paulybboy-what age/size are the kids? If from 3-10 then as a first bike/quad then with no hesitation I will say the ONLY quad to concider is the Suzuki LT50 There are a LOT of reasons for this. 1)They don't have suspension so dad n kid riding together is possible. 2)they have a "propper" motorcycle engine ie 2 stroke 50cc 3)they are small and light enough to toss into the back of a station wagon or ute. -This also means they are able to be controlled by a kid. 4) if they become sluggish rebuild kits are readily available-and its like a lawnmower to do. 5) they aren't crazy fast so its harder for a kid to get into trouble. 6)The safety equipment is perfect for teaching kids to ride.-Two kill switches--one being a pull out tether swithch and a throttle restictor to keep the speed down.
purple666,
Jun 21, 8:15pm
And they go forever and ever and ever.
cabrio1,
Jun 21, 8:15pm
How old/ tall is your kid? Suzuki LT50 or LT80. Or Kawasaki KXF50. Not sure if they make an 80. They have a kill switch on a chord so you can stop them if they run away. Personally I would avoid anything Chinese or you will spend more time fixing than riding. Bought our 4 yo an LT 50 and he loved it.
paulybboy,
Jun 21, 8:19pm
6 year old girl,not very tall
cabrio1,
Jun 21, 8:23pm
LT50. The kxf looks like a nice piece of kit as well. Would be worth looking at both for a decent comparison.
paulybboy,
Jun 21, 8:23pm
think she not much taller then 100cm tall,
cabrio1,
Jun 21, 8:28pm
LT. is really quite small. It's an old design but tried and tested. Not sure about the kxf, I didn't see those around when we had ours 8 years ago. But they do look pretty flash. Lights, some suspension, not sure about the size but definately worth a look if there's one locally. LT is always a safe bet though, more of them as well. Also hold there price.
kazbanz,
Jun 21, 8:36pm
The KXF50 IS the Suzuki LTZ50 with green clothes on. -same as the KX50 was just a Suzuki JR50. Sorry to seem argumentative but the KXF AND the LTZ are a LOT bigger/heavier than the LT. being a four stroke they are IMO gutless They do have the advantage though of being lekkie start and the full running boards reduce the chances of running over an ankle. If going down that route then I'd recommend the Hyusung 50 which is made in Korea and as good as the later jap product. The way it works with suzuki with their bikes. first there was the LT50 and the JR 50-simple 2 stroke Then the LT was replaced by the LTA50 which was sort of the LT50 engine shoved in the LTZ- chasis-so full suspension chassis. The JR kept plugging along. Then wioth the emission laws and to be honest the fact that japan couldn't keep building bikes -they went to the four stroke DRZ bikes and LTZ quads Then the
paulybboy,
Jun 21, 8:40pm
hyusung make good road bikes,seen a few kids ones ontrade me too
cabrio1,
Jun 21, 8:43pm
Fair enough kaz, you seem to have a fair knowledge of these. As far as gutless goes our LT 50 wouldn't pull the skin of a rice pudding which was actually an advantage given the circumstances. Argumentative, nope, but good to hear all sides. A lot of those LT 50s for sale are to be polite, shagged. But as you say can be rebuilt if that's your fun. Didn't know the kxfs were 4 stroke. Does weight really factor in it being a 4 wheeler?
doglover2003,
Jun 21, 8:47pm
Honda all the way ! Most reliable !
Kaz when you replying to cheaper private sales - cat got your tounge ?
kazbanz,
Jun 21, 9:06pm
Mate-if your LT50 is gutless then theres a fair bit you can do about it and at sod all cost. A top end rebuild will cost you under $300 including a rebore. But before going to that effort I would pull the head off.Push the piston to BDC and give her a decoke.The piston crown gets covered in carbon and the exhaust port clogs up. that slows em down a lot. The other thing that slows em down is the axle bearings seize up. --Its an easy/cheap job to fit new ones. MY simple test of the LT50--I weigh 10 stone -I hop on and ride em. If they cant haul me smartly along up to 30km/h or so then they need fixing.
Sorry for seeming a bit rabid about this but Fairly recently I used to run a kids fun day on bikes n quads.I found out what kept on plugging along and what died. The LT was always the one that kept on going. to the guards were filled with mud--a scrape out and away they would go
cabrio1,
Jun 21, 10:13pm
x1
lol, 30 kmh ,Mine would peak out at about 5 kmh but long since gone. Happily blitzing along on a yz85 these days. But yep the LT50s are the business, and an awesome first bike.
kazbanz,
Jun 21, 11:31pm
OP-One model that slips under the radar is the Yamaha Zinger 60cc Very similar to the LT50 but a tiny bit bigger and a bit more grunt.
bwg11,
Jun 22, 12:05am
Another vote for the LT50.
mrcat1,
Jun 22, 1:23am
I bought my young fella a KVF50 when he was 17 months old, all my 3 kids have all ridden it with their mother with the oldest girl learning to ride it on her own, great bike with the foot plates and electric start, tether strap and adjustable throttle make them safe as well when the kids are learning, it even pulls my carcase around and I'm 147kg surprisingly quickly as well. Toyota were giving the KVF50's away with Hilux purchasers a few years back and some people had no use for them so were selling them off on here, may pay to see if any are around on here for sale.
skiff1,
Jun 22, 2:51am
honda don't make a kids size quad
skiff1,
Jun 22, 2:52am
Put your kids on a two wheeler. Way safer, and they learn much better habits
sr2,
Jun 22, 3:24am
I couldn't agree more, the best quad to get your kid riding has only two wheels! I come from a large extended family, we've had a lot of experience with young kids on both quads and bikes. Consensus of opinion is exactly as quoted.
skiff1,
Jun 22, 4:20am
i spend a lot of my work time teaching adults quad skills, and the riders who began riding on two wheels are as a rule much better at observation and planning.
doglover2003,
Jun 22, 4:11pm
Cause they do - Honda taught the rest why they are the best, Mr Suzuki only dreams of having Honda build quality.
Too big and too grunty. --fantastic as a second quad but as a first -nope.
doglover2003,
Jun 22, 4:54pm
Its around OP's criteria - govern it - that way they do not grow out of it as quick.
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.