Better technology, more control and advanced safety features, these are the best electric dirt bikes for kids.
I grew up in rural South East Queensland on a little piece of land called Jimboomba. My whole family were really into dirt bikes at one point, yup even my mother and my sister, which meant family dirt bike adventure holidays – good times.
I got home from school one day and found my parents unloading a second hand CR150, it was perfect for a reckless 13 year old. My father, brother and I spent the afternoon testing it out and tearing up the Logan river bank that backed onto our property.
Now that I’ve been working with the Australian Electric Motor Co. I found myself thinking about this next generation of rural kids discovering the epic fun of a dirt bike riding weekend and the new wave of electric dirt bikes that are available for kids.
Why electric dirt bikes for kids over gas bikes?
Electric dirt bikes for kids make a whole lot more sense if you’re thinking about buying their first bike. I can’t even tell you the amount of time my father and brother spent out in the garage taking apart engines, replacing parts and fixing this or that. They were lucky enough to have a good grounding in small engine mechanics, I couldn’t even imagine the maintenance costs if they weren’t so experienced. And even though kids dirt bikes don’t take much to fuel, petrol is another cost you have to factor in – not to mention the safety factory. It isn’t exactly something you really want groms handling next to hot engines.
One of the best things about kids electric dirt bikes is they are ‘set it and forget it’ type of bikes. They take no more maintenance than a bicycle because there is so much less that can go wrong in an electric drive train vs an internal combustion engine.
Oh and the real bonus electric dirt bikes have over gas bikes… noise. Electric dirt bike engines make a much quieter winding sound which is generated from the motor, the belt/chain and the tyre hitting the dirt. Think of a louder remote control car. No pissing the neighbours off at indecent hours because there’s a two or four stroke engine revving. It was one of the biggest complaints we got from our neighbours as kids.
Warning
As any parent should know, dirt bikes aren’t the safest toy in the world. Dangerous riding and reckless behaviour leads to crashes and serious injuries, I’ve witnessed this first hand. As funny as it was watching my brother lose his mind talking gibberish with a green morphine whistle in his mouth – the bone sticking out of his ankle wasn’t. Take the time to either teach your kids safe riding practices or get them involved in a social group with mentors who can teach this sort of stuff.
Australia is lucky enough to have a pretty good extreme sports culture, so if you look around on Google, Facebook or event meet up sites, you should be able to find a local MotoX group that will be able to give your kid some pointers. And this should go without saying but, safety equipment – helmet, chest plates, boots, the works. Don’t skimp when it comes to protective gear.
One more thing to keep in mind is that the nature of electric motorcycle technology means the motorbikes can be a lot more powerful. The speed and torque on these things have been turned up high which can be very dangerous off road. Again this is an opportunity to teach your kids about safe riding, how to find their limits and getting some mentoring in a social setting.
Now we got that out of the way. Here is our list of electric dirt bikes for kids that are currently available in Australia. This list contains a mix of mini bikes for younger kids, and bigger bikes for teens.
OSET
OSET comes first on our list because of their proven track record in competition. Their multiple youth championship wins all over the world would make them a great choice for any kid interested in trials and competitive riding. The OSET electric bikes are a great introduction motorcycle from 2 years up to 16+ and as a company their focus is on discipline, balance, brake and throttle control instead of pure speed and power.
There are five models on offer from OSET that range from mini bikes suitable for the smallest riders, to the biggest kids. These bikes are designed from the ground up for technical ability and safety. One of the best safety features available with electric motorbikes, specifically the OSETs, is that the power, throttle response and top speed can all be controlled to suit the rider. This makes it easy for new riders to master the controls in stages, and it also allows for parental control. Like most electric dirt bikes the OSETS also offer adjustable seat heights, which means your bike can grow as your child does.
OSET Australia are currently taking pre-orders for 2023 so if you’re thinking ahead to your child’s next birthday, Christmas or starting them in trial riding, it would be well worth looking into.
KTM
The adult electric motorcycles by KTM had a limited run in Australia, we’re hoping they will be back soon, but there is still plenty on offer for young riders. These are probably the most accessible electric dirt bikes for kids because of the amount of dealerships KTM has around the country.
KTM has two electric dirt bikes on offer in a mini-cross style, the SX-E 3 and the slightly more powerful SX-E 5. There are also two balance bikes available through KTM if trials is the way you want to go.
The SX-E 3 is perfect for those grass roots level riders just getting started in their mini-cross obsession. It is the lower end of the mini-cross dirt bike KTM offers, the SX-E 5 being the more advanced in power and capacity. Like the OSET’s the KTM’s come built in with a number of safety features and ride modes that make them a great offering for young and inexperienced riders.
Even though we mentioned that electric motorcycles don’t need much maintenance or repairs, one of the benefits of having a KTM bike is that because the brand is so established in Australia with a number of dealerships and repair centers, if something does go wrong it’s much easier to access the right mechanics.
Takani
The home grown heroes on this list. Takani are a family owned Australian brand that were developed in the Samford Valley, not too far out of Brisbane. What we like about these bikes is that they are built for the kids who love to get out and have fun on weekends. A lot of the electric dirt bikes for kids can either look like big glorified toys or are geared toward the racing market – meaning power and speed are the focus. Over 30 years Takani developed their bikes for Australian kids and their two dirt bike options are pretty awesome.
Their two electric bikes, the TK1412-15 and the TK1210-13 are a great option for your teenage riders, 13-16 minimum. The top speed on these bikes reach between 30-40km/h, with no noise, no pollution and no home mechanic skills required. These electric dirt bikes also come in at the lower end of the price tag, the higher range TK1413-15 sells for $1,999. Not too bad for a modern electric dirt bike.
My heart goes out to Takani because they’re local manufacturers who are building bikes for the kids in areas I grew up in. Tried and tested on rural Queensland properties without pissing off the neighbours due to noise.
Segway
Segway have produced two electric dirt bikes, the X160 and X260 that would be more suited to experienced teenage riders. Their impressive compact and lightweight dirt bikes look like they would be a whole lot of fun winding down narrow trails and mountain treks. Segway has officially said that these bikes are for adults, but we had bikes that definitely weren’t for teens once we got our experience up. We think these would be great for riders in their late teens/young adults who like to really open up on dirt bike trails.
The Segway’s have the technology to support it too. The premium X260 model has a top speed of around 75 km/h, 120km range, 250 Nm of torque, advanced suspension and handling, and swappable battery technology. Get these bad boys out for a weekend trail ride and you’re in for a good time. The price on these bikes is getting up to around the $7,000 mark, which is why you need to be serious about your riding if you’re thinking of getting a Segway electric dirt bike.
Which of these electric dirt bikes do you think your kids would like? Or which bike do you think would have liked a go at? There’s a part of me that’s a little jealous of all the options available for young riders today, zero pollution, no noise and advanced riding features, it’s a brave new world and we’re excited to see what comes next for electric dirt bikes for kids.