Atv Sizes by Age: Which Quad Size Is Best for Your Kid?

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ATVs or Quads can be dangerous for kids if you don’t follow the age guidelines.

These vehicles are powerful and accidents are not uncommon. But you can start from 3 years, but as your kid ages, the ATV should keep changing.

The most important thing to consider is the size of the engine (cc). This metric in most cases is good enough to judge which ATV is good for your kid.

Here’s a complete guideline on ATVs according to all the age groups!

Choice of ATVs by Age

1. Age 3-5 Years (Beginner level)

Recommended Engine Size: 124 V Battery Powered Atvs

Recommended models: Kid Motorz Monster Quad 12 V, Razor Dirt Quad 24 V

Things to know:

  • The Consumer product safety commission recommends not to ride gas powered ATVs for children under 6 years.
  • The solution is to go for a battery powered four wheeler, especially when your kid is in the 3-5 years range.
  • Start with 12 volt single battery ATVs and then you can shift to a more powerful 24 volt ATV when your kid turns 6. Alternatively, you can also buy a gas powered ATV.
  • At this age range, the ATV’s should have the capacity of 40 lbs

2. Age 6-11 Years

Recommended Engine Size: 50-110cc

Recommended models: Yamaha YFZ 50, Cam-Am DS 70

Things to know:

  • Children at 6 should start with 50cc ATVs.
  • The ideal ATV for a 10 year old kid should be between 70-110cc. But considering the height of children in the 10-11 year range, a higher, preferably 110cc ATVs are recommended.
  • The minimum weight limit for this age range is 65 lbs. Children can still maneuver quads or ATVs of this size without any issues.
  • These quads are usually 25-37 inches tall and can accommodate kids 6 years and up.
  • Most quads in the 50cc-110cc range will come with a throttle limiter so you can control the speed as they learn to ride safer.
  • Single speed automatic transmission is preferable over clutch based ATVs for easy handling.

3. Age 12-15 Years

Recommended Engine Size: 90-120 CC

Recommended models: Yamaha Raptor 90, Tao Motor Raptor 120

Things to know:

  • Quads over 90 cc are more powerful and have a higher speed limit that won’t bore the kids especially in this age range.
  • Kids at 13-15 are recommended to ride 90 cc quads. However, the 120 cc models can still be safe enough, if you feel that your kid is more matured and experienced enough.
  • These quads also have a throttle limiter and you can slowly increase the speed as your child gains confidence.

4. Age 16+ Years (Advanced level)

Recommended Engine Size: Over 120 cc

Recommended models: X-Pro 125, Tao Motor 125, X-Pro 200

Things to know:

  • Kids in the 16-18 years range should be able to ride a 125 cc ATV without much issues.
  • The 250 cc and up ATVs are only recommended for those who are advanced riders and have full control over their riding.
  • They don’t come with any throttle limiter and as such you won’t have any control over the speed they are riding.

How to Know Which Quad/ATV is Best for Your Child’s age?

1. Assessing Physical Development

Probably the first thing you need to ask yourself is whether your kid is physically ready to ride an ATV.

You need to make sure that he has the right height for the ATV you are going to buy. Also check if he can move the handlebar from right to the left without any discomfort.

Apart from these, he should be able to squeeze the brake lever. If your kid hasn’t developed the strength of doing so, it’s better not to buy a quad for him.

He should also be able to maintain his balance. Prior experience in riding a bicycle will really help.

Depending on these factors, you should choose the model and the cc of the engine.

2. Assessing Emotional Development

Your child’s emotional maturity will also help in deciding what sort of quad you should buy.

By emotional maturity we mean his ability to control the vehicle following safety rules.

He should be able to know how much speed is safe and the difference between rash driving and safe riding.

If you assess that your kid has a higher control over his behavior, you can let him ride higher cc ATVs. However, the weight and the height will also come into play.

More often than not, you as a parent might have a hard time judging his emotional maturity when it comes to riding vehicles.

So, you might as well take opinions from his peers, siblings and other relatives.

3. Does it Fall in the Recommended Age Group?

The age group we mentioned should be strictly followed. In some cases, the child might be too big for his age or too mature for his age.

So, you can opt for a more powerful engine, but that might be only a 20-30 cc difference from what is recommended.

Final Words….

Keep in mind some states are pretty strict regarding the use of ATVs. In that case, you won’t have any trouble if you follow our guidelines.

Always remember to compliment your kids if they ride well and safely. It will boost their morale and encourage them to ride with precautions.

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