Starting 'em Young...

[Steve Bass]

So, my eldest is about 3 1/2 and starting to make ooohh and aaah noises about the bikes in the garage. he's starting to play more and more with motorcycle toys so maybe there's a seed starting to germinate...

Then I took the 4T trails bike out of hibernation on Sunday morning and he was excited to sit on it and stand on the pegs as I rode it on the driveway...

So, with the thought of spring and summer coming, I've just picked up this little gem, a 2018 Yamaha TTR 50. Comparted to the PW it's light years better. 4T 'leccy start, 3 speed auto with the option of training wheels and a regulated throttle. And physically bigger than a PW 50 as I think my eldest is too tall for the little smoker whereas he'll be 100% on this.

We'll start off in the garden with training wheels on and see how he goes. I suspect the youngest will be chomping at the bit to have a go once he can walk

[airsafari87]

Dad of the year right there.

Takes me back to riding my Italjet Scrambler when I was 4 or so years old.

You and him will have many hours of fun I’m sure.

[Krikkit]

airsafari87 said:

Dad of the year right there.

This!

Sounds like a lot of fun, even if they don't really take to it permanently I'm sure it'll be fun scooting around anyway.

[BlackG7R]

He'll love it, he'll also be the envy of all the other kids in the street.


I started on one of these at 5yrs old, an NVT 50 Automatic (note monocross rear suspension in the 70's!! )


.....and graduated to this when I was about 8yrs old.




Have loved bikes ever since.

[nunpuncher]

Started my son off on a PW50. Then got him a cheap 110 pitbike which taught him gears and clutch control. He started making noises about racing so he's now on a kx85.

I thought I'd get a good laugh at him supermaning the 2t as it's bloody vicious but he just jumped on (despite not being able to touch the ground) and took off straight away.

Just be aware that your future might be hanging about in cold, wet, muddy fields watching your son have all the fun. Still, it beats football.

Edited by nunpuncher on Monday 13th March 20:09

[pitlane]

We are waiting…. Next champion please

[black-k1]

Well done that man!

Mine started on a PW80. The eldest has no interest in bikes but my youngest has a CBF125 and is booking his test.

[Fitz666]

I remember years ago when I went to but an old pop up Katana from a bike shop in Perth. The owners wee boy was always scooting about on a balance bike.
Next spring I bumped into the family as the bike show in Edinburgh where the wee boy was racing mini motos, he was about 5.
That boy is Rory Skinner, 21 and now in Moto2.

[srob]

I started on a Honda QR50 when I was 4 round my folks garden.

I remember all the controls were on the RH bar, and I wasn't strong enough to push it away, so I could only turn right at any speed. Still remember to this day seeing a massive tree looming then not being able to steer round it and riding straight up it. Fell off the back and bike ended up on top of me.

In spite of full early 80s health and safety no harm done but I still vividly remember the front running up that tree and even as a kid knowing this wasn't going to end well

[Krikkit]

srob said:

I started on a Honda QR50 when I was 4 round my folks garden.

I remember all the controls were on the RH bar, and I wasn't strong enough to push it away, so I could only turn right at any speed. Still remember to this day seeing a massive tree looming then not being able to steer round it and riding straight up it. Fell off the back and bike ended up on top of me.

In spite of full early 80s health and safety no harm done but I still vividly remember the front running up that tree and even as a kid knowing this wasn't going to end well

That sounds like it'd be quite funny after the fact

[carinaman]

Fitz666 said:

I remember years ago when I went to but an old pop up Katana from a bike shop in Perth. The owners wee boy was always scooting about on a balance bike.
Next spring I bumped into the family as the bike show in Edinburgh where the wee boy was racing mini motos, he was about 5.
That boy is Rory Skinner, 21 and now in Moto2.

I am assuming the OP's son has been on a balance bike? In a brief chat with a cycling father with his two kids, the youngest on a balance bike, at a super market bike rack he said the older child went straight from a balance bike to a pedal bike without using stabilisers.

[Steve Bass]

carinaman said:

Fitz666 said:

I remember years ago when I went to but an old pop up Katana from a bike shop in Perth. The owners wee boy was always scooting about on a balance bike.
Next spring I bumped into the family as the bike show in Edinburgh where the wee boy was racing mini motos, he was about 5.
That boy is Rory Skinner, 21 and now in Moto2.

I am assuming the OP's son has been on a balance bike? In a brief chat with a cycling father with his two kids, the youngest on a balance bike, at a super market bike rack he said the older child went straight from a balance bike to a pedal bike without using stabilisers.

Nope, we're under 3' of snow at the moment so it's off to the deep end from day 1
I'll fit training wheels to start with but he's going to have this and his normal bike to play around on...

[Steve Bass]

BlackG7R said:

He'll love it, he'll also be the envy of all the other kids in the street.


I started on one of these at 5yrs old, an NVT 50 Automatic (note monocross rear suspension in the 70's!! )


.....and graduated to this when I was about 8yrs old.




Have loved bikes ever since.

That is very cool...

I started young but on a friends bike, my dad was so unmechanically minded it wasn't even funny.
So for me, the TY80, Fantic 150 etc have a very special place in my heart as we mucked about in the woods behind his house as kids...

[srob]

I was desperate for a TY80 when I was a kid!

The QR50 we had when I was a kid was borrowed, and we only had it a year or so from memory. Then aged 11 my dad borrowed a 1965 250 Bultaco which was way too big for me. Another long story short, fell off that and broke my leg

[marky911]

As said, very cool and your lad will make some great memories with you.


Below is my homemade first bike from when I was 7 or 8.
My dad made me it out of a Honda Melody step-through.
I can still remember it clearly, including the day he brought it home in 1984.

[carinaman]

Steve Bass said:

Nope, we're under 3' of snow at the moment so it's off to the deep end from day 1
I'll fit training wheels to start with but he's going to have this and his normal bike to play around on...

It sounds excellent fun with many benefits.

[nunpuncher]

Steve Bass said:

carinaman said:

Fitz666 said:

I remember years ago when I went to but an old pop up Katana from a bike shop in Perth. The owners wee boy was always scooting about on a balance bike.
Next spring I bumped into the family as the bike show in Edinburgh where the wee boy was racing mini motos, he was about 5.
That boy is Rory Skinner, 21 and now in Moto2.

I am assuming the OP's son has been on a balance bike? In a brief chat with a cycling father with his two kids, the youngest on a balance bike, at a super market bike rack he said the older child went straight from a balance bike to a pedal bike without using stabilisers.

Nope, we're under 3' of snow at the moment so it's off to the deep end from day 1
I'll fit training wheels to start with but he's going to have this and his normal bike to play around on...

We got my son a balance bike when he was 2. 4th birthday he got a little 14inch wheel bike with stabilisers which were removed straight away. We took him to the local park so he had a flat grass area for any falls, explained how the pedals worked, gave him a little push and he was off on his own. I still have a video of it somewhere and I remember our amazement as he stopped, put his foot down, turned round to check we weren't too far away then just pedalled off again.

My daughter on the other hand. She refused to use the balance bike, had stabilisers for years and was a total nightmare to teach how to ride as she just continually leaned like the bike had stabilisers. I don't even think it was a balance thing as she was a good horse rider by then. The fowling of how to balance a bike just weren't there.

I'd avoid stabilisers if you can.

[Bob_Defly]

Nice! I got my son a dirt bike a couple of years ago, we've had a lot of good times together.

[Pebbles167]

Great to see, you'll have a great time on the future with this.

Personally, assuming your boy is/becomes confident on a bicycle, I'd not bother with the training wheels. I suppose for literally learning the controls and response at a few mph they are okay but anything faster than walking pace they are a menace.

Started my Daughter on a PW50 when she was 4 and moved up to a PW80 later at 7. She's outgrown them both now at 12, so looking to get a full size that we can share at some point.

Edited by Pebbles167 on Tuesday 21st March 12:30

[Fleegle]

Steve Bass said:

I knew it wouldn't be long