Are you planning to buy your little kid a 50cc dirt bike? If so, then you must first consider what age is a 50cc dirt bike for. That said, dirt bikes are pretty much accessible for younger kids compared to street bikes.
In fact, children around the age of 4 can start riding a 50cc dirt bike safely, provided that their bikes have training wheels attached to them.
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How Old Should a Kid Be to Ride a 50cc Dirt Bike
In general, kids aged 4 and up can safely ride a 50cc dirt bike. A lot of 50cc dirt bikes in the market are quite safe for kids to use, not to mention you can attach your kid’s 50cc dirt bike with training wheels to make it even safer.
They’re also fairly lightweight and have minimal speed for easy control. However, there are other factors that you have to take into account.
Let’s have a look at what these factors are:
1. The Speed of the Dirt Bike
One important factor is how fast does a 50cc dirt bike go. On average, a 50cc dirt bike can go around 25 to 30 miles per hour.
Even a 50cc dirt bike for adults has the same speed. However, this will depend on the engine type a bike uses.
Most 50cc dirt bikes on the market use a two-stroke engine. However, there are also 50cc dirt bikes that use a four-stroke engine, allowing them to reach max speeds of up to 50 mph.
While this might sound fast, it’s actually a pretty slow and safe speed for kids around the age of 4. Besides, most of them will just stick to using 1st or 2nd gear when riding anyway.
If speed is a major concern, you can limit your kid’s 50cc dirt bike speed and make sure he wears protective gear. You can do this using either a throttle limit or a kill switch.
2. Your Child’s Experience
While your child can ride a 50cc dirt bike on the road as early as 4 years old, his prior experience will still come into play. If your child already tried riding an electric dirt bike before, then he would be able to ride a dirt bike for kids without any major problems.
On the other hand, if your child hasn’t tried riding a dirt bike before, you might want to train them using an electric bike instead. But if you have 12 year old kids, a petrol bike would be the more suitable option.
3. Your Child’s Maturity
Your child’s maturity is also another important factor to consider before you get your child a 50cc 2-stroke dirt bike. This is because some kids around 4-7 years old will behave more maturely, while others would still require parental supervision.
This will depend on whether you consider your child to be mature for his age or not. If you’re a rider, you should know how hard it is to ride a dirt bike.
As such, it’s up to you to assess whether your child can do it at his age.
4. Your Child’s Physique
You should also consider your child’s current physique. Remember that dirt bike riding is a physically demanding sport, so if your child can’t physically handle a dirt bike yet, you must wait until he can do so.
Aside from that, the height of a dirt bike’s seat varies from one model to another. If your child is not tall enough, he might have trouble balancing on the bike and even operating it.
Luckily, most 50cc dirt bikes have an average seat height of around 20 inches. Other brands, like the Yamaha PW50 or the Honda 50cc dirt bikes, have a lower seat height, making it far easier for smaller kids to balance.
As your child ages, you can transition to dirt bikes for kids age 11 and up with a higher seat height.
What to Consider Before You Buy a 50cc Dirt Bike for Your Kid
Now that we know the factors that will help you determine if a 50cc dirt bike is right for your kid, let’s talk about the factors you should consider before buying one.
They’re as follows:
- Engine Type – A 50cc dirt bike comes in either a two-stroke or a four-stroke engine. Generally, a two-stroke is more lightweight. However, a four-stroke engine is way easier to control at lower speeds.
- Transmission – Most 50cc dirt bikes come with an automatic clutch which allows your child to focus more on balancing and steering the bike. You can switch to manual transmission once your child gets older, say 13 year old or 14 year old.
- Starter System – You also want to pick the right starter system for your child. An electric starter is generally far easier to operate, especially if your child has no prior experience. As he gains enough experience, you can switch to bikes with a kick-start system.
- Throttle Limiter – A throttle limiter lets you prevent your child from going too fast when he’s still learning how to ride. You can then freely adjust it once your child has gained enough experience and self-control.
Best 50cc Dirt Bikes for Kids
There are a lot of great options out there when it comes to the best 50cc dirt bike for kids. Here’s a comparison table outlining the 5 best bikes on the market to help you decide:
| Name | Seat Height | Engine Type | Top Speed |
| KTM 50 SX Mini | 22 inches | Two-stroke | 45mph |
| Yamaha PW50 | 18.7 inches | Two-stroke | 45mph |
| SSR 50cc | 23 inches | Two-stroke | 25mph |
| Suzuki DR-Z50 | 22 inches | Four-stroke | 30mph |
| Honda CRF50 | 21.6 inches | Four-stroke | 30mph |
Conclusion
Hope this answers your question of what age is a 50cc dirt bike for.
As you can see, it’s actually possible to teach your kids how to ride one at a very young age. As long as they’re physically capable of handling off-road adventures and terrains, then they should be able to handle a 50cc dirt bike with enough practice.
Of course, this could mean they’ll struggle with their balance during the first few tries, but since they’re using a 50cc bike, they should be generally safe.
