Is 4yrs old too young?

[mavrick]

my son is almost 4 and I started this summer on a 70cc knockoff with a kill cord and govner he would crusie arond the gravel pit no problem and of course he has full riding gear for safteybut we clocked him next to my quad at 25kms per hour with the govnerer set at about half open 4 is the prefect age start them young if they can control it let them ride

 

[RatBoy]

I don't think four is too young as long as he is being watched and has bounaries set. When I was 5 and my brother was 9 Dad bought us a BigRed. It only took half of the first summer for us to realise that if we took it out of 2nd and went out of Mom's ear shot that we were stuck in the garden for the rest of the day.

Teach them the basics and point out your rules and everything should be fine.

 

[Sledgirl]

Yes, very well said indeedy.. ha ha..

no seriously tho..

I completely agree with sledgirl. couldn't have thought it better my self.
Having said that..
My daughter is almost 3 yrs old and i also am thinkig of purchasing a small 50cc machine for her. a few times i took her camping since she was 1 yr old and she loves riding with daddy on his brute (just around the cammpsite of course)... since she already likes it so much, i was thinking of starting her on her own soon but was also apprehensive about the risks.
don't get me wrong, i am very responsible with my quad and when it comes to my pumpkin, i'm even more protective.
but i'm glad i'm not the only one crazy enough to think about starting her out this young.
thanks for boosting my enthus a bit with your stories and advise guys and gals.
i know my girl will love it and i will always be there to try and make sure she is ok and learns well

So why just around the campsite? Depending on the terrain you are riding, take them with you. Make it a family activity. Teach them driving skills by example.

Kids will learn how to lean into a turn, stop at a road, go up or downhill, how to cross a log or dip in the trail, and numerous other things from riding with you. You can tell them things before you do them so they understand why it is important. My kids rode down trails, through mud, up and down reasonably sloped hills, across bridges, streams, and logs from the time they were about 18 months old. I had a Kelty kid carrier that was very comfortable for both of us, similar to the one shown in the link. Their weight was borne by the quad seat via a cross bar on the carrier frame, so all I did was stabilize them side to side and front to back. If they fell asleep they couldn't fall off, or require me to hang onto them. My daughter rode in it until she was four, very happily. There are other harnesses for bigger size kids.

If you are at a dangerous part of a trail, take them across by foot for safety. They also LOVE watching you ride the real stuff.

My carrier didn't have the shade piece over the child on it. It was $279 from Coast Mountain Sports, I suspect one from the US would be less, even shipped.

Kelty Pathfinder Kid Carrier from Backcountry.com

 

[hintonatv]

I have 5 kids. They all started riding around the age of 4. It does depend on the child. Keep this in mind. Almost every accident you hear about involving a child has the same common factors. An unsupervised child with no helmet on an adult sized quad that is too big for them.
Staring kids on ATV's young is a great confidence builder and sets them up for future challanges. The two boys in this pic are 5 and 6. They have both been riding scince they where 4.

 

[cey800]

I thank everyone for the replies. There are some great points, about the childs attitude and also the parents.
And I believe I may be gaining ground on the wife. I'll asked her to read the thread I posted and all of the comments. And so far her only concern, was that I refered to her as the "fun Police". I forgot that I said that, I must of thought i was still at work.

 

[BIGFOOT]

I thank everyone for the replies. There are some great points, about the childs attitude and also the parents.
And I believe I may be gaining ground on the wife. I'll asked her to read the thread I posted and all of the comments. And so far her only concern, was that I refered to her as the "fun Police". I forgot that I said that, I must of thought i was still at work.

Sounds to me like it's a go for ya ! "Fun police" That's a good one.

 

[Summitric]

Sounds to me like it's a go for ya ! "Fun police" That's a good one.

HEY, THAT IS GOOD....WHEN THE KIDS GET OLDER LIKE MY 13 YEAR OLD SON AND 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, THE KIDS MIGHT CALL YOU THE "FUN HITLER" LIKE THEY CALL ME.......... LOL

 

[ssjrmk]

I don't think 4 is to young. I plan to get my son going at age 4.

 

[BIGFOOT]

This may say & account for alot.

 

[NosRX1]

This may say & account for alot.

I like it, now I guess Santa is going to have to stop by this year!

 

[youngpolarisguy]

I do not think 4 is to young to teach your kid to ride heck when i was four i was riding the big sleds with a socket taped behind the throtle so i could only go like 10 km\h. and i would ride circles around the yard all day. i belive that if they start young on small machines than they are less likely to get injured later when they move up to a bigger machine cause then they have to skill and knowlege about riding. not starting then out when the 14 and think they are all that and get themselves killed due to lack of skill and respect.

 

[cey800]

Been awhile but wanted to add this, everythings been great, big hit. Thanks again for all the insight.

 

[arcticdodge]

Great to hear that you got the quad. He will have a blast on it. Nice to see that he's got all the safety equipment on also. And the flag is a really nice touch. Never know when they will be in a low area and someone else comes flying over the hill. Both of my kids have also got flags on their quads. Enjoy summer's here.

 

[Richters Riders]

Sledgirl hit the nail on the head. What a great post.

 

[shmole]

Just started the 6 yr old.....and I agree with what's been posted here:
1. Proper Supervision
2. Always wear Safety Gear
3. Graduated Learning - Patience
Take your time training, build a solid "base" and you'll have years of fun ahead of you. We set up a little obstacle course on flat ground to start out. Up and over a small log, over a small log with only right wheels - then left, up and over a pallet. Interesting to watch them figure it out...
My Wife & I talk about how great it is to get the kids into an activity they love! It'll keep them at the Lake on weekends and out of the MALLS when they get older!!

 

[sumx54]

Here's a shot of my boy when he was 4. I made the training wheels out of some old parts I had lying around. He will be 8 in July this year and he now races motocross in the CMRC 65cc class. He can gap 30 feet with his KX. My daughter rode the Kasea 50 quad when she was 4 and now she is 6 and rides a Raptor 80. You have to have patients and proper equipment and don't let them get into situations that will compromise their safety. When their young and starting out I don't let them ride in front of peers or groups, this promotes competition or "showing off" and most accidents will happen while showing off . Competition will come soon enough for the little buggars. Spend one on one time with them until they are familiar with all controls, starts, stops, sidehills, woops, ect.. Promote the "no gear, no ride" rules.

 

[yugoboss]

In my opinion it is, they don't have the mind set to know what to do if they get into trouble. Yeah any kid can learn to give it gas and use the brake.
My son was 6 when he started riding his 70 cc, and even that i think sometimes was to young.

 

[Summiteer]

In my opinion it is, they don't have the mind set to know what to do if they get into trouble. Yeah any kid can learn to give it gas and use the brake.
My son was 6 when he started riding his 70 cc, and even that i think sometimes was to young.

Too true. It's all good until there's a situation that requires a split second decision.....I don't care how smart your little genius is...a four year old doesn't have the capacity to make that sort of reaction correctly, consistently. Of course not having kids makes me the perfect parent...

 

[mallard d69]

i think that pic with the little girl "working"on here bike is addorible and personaly i dont have any kids (yet) but when my litte one turns four i have every intention of giving him a little 50 cc for his birthday.

 

[Puba]

Hey Guy's,
Looking for you're opinion. I recently purchased a new Giovanni 50cc quad for my little man. I know it isn't great quality, but for $300, it includes electric start, remote shut down, and governor. The battle I'm having is with the fun police (wife). My son is 4 and she thinks he is too young. My response to her is that, if you start these kids at a young age they will learn to respect the machines. And its not like I'm going to put him on it and go into the house and use it like a babysitter. This thing will be used only under complete supervision. I feel like she is over acting, or am I starting him too young.

I started all three of mine at about 4 years old. Started on a Honda 50, then to the Yamaha 125 and up to the Kodiak 400, had to throw in a dirt bike also.
My kids are now 18, 16 and 10. My youngest is quite the accomplished rider since she is always getting tips and pointers from her two older brothers.

Remember, the family that plays together stays together.

Use all of the safety gear, govern it back so if you have to you can run faster than it can travel and keep the remote kill switch close at hand.