What better way to spend an afternoon, then with your kids on the trails! 

In Ontario, the only age restriction for off-road riding is that children under the age of 12 must be directly supervised by an adult.  This gives the oppourtunity for children of all ages to enjoy the benefits of trail riding with their parents.  Spend time as a family learning new skills, broadening horizons, and learning about the environment.  Video games have begun to take over the lifes of our children, so when your son/daughter asks about dirtbiking why not get the kids away from the tv screen and into the fresh air for some exercise.  This page will give some tips on making the most of their experience and keeping them safe all along.

1. Are they ready?
One of the most common mistakes parents make is pushing their child into riding because Dad rides.  Just like in any other sport (hockey, baseball, etc) you want to make sure your son/daughter WANTS to ride.  Next, are they physically ready?  The child should be able to touch the ground easily with both feet while sitting on the bike, reach the levers and have the grip strength to operate them, and be capable of pushing/lifting the motorcycle.   The AMA offers some advice with their "4 steps to choosing the right bike" article found on their website.  Lastly, are they mentally ready?  He/she should be able to comprehend, recognize, and reduce risk wherever possible.  The "no fear" mentallity that children have can be a dangerous weapon.

2.  Proper equipment
The proper riding gear is crucial to safe riding and doesn't have to cost a fortune.  To start, your child should have basic gear like a helmet, goggles, boots, gloves and jeans.  Check out "The Inside story on helmets and gear" on the AMA (American Motorcyclists Association) website for an indepth look at choosing the proper riding equipment.  As they progress you'll likely want to obtain more specialized gear.  Just having the gear doesn't mean that "lil Johnny" is going to make sure he has it ALL on before he jumps on his bike.  These kids need to have strict rules enforced about wearing their gear.  Teach your child that they are not to even SIT on the bike without their proper riding equipment and make them realize the consequences of such action.

3.  Learning to Ride
Teaching your child to ride can be a whole new task in itself especially if your background with off-road motorcycles is limited.  One option is a non-competitive riding school, these can be a good idea even if your riding experience more than enough to be capable of teaching your own child.  Click here for a list of schools in Ontario.  Sometimes children can be more likely to listen to a "stranger" than to listen to mom and/or dad.  This also avoids parent-child conflicts arising from the teaching period, remember we want to make this fun! 

If you do decide to teach your child to ride, you must first learn about their bike.  Pull out the manual, or ask the salesman or a friend to go over the bike with you.  Gas mixture, clutching, kill switch location, and choke procedure are all good places to start.  When teaching your child, don't jump right into the riding without first teaching some of the basics with the bike turned off.  Explain each step in detail, your child won't know "shift down" actually means to tap the shifter with his foot until you tell him.  For some teaching tips from Don Wilson of Honda Rider Education click here. 

4.  Supervision
A motorcycle is NOT a babysitting!  Children must be VERY closely supervised while riding.  Supervision does not mean being within ear-shot of them so you can hear the bike shut off.  Watch your son/daughter, give them tips, and be there to intervene when "peer pressure" ideas have them thinking about riding over their head.  




The COHV (Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council) offers a free activity book and interactive CD focusing on youth off-road saftey which can be order and/or downloaded from their website by click on the images below.