Riding motorcycles is our passion and we want to share it with the ones we love. For riders who have children, getting them on a bike is only a natural want. But how young is too young to start your children riding and how do you know when they are ready? Honda Powersports offers training classes for kids ages six and up at the Colton Rider Education Center. But are all kids ready at the same age?
No one knows your child better than you, and if you think about the abilities necessary to be able to ride safely, you will be able to determine when your child is ready. Some children will undoubtedly be able to handle a bike at an earlier age than others, while some may not be ready until they are well older. It’s up to the parent to make the right choices so the sport can be safe and enjoyable for the children.
One thing to look for when considering if your children are ready is how well they can ride a bicycle. You want to make sure that your child has a sense of awareness while they are riding. If they are able to avoid obstacles with ease and know their limits without going too far, then they might be ready. Many parents will make sure that their children are able to ride a bicycle without training wheels before they will step them up to something with a motor. The child should have exceptional coordination and be able to make snap decisions when obstacles present themselves.
Another thing to consider is how interested in riding your child really is. Do they pretend to ride the bike or ask you about it all the time? Do they love riding with you? If the child just has a passing interest or is indifferent to it all together, maybe they shouldn’t be pushed into riding. If they are not dedicated to riding, the risks of getting hurt may go up. Being unfocused makes the rider not as safe as they can be. They may be physically able to ride, but if they are not mentally ready, then letting them ride on their own should wait until they are.
If we start our kids off too early, they might not develop the skills and judgment that are needed for safe and fun riding properly. We want our kids to enjoy the sport just as much as we do, so finding the right time to start them is very important. If you start them riding at the right time and they grow to love it, you will have many years of riding together to enjoy.
When you do get them riding, make sure that they learn all the proper ways to ride and gear up. There are a lot of choices when it comes to quality youth gear to keep your child safe. When they learn how to do things right in the beginning, they are less likely to develop bad habits later on. Bringing your child to a riding school can be very beneficial. There, they might pick up on some riding tactics that you may have missed. Who knows, you might learn something new as well.
To keep them interested in the sport when they can’t ride, think about involving them in the upkeep of the machine. If they understand how things work and are able to fix some simple things themselves they might become more engaged in the sport as a whole.
How young have you started a child riding and what other tips do you have? Let us know in the comment section below.
He continues to enjoy learning and sharing about powersports with others in his role as a Web Content Analyst and writer for Dennis Kirk, a role he's been in since 2015. You'll find articles written by Ryan that range from product overviews, how-tos, tech tips, lifestyle articles, and more.
When he's not writing about powersports, Ryan is often enjoying them himself. It doesn't matter if the machine has four wheels, two wheels, or a track, he finds enjoyment in it all.
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3 comments
I started when I was 5. Loved it.
I started in my teen age years and wish i had started earlier.
My now 5 year old Grandson started a few weeks after he turn 4.
I and everyone in my family and friend gets a big kick out of seeing
riding his battery powered dirt bike. He wants to ride with me on my bike.
I think next year I may give into his request.
Enjoy ride
All kids are different, but until a child has LOTS of experience riding a bicycle, including riding on the road, in traffic, they should NOT be allowed to ride any type of motorcycle! Riding a bicycle promotes spatial awareness, a well as a sense of balance and timing, and children need to develop these skills at their own pace….. bikers are made, not born into it, no matter how long the parents have been riding! I have had 14 one-legged friends, and almost all have thought they were “born to ride”! It’s true that the younger you learn, the easier it is TO learn the special skills a rider must have, but NOT all people should ride….some people that are perfectly good “cagers”, don’t have the overall awareness that makes for a safe biker. ( I’m no expert, but have ridden for over 45 years, with no accidents, at least ON the road, Racing is different!)