A lot of motorcyclists develop their passion for bikes early. You might have fond memories of pedalling around the neighbourhood with your siblings or friends when you were young—or maybe you had a youth-oriented minimoto or dirt bike growing up and carried that passion for motorized two-wheelers into adulthood.
Sadly, most major motorcycle manufacturers don’t make youth models—and the ones who do tend to make them expensive. But that doesn’t mean your own kids can’t experience the thrill of riding a powered bike, even if you’re on a bit of a budget.
For this list, we’re considering “kid” to mean anyone under 13 years old (teenagers are a whole different ball game). And to keep things budget-friendly, we’ve put a $2,000 cap on these models—which still allows us to include a few offerings from three out of the big four Japanese bike manufacturers.
Razor MX350 Dirt Rocket Electric
The Razor MX350 Dirt Rocket is a great introduction to trail riding and light dirt biking for kids around 7 or older. Fully electric and quick charging, it gives up to 30 minutes of continuous use per charge and has the equivalent of about 1.5hp.
The bike can reach speeds of 14mph on flat terrain—which is plenty quick for kids, but not quick enough to do serious damage in case of an incident. The throttle is fully automatic, using a right hand twist grip. The brake is left hand operated and affects the rear wheel only, which prevents the bike from tipping up around the front wheel.
Rosso Motors F1 eRacer Pocket Bike
This is for the kid that watches Marc Marquez, Valentino Rossi, and others battle it out in MotoGP. A serious little bike, the eRacer has a 36V battery and a 1 kW motor, which gives a lot of grunt. The bike is speed limited to 20 MPH, although the throttle will only open the bike to 16 or so MPH.
It features a full front and rear disc brake system, controlled by right and left handlebar levers. For the concerned parent, it also has an adjustable and lockable throttle speed system, where you can limit the bike from 16 MPH down to 6 MPH with three different settings.
This bike is also designed to be used off-road, so it can putter around a large back yard or up and down the driveway easily. Still, it’ll be a full-on supersport in your kid’s mind.
V-Fire 40cc Gas Pocket Bike
- Price: $309.00
- Where to Buy: V-Fire
All the bikes on this list before now have been electric. But the V-Fire 40cc Gas Pocket Bike is (as the name implies) powered by a 40cc 4-stroke single running on good old-fashioned pump gas. It also features a full steel trellis frame—the same kind of design used in many modern high-end motorcycles—and has a range of about 26 miles per tank of gas (which holds less than half a gallon).
The bike can reach speeds of 20 to 25 MPH, so it’s definitely for older kids—we’re thinking those around 10 or so. It features front and rear disc brakes operated by left- and right-hand brake levers. It also uses a chain drive, and exudes sport bike style in its posture and design.
The benefit of having a gas motor is that it can get your kid interested in mechanical maintenance, which is a must for adult bikers. It will also give off the sound and smell of a bike—after all, those little details are a key part of the experience!
STACYC 12eDRIVE
- Price: $799.00
- Where to Buy: STACYC
Stacyc is a relatively new company set up by Harley-Davidson to help kids learn about bikes, and this is an excellent introductory model for the very young. Recommended for ages 5 and up, the 12eDRIVE is meant for the youngster that has a 14-inch inseam and wants to learn how to ride.
The bike has four modes to help your kid progress as they improve. The first is a non-powered mode, which lets the wheels spin freely, giving your tyke the chance to learn pushing, balancing, and coasting. Then there are the three power modes, which limit the bike to 3mph, 6mph, and 9mph respectively.
For controls, the right wrist governs the throttle, and the left hand is for the rear disc brake. The battery can provide up to 60 minutes of running time in the lowest power mode and will charge in approximately 40 to 60 minutes.
Yamaha PW50
- Price: $1,699 (new, 2022 model)
- Where to Buy: Yamaha
The Yamaha PW50 makes this list because it’s one of the absolute best options for kids who are serious about getting into proper motorcycling to start on. This bike offers Japanese durability and reliability, proper suspension, a lightweight frame that isn’t too hard to handle—and it can get going pretty quick.
Also, since it uses a shaft drive for the rear wheel, there’s no chance of getting a leg or foot caught in the chain. The only caveat need to offer here is that this is a serious kids bike. This is the one you buy if your kid is mature enough to learn, tough enough to ride some trails with you, and smart enough to wear their gear every time they ride.
2022 Honda CRF50F
- Price: $1,649 (new, 2022 model)
- Where to Buy: Honda
The Honda CRF50F may be minuscule, even “cute,” but don’t let that fool you. The 2022 model carries a three-speed clutch-less transmission, a peppy and punchy 49cc air-cooled engine pushing out over 3 HP, and a keyed ignition so that young riders can be given the responsibility of starting the bike like a “grown-up” (or have it taken away).
These bikes also include electric starters, which allow for young riders to focus more on handling, leaning, shifting, braking, and balancing. No need to make them build up a leg to kickstart with—save that for when they get older.
2022 Suzuki DR-Z50
- Price: $2,209 (new, 2022 model)
- Where to Buy: Suzuki
The 2022 Suzuki DR-Z50 is the young rider’s introduction to dual-sport dirt bikes. A bit tamer than the Yamaha PW50 trail bike and the Honda CRF50F MX bike, the DR-Z50 shares the same 50cc engine size—but not much else.
With a much more upright and rearward seating position (much like actual dual-sport bikes) this bike gets kids ripping up and down the driveway, across fields, and even over a few small obstacles—letting them feel how the balance shifts and moves as the terrain beneath them changes.
The bike is carbureted, which lets young rider learn about how and when to choke the engine during cold starts. It also comes with an electric starter and a kick-starter, and has a three-speed semi-automatic clutch-less transmission.
But best of all? It’s reliable. Kids don’t take care of their bikes the way adults do, and there’s hardly any point buying them one if they’re just going to break it right away. But thanks to Suzuki habitually over-engineering their dirt, dual-sport, and supermoto bikes, the little DR-Z50 can be bashed around a lot and still run flawlessly.