Ready to ride?

Essential tips to check whether your youngster is ready to ride Electric Dirt Bikes

They’ve watched endless beginner’s dirt bike videos. They’ve even sat on one or two in the shop. Now the big day has arrived. That can only mean one thing, taking their new beginner dirt bike for its first test drive.

Houston, we have a problem! There’s a slightly nervous look on your youngster’s face. You’re right to take this seriously! The responsibility for assessing whether your youngster is “good to go” falls on you as the parent.

Well before the big day, you should assess the risks of dirt bike riding to make sure everyone stays safe. Read on for the step-by-step considerations you should take.

Your Beginner's Dirt Bike Readiness Checklist

 There are 4 main areas of competency that you need to consider. All of them are essential for a youngster to ride a beginner’s dirt bike. These are:

• Visual perception and skill levels
• Physical strength, fitness and agility
• Social skills and emotional maturity
• The ability to make quick decisions by weighing up risk

 

1. Assessing Visual Perception and Visual Skills

You may already have a handle on how well your child can see but there are a few other key factors to check. These include an ability to:

• Differentiate between speeds like those of cars, runners and cyclists
• Pick up on objects at 90 degrees to the side while staring straight ahead
• Estimate distances like the width of a room distance of a house from a road

These all relate to a capability and understanding of spatial awareness. You can check some of them by doing things like:

• Asking your youngster to dribble a handball or basketball without looking at it
• Watching them manipulate video game controls as they follow objects on-screen
• Quizzing them about the description of several items within a picture

There are plenty of fun activities that can help in the development of spatial skills in young adults. Encouraging children to use, read and create maps is useful. Hobbies such as origami, photography and sketching geometric shapes, or games that involve building obstacle courses can help too.

Probing a little and giving appropriate praise is one of the best ways to help build up your child's confidence.

 

2. Physical Strength, Fitness and Agility

 You need to be able to see first-hand if your child is a good fit for the bike. Check to see if:

• They can place their feet comfortably on the ground.
• They can pick up the bike from the ground
• They can comfortably reach the handlebar and fingers reach brake levers
• They can confidently actuate the throttle and let go
• They can use the brakes confidently
• They can stand and balance with a little space from the seat
• They understand what protective gear they need to wear and how to fit it

 

Here are some simple ways to assess their agility. Ask them to:

• Walk along a flat beam that’s slightly raised, 10cm wide and 2m long
• Use a skipping rope
• Walk 2 metres on tiptoes
• Catch a ball by throwing one to you backwards and forwards
• Run 1km to assess how quickly they tire

Be aware: If they have ridden a push-bike before and have achieved a reasonable degree of competency then that will be a huge asset. But it should not be not the only criteria to consider before upgrading to a midi or a kid’s electric dirt bike.

Whilst the major physical development milestones of adolescence happen to us all, their timing can vary greatly, both between and within the sexes. Genes, diet, exercise, illness and other developmental areas play their part.

 

3. Social Skills and Emotional Maturity

How your child reacts to or behaves in certain situations can be useful indicators of how responsible and grown-up they are when using a motor powered vehicle. It doesn’t matter which kind of beginner’s electric dirt bike they are using. The same rules apply.

For example, do they have difficulty following rules at school or at home? Are they able to exercise appropriate self-control when they get upset or excited? Do they consider the consequences before performing a particular action?

 What you are assessing are these main points:

• Their ability to understand and follow rules
• Their readiness to follow instructions from their superiors

All parents can encourage their kids to hone their social skills and give them more confidence. They can do this by taking a keen interest in what they’re doing. Teaching empathy, understanding their physical and mental limits and a continuous aspiration to be a great role model will help.

 

4. The Ability to Make Quick Decisions by Weighing Up Risk

 It’s really important that your child understands the impact their behaviour can have on themselves and others. Leaving sufficient time on a beginner’s dirt bike to brake and stop is one of the key lessons to learn. They should also understand how, even when moving at very low speeds, it’s possible to get injured.

 These are some competencies to teach them:

• Understanding how interaction and riding with and around others can result in accidents and injuries
• When to exercise a degree of caution
• The danger of what might happen if they ride too fast or take a bend too quickly and loose control
• The importance of always wearing good quality and complete protective gear on electric dirt bikes

 Giving a twist to popular games such as Jenga, Scrabble or Chess by using a timer and short intervals can help develop faster decision-making skills.

 

It’s Time to Get Started!

Ultimately, you are likely to know your child best. You may already have instinctively carried out your own readiness checklist without even realising it. What matters is to consider your child’s capabilities in whatever way works best for you and them. And as always: Do never let them ride without your active supervision!

The best place for learning to ride a beginner’s dirt bike is a dry, flat and even area that is free from obstacles such as rocks, stumps, holes, fences, stairs or water bodies such as ponds, pools, etc . The ideal learning area is 75m x 75m and shall be turfed or of hard packed dirt surface. Ideally, this could be in a familiar area such as your rural or semi-rural property.

Once they’re wearing their gear, keep the bike switched-off and begin by pushing the bike to get your child used to the feel of the brakes. Ensure they have their head up and are looking straight ahead at all times... and not downwards.

 Again, before powering up, push the bike and get them to practice turning:

• For a right turn, look to the right and lean the motorcycle to the right
• For a left turn, look to the left and lean the motorcycle to the left

Coach your child patently through all the controls. Let them explain all controls back to you. Adjust all dials to the slowest and least powerful settings. Begin with short flat rides towards you. Let them brake in front of you. Preferably between one parent and another before moving on to slow figures of 8. The key is always to take things slowly in short, simple manageable stages.

Talk to the Experts

We believe electric dirt bikes should be fun and not intimidating. Give your child the support they need to get started and ride like a pro. Talk to Takani about our range of cool, beginner’s dirt bikes. Whether it’s a midi or a kid’s dirt bike, we’ve got you covered.