The five mistakes, in order of how much damage they do:
- Buying a bike the kid has to grow into instead of one that fits now.
- Putting off safety gear until after the first ride.
- Never touching the limiter screw on the carburetor.
- Handing over the bike with no supervision and no boundaries.
- Picking a first riding spot with hills, rocks or traffic on it.
Each one is easy to avoid. Here is what to do instead.
Mistake 1: buying a bike that is too big
The thinking is reasonable. Buy one size up, get two extra years out of it. In practice a kid who cannot get their feet down has no way to catch the bike when it leans, and a bike they cannot catch is a bike they stop wanting to ride.
The fix. Size for right now. Sit them on it. They should get the balls of both feet flat on the ground. Tiptoes is too big. Our 50cc has a seat height of about 24 in, which suits most riders from around age 5, and it carries a 170 lb rider, so it lasts to about 13 for a lot of kids.
You are not throwing money away by sizing correctly. Gas minis resell easily, and there is always another family looking for a starter bike. If you want the numbers by age and inseam, read what size dirt bike a 6, 8 or 10 year old needs.
Mistake 2: skipping the gear to save money
The logic is always the same. The bike was the big spend, they are only riding in the backyard, we will pick up a helmet next month. Backyard dirt is exactly as hard as trail dirt.
The fix. Budget the gear before the bike. The list is short:
- Helmet, full face, DOT approved
- Goggles that fit inside that helmet
- Gloves
- Boots that cover the ankle, not sneakers
- Long sleeves and long pants
Helmet, goggles, gloves and over the ankle boots, every ride, no exceptions. Make it the rule from day one and you never have to argue about it, because it was never negotiable. Get the helmet fitted rather than bought a size up, same reason as the bike.
Mistake 3: never using the limiter
Our 50cc tops out at 32 mph with the throttle fully open. Thirty two miles an hour is a serious speed for a six year old who has been riding for four minutes.
There is a screw on the carburetor that caps how far the throttle can open. Most parents never find it, so the kid gets full power on ride one, gets scared, and the bike goes in the garage.
The fix. Turn the screw in before the first ride so the bike will barely outrun a walking pace. Let them learn balance, turning and the brakes at that speed. Back it out a quarter turn at a time over weeks, not minutes, and only when they are in control at the current setting. Exactly where the screw is and which way it turns is in our guide to the 50cc dirt bike speed limiter.
A kid who is confident at 8 mph becomes a good rider. A kid who got launched at 30 mph on day one often does not come back to it.
Mistake 4: not enough supervision early on
Handing over the bike and saying have fun feels generous. It skips the part where somebody teaches them to brake.
The fix. For the first five to ten sessions, stay out there with them and actually coach:
- Practise stopping first, before anything else. Both brakes, gently, front and rear together.
- Set physical boundaries. Cones, a tree line, the edge of the field. Riding outside them ends the session.
- Watch posture. Elbows up, head up, looking where they want to go, not down at the front wheel.
- Show them the kill switch and the tether, and make them use the kill switch once so it is not theory.
- Keep sessions to 20 or 30 minutes. Tired kids crash.
Independent riding comes after they have shown consistent control, and even then you know where they are. Riders under 18 should always have an adult supervising.
Mistake 5: the wrong first location
Hills, rocks, ruts and a trail full of faster riders is a bad first day. So is a paved driveway, which has no give and knobby tires do not grip it well.
The fix. Find the most boring piece of ground you can: flat, open, soft dirt or grass, nothing to hit, good visibility, no faster traffic, and close to where you parked so a tired kid is not pushing a bike half a mile. Master turning and stopping there first. Terrain comes later.
Before you load up, check that the spot is actually legal to ride. These bikes are off road only, not street legal, with no title and no plate, so they get trailered to the trailhead rather than ridden there. Our guide to where you can legally ride a dirt bike covers the federal and state rules.
Two more worth avoiding
Rushing the assembly
The bike arrives sealed in the factory crate exactly as it reaches us, about 90% assembled from the factory. You finish the front wheel, the handlebars, a few bolts and the fluids, with the tools that are in the box. Most families have it together in 20 to 30 minutes, sometimes 10.
The mistake is not slowness, it is skipping the last pass. Go around every bolt with a wrench before the first ride and make sure no cable is pinched or stretched when the bars turn lock to lock. The walkthrough is free at manual.pluggedby50cc.com.
Getting the fuel wrong
This is a two stroke. There is no engine oil to change, and no oil in the crankcase to protect it. The oil goes into the gas at 25 to 1, which is 5.12 oz of two stroke oil per gallon. Straight gas seizes the engine, usually fast, and that is not a defect so it is not a warranty repair. The 25 to 1 mixing chart has every container size.
Common questions
What age can a kid start on a 50cc dirt bike?
Around 5 for most kids, as long as they can get the balls of both feet down on a 24 in seat and they can reach and squeeze the brake levers. Fit and brake reach matter more than the birthday.
How slow should the limiter be set for a first ride?
Slow enough that you can walk alongside them. If you have to jog, close it further. You can always open it up later, and you cannot un-scare a kid.
Do they really need boots, or will sneakers do?
Boots. A foot slipping off a peg into a spinning rear wheel is the injury that happens most on small bikes, and a sneaker offers nothing against it.
How long should the first session be?
Twenty to thirty minutes, and stop while they still want more. Ending on a good lap is what makes them ask to go again.
What if a part breaks in the first year?
Send us a photo or a short video. For the first year we take the claim to the factory on your behalf and get the replacement sent free.
The checklist
- Bike that fits today, feet flat on the ground
- Helmet, goggles, gloves and boots bought before the bike ships
- Limiter screwed in before the first ride
- Every bolt checked with a wrench after assembly
- Fresh 25 to 1 fuel, never straight gas
- Flat, boring, legal ground for the first sessions
- An adult out there watching
Free shipping to all 50 states, 2 to 5 business days, tracking on every order. Local to Phoenix or Tempe, text 623 320 8984 first to arrange a pickup.
Plugged by 50CC is an independent retailer. We do not manufacture, assemble, modify or service the bikes we sell. Every bike ships sealed in its factory crate exactly as it reaches us, about 90% assembled from the factory, and final assembly and setup are completed by the buyer. Off-road use only. Riders under 18 should always be supervised by an adult.