The Garage

For parents

First bike

What the site has for a young rider's first dirt bike, in six steps. Every number comes from a manual, a spec sheet, a statute or an agency page, and says which.

  1. Size the bike

    Seat height is the first number to check. The Garage has 26 smaller bikes, stock seat heights from 475 to 866 mm, each with its source.

    • 3 Under 600 mm
    • 10 600 to 749 mm
    • 13 750 to 899 mm

  2. Compare them

    113 side-by-side comparisons between youth bikes of the same size class, every value with its source.

  3. Gear before the first ride

    The checklist names the labels to look for: the DOT label on a helmet, the EN standards on boots and body protection. The gear guides explain each one.

  4. Know the rules

    Young-rider rules restated from each state's statute, with the citation: 9 states so far. Each state's page also covers helmets.

  5. Find a place to ride

    75 official riding areas in 11 states, each from the managing agency's own page, with the permits visitors need.

  6. Keep it running

    The manual's service schedule is on file for the Yamaha PW50, Yamaha YZ65 and Yamaha YZ85; My Bike counts it against your hours or races. 1 youth model is named in a CPSC recall.

The site does not say which bike suits a child. It gives the measurements and where each came from.