subject: 4 Things to Consider Before Buying a Dirt Bike for Your Child by:Billy Whitmire [print this page] Dirt bike riding can be one of the most thrilling and rewarding experiences for a youngster. The speed, excitement and challenge of riding are a favorite activity for many youngsters introduced to riding. Riders that began as kids have continued to enjoy riding throughout their lives.
Before buying your child a dirt bike you might want to consider following these tips so that their experience is the best possible.
-Rider Age
-Size of the Bike
-Safety Equipment
-Rider Training
Rider Age
With the advancement of dirt bike technology, safety equipment, and riding organization, riders are getting younger and younger every year. Some riders step up to their first dirt bike before they have graduated kindergarten these days! This would have been unheard of a decade ago. You are the rider's parent and you know better than anyone if the youngster is mature enough to begin riding.
Take some time and look at the type of riding they are interested in, and if they are mature enough then go for it, but if they are not, then it is best to wait until they are mature enough.
Size of Bike
It is important to fit the rider to the bike so that the machine can be handled properly, and safely. A dirt bike will be subjected to many twists, turns, and bumps. So having the right size bike for the rider is crucial. A rider should not "grow" into a dirt bike. So getting one that is bigger than it ought to be, can be dangerous. Also the physical maturity of the rider should be taken into account when considering the amount of horsepower the dirt bike will have.
Fitting the rider to the bike entails having a dirt bike that is the right height, weight, and horsepower for their physical stature.
Safety Equipment
All riders must wear the proper safety equipment if dirt bike riding is going to be safe, and injury-free. Setting down the rule that safety equipment must be worn at all times, no exceptions, is a good method for getting your young rider in the habit early on. There are going to be incidents where your young rider is going to take a spill, or run into other riders, and objects - this is to be expected.
With the proper safety and protective gear, riding injuries can be minimized or completely avoided.
Rider Training
Most experienced riders will tell you that there are two things that helped them become good riders; experience and training. Experience of course will come over time, and a lot can be learned along the way, but it is a good idea to allow your youngster to learn the basics from someone who already has ample experience. Letting your youngster learn as they go might be fine for some, depending on their age, but it is not the best approach for learning how to ride properly.
Training will provide your youngster with the basic riding skills they need, and these skills will serve your young rider well their entire riding career.
About the author
Learning to ride a dirt bike is fairly easy, but there are a lot of skills required to master it.
