None of my business how ya raise your kids but....

[ironchop]

I think some folks know where I`m coming from. ATV`s get a bad rap as it is and once someone with any power sees the kinda stuff I`ve been seeing on Youtube, Quads can also go the way of the trike regarding the CPSC if they have their way.



Like I said...raise yer younguns how ya want as it`s not for me to say but a kid this small shouldnt be on a Banshee in the first place in my opinion. This kinda stuff is all over Youtube. Four and five year olds on 400ex. Small kids with no helmets or riding dirtbikes and quads way too large and powerful for the child.

one slip of that throttle thumb from a stump bouncing off a front tire and that thing rockets your 60lb. child into a tree and you might change your mind. Not to mention that he becomes another statistic the rest of the ATV community has to pay for in the long run....rant over

[leviblue]

it's all how you look at it. I don't think a 5yo should be on a banshee but I'm not their parent. Over the 4th of July weekend this year I was running an Outlaw Big Block Sprint car and we had a 12yo running hot laps with us. He wasn't alowed to race but could run pratice with us. I gotta say it was TOO MUCH MOTOR for him but he managed to get it around the track with a decent time. Then again I was running a 350 sprint at 12yo. Some kids can handle it some can't. If ALL SAFETY gear is worn and the child knows the risks, I'm sure they have crashed before, then let'em at it.

[ironchop]

the way I see it though, the only way yer gonna find out if they can handle it or not, is by sticking your small kid on it and see what happens next...and that is one HUGE chance to take....I wouldn`t do it, myself...my son started riding an ATC110 at age 8...did really well and graduated to a 200S a year later and at 10, he pushed that thing to it`s limits...No sooner than I turned my head, the boy was crashin thru fences, jumping it, and trying to ride it down the road. I educated him on how to ride BEFOREHAND and gave him the rules. Helmet ALWAYS. NO riding on the blacktop. NO intentionally trying to jump the fence type stuff....He tried it anyway.....spent alot of time grounded from his trike.

He has an `83 200X now we been rebuilding. He`s Fifteen. I am glad I would never have put that boy on a Banshee at 8....I don`t believe in laws restricting parents for cc size and whatnot like they have these days and I still think it`s a parents choice....however, I am saying I believe it to be a BAD idea to begin with and if it goes horribly wrong, not only does the kid pay but footage like this is like ammunition for banners and their little documentary shows that get the public scared and calling for government action. Then, the actions of a few carry a price for the many.... It`s just bad form, man.

and my parents were SMART for making me ride the CR80 when I was that age instead of the 250R I wanted to ride...I would have definitely maimed myself as much a daredevil as I was.

[fabiodriven]

Shouldn't be on it IMO.

[corndawg]

it's all how you look at it. I don't think a 5yo should be on a banshee but I'm not their parent. Over the 4th of July weekend this year I was running an Outlaw Big Block Sprint car and we had a 12yo running hot laps with us. He wasn't alowed to race but could run pratice with us. I gotta say it was TOO MUCH MOTOR for him but he managed to get it around the track with a decent time. Then again I was running a 350 sprint at 12yo. Some kids can handle it some can't. If ALL SAFETY gear is worn and the child knows the risks, I'm sure they have crashed before, then let'em at it.

big block sprint car? mind pmin or maybe startin a thread in the open forum with pics and details?, ive only ever been around 410 and 360 sprints which are both small blocks, even the world of outlaw cars are 410 small block

[hang&rattle]

Get alot of heat for my kids and their riding. They have been hurt more on horses. More kids even younger than 5 are hurt or killed everyear on horses. In car wrecks. Drowning. It's still a some-what free country. And if someone is stupid enough to point out how dangerous cycles are and not smart enough to look at other activities they can STFU and kiss both sides to my arse. I cannot and will not drop my I.Q. to deal with stupid people who raise their kids like pussies. That kid was in a contolled atmosphere, and was safe and having fun. Ever see a five year old get stepped on by a steer or calf at a rodeo? I do not go with the statas quo. I know whats best for my kids. That young kid riding was fine. And I hate the what if he accidentally stabs the throttle and hits the dog and the bike catches fire and hes burns to death. I think the scare that the CPSC has started has even infected atv'ers and seeped the brainwash into many. Just like milk causes cancer, or you need to have insurance (so some politician can get rich), just incase you get cancer. Contol your mind, don't think yourself sick or think your kids in danger and it will not happen, period.

[harryredtrike]

im sure it wasnt his first trip to the rodeo.it looked like he had a healthy respect for the machine.i started mine young,2yrs old on riding.7 kids a year die in buckets every year around the house,ban buckets.

[Fungo Wizard]

I hear what all of you are saying, but why can we not go buy our beloved trikes new at the dealer anymore? It is because of things like this. I am all for letting them learn, but it is a black eye waiting to happen to the atv community again. Hey more power to the little guy for riding it, but I think we will all agree we do not need any more bad press because of this type of thing.

[HuffieVA]

I think there is a big difference between letting "A particular kid" ride something and letting "Any Kid" ride something... The reason trikes are in the situation they are now is the "Any Kid" part of the equation...

How can you put an age requirement on skill and talent?

[JayBone]

I don't care what you do with your kid until it effects me or my wallet. (I don't have kids). Educating your kid comes in many different forms good & bad. I think the kid is doing fine, but it is a bit of a fast quad IMO. I'm glad he has a helmet on at least and maybe he has good skills and could be the next Pastrana or Christopher Reeve. Time will tell.

[Mr_RPM]

im sure it wasnt his first trip to the rodeo.it looked like he had a healthy respect for the machine.i started mine young,2yrs old on riding.7 kids a year die in buckets every year around the house,ban buckets.

exactly, he looked like a better rider then most of my 18-26 year old friends, just for the fact that he could drive a clutch without stalling it.
Some kids just have a natural ability to do things earlier then others. some adults (alot) couldn't do what he did in that simple video.
yeah its a fast quad and maybe asking for it, but its up to the people that know his ability to choose. also he could just be a small guy, might be a little older then we think. could be 10 for all we know.

[Billy Golightly]

He looks like a very well taught and trained capable child that should not have his own abilities stunted because he is above average and more capable than most.

[RIDE-RED 250r]

Definately a touchy subject. I for one wouldnt put a youngster like that on a banshee or any other high perf quad or trike. The kid may be well trainable and ahead of the curve compared to some others, but physics does come into play here. Fact of the matter is that if a kid that size riding a full size race machine finds himself in a hairy situation, he doesnt have the strength and body mass needed to manuever the thing out of trouble the way a more expereinced, adult sized rider can. Dont get me wrong, im totally against the govt sticking their big fat noses in. I just think that common sense would dictate that kids that size are clearly much to small to handle a full size machine. Not saying i would agree with laws about this, but i do agree with the OP, this kind of thing plays nicely into the hands of the anti-everything crowds hands if the kid gets hurt...but ultimately, its up to the parents, and thats the way it should be

[Dammit!]

I don't have a problem putting kids on bikes with some power. I don't agree with putting them on something that's way too big for them though. My own personal opinion is, you can teach a kid to operate something like that but there's no way he has the strength or body weight to truly handle it. Knowing how to operate something and actually being able to really handle it are two different things. 3 wheeler riders of all people should know there's a lot of instances that require a bit of man handling a bike to really control it. Small children just don't have that strength.

To each their own though. I would never put a kid that size on a bike that heavy. My rule has always been, if a kid can't put his feet flat on the ground while seated on the bike, it's too big for him. That's how we handled it when I was just a kid anyway. We had to be able to lift it by the grab bar too. I've always felt those two things are actually a pretty good metric for what size machines to put a kid on.

Edit: me and ride red were apparently posting at the same time.

[factoryX]

ditto, my friends have been riding banshee's since they where 10, even though this is stupid they have some respect for the vehicle they are riding.