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[TheVgirl]

I promised my 6-year-old that when he turned six, I would sign him up for "Dirt Bike School."  Today, the minute he walks out of his classroom for the break, he asks, "Do I get to go to motorcycle school now that we're out for Christmas?"  

When I looked at this site, www.dirtbikeschool.org, a year ago, there were only a few providers.  Now there are many to choose from within a 2-hour drive.  Has anyone on here sent their children to this training or do you know anything about it?  I don't want to choose the closest and find out they were the most unqualified.

Thanks,
V

[SPIDERMAN]

Dirt Bike School- - - - - hmmmmmm that brings back memories. 12 years old, trying to learn how to ride a friends Honda 125 XL, went straight when I wanted to turn ( whadumeanuhavetalean?) hit a tree (more of that lean stuff) flipped the thing out from under me ( whatsaclutch) So anyway, after the better part of a day of this at my family's summer place on Sebago Lake in Maine, my Dad says to me, " you learn anything in the school of hard knocks today ? "

Sorry V, guess I'm not much help am I ?

B B

[TheVgirl]

Yeah!  Scaring me!!!!  I guess I'll get to see if he's truly indestructible!  He wants a motorcycle for Christmas.  He's getting one....battery operated!  He is going to be pi$$ed!  But my argument will be..."I guess you forgot to say what kind of motorcycle!"  Thought about the 4-wheeler option but he already thinks he can outrun cars!  I don't want him to try it!  I thought maybe the dirt bike school will teach him a few hard knocks (and "maybe knock some sense into him" as my dad used to say!)

V

[SPIDERMAN]

Seriously V ? He's your son and nobody but you has a right to decide what's best for him, but if it were me, I'd get him a real dirt bike (Honda 70) and attach a list of conditions to it's use, like chores completed, good grades etc. I'd also send him to dirt bike school. Why ? Steve Reyonolds is why. Steve's family now owns three of the five H-D dealerships in Maine. They also own a couple of Honda and Yamaha dealerships. Steve is about 8 or 10 years younger than me. He started riding when he was your son's age. Learned all his lessons on dirt and not out on the asphalt. Steve was an expert motocross rider before he was old enough to ride a street bike. I think your original post is dead on. Find a good school, buy him a small dirt bike. Teach him to ride safely and well and make him earn the right to ride. Just my $0.02.

B B

[hd-dude]

Seriously V ? He's your son and nobody but you has a right to decide what's best for him, but if it were me, I'd get him a real dirt bike (Honda 70) and attach a list of conditions to it's use, like chores completed, good grades etc. I'd also send him to dirt bike school. Why ? Steve Reyonolds is why. Steve's family now owns three of the five H-D dealerships in Maine. They also own a couple of Honda and Yamaha dealerships. Steve is about 8 or 10 years younger than me. He started riding when he was your son's age. Learned all his lessons on dirt and not out on the asphalt. Steve was an expert motocross rider before he was old enough to ride a street bike. I think your original post is dead on. Find a good school, buy him a small dirt bike. [highlight]Teach him to ride safely and well and make him earn the right to ride.[/highlight] Just my $0.02.

B B

I'll second that!, But maybe start him on a 50?

[ccr]

I grew up in the country on the prairies of Canada and us four kids had horses, little bikes and snowmobiles to play with.

Played with the families' 1970 Honda Z50, 1971 Honda Minitrail Z50 K2 and 1972 Kawasaki KV 75 --- they were cute and we thought they were fast and we fell down a lot.  We had a ton of fun and never put them on a road.  Those were the rules, and we knew better then to break them.  If there were schools back then, we would not have known about them or been able to pay for them.  My Dad exchanged hours for toys.  He assembled skidoos and bikes at the local shop in exchange for the toys.  I now know how hard that must have been for him, working two jobs to give us brats everything he could give us.  I was pretty old before we got those bikes, I'd have loved to had them when I was younger.  I'd have been a better rider.  

Good luck V.  Sounds like you are thinking safety first.   [smiley=xyxthumbs.gif]

[Fired00d]

I can’t comment on the schools themselves. However I do feel to learn young, and in the dirt should make him a better rider in the future if he does decide that he'd like to ride on the street.

 [smiley=pumpkin.gif]
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 [smiley=fireman.gif]

[tommyo]

Where are you located? Gary Bailey does schools all over the country. I have a friend who does them here in the mid west. I raced MX for 25+ years. Great sport!!

[Ghost Rider]

V,

I can't help you much with recommending a school.  My dirt bike school was the cow pasture behind our house.

You do know though, that if you send him to dirt bike school, it will only be a matter of minutes until he starts bugging you to buy him a bike.  Once its in his blood there will be no turning back.  I am sure everyone here has a similar story.  My first bike was a Honda XR75, which led to a V45 Magna, a Shadow, then a Softail Custom, an Ultra, and now an SERK.

What a ride!

Ghost

[tommyo]

I had a 5hp Briggs then a '75 Yamaha GTMX80, '78 Kawasaki KD125 w/ Hooker Header, '80 Kawasaki KX80, '81 Kawasaki KX125, '82 Yamaha YZ125, '83, '84 & '85 Honda CR 125's, '86 Honda CR 125 and CR 250, '87 Suzuki 500 Quad, '88 Kawasaki KX 125 then took some time of to race watercraft. I had a '95 Honda CR 250, '97 Suzuki RM 250, '99 Yamaha YZF 400, '00 Honda CR 250, '02 Honda CRF 450 and a '04 CRF 450. I broke my hip on the last one... check out dood's post about hips Then a '01 Road King now a '06 Ultra Classic. Been around bikes my whole life.

[DHTDHT]

Try these guys, they are great:

http://www.motoventures.com

They have kid sized bikes on site for training.

[RJ749]

V, once they get confidant in the bike, just think they'll be able to graduate to a bit more aggressive riding at this site http://www.darlugo.com/?id=431