Skipping pw50 and going to ktm50 mini

My son started on a SX 50 Mini at four years old and did just fine.  Completely stock.  No mods to slow it down.  After about 6 to 8 months we moved him to a SX 50 Pro Senior.  I honestly think that it helped him transition to the KX65 that came next because he was already used to the two stroke power.  Thats a pic of him in my avatar at about 16 years old on a YZ125.

Careful.

They are aggressive little things and the snap  of it may wipe that smile off his face,no matter how low you run the clutch etc 

I'm not disagreeing with you,but the KTM and the staycyc are 2 different animals.

I would grab the best pw you can and run it into the ground first.

Set the clutch to lowest rpm engagement- that will tame it down at initial throttle. Plus need a longer straightaway before the powerband hits ..

When you get one, take the pipe off and go to the hardware store. Find a washer that fits in the exhaust flange that restricts about half, when he's ready ,take it out.

If you can see your kid is a speed demon I say go the KTM, I remember when I got on PW's I was left wanting more very quickly at 4 years old, I was also quite tall at that age.

Mine was small at 5 and got right on a SX50 mini. He's been small on every bike since, too. Sometimes it took him a while to figure it out. Kids learn fast.

I did the same thing with my kid last year.  Bought an 03 mini adventure.  He’s done pretty well, but hasn’t really felt the full power of the bike yet - this year he’ll have the opportunity to go as fast as he wants. 
 

Not sure the size of your kid. But get them either the KTM SXe3 or e5. Your kid and you will both thank you for skipping the KTM 50 or pw50 world. No kickstarting it for them or getting it running when they tip it over and it floods, no changing filters and oil, no burnt up clutches (KTM 50). Plus 6 different power modes and multiple seat height adjustments as they grow and progress. We went from a KTM 50 then sold that and went to a KTM SXe5 and now also have a KTM 65 since he is grown, but still enjoys the SXe5 for hard enduro riding and as a pit bike.

I haven't experienced this as I only got a bike when I got a job.

But a close friend of mine was bought a KTM 50 as a first bike and because it was way too much for him he cried any time he was near it. His dad gave up and he ended up not getting into riding until he was in his 20s. Of course the same could have happened on a PW but since this thread will all be anecdotal I figured I'd add another to the mix.

dont bother with clutch wind down get the exhaust washer, was in ktm parts catalog when  we had our mini, tamed it down big time i would never put a learner on one unrestricted like others have said good way to scare them off riding if things go wrong  

Mine literally said the same thing. He was on an OSET 12.5r and outgrew it. Said he wanted his bike to make noise like mine lol! That was until he realized what it was like on a KTM 50. Once we made the swap he had way more fun riding and completely forgot about the desire for exhaust sounds because he couldn’t actually enjoy it. Oh our little guys are funny haha.

The pw’s are that much because they somewhat hold their value. By a used one I decent shape then when he grows out of it you can prob sell it for around what you paid for it, or maybe more if you do a good enough job cleaning t it up. Better to start off with the appropriate bike he can get used too rather than on a race bike which in turn might scare him away. It’s not like when you sell the pw you’ll get 0$ for it. So have to look at what you buy and could sell it for. Not what it costs initially if that makes sense. Might only lose 100$ on it when everything is said and done.  Or come out ahead.  

My son loved his Ktm adventure way more than his Pro. We literally just kept making his adventure better until he was ready for a 65, Being in Kansas and dry slick the hit of the pro wasn't always good.

Just another opinion,  but I think It’s better for them to ride a bike that’s too small and they can ride the wheels off than one that’s overwhelming and scary.  Don’t be in too big of a hurry to get him ripping, and if saving money is a factor you might want to rethink the whole sport haha.  Just kidding obviously but I know a few friends who were maybe too enthused to see their kids ripping, one good crash at too early of an age and they lost interest. Be in it for the long run. Smaller and slower is more fun, they have their whole lives to go fast.  Just my opinion. Good luck and have fun ! 

I would go the PW first personally,  (and have done that with my boy). i think its better to let him get the confidence first,  KTM50 powerbands even toned down are pretty rapid, 

PW50 then PW80 was also a nice step back in the days before real racing machines (from around 6). No big tracks either, not mixed with 450s, no big jumps, no big downhills/uphills, that helps not to get scared. The good thing is that it costs almost nothing to ride the PWs for at least a thousand hours before really touching something that require much more technique or is able to clear 100 footers.

I would not skip the pw stage. Like others have said, they hold their value used. Buy a $1,000 pw and sell it for the same. For every one success story going straight to KTM 50’s, there has to be an exponential amount of failure stories. My kid rode a pw for not even a year which was enough time to get the basics of riding at age 4, but one of my hindsight regrets was not holding onto the pw longer after the mini joined the ranks. Mini’s are high strung and not backyard play bikes, which at age 4-5 kids need

and 4year olds do not know anything, the e5’s are awesome and I haven’t seen a kid with one that didn’t love it. Almost to a fault as hoping off the ebike onto their gas cobra/KTM is a much tougher ride

I have 4 boys I started out on ktm mini sx.  First 2 did fine and managed the power, the younger 2 didn't take to it and I think ruined their riding experience, they didn't enjoy riding until much older.  I have a younger daughter that is 3, I've started her on the KTM e2 and she loves it.  I have a mini adventure that I will have her start riding this summer, their powerband is very mellow and have descent suspension but are a bit hard to find.  I think you want the kid comfortable with the power of his first bike and be wanting more and able to ride the wheels off of it, let it build their confidence.  I wouldn't risk the chance of the sx discouraging their riding, riding is too much a part of our lives.  The cost of a pw is high for what it is but you should get it all back when you sell it.

We got rid of our PW50 and got my girls a CRF50. The 4 stroke starts easier and has a much more manageable power profile for learning. 

I think he will probably be fine. Mine was on a CRF 50 for about a year before he got on a mini. A few things to know about the mini, if he is a throttle blipper, it will eat the stator on that thing. Those little bikes run pretty hot. Buy a couple of OEM stators to have on hand. Don’t buy the cheap ones from Amazon/ebay etc. if you can remove the stator cover between rides so air can get to it. We quit losing stators after we started doing that. Also buy some oem water pump gears to have on hand, and order the pax racing seat bolt conversion kit. And for the love of God don’t let anyone big ride it, including you!