Stacyc vs. PW 50

Both- The Stacyc is nice, but constantly needs the battery charged. The PW will run shitty, every used one will have a scored piston and they start hard..etc, but don’t need a charge and just run and run  on a tank..

Stacyc sucks in the grass as the battery will die..fuses blow, over heat etc..They go forever on the street. 

we did the stacyc 12 at 2 and then the PW50 at 5 for my son, now my daughter is 2 and rides the stayc everywhere. 3 large batteries a day minimum. Didn't do training wheels on either becuase they both kicked around on balance bikes starting at 2. My son ran short for his age, my daughter is closer to average and will probably be on the pw next year.  

also I second the E50 recommendation. The boy did one season on the PW50 and then we put him on a TC50. If we could do it again, we'd probably gone from stacyc to an electric 50 and not used the PW. He does a mixture of Moto and off road and really only recently would he have run into range issues in his 45 minute off road races on the E50s and I'd not have had to replace 3 pistons, 3 clutches and change so many jets (on the TC, the PW needs nothing but fuel).   

Both!  And skip the training wheels. My 3 year old daughter has been on a 12” Stacyc since she was two. Just started ridding a pedal bike at the end of June and now has 2 track days on a PW (cut seat).  The training wheels really mess up the kids balance on the motorcycle. And the real wheel always comes off the ground and the kids get stuck. 

The stacyc is great for giving the kids something to ride when they can’t go out to the track. That’s what I love about it. 

Ironically enough, I just got back from the park where my son rides his stacyc while his sister has cheerleading practice. Little turd ran that thing full throttle into a pole and now has a big strawberry on his twig and berries. He handled it like a tough guy, though.  

If you don't have easy access to a place to ride all the time then electric is the way to go as far as first years learning. My son rides just about every day near our house even though its near a residential area. Otherwise if you have tracks or trails to ride close by your options open up to gas options as well but in my opinion the electric bikes have been great for my son for lots of reasons.

If he's interested in racing then it seems, at least around here, a pw50 is hard to beat since there's a racing class just for those bikes. I still think even if you have riding areas close by, in addition to a gas bike, a stacyc of the right size offers a good filler for riding around the house when you can't get to the track/trail. Mine is not interested in racing so we just ride for fun, mix of trail riding and he sometimes rides a peewee mx track. If he did want to race at an early age he probably should have also gotten a pw.

For electric, check our the Oset MX-14 and if you think he's already too big for that one then go right for one of the E-5 bikes. You can lower the suspension an inch and swap to a 10" front wheel if it's still too tall. Mine was riding a pedal bike no training wheels at 2 and started on the Oset at 3 but was already getting too big on it by age 4 (he's tall) but waited until 5 to upgrade to an E-5. He did not need the lower kit or 10" wheel and got used to it by his second ride.

The Oset lasts 2.5-3 hours riding trails and uses potentiometers (knobs)  to adjust max speed and torque, etc.

I got a pw 50 because i was able to get a low hours (very low) from my cousin for a good deal. In my back yard the stacyc would never last from what ive read about riding on the grass.

My boys will probably never be racers, but they love riding. My younger (almost 4) might stand a chance racing, but i wont let him ride by himself until he can ride a bike. The problem is he would rather ride "the blue dirt bike" (with me) than his strider.

Stacyc & one of the KTM groups E2 models

I got my 4 year old on the GasGas MC2. 

Very little maintenance, basically just charge and go. Would suggest getting a second (or third battery), and the Husqvarna yard equipment use an interchangeable battery that is the same as the bikes. 

We're getting about an hour and 20 mins on a full battery at full power. No complaints from our neighbors with him riding it around home.

https://www.gasgas.com/en-us/models/electric/motocross/mc-e-2-2024.html

Skip the training wheels. Balance bikes are so much better, kids develop good habits right away. 

Better not use training wheels. KTM E-3 or E-5 is best in both worlds. 

Definitely second the E-2, my guy is 4 and this thing is awesome for him. Quick swap battery is great, adjustable height is great, super light weight no hot exhaust or drive chain to worry about. 

The stacyc really misses out not having suspension. Really prone to headshake. Had one for him before we got this and the E2 is better in every conceivable way

Is the gasgas mc e3 much bigger than the KTM e2? My little dude is a big 3.5 y/o. Has well surpassed his elec balance bike and is ready for a suspended one this xmas. 

I would vote neither. I have a stacyc, a PW and ktm electric E 5.

My strong opinon is to get the smaller electric ktm above. IMO, it provides a better experience for learning than the stacyc with the feel, "suspension" and weight that a stacyc won't provide. A stacyc is a hardtail bike that is overly bumpy anywhere but a smooth pavement or bmx track. Even in grass my daughter bumps up and down a little more than id like and it probably takes a little away from her experience.

The PW is good when working good. But it is a 50 year old designed engine. It cannot reasonably handle ethanol fuel. You have to be on top of the machine more than its worth it keep it running well. Cleaning carbs, replacing carbs, fresh fuel, top ends, electrical, using fuel protection additives and it never really ran the same as the first 6 months we had it. I had it professionally maintenance a few times and it always ran poorly a short while later. Maybe its me, but I do not have any of these problems on my prior two strokes or my kids MC 50 and KX 65. 

I still have my son's PW50 from 10 years ago and it runs like a top. Still, I'd recommend the electric KTM or Husky over it for the modern design and ease of use. Kids that age are likely going to grow into an electric future anyway; why not prepare them early? 

Balance bike > Stacyc > PW > TTR50 > (If ready go 2 stroke race bike, if not go 110)

If your kid needs training wheels to ride a dirt bike....they aren't ready to ride a dirt bike.

Sorry, not sorry.

i'm pretty surprised by the prices of 50's these days. $5k for a gas KTM 50 is insane. 

Here's the path we used: 

Balance bike -to-Stacyc

Stacyc -to - KTM Ebike

Ebike -to-Cobra Jr

Cobra Jr-to-broke

Once you make it to broke, the kid is fast, good luck! 

I had to put the E2 on the taller setting for my kid, but the e3 on the smallest size was too tall. 

Very very different bikes. e2 is a glorified balance bike with dirtbike plastics and a quick swap battery, I mean that in a good way btw. E3 is a KTM 50 frame with an electric motor that needs to be plugged into the wall to charge. Honestly, I'd skip the E3 entirely. It misses out on both power and suspension to the E5 for not much less money. My plan is to go E2 to E5. The adjustable power on the E5 makes the E3 unnecessary. 

We have a few options for ours (2.5YO), so we still have some time before she's fully ready. My main thing is to have a few options for her to progress as she gets there in age so she has the opportunity if she wants it. She loves her PW50 rocking horse. 

- Oset 12.5r, this thing is honestly great for the smaller kids. Can turn down throttle response and speed to nearly nothing. The "trials" style gives it a low seat height. This was a hand-me-down from my niece and nephews but is great for learning the basics. Electric is a huge plus for riding around the yard and not annoying neighbors or scaring her with noise. She likes to sit on it but isn't a fan of turning the throttle and calls it quick after 15-20ft here lately. Hoping to get a family friends kid out on a CRF50 shortly so hopefully that interests her to ride hers with them.  

- Stacyc, she won't be riding this for years probably. It's whatever the smallest model they have is. Its throttle response is too much IMO until you have the fundamentals down or old enough to actually listen to what you're being told. My Nephews had a hard time and honestly did better on the CRF50's with the throttle stop turned in. Another hand-me-down.

- PW50, we bought this shortly after she was born so I could re-do it to look like a factory 93 (pink & purple). It's been sitting in the shop, but I don't think she'll be big enough for at least another year. Until I see her somewhat proficient on the Oset, this will stay in the shop. 

At 5, none of these are probably good options, but think most of what's out there has big pro's and cons. 

This is the way. But we quickly rid the KTM 50 because it was no fun, the sx-e5 was great and went straight to 65.

Avoid training wheels.  If you need those, then he isn’t ready.  Really though, only you know how much bike he is ready for, every kid develops differently regardless of size.  Better to outgrow a bike than try to grow into one.