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50cc motorcycle for my 10-year-old son under Rs 25,000

5th March 2024, 12:40 by Utkarsh Chaudhary

I am contemplating gifting it to him as a token of my affection that not only fulfils his youthful desires but also allows me to share my love for all things automotive with him.

BHPian TM_Turbo recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi BHPians,

I am Naveen based out of Bangalore. I am in my mid-30s and work in one of the Big 4s. Despite my career at a Big 4 firm, my heart remains captivated by the allure of automobiles.

My son who is 10 years old shares my enthusiasm for automobiles and has a budding interest in DIY projects. He is also a good Karate player and won multiple trophies and medals in National and International level open championships.

Last time when he won a trophy in an International level open competition I had promised to gift him a small bike (which he had been very keen about for a long time). As my son's birthday approaches, I am contemplating gifting him a 50cc bike, a token of my affection that not only fulfils his youthful desires but also allows me to share my love for all things automotive with him.

Now, here's where I could really use your expertise and guidance. While I've spent countless hours reading about maintaining those 50cc 2-stroke bikes, availability of spare parts, etc, I truly value the insights and experiences of this community.

So, dear forum members, I turn to you for advice.

What are your thoughts on purchasing a 50cc bike for a young rider?
Are there specific models or brands you would recommend?
Any tips or considerations I should keep in mind while making this purchase?
Any leads/contacts/dealers in Bangalore
Maintenance and spare parts availability
Any 1st hand experience owning these small bikes?

Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your insights. I eagerly await your responses and look forward to embarking on this journey together. Please note my budget would be around 20-25K max.

Here's what BHPian aargee had to say about the matter:

It might work by avoiding getting caught or using private land for practice because:
Learning License Age Limit for Two wheelers
The minimum age for a learning license for a two-wheeler whose capacity is below 50cc is 16 years of age. However, in today’s times 50cc scooters are few and far between. Hence, it is better to wait to get the two-wheeler above 50cc license.
Source

Here's what BHPian deep_bang had to say about the matter:

Rather than looking at petrol bikes, would suggest looking at electric ones. This space is already fairly clear wrt rules and regulations and it's very clear that any vehicle that has < 250 watts motor does not need a license to ride the vehicle.
With petrol, these regulations exist but hardly any manufacturers make them (as far as I know).

Here's what BHPian Redex had to say about the matter:

I have 4 boys who all went through this stage (as did I). Get a real "dirt bike" with a petrol engine. Get all the safety gear. Teach your child how to maintain the vehicle.
All 4 of my boys had their fill of 2 wheelers riding off-road. They went straight to cars when old enough to drive, much safer. Only 1 continues to ride a 2-wheeler but mostly drives his car.
Personally, I have ridden 2 wheelers since the age of 11 and still do now at 68.

Here's what BHPian shankar.balan had to say about the matter:

Lovely! This is really nice to read. Nothing like starting them young when it comes to automobile enthusiasm.
My Dad did. And I've ended up being a die-hard automobile enthusiast.
I agree that the sensible choice to make in your case is to go electric. But there is a certain joy in the internal combustion engine, especially for your budding DIY enthusiast. That's why I feel you should go with your instinct and get him a petrol-driven mini dirt bike or similar, along with the other safety kit etc. The greatest thing you can do after this is to take him to professional biking tracks where he can receive training and hone his skills.
I like the picture you posted. If my folks/grandma had allowed it when I was a teenager, I would have loved to have an Enfield Explorer or BSA Bond 50cc bike both of which, when modded a bit, looked a lot like that picture. Of course, those were bikes used by teens, college goers and even adults then.
Now some of us can live vicariously through your little boy and his biking!
Upon doing a casual search of the internet there seem to be literally tens of options of these 49-50cc petrol powered bikes for kids ranging from 10000 to 70000 Rupees.
Thing is, how good, how safe and how reliable are they? That is the primary set of points which require to be answered.