Need opinions about quad for 8 year old

[sasquatch51]

Yeah, I think that when it comes to young children, you err on the side of caution. I've been racing motorcycles (motocross, hare scrambles, road racing) since the early 1970's, I've been riding ATVs since the early 3-wheeler days. I've seen too many bad things happen too quickly. Having dad around watching the little guy ride his 350 might only mean that he watches his child die. If he's 50 feet away and the kid gets into trouble, what's he going to do? Realistically, how is he going to stop something from happening when the kid is on an ATV that gets away from him? Year before last, there was a girl just a couple of years older than this boy at an ATV park in Georgia (near my house) that was killed in an ATV crash....Daddy was right behind her. What if the ATV starts to roll? Does the kid have enough body weight to keep in on it's wheels? Rollover crashes are some of the most dangerous crashes....if you are 8 years old and you have a 600 lb machine rolling over you, you stand a good chance of being seriously injured or killed. You started out at his age on a 350....you didn't get hurt while you were learning. That's great, but you were lucky. That does not in any way mean it's OK for everybody and it's going to turn out as well for everyone as it did for you. It could have just as easily turned out badly for you. There are rules governing the size of the ATV that children should ride. Those rules are in place for a reason. Most kids would probably end up just fine starting out on bigger machines....but a percentage of them wouldn't. A much higher percentage would be injured riding machines that were too big than would be injured starting on a properly sized machine. You were a part of the majority of kids that don't get injured. But, would you really take a bigger than necessary chance on your kid being one of the unlucky ones? Riding ATVs and motorcycles carries enough inherent risk when done properly...there's no need in unnecessarily increasing that risk.

It's just like people that allow their kids to ride ATVs without helmets, chest protectors, gloves, boots, etc. It's irresponsible and dangerous. Why risk your child's safety when it's so easy to enjoy the sport in an acceptably safe manner?

[sasquatch51]

By the way, I do agree that the "one size fits all" set of rules presently in place regarding ATV size for kids is not entirely workable across the board and needs to be rewritten. A 15 1/2 year old that weighs 175 lbs and plays starting linebacker on the school football team can probably easily handle a 350cc or bigger machine. As the federal guidelines are presently written, he should be restricted to a smaller machine....so "one size fts all" doesn't always work out. The guidelines need to be rewritten so that the special cases and borderline cases can be accomodated safely. However, I do not think that a 350cc machine is ever appropriate for an 8 year old.

[TheNewn]

With all due respect, I personally think you're overreacting. Bad things can happen anytime anywhere, of course. I'm sure if someone tried they could find a hundred freak accident stories.

This could go on and on, so I'm going to agree to disagree. If/when i have a child, he or she will be riding whatever i think is safe for him or her to ride. Which will more than likely be something above 90cc's when their 8.

That's not to say i wont have a smaller quad for them to ride, but i will LET them ride one of my larger machines as well if i think they can handle it fine.

Its what i went through, and i've never broken a bone in my life. I'll stick to what my dad did for me.

[sasquatch51]

Originally posted by TheNewn
With all due respect, I personally think you're overreacting. Bad things can happen anytime anywhere, of course. I'm sure if someone tried they could find a hundred freak accident stories.

This could go on and on, so I'm going to agree to disagree. If/when i have a child, he or she will be riding whatever i think is safe for him or her to ride. Which will more than likely be something above 90cc's when their 8.

That's not to say i wont have a smaller quad for them to ride, but i will LET them ride one of my larger machines as well if i think they can handle it fine.

Its what i went through, and i've never broken a bone in my life. I'll stick to what my dad did for me.

Yeah, we can agree to disagree. BTW, I've never said that I have any problem at all with you, as an experienced rider, starting your kids out on whatever you think is appropriate. If you started your 8 year old out on a 350, I would wonder about the wisdom of that decision, but that would be your business....it's your kids....and whatever happens as a result is your responsibility. What I DO have an issue with is recommending that to an absolute beginner that you do not know on a public forum. I think it is a reckless and irresponsible recommendation. If you disagree with that, that's cool....that's what makes this country great. We all have a right to our own opinions. I think it's an important enough issue that I have a responsibility to voice my opinion.

[TRXRacer1]

Suzuki LT160

You can find them for a reasonable price, they're tough, full suspension, mid sized with an auto clutch and electric start. IMO this is one of the best beginner machines ever made. They're tame enough to learn on and fast enough to keep the kids interested for a long time. We've got one in my riding group and many of children and adult first time riders have learned on this machine.

[sasquatch51]

Yep. That is a more reasonably sized and powered machine for a young beginner.

[sasquatch51]

Coincidentally, there's a report on the High Lifter forums of a 9-year old boy being killed over the weekend in an ATV rollover crash in Southern Oklahoma. He was riding a 350cc machine. I'm waiting to see if anyone posts a link to the news story.

[sasquatch51]

Here's the link to the story:

9 year old killed in ATV crash

[jbyrd]

I appreciate all of your comments and opinions on small kids and ATV's. Getting a 350 for my son (he'll be nine on 1/29/08) is definitely not an option. I did not go back and re-read my original post, but the intended use of the ATV is for hunting and not recreational riding. There will be no jumping hills, riding on steep slopes etc. I know most kids, and adults, want to test the limits sooner or later. At present my son is not the daredevil type. I ride herd on him very closely and have allowed him to have some controlled "pain inducing experiences" to help convince him that it is prudent to pay attention to the advice he gets. He has been going to the University of Hard Knocks, majoring in choices and consequences, since he was two years old. He knows there is instant and permanent gratification for exceeding the boundaries. All of his riding will be limited to, accompanied, hauling decoys or gear to hunting spots until he has a couple of years experience.

I'm sure it's a matter of "when" he will have some kind of a wreck rather than "if" he will have a wreck. However, taking a riding safety course every year for the first few years and having tight supervision, speed limitation, terrain limitation, etc. should decrease the risk of a major wreck. If we get an ATV it will be used as a work vehicle rather than a play vehicle.

I'm taking this very seriously. Just this past summer, one of the kids in our neighborhood was riding an ATV with a buddy on back. They hit a drainage ditch, in front of the elementary school my son goes to, running pretty fast. The driver was killed and the other boy was seriously injured. I think they were 10 or 12 years old. I never got the exact details on the size of the ATV or just what happened, but I drive past the cross and flowers on the edge of the ditch in front of the school every time I leave my house or come home. I don't know how the parents can live with the loss.

I only have one child and I cannot fathom how I could live with knowing I did something stupid that led to his death or permanent injury. I think about it every time we go hunting, fishing or even driving to the store. I watch for rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, copperheads, brown recluse, black widows, dead trees, drunk drivers, gas cans, leaky gas grills, and all the other things I can think of that nearly got me along the way. I was fortunate enough to survive a lot of near misses and they were all learning experiences. I really want my son to learn about the dangers inherent in everything we do, but I also want to do my best to limit the possibility of severe injury or worse.

I see a lot of kids doing things that I think are way too close to the edge and I feel their parents should control and limit the situations the kids are allowed to get into. I watch mine like a hawk but am fully aware that if you let the situation present itself, all you have to do is look away for a moment and tragedy can strike.

Again, thanks for your opinions and concerns. I'm still trying to decide, but am leaning towards a 250 and custom installing a throttle limiter if it does not come with one. 10 to15 mph on pretty flat sand roads should be plenty fast for now. All of the 90cc bikes have chain drives. If we get an ATV, it will spend most of it's life in East Texas sand. I know that chains and sprockets are cheaper than doctor bills. However, I believe we can limit repair costs and limit the potential for needing a trip to the hospital at the same time.

Ride safe, live safe and keep offering up your experiences and opinions to folks new to ATV's. It really is appreciated.

JByrd

[sasquatch51]

You'll be just fine. You are taking a level-headed and intelligent approach. Not only are you looking out for your child's safety, but you are providing a very good example. He will model his decision-making after your example. Enjoy!