PW50 vs. KTM 50 Mini

How big of a kid are we talking? I have both right now that my boy rides I can probably steer you in the right direction.

I don't think you can beat a pw50 when it comes to beginner bikes. Super low seat height, light, low maintenance, easily adjustable throttle and plenty of them out there

3/4 year old. I've seen the Ktm Minis sit just was low and sometimes lower then the PWs and I have seen some kids start on ktm Minis and they transition in the the Ktm Jr. And Sr. With ease and were more confident sooner to hit jumps and become faster.

If you're gonna answer your own questions you're gonna do well here.......

Hondaguy79 wrote:

3/4 year old. I've seen the Ktm Minis sit just was low and sometimes lower then the PWs and I have seen some kids start on ktm Minis and they transition in the the Ktm Jr. And Sr. With ease and were more confident sooner to hit jumps and become faster.

Sounds good. The ktm does seem like a good bike. I don't know the specs of the ktm so my comment is intended more as a praise for the pw50 as opposed to a knock against the ktm. If you don't mind me asking, are you leaning towards the ktm and are just wanting to get some validation?

I was just saying I've seen a kid go from a ktm 50 mini to JR or SR very easy. I was wondering if it would be better to start the Pw50 then to the ktm. I didn't know the kid that did personally, so I don't know how easy or hard it was for him to learn on the KTM compared to the PW.

Hondaguy79 wrote:

I was just saying I've seen a kid go from a ktm 50 mini to JR or SR very easy. I was wondering if it would be better to start the Pw50 then to the ktm. I didn't know the kid that did personally, so I don't know how easy or hard it was for him to learn on the KTM compared to the PW.

I tend to think the pw is a great bike for everyone to learn on. It's basically been the same bike forever and I think that's because it works great for it's intended use, which is as a first bike. I'm not trying to steer you one way or another because I have no idea of the skill level of your kid. All I can say is that me, my cousins, my sister, my son, and all the other kids I know started on pw's and they were great bikes. Anyhoo, not trying to get into an argument about 50's so I'll leave ya be. You know your own kid better than anyone else so I'm sure you can make an accurate decision

If you get the KTM adventure you will be fine , but stay away from the Pro its too tall and too much power

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I made a set of training wheels out of a piece of round stock and some wheel borrow wheels with some heavy duty u bolts and used 1/4" plate in place of the regular u bolt brackets. When I priced them the local dealer wanted 150 bucks for training wheels that mount under the footpegs. Didn't have a dime in the ones I made, just my time and that was worth alot to see my boy ride it for the first time. Now my second son will use them when he's ready for the pw.

We had PW until first race, then it was time to move on to KTM jr and then sr. PW is a great starter for a 3-4 year old and will be easy to sell, KTM jr or adventure, not so much in my experience

Stay the hell away from the KTM adv.. N'uff said. If a kid wants to race and he is 4 - pay attention FOUR years old he must be put on a highly wound 2 stroke withOUT training wheels. He MUST be able to ride a bicycle WITHOUT training wheels and his Dad needs to not be an ass. Training wheels only hinder in our game and you can mitagate the "hit" of a real bike with clutch stacks. I spent roughly $12,000.00 in the 50 years because I am an idiot (just read my past posts and you will agree). I am an idiot because I stayed KTM. They broke all the FUCKING time. I should have gone Cobra mini then King Cobra. A little racer - one that Dad wants to race - needs to be outfitted with something that can handle Dad telling him that he should hit that 40 foot double. The little bikes can make that double - but not all of them can handle the landing. Point being. Start with quality and great support at a resonable price. The PW's are a waste of riding years in my opinion. Why would you put a kid on a putter then say "hey you should go fater - here's 12,000 rpm". It just scares the kid and messes with his development as a rider.

P.S. just go to the KTM Talk minis section and Cobra talk and edjucate yourself before you spend money.

KTM's are ready for a really good lil guy....not for a lil guy to learn on.
Depending on size...PW50 or CRF50 to learn.
My son rode all three.

Do you happen to know anyone that already owns a PW50? If so, try to borrow for a couple of weeks and see how your little one takes to it. It will make your decision easier on bike choices and will also let him/her decide if they even have an interest in riding.
From my experiences, most of the kids that decided they liked to ride picked up the basic skills and got comfortable riding a PW in a matter of weeks. Once they got comfortable, their parents would return the borrowed PW and stick them on a KTM, Cobra or whatever and start them out on it in a field again to get comfortable with the extra power and different feel of the bike.. Next thing ya know they're ripping around the track!
Good luck! Hopefully this post helped you out some.

Not sure what kinda money you got to throw at this. Example PW50=$400-800 used and $1300 new KTM mini 50 $2000 used and $3500 new.
I was recently in your situation. My friend who's son was 4.5-5 yrs old was already doing OK riding a CRF 50, he bought a used mini for $2400 and it had training wheels. He left them on so his son could get used to the power and not focus on balance. His brother, myself and him and 5 kids total all go out riding. His son goes 25 ft loops out when he whiskey throttle's the KTM and both dad and son are laid out as he was running behind him trying to control it. His son never touched it and he sold well over a year later at a loss. Now, his son is 6.5-7 yrs and doing well on a KTM jr and can ride a Kawi 110 as well, he almost fits on a Sr.
I had my son on a TTR 50 at 4.5 yrs old and just got a mini adventure for him. Given the age/size of yours, Id say PW. These KTM 50's, especially the newer ones are ROCKET SHIPS. If your guy has not ridden, I wouldnt get the KTM yet. Keep in mind, the kids at Supercross doing the KTM challenge, those bikes have the same engine as the mini. Those kids are 7 yrs old, thats a huge difference from3/4 yrs old. If you do get him on a KTM, get GoPro and other video and post it here and have good insurance.

Get him a PW. They're bullet proof, and he'll have a blast.

In my opinion I think if a child needs training wheels they shouldn't be on a motorcycle, I believe that a child at least needs to be able to ride a bicycle without training wheels before they are put on a motorcycle. Kids just don't have the motor skills at that age and they are not suffering by being held back a little longer until they develop motor skills (Not Moto skills). There is a reason manufacturers don't make training wheels. However once they can ride a bicycle without training wheels I would go for the PW all the way they have proven themselves over the years and are rock solid and they have a pretty good resale.

wreckitrandy wrote:

If you're gonna answer your own questions you're gonna do well here.......

get that stick out of your ass you donkey. He was just stating what he saw. That doesn't mean he's not willing to listen to other people's opinions.

MX690 wrote:

In my opinion I think if a child needs training wheels they shouldn't be on a motorcycle, I believe that a child at least needs to be able to ride a bicycle without training wheels before they are put on a motorcycle. Kids just don't have the motor skills at that age and they are not suffering by being held back a little longer until they develop motor skills (Not Moto skills). There is a reason manufacturers don't make training wheels. However once they can ride a bicycle without training wheels I would go for the PW all the way they have proven themselves over the years and are rock solid and they have a pretty good resale.

I agree. Get the balance down on a bicycle. Once the kid has good balance, then introduce them to throttle, brake, etc.

I'll chime in since I just bought a PW50 for my son Monday. He will be 4 at the end of this month and he already rides a CRF50 with training wheels but wants them off of his bike badly. He also rides a bicycle without training wheels so his balance is there but the CRF seat height is just too tall for him (he needs to grow about 3" to reach the ground firmly) . I would not suggest the KTM adventure as a beginner bike because it is taller than the PW with more power. I don't think there is a better bike to start out with over the lil' PW and there's a reason they have made this bike for over 20 years without much change.....it works!

My son wants to race the local peewee MX series and I would rather he polish his skills on a capable bike rather than sticking him on something he is not ready for as in the KTM 50's. Another strong recommendation is a remote kill switch. The kit is under a $100 and it will save you ...and him/her injury and running your ass off after them if they get themselves into trouble (which they will). Good luck on your choice and hopefully our little ones will line up against each other one day. cheers

Use the $100 that you'll spend on training wheels and buy him a strider bike.
He will learn to balance in no time....its a lot easier for a kid to learn to balance in the simplest way possible.
My advice would then be a pw......even if its only for a month or two.....lots of good used ones and you'll get your money back on it.

wreckitrandy wrote:

If you're gonna answer your own questions you're gonna do well here.......

shredder22 wrote:

get that stick out of your ass you donkey. He was just stating what he saw. That doesn't mean he's not willing to listen to other people's opinions.

snifff,,,snifff

James rode a pw. Nuff said......

SEEMEFIRST wrote:

Get him a PW. They're bullet proof, and he'll have a blast.

I have to agree with a guy as small as him the PW is the way to go. He will have a good time and you'll be able to sell it for what you have in it most likely. It will not be enough to get crazy like a KTM. My guy just really took to the PW without training wheels this last year and we are riding both it and a KTM mini this year and he just turned 7. I don't think he would be nearly as good if he didn't have the confidence of riding the PW first. Going straight to a KTM is a pretty big step.

My son has a PW they were the same from like 1988-2013 lol so parts are cheap and readily available.

My kid just rode at the Pala mini track for the first time on his PW. He has had a Strider bike for 2 years, a regular pedal bike for one year, and has never been on anything with training wheels. He's pretty good on two wheels for being 4.

Even so, and even with the throttle limiter and exhaust washer in full nanny mode, he crashed more times than I can count. It would have been UGLY on a KTM Jr. He's just going to need practice time on the bike, and for my purposes I'm glad we got the Yamaha. I'll put him on a KTM or a Cobra when he has all the basic skills down pat.

some good advice here.....I've been through it with 2 kids ..both starting at the age of 4..One could ride a bike w/o training wheels ,,so he started moto w/o training wheel .The other started with traing wheels ...Both on PW's..
Get him to ride bike w/o training wheels first ..That balance is so important ..And riding a dirtbike with training wheels ,,they learn BAD habits ,that are hard to break when the trainers are removed...
And as someone said ,,those little KTM's are rocket ships and not a good learn to ride bike,,,one whiskey throttle with a gnarly wad-up and they will be afraid of the machine from that point on...I would guess only about 5% of little ones have the no fear balls out ,pain tolerance to learn on the little KTM's.
Get him on the pw,,let him build confidence and then move up,as quickly as you can > You will never lose money on a PW.
And remember ,,in a few years ,when he's on KTM jr's and Sr's,,,he may look and act like a big boy when he's on the bike and kicking ass,,but under that helmet ,,is still the mind of a 7 yr old.
Good luck man ,,and just enjoy it

I own both bikes...
The PW is a good beginner bike...especially regarding the power.
The KTM 50 is very pipey and powerful bike for a very small child...it will pull the front wheel without a problem
These 2 bikes might be similar in size but are definitely not similar in power.

i started my son on a pw50. he rode it for 2 years before he out grew it. now he's on a ktm. it took him a few rides to get used to the power but now he loves it. my only suggestion is teach him how to ride a pedal bike first sans training wheels.