At what age is it appropriate to buy a kid a real four wheeler?

I used to be a sales rep in the atv industry. I bought my boys their first one at 4 but I'd probably put them in go karts on the first go around if I had it to do over again.

By all means, PLEASE never let her ride without a helmet. Also, don't go spend $2K on an ATV for her then $20 on some cheap arse helmet. Don't forget it's protecting her brain and price matters. I can't tell you the heart breaking Monday's I walked into dealerships across the South and they were torn up about a kid dying or getting severely injured on a product that had been bought in their store.

There is some absolute shite as far as atv's and go karts out there. Polaris actually bought a stake in one of the factories that I used to rep and do R and D work for. Start her on a Hammerhead kart. They are pretty good quality and she'll have a cage around her for protection. Once she's comfortable with the concept and principles of driving something that has the potential to hurt her and others then you can move her to an atv. Both come with a safety throttle limiter screw; USE IT!

Some of my best memories are with my boys riding atvs.

Feel free to ask any questions.

Good info

I think you about 2 Christmases too early for a 90 and a 3.5 year old. My older kids rode a 90 and will be passed down to my littlest who is 3.5 now. No way in hell would I let him operate it solo, helmet or governor not gonna keep him from getting hurt on something that big that he would struggle to control.

Thanks for all of the replies. Looks like we'll be going with a john deere gator power wheel and save the real four wheeler for a little later down the road.

If you really want to put them on wheels, a go kart is best below the age of 7 and maybe 9. 4 wheelers are not to be used below the age of 16, so they claim. It all depends on the kid. Go karts are much safer for the young ones. My grandson has a very nice one that he has been having two years. He is 6 now. He has been driving it by himself all that time and rides along mom and pop. They do set the max speed on it.

Santa brought my kid a Razor 4-wheeler when he was 3. This isn't a run-of-the-mill powerwheel. It goes about 10-12mph, has disc brakes, and turns on a dime. Now, it took him a crash or two to figure out how to work the brakes or to not turn too fast or he'll flip it over, but at 3yo he handled it pretty well. He's almost 6 now and still drives the heck out of that thing. It's pretty powerful and will get through mud. His favorite thing to do is go full speed then slam on the brakes to make a skidmark. I would recommend something like this first, mainly because it's lighter and less powerful than a gas powered 90. I would also strongly recommend a helmet with face protection.



Also, something else to consider is a small go-kart with a roll cage. A family member has one for their 7yo that's governed down. Alot more stable than a 4-wheeler and has seatbelts and roll cage. That's the biggest danger with atv's and small kids is rollover. Just be prepared for a permanent dirt track around your property if you get a go-kart.