill switch. That's a good idea. The cool thing is it will be real easy to turn one of the YF60's into a YT60 when he is older.

He just got his first chance to use of throttle the other day on the 250ES, with me actually driving it of course. I had let him rev the YT175 in neutral this summer and he is hooked. For a few days after we would ride the YT175 around the field he would make 2 stroke sounds for all his HotWheels.

The YF60 has a walk behind tether to shut it off, same as the yt60. My daughter was almost 5 when she started riding a tri-zinger. When she was 5 we put her on an lt80. She rolled it standing up while turning. She now wants a dirtbike. If I ever come across a decent 4-zinger for sale I'll pick it up. I think they are kind of cool with the little truck front end on them. If you did want to convert it all you would need is the frame and the front forks. All the rest of the parts will swap over.

[Jason125m]

You could do what my dad did when i was 3 or 4, Put a screw in the throttle so i could only go a certain speed. ( Very slow in first) Thats what im going to do when i have kids.

[200XMichigan]

It already has the screw in the throttle so I figure I can make it pretty slow for him. Yeah I like the truck front end, its pretty cool. That was the other reason I was debating on turning it into a YT because it's pretty cool as it is. Would putting a spacer between the reed cage like people do on race bikes to make them more trailable make it so it would work better for a kid learning to ride?

Is the engine in the YT/YF60's a more powerful engine than other kids sized trikes and quads?

[atc350xer]

I started both my kids off on a 50cc quad at the age of 4 1/2 years old . After a year or so I moved them up to a yt60 which is pretty quick for a little person LOL . Now my oldest child is 8 and she rides a atc110 and loves it . IMO starting them off on a quad till they get the hang of it is best then move them to a 3 wheeler .

I did the same thing... a Chinese quad when my kid was 5, then a 70 w/ 88cc kit when she was 7... she's going to be 8 in 2 weeks, and she's almost ready for a bigger one!

[harryredtrike]

my girl was on an electric quad(boo) at age 2,electric trike at 3,mini bike at 4, and a regular 110cc quad at 5.just started her out the trikes this summer,she is 14 now.she'll be on a trike at 16 when its legal in michigan.

[RubberSalt]

My Nephiews started at about 7 or so riding with me on the trike. One of my nephiews has a 50cc quad and he's 4 years old. Other nephiew has another 50cc, he's 7 now. The oldest - we just gave him an ATC90 for his birthday a week ago.

[200XMichigan]

I have been taking him for rides around the field since he was 2, he loves it.

Can the YF60 be turned down pretty slow with the throttle limiting screw? I have a Power Wheels Quad but it needs batteries and would rather just put the money into the Yamaha. He seemed to have a healthy respect for machines, when he was on the 250ES with me I let him hit the throttle and he let off after we got moving a little bit.

[thestud25]

Yeah it can be dumbed all the way down to an idle. Limit the speed, pad and helmet him up, and let him go.

[RIDE-RED 250r]

At 4 years old, i would let my son take the controls of his ATC110 with me on it with him. The next summer, when he was 5 i let him ride alone in 1st gear, low range only and ALWAYS supervised. Now at almost 7, hes getting up through the gears in low range like a champ....But the trouble is, its murder on my yard! Lol! And now that im letting him play in the gearbox a little bit, he thinks his wheeler is faster than my R.....Dads little man, already wanting to race!

[Mr_RPM]

........................ ATC110...................... he thinks his wheeler is faster than my R.....Dads little man, already wanting to race!

Thinks.....yeah................ right ;) haha
just messin

(110s wooooo)

[RIDE-RED 250r]

Lol Mr. RPM! Last winter, we had enough snow in the backyard to break the sleds out, but he could still get around on his 110. I raced him on my MXZ800 and he beat me! He never lets me live it down.....Funny how young they can learn to trash talk..lol! You should hear him bragging to his cousins about how he beat Dad on his snowmobile.....

[KASEY]

all three of my girls started on an ALT50 .. all were under 3 when they first started piloting it by themselves. that was along time ago too.. now all three of them have a 250r and ride the dunes regularly

[Mr_RPM]

haha, it never ends either. Im 18 and dad 40 and he still never hears the end of it. Threw my whole 110 build we have been trash talkin on the debate of 110 Vs. Big red. haha


Just wait till you let him In High range, your 250 is gonna need some help. =P

[oldtime3wheeler]

Heres a vid of my son when he was 5. He started riding his atc70 when he was a little over 4.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCPS2e4ZWMw&feature=player_detailpage

[atc350xer]

Heres a vid of my son when he was 5. He started riding his atc70 when he was a little over 4.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCPS2e4ZWMw&feature=player_detailpage

awesome... I had my daughter doing ice donuts when I got hers last winter

[rray62]

When he was 5, I got him an ATC70. He got dang good on it too, he would climb some hills that the poor trike could barely make. At 8 he wanted to get into bikes, because I was riding them more. So I got him a PW80. At 10, it was too small so he went to a CR80. Wasn't long he was hitting jumps that made adults cry. That same year he was ripping on a 350x I had. Everybody couldn't believe how such a little guy could throw around a big machine. At 12, I misjudged a huge double and told him to hit it in 4th instead of 5th. He piled up hard. He pretty much gave up on riding. He's 18 now, and he rides the 500 on my track once in a blue moon. He mainly rides the CBR I gave him last year.

[200XMichigan]

I was surprised yesterday I let him use the throttle on the 250ES with me on it and he got it down on the third try. He refused to get in the car until I took him on a "bike" ride. He was climbing up on the Big Red demanding I take him on a ride. So out we went and he actually got the throttle pretty good. The driveway was covered in snow and he drove it for about 25 feet or so. He loved it. This winter will be a lesson in throttle control for him and next summer he's going to get a YF60 all fixed up for his 3rd birthday

[86'250sx]

When I was 6 my dad let me take control of the yt125 and a few weeks after that I was riding the 175 with twist throttle. I wouldnt recomend the 125 let alone the 175 for any child just starting out. I was only aloud into 2nd gear but if I didnt listen I could of went flyin into 5th, no throttle screw or anything. I also did my first wheelie at 6 too, didnt mean to though lol.

[corndawg]

....he would make 2 stroke sounds for all his HotWheels.

haha thats awsome, my 2 yr old daughter makes the 2 stroke sounds too, in my truck when we stop she will do the "bing bing bing" and when i take off its "bahhhhh.bahhhhh" she even goes thru the gears with it, its hilarious. gets all kinds of stares when she does it in the shopping cart at walmart lol

[Lord Letto 20]

my 2 nieces started on electric quads and the oldest of the 2 who is now 5 received a YT60 in the summer.

[Thorpe]

My boys got their first experiences on dads BR... Still small to be riding on their own... Although my kid did get his first "wheeler" when he was 10 months old... (power wheels)