Alright, let’s talk about this 65cc dirt bike journey we started. The little guy shot up like a weed and suddenly his old electric starter bike looked like a toy he’d crush. Everyone, his buddies, even some folks online, kept saying “65cc is the next step for his age, around 7 to 10”. Sounded simple enough.
Getting Hands Dirty
So, I started looking around. Didn’t want to drop a fortune on something brand new he might bash up immediately, you know? Found a used one. Looked okay in the pictures, guy said it ran fine. Went and picked it up. First thing, back home, tried to start it. Cough, sputter. Great. Ended up having to fiddle with the carb right off the bat. Already felt like more work than I signed up for.
We got it running eventually. Then came the gear. Helmet, boots, pads – the whole setup. Cost almost as much as the darn bike, felt like. Safety first, yeah, but my wallet was definitely feeling lighter.
The Real Practice Begins
First day out in the field behind the house. He was excited, I was nervous. Big difference from the quiet little electric bike. This thing had noise, it had power, and crucially, it had a clutch and gears. He hops on, grabs the throttle like he used to. Bike jumps, he stalls it. We did this dance for what felt like hours.
- Start the bike.
- Explain the clutch (again).
- He tries to ease it out, gives too much gas. Stalls.
- Or, he drops the clutch, bike lurches, he panics. Stalls. Or falls.
- Pick up the bike. Dust him off. Repeat.
Honestly, there were moments I thought maybe we jumped the gun. He got frustrated. I got tired of picking the bike up and repeating the same instructions. It wasn’t the smooth transition I kinda hoped for. It was work. Real work, for both of us.
Sticking With It
We kept at it though. Short sessions, couple times a week. Didn’t want him to hate it. Slowly, very slowly, started to click. He began to feel the friction zone on the clutch. Managed a few jerky laps around the field without stalling. Then came the gear shifts. More stalling, more frustration, but progress.
It’s definitely a process. Not just buying a bike. It’s teaching, it’s fixing stuff when it breaks (which it does), it’s patience. Lots of patience. More than I thought I had sometimes. Had to learn how to adjust the chain, check the plug, mix the fuel right. Stuff I hadn’t messed with in years.
Now? He’s riding. Not racing, not jumping huge gaps, but he can handle the bike around our little track. He manages the gears, uses the clutch pretty well. Still drops it now and then, especially if he gets cocky. But he gets back up, starts it himself now. Seeing him figure it out, that concentration on his face, then the big grin when he nails a corner smoothly… yeah, okay. It’s pretty cool. Worth the hassle? Ask me again after the next repair bill. But probably, yeah. Just know it takes time. Way more than you think.