There is no age restriction when it comes to learning how to ride. Whether it's a child starting out on an electric Stacyc bike or an adult learning to ride a dirt bike for the first time- everyone starts somewhere. Check out the following options to decide what's best for you.

Get Prepared

The first thing you'll need to do before learning to ride is make sure you are prepared. Check out our other articles to make sure you have everything you need for a dirt bike, such as essential riding gear or other important things to remember. You could also ask fellow dirt bike enthusiasts what they recommend when getting into the sport.

The most important thing when deciding to start riding a dirt bike is choosing which bike will be right for you. Keep reading to help with your choices when first starting out.

Stacyc Electric Bikes

Stacyc is a company owned by Harley Davidson that produces electric balance bikes developed to help younger kids learn to balance in order to prepare them for riding a dirt bike. They are a great option to ease the child from a bicycle to a dirt bike between the ages of 3 and 12. Stacyc bikes come in 4 sizes: 12 inch, 16 inch, 18 inch and 20 inch. You'll want to choose based on your child's age and height.

The 12 inch Stacyc bike is $799 and for 3-5 year olds with an inseam of 14 inches or larger. 

The 16 inch Stacyc bike is $1,049 and for 5-7 year olds with an 18-24 inch inseam.

The 18 inch Stacyc bike is $1,999 and for 8-10 year olds with a 22-23 inch inseam.

The 20 inch Stacyc bike is $2,599 and for 10-12 year olds with a 24-26 inch inseam.

Check out this review for more information about the Stacyc.

We currently have graphics for the 12, 16 and 18 inch Stacyc bikes.

Children's Bikes

You could also skip the Stacyc bike entirely and go straight to a kids size dirt bike. Smaller bikes such as 50cc and 80cc are great choices for young kids starting out. Some great options for small and affordable dirt bikes are the Yamaha PW 50 and 80 or the Honda CRF 50 (of course, we have graphics for those too). Again, you'll want to choose based on your child's age and height.

Small bikes like these often have a throttle limit that can be set by a parent. As they learn to ride, you can adjust the speed accordingly to ensure proper handling and safety.

It's great to teach younger kids because they are likely to pick up on riding quickly(they're also closer to the ground for the times they might fall over). Going to rides and races can also help them make lifelong friends. Kids can start racing as young as 3 years old in some cases, but make sure to check with your local series for age restrictions.

Youth Bikes

Youth sized bikes are ones such as the Honda CRF 110, Kawasaki KLX 110 or Yamaha YZ 85 (click on each bike for links to graphics). These are just a few of the options for "medium" sized bikes for intermediate riding. Bigger kid's bikes like these have more power. They would work best for older and taller kids with more riding experience. Once again, you'll want to choose a bike based on your child's height, weight and skill levels. 

If you plan on racing and your child could go with either a smaller bike or a mid size, make sure to check out local race series classes to help make a decision. If they are a beginner, it might be beneficial to go with the smaller bike to be able to race in younger classes that aren't as fast paced. Sometimes race series will make exceptions for bike size and ages if the rider is a beginner, so make sure to check beforehand.

Adult Bikes

Even adults can start learning how to ride. Check out this video with tips for adults learning how to ride a dirt bike.

Taking a dirt bike safety course at any age could also help when learning how to ride. You can use websites like this one to find courses near you. Also check out local race series pages to find courses. 

Just as with children and youth sizes, there's different sized adult dirt bikes. You'll want to choose based on your height, weight and experience. The amount of suspension needed will change depending on how much you weigh- this becomes more important as an adult on a bigger bike. Adults are likely to choose a dirt bike between 250cc and 450cc, such as the Yamaha YZ 250, Kawasaki KX 250 or Honda CRF 450R (use the links for graphics on these bikes). It's usually best to choose a smaller bike while you are first learning because it will be easier. 

A lot of the adult bikes also have model options depending on how much power you're looking for, the type of racing you want to do and/or the overall feel of the bike. For example, the Yamaha YZ 250 is a 2 stroke, which is simpler and lighter. The Yamaha YZ 250F is a 4 stroke (the F standing for four-stroke) with more torque. Read this article from Amsoil to help decide between a 2 and 4 stroke dirt bike.

Everyone can learn to ride a dirt bike whether they're a child starting out or an adult wanting to get into racing for the first time. It's best to do research and use your best judgement when choosing what dirt bike will be right for you. Make sure to choose based on age, height and weight and sign up for safety courses for the best results and to have the most fun!