Alright well first off it's good to be back in here after an absence, but my question is I have been hearing some things about a meeting that is supposed to happen sometime in December and one of the main topics up for voting is the minimum age limit for racing over 90cc quads. Now I myself and I'm sure there are many more of you believe the age of 16 is an extremely rediculous age. Myself being a 15 year old and only having the oppurtunity to race in the few outlaw races that we have around here and not getting true competition, really bugs me. Now I have been riding quads since I was 7 and I have never owned a quad lower that 200cc. I realize that there are some knuckleheads that go out and get a 400EX for there 9 year old, but c'mon give the younger kids chances to race. I would just liek everyone to post their opinions on the subject and if you have any information on the meeting or is this all gossip.

 

arnt most parks a ride at your own rick deal, if you get hurt that they are not responable for it, if so then i dont see why it matters what the riding age is, i know i have seen some young kids at little sahara ok, on banshees, this one kid was maybe 11 and he smoked me in a drag race, im really hoping it was cause i was giving him aleast 125 #s not including the weights of the bike, and his brother was maybe 14 riding a raptor and he could ride wheelies better then i can, i think that the age should be a suggestion not a requirement

 

I thought we where the parents....Oh thats right we live in America, Uncle Sam is the parent.
I think FastYellow650 is right ""i think that the age should be a suggestion not a requirement""
I have two nephews that can out ride most adults and they are only 12 & 13.

 

We're working on a "guideline" that is not age related, and not racing related, but an alternative to the CPSC age guideline.. Based on weight. The weight of the machine (published dry weight, not including accessories) should not be more than 5 times the weight of the child (regular clothing, not including riding/safety gear).
. A racer's quad might be only twice his weight (175 lb/350 lb) A regular joe on a big utility might be 4 to one. With a five to one guideline, the lighter sport quads would be favored for younger, lighter riders.
A 350 lb sport quad like a 250 EX could be okay for a 70 lb rider.
. I've tried this guideline with a bunch of kids, some are over the limit, but it seems to work pretty well even on the low end. My 5 year old, who weighs about 60 lbs, rides his 250 lb Raptorette quite well, he has flipped it over on himself with little result. He can't flip it back over, but at least he's okay.
. What we want to prevent is 70lb girls riding 700 lb Sportsman and flipping them over onto themselves.

 

That sounds very sensible fourlix, anyone else wantig to voice their opinion is welcome to.

 

I am totally against the age limits that are currently set. I mean sure a 9 year old riding a 760 might be stretching it to far, but there are some little kids out there, that fill their shoes well. I mean there are kids around here that are like 13 but are 6 foot and 150 lbs, lets see someone fit that on a raptor 80 or other low class quad. I am 17 and 6'1" and 167 lbs, and i was always a bigger kid, the smallest quad i ever had was a blaster, and now i am on the big daddy of them all and I feel right at home

 

here in wisconsin 90cc til 12 is a joke. talk about unsafe try having you'r young son on a trail with a scrambler 90. this is'nt trail riding with the family it's just painful. #1 no headlight #2 no suspension #3 wound tite 20-28mph. i put my 7 year old (about 65 lbs) on a 250ex and i know the saftey factor went way up. dnr (dept natural resources) has'nt started watching for under age riders yet,my 7 year is already on a 250ex and i feel better for it!![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

I am glad to see other people are in agreement with me! I to realized that it less safe for a 16 year old to be on a 90 than to put them on say a 300EX or for most people even bigger than that. I myslef am only 15, but 5'10'' and about 175 and I feel I am being cheated out because I can hang right with top B class riders, but the only oppurtunity's I have to show my talent and improve it is at those joke outloaw races and rarely will you ever see good riders at these races.

 

I'm not sure exactly what to say on this subject, except that I feel I should say something. The demise of common sense and responsibility has left a lot of problems in this country. I have seen 30 year olds that should not get near a quad or they'll hurt themselves, and I have been absolutely schooled in terms of riding technique by a seven year old on a hot ATC 250r. I think parents should be the guardians of their kids and make decisions to keep them safe, and some kids are going to end up on quads that are mismatched. The weight based guidelines sound like a much better system than what's in place now. I started on a Honda 200sx when I was six, and it was too big for me. When I was 15 I was about 6'4" and 240lbs and our Yamaha Timberwolf (min rider age of 16) was too small. Now I'm 21, 6'7", 275, and happily riding the best size matched quad I have ever had. What's it mean? For the parents that want their seven year old on a _______, fine with me as long as they can control it. For the teens out there that are way bigger than the quads their supposed to be on, just hang in there and don't tell anyone your age. And make sure you have your parent's permission.

 

I too agree with a "size" regulation being more sensible than one based on age. More importantly, I think it's a common sense thing for the parents. I too have seen small kids at Little Sahara. Fastyellow650 and I may have been beaten by the same one on the Banshee. However, I think that's pushing the limits of common sense. The kid could barely reach the footpegs and the handle bars at the same time, and he had to use his whole upper body to pull the clutch in! Another time, I saw a smaller kid on a 400ex that COULDN"T reach the pegs. He'd slide over side saddle every time he needed to shift. While none of the kids I see seem to be having any problems, I'd hate to see the results of when the quads get out of shape or try to flip over. Reguardless of age, I think it's a question of fitting the quad to the rider. A rider on a machine that's way too big is just as dangerous as one on a machine that's too small. I think it's up to the parents to use their own common sense in picking out a quad that's safe for their kids to be on.