This is an article about the very best 2023 50cc dirt bikes for kids

Having lots of different options can be overwhelming on which 50cc dirt bike would be the very best for you and your kids.

It’s important that you choose the right kids dirt bike for the type of riding and terrain you plan on spending the most time on.

You want to make sure that you spend your hard-earned cash on the very best 50cc dirt bike on the market.

Now you can choose to purchase a cheaper 50cc dirt bike that is made in China. However, the very best 50cc dirt bikes are built by high-quality dirt bike manufacturers.

Major dirt bike manufacturers that make reliable 50cc kids dirt bikes:

• Yamaha
• Honda
• Kawasaki
• Suzuki
• KTM / Husqvarna

All of these dirt bikes manufacturers make high-quality dirt bikes but not all of them make a 50cc dirt bike. In fact, some of them only make 50cc 4 stroke and others 50cc 2 strokes dirt bikes.

Kawasaki doesn’t make a KX50F dirt bike. Kawasaki does make a KX110 but its a 110cc motor.

That leaves with the others.

Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki make a 50 cc dirt bike that is an air-cooled semi-automatic 4 stroke. They have smaller suspensions which means less travel and because they are semi-automatic transmissions they are also a bit heavy. These 50cc dirt bikes are built for trail riding and are not built for racing or motocross tracks.

KTM / Husqvarna are both owned by KTM so they are essentially the very same dirt bike just different plastics and colors. Cobra is an American-owned and built dirt bike manufacturer.

The KTM and Husky come with an automatic centrifugal clutch. Which is a clutch that as the motor spins so do the clutches and the speed expands the clutch outwards which grips and causes the bike to move forward.

This works with riding on a motocross track but this type of on-off switch feel makes it harder to trail ride where you need the tires to grip and not just spin the rear wheel.

I have used a KTM50SX for riding trails with my kids but with the wheel spin, it makes it a bit harder to trail ride these types of bikes. If your kids are just getting started then a trail bike like a Honda CRF50 or Yamaha TTR50 bikes.

In this article we discuss the different types of kids 50cc dirt bikes you have available to purchase. The type of terrain and what you plan on riding will help you make a decision on which 50cc dirt bike fits best.

There are 2 types of dirt bike riding that we can split the kids 50cc dirt bikes into.

Before reading about the best 50cc dirt bikes, here is what you need to know:

Kids 50cc Types of riding terrain

• Motocross riding
• Trail riding

All of the 50cc kid’s dirt bikes fall into these 2 categories. Now, I want to be clear you can ride motocross with a trails bike and vice versa. However, they weren’t built for that.

If you are wanting to ride around the farm and on trails then a trail 50cc would be a better-suited bike for your kids. If you want to race or ride motocross tracks then kids 50cc dirt bike would be the choice.

We are going to go into the difference between 50cc motocross bikes and 50cc trail bikes.

Kids 50cc differences

• Suspension
• Motor
• Gearing
• Transmission

Typically, 50cc motocross bikes have larger suspension, more power, and better brakes. A 50cc trails bike is usually air-cooled, has a softer suspension, and has a softer motor.

Motocross has big jumps and requires a larger suspension travel and more power. If you plan on racing the kid’s motocross bikes are better suited for racing.

Kids 50cc motors

• 2 stroke
• 4 stroke

Typically the 50cc motocross bikes have a liquid-cooled 2 stroke motor. These 2 stroke motors are more powerful and are tuned for racing. This makes them great for motocross. Along with the higher-quality suspension parts, these are the best on the market for kid-racing 50cc dirt bikes.

The trail 50cc dirt bikes are air-cooled 4 strokes. Per cc, a 2 stroke motor will make more horsepower than a 4 stroke. These 50cc trail bikes are easier to ride and are less powerful. Because they are a 4 stroke they are also quieter than their 2 stroke brethren. Read here more about 2 stroke vs 4 stroke dirt bikes.

They have smaller suspension travel and are softer forks/shocks. Some of these have electric start. The Yamaha TTR50 has an e-start. Most others come with a Kickstarter. Having an electric start allows your kid to be able to start the bike themselves without the help of an adult. This is great for trail riding. In fact, lots of adults that trail ride prefer dirt bikes with electric start as well.

With the kid’s 50cc dirt bikes they are either a semi-automatic 3-speed dirt bike or automatic clutch.

Most 50cc kid bikes do not have a manual clutch. You can either choose from a semi-automatic 3-speed clutch as you see in a CRF50 or TTR50. The other option is a centrifugal automatic clutch like you see in a KTM 50SX.

Let’s dive into some of the differences in the world of 50cc kid’s dirt bikes.

Kids 50cc Suspension setups

Motocross 50cc Suspension

• Front adjustable upside-down Forks
• Premium parts
• Rear adjustable shock
• Large clearance or travel

Trail 50cc Suspension

• Basic nonadjustable forks
• Lower clearance or travel
• Basic nonadjustable rear shock

Let’s split up all the different types of dirt bikes with their names and manufacturers.

For the top 3 kids, 50cc trail dirt bikes here is the list of the very best we have in the market. Honda has built a 50cc dirt bike for a very long time. Same with Yamaha, they make an electric start 50cc and a PW50. The TTR50E has a taller seat height than its PW50 brother. The TTR50E is a 4-stroke motor whereas the PW50 is an air-cooled 2-stroke motor. The Yamaha PW50 is an automatic clutch.

Best 50cc Trail dirt bikes for kids for 2023:

These best 50cc kid’s motocross bikes are all competitive race-ready dirt bikes. As I mentioned earlier the KTM and Husqvarna are the same bikes. KTM owns Husqvarna. KTM does make a smaller seat height dirt bike called the KTM 50SX Mini. This is kinda like a supped-up, better version of the Yamaha PW50.

Cobra is a lesser-known dirt bike company in the world of youth dirt bikes. But don’t let that get in the way, Cobra makes REALLY competitive race-ready dirt bikes. Factory Cobra has been around since 1993 and is made in the USA.

Which one is the best for racing? I feel like all of them would work but KTM has a larger dealer network that makes KTM bikes easier to get fixed and to find replacement parts.

Honda CRF50F

Well known for being a really reliable and beginner-friendly dirt bike. The CRF50F has been around for a very long time and has pretty much remained unchanged. A 3-speed semi-automatic transmission is easy to ride. An air-cooled four-stroke carburated motor the Honda CRF50F is a kickstart.

The 2023 Honda CRF50 BASE MSRP is $1,699

2023 CRF50F SPECIFICATIONS:

Yamaha TTR50E

Along with Honda the Yamaha TTR50E is also very well known for being a reliable dirt bike. Very similar to the Honda with an air-cooled 4 stroke motor with a 3-speed automatic transmission. However, the Yamaha TTR50 comes with an electric start.

Yamaha TTR50E costs around $1,749 

2023 Yamaha TTR50E SPECIFICATIONS:

Yamaha PW50

The Yamaha PW50 is the ultimate 50cc beginners dirt bike. It comes with a smaller seat height than its Yamaha TTR50 big brother. Also, it’s a fully automatic transmission so your beginner dirt bike rider doesn’t have to worry about shifting. The PW50 comes with an air cooled 2 stroke motor.

Yamaha PW50 costs $1,699 and for surprise it has the same prime like the last year model. Keep that in mind as they are basically the same bike.

2023 Yamaha PW50 SPECIFICATIONS:

Suzuki DR-Z50

Suzuki also makes really good and reliable kids 50cc dirt bike. 3-speed semi-automatic transmission the Suzuki DR-Z50 also comes with an air-cooled 4 stroke motor that is started with electric start.

Suzuki DR-Z50 $2,499

2023 Top Kids 50cc Motocross dirt bikes

• KTM 50SX Mini
• KTM 50SX
• Husqvarna TC 50 Mini
• Husqvarna TC 50
• Cobra CX50 P3
• Cobra CX50 JR
• Cobra CX50 SR
• Cobra CX50 FWE

No matter if you choose a kids 50cc from the trail dirt bikes list or the motocross 50cc dirt bikes, these are the VERY best kid dirt bikes on the market.

No matter what you think a Chinese or Taiwanese dirt bike is not manufactured to the same specs as a Japanese, American, or Austrian-made dirt bike. They are cheaper for a reason.

The cost of a trail 50cc dirt bike versus a motocross dirt bike is quite a big gap. You can get a trail bike for under $2000 whereas a 50cc motocross dirt bike costs around $5000.

The reason for the huge price difference is the larger suspension and racing components.

However, for example, if you buy a used Honda CRF50 they actually hold their value very well. I have purchased a Honda CRF50 for $1000 and sold it after 3 years for $850. That means the cost of ownership was $50 dollars a year. The cost of ownership is really good with the Honda and Yamaha’s.

Whereas a Chinese dirt bike will lose its value MUCH faster than the other dirt bikes. In fact, they can be downright hard to sell.

I prefer to spend my time riding dirt bikes with my kids instead of fixing them all the time.

That doesn’t mean that you don’t have to do the required maintenance on your kid’s dirt bikes. Changing the oil and air filter is a must.

Finding the right 50cc dirt bike for your kid if they want to race or ride trails it’s important to choose the right type of dirt bike for the type of riding. You also want to make sure that you choose a kids dirt bike that holds its value because your kids will grow out of them. Also, find a dealership that you like and buy that brand of dirt bike so they can help you with any setup or maintenance.

Honda, KTM, Suzuki, Cobra, and Yamaha all make high quality 50cc dirt bikes. It’s your choice.

KTM 50 SX MINI

KTM makes high-quality race-ready dirt bikes. The KTM 50 SX MINI is a mini motocross dirt bike that comes with a fully automatic clutch and a race-ready 2 stroke liquid-cooled motor. High-quality WP suspension and disc brakes.

The price for KTM 50 SX MINI for 2023 starts from $4,199

HUSQVARNA TC 50 Mini

The TC 50 provides the best level of performance in a reduced size to suit tomorrow’s heroes, utilizing the same level of technology as the rest of the full-size motocross range. The TC 50 provides top-quality performance and a premium appearance with a high level of quality and care to detail.

The price starts from $4,195

KTM 50 SX

Just like the KTM Mini dirt bike the KTM 50 SX is a staple in the kid’s motocross dirt bike racing. Built with race-ready suspension and a fully automatic transmission. The KTM 50 SX has a liquid-cooled 2 stroke race motor.

The price for 2023 starts from $4,699

HUSQVARNA TC 50

The TC 50 incorporates the greatest performance level in a reduced size to accommodate the future legends of tomorrow, using the same amount of technology as found on the full-size motocross line. 

The base price for Husqvarna TC 50 for 2023 is $4,505

COBRA 50 CC dirt bikes

Cobra is a USA based kids dirt bike manufacturer that builds high-quality full race-ready 50cc automatic dirt bikes. Cobra’s are liquid-cooled 2 strokes that have some have full automatic transmission. Other Cobra 50cc motocross bikes come with a manual transmission.

Cobra CX50JR

The Cobra CX50JR price starts from $4,599

Cobra CX50SRX KING

The base price for Cobra CX50SRX KING is $4,815

Cobra CX50SKX FWE

The Base Price is $5,719

Final Words:

No matter which 50cc dirt bike you choose for your kid from this list, make sure that he has a dirt bike that fits his size and is riding protected. I just hope I helped you make the right choice, as I learn with you as my kids grow and ride with me.