Kids & Motorcycles
KIDS & MOTORCYCLES
2007
KTM 85 XC A Real Off-Road Racer for Kids!
Suzuki DR-Z70 Supersized Pee-Wee
Yamaha TT-R110E A New Blue Playbike
Everything You Need to Know to Get Kids on Two Wheels:
Riding Tips Guide to Gear Great Bikes for First-timers
Path To Fame? Red Bull Rookies Cup
THERE ARE LOTS OF REASONS TO RIDE, but the most important one is simple: Motorcycles are fun! No one makes you hop on your trusty bike and head for the hills; you do it because you want to. This is why motorcycling isn’t just a hobby; it’s a lifestyle that defines who you are as a person. Once people discover that you partake in the activity, you will forever be labeled a motorcyclist. Consider that an honor. You will be in good company.
Motorcycling can take on even greater importance in children’s lives. For them, motorcycles provide an incomparable sense of personal freedom, if only for that small chunk of time between homework and dinner, between Saturday morning and Saturday evening.
Learning to ride a motorcycle isn’t easy at first, but kids are always up for a challenge if it involves fun. Mastering a skill like riding not only rewards them with the ability to control a complex piece of ma chinery, it lets them know they can accomplish just about anything if they dedicate themselves to it.
Motorcycling also can teach kids a great deal about responsibility. Learning the value of cleaning, repairing and maintaining a motorcycle offers lessons that can be applied to many aspects of their lives for years to come.
Music, clothes, food, friends-it seems the older kids get, the less they have in common with the generation that brought them into this world. Motorcycling can help rediscover that lost common ground by providing an activity the entire family can relate to. It doesn’t matter if you ride together every weekend or just a couple of times a year; the family that plays together, stays together. And what better way to play than on motorcycles?
HELMET
The helmet is the single most important piece of riding gear. Whatever your budget, this is the one item you shouldn’t skimp on. Not only does the helmet protect the noggin, it will reduce the possibility of facial cuts and abrasions while helping to decrease exhaust sound levels to little ones’ ears.
GOGGLES
A good pair of goggles is very important. Goggles protect eyes from rocks and roost kicked up by other motorcycles and make sure the rider always has a clear view ahead.
CHEST PROTECTOR
A chest protector deflects flying rocks and debris, and it will protect the thorax, shoulders, upper arms, back and kidneys (depending on the design) in the event of a fall.
JERSEY
Made of light breatheable fabric, a good motocross jersey is considerably more comfortable-and sensible-than riding in a T-shirt. An MX jersey will provide a decent degree of abrasion resistance, and some even have builtin elbow padding.
ELBOW GUARDS
Worn underneath a riding jersey, elbow guards protect that sensitive joint during a hard landing.
KIDNEY BELT
This piece of equipment is designed to keep the lower internal organs from being jostled around when riding over bumpy terrain. A kidney belt can help make a long day’s ride more comfortable.
GLOVES
One of the rider’s main contact points with the motorcycle is through the hands. Gloves help prevent hand injuries in the event of a fall and protect against flying debris, brush and branches encountered on the trail. They also give the rider a better grasp on the handgrips.
PANTS, KNEE GUARDS & HIP PADS
Most off-road pants have built-in hip pads, but l''~~ guards, worn underneath the pants, are usually rately. In addition to their excellent abrasion resh ing pants are far more comfortable for off roading denim or other non-motorcycle pants.
BOOTS
Besides a helmet and goggles, MX boots are haps the next-best investment. A rider’s feet, lower legs are constantly in of fire from rocks, logs and branches, and they become very vulnerable in the event of a tipover. The reinforced soles protect the bottom of the foot, and most good boots also help eliminate ankle sprains.
