First Bike for a 16 year old

[adam cool dude]

My daughter will be 16 in 6 months time and looking for a little project to tinker with her. I am more than handy with the spanners so buying something with a blown engine etc wouldn't be a problem. Don't want to spend a load either £500-700 all in for the bike.

In my day the Yamaha DT50MX was the go to bike because you could buy one for a packet of fags but now it seems they have become classics so out of touch really as I haven't rode a bike since I was 16 some 20 years ago now!

Aprilia SR50 and Peugeot Speedfight were the daddies in the twist and go but there just seems so much selection now.

Not bothered about brands and such but something we can work on together and have a bit of fun with really?

 

[Diddums]

Avoid Chinese - no matter how good you are with the spanners, the incessant stripped bolts / failed electrics / seized calipers / etc will quickly turn your daughter away from the hobby.

The 50s nowadays are all 4 strokes and couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding, that leaves you with going for an older 2 stroke (not ULEZ compliant, if that matters) or getting "creative".

Plenty bargains to be had if you learn to look carefully. I bought a Benelli K2 100cc for £49.80 a few months ago, will get it running in the next few weeks.

Geared or not geared?

 

[adam cool dude]

Avoid Chinese - no matter how good you are with the spanners, the incessant stripped bolts / failed electrics / seized calipers / etc will quickly turn your daughter away from the hobby.

The 50s nowadays are all 4 strokes and couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding, that leaves you with going for an older 2 stroke (not ULEZ compliant, if that matters) or getting "creative".

Plenty bargains to be had if you learn to look carefully. I bought a Benelli K2 100cc for £49.80 a few months ago, will get it running in the next few weeks.

Geared or not geared?

ULEZ doesn't bother me as I live in the countryside. Would prefer a geared bike tbh.

 

[iron_monkey]

Unless the law has changed a 16yo can only ride a bike that goes 29mph so no 2 strokes or derestricted bikes. I would suggest just getting something cheap and reliable like a honda scooter, let them ride for a year and get some road sense and when they're 17 then look at getting a proper bike.

 

[Diddums]

Unless the law has changed a 16yo can only ride a bike that goes 29mph so no 2 strokes or derestricted bikes. I would suggest just getting something cheap and reliable like a honda scooter, let them ride for a year and get some road sense and when they're 17 then look at getting a proper bike.

Lol, my scooters as a kid would do 100mph and had over 23hp

They needed to be rebuilt every few hours of work but they absolutely flew.

 

[iron_monkey]

Unfortunately, legally your stuck to 29mph and riding in the gutter at 16. I remember having a tzr that split a piston in half as it got to hot due to a clogged oil pipe. My mate went and got a rope and we tied it round the headstock and towed me home.

 

[adam cool dude]

Unless the law has changed a 16yo can only ride a bike that goes 29mph so no 2 strokes or derestricted bikes. I would suggest just getting something cheap and reliable like a honda scooter, let them ride for a year and get some road sense and when they're 17 then look at getting a proper bike.

I had a Yamaha DT50MX at 16 and that was 2 stroke. It did have restrictors in though. It didn't stay like that for long though.

 

[Tykey]

ULEZ doesn't bother me as I live in the countryside. Would prefer a geared bike tbh.

i don't know of any geared 50cc bikes (afaik 50cc is the limit for 16 y.o.'s). once your daughter is 17 she could do the cbt and be able to ride 125's, loads of selection then, just don't buy a chinese bike imo they aren't built well.

 

[Diddums]

As above. How far is she from 17? You could potentially buy something now and do it up over a couple of months, she could even ride it off-road a bit.

Having had a look, 50cc geared bikes are either 2 stroke (£lol) or 4 stroke (painfully slow and almost all Chinese crap).

If she's only just dinged level 16 then you're either gonna hafta fork out, live with un-resellable rubbish or risk her losing interest by delaying it a year.

 

[Rilot]

I had a Yamaha DT50MX at 16 and that was 2 stroke. It did have restrictors in though. It didn't stay like that for long though.

I had the same bike. A 1989 in black and red. I had a Leo Vince exhaust and racing reeds. Upgeared it for the extra "power" and it would manage 45mph on the flat. Boy did you have to work that gearbox though.
I agree with what others have said about Chinese bikes. Avoid like the plague. We had a Haui... Huioo....erm.....Chinese bike that began with an H. It was a 125 and was a wierd mixture of Suzuki CM125 frame with a Honda CG125 motor. It was shot by 5000 miles and repairing it was impossible as all the bolts in the motor stripped or snapped their heads off when trying to disassemble it. Scrapped it in the end at 4 years old.

My view is get her a twist-n-go scoot at 16. Gets her the road sense. Then when she turns 17 get a proper 125 such as a CBR or suchlike.

 

[IC3]

50cc 2T with a Polinii, Malossi, Airsal or DDL kit