What kind of Bike for my Son?

 I am trying to figure out what kind of bike to buy for my son. He is 13
years old, average weight and height and very athletic. I dont want to
go for a motorcross because he is a beginning rider, but an
offroad/trail bike would be a good start for him. I have been riding
street bikes for nearly 20 years but I have no idea about offroad
bikes. What kind of bike does anyone recommend, cc's, 2 stroke or 4,
Etc. I also want to find out about a bike for myself so we can ride
together. I am about 5'11 220LB. Any advice would be helpful.

 

Here's my 2 cents.  I started with a Honda 50 at age 14.  Any of the small
Honda CRFs would be a good start.

But, I think they are a bit pricey.  There are many old 2 stroke dirt bikes
out there.  I bought 2 1978 Yamahas for less than $500.  I've spent less
than $600 to get them both running.  That is less than half the cost of new
100cc dirt bike.

Don't buy a Chinese piece of crap, no matter the price.

If you have any mechanical ability get an older Yamaha (avoid Suzuki, parts
are hard to get and they are hard to work on).  With an older bike your son
will not only learn to ride but can learn basic repairs.  That is an
invaluable skill.  And fixing a bike is almost as much fun as riding.

Bryan

 

Can't give you any specific recommendation but my brother's dirt bike just
screams.  Check the specs as even small ccs can be too much power for a
beginner.  A co-worker of mine is probably 5-11 and 200.  He's got two bikes
that he and his wife run on dirt roads.  I'll ask him what he thinks on Monday
if I can remember.

Robert

 
cplummer71@yahoo.com wrote:

CRF150 for the kid. Just about 3,000 bux out the door.
CRF230 for you. Under 4,000 bux OTD.
Neither are MXers, just trail bikes, but they're great for beginners
and *will* go anywhere. They hold their value well if you want to move
up to a true MXer.
Both are equipped with electric starters a very nice feature for
learning.
--
Rayvan

 I'd recommend the Honda CRF230 for a trail bike.  I personally own one
and it's a great bike with power but not TOO much power.  The old two
strokes are great for motocross but the the 4 strokes you can't beat
for trail riding.  Low end and consistent power all the way through!  I
have a buddy who rides with us and hates his two stroke on the trails.
Don't get me wrong, it's a YZ 250 built for moto-cross and he loves it
at the track but not built for the trails.  Stick with a newer 4 stroke
on trails.  I'm not sure where you're from but they are looking at
outlawing the 2 strokes on National Forest and State Land in my area.
I'm 5'9" and weigh 155, thought the bike would be enough for me and it
still is but I wish I would have went up a class.  The 230F is not too
big and if I had a 13 year old I would feel 100% confident putting him
on the bike.  The bike got a great review in Drit Rider and one review
voted it as the bike of the year due to the fact that the whole family
could ride it and tons of fun!

Good luck and have fun!