*Skip to the end to view my update. I bought these in 2018 and we still run them on our electric bikes.
When my son turned two I bought him a KTM 50 SX. That was probably not the best bike to buy for a two year old and I figured that out rather quickly. The seat height was higher than the other 50 models available. I knew I needed to get him training wheels for the first couple of years before he was big enough to touch the ground. Here are a few things to consider before buying training wheels for kid and I’ve ranked the best training wheels to buy for your kids dirt bike.
Shape
There are basically two different styles of training wheels, adjustable and non adjustable. The adjustable training wheels have a curved shape to them.
The non adjustable training wheels have a solid bar.
The curved bar allows the height of the training wheels to be moved up and down. This is helpful if your kid is learning to ride on rough terrain. The non adjustable training wheels will have some major clearance issues when going off road. Most 50cc bikes, including the electric bikes like the Razor MX350, don’t have rear suspension. Because of this, the ride height stays the same when your kid is on the bike and bouncing around. You could get away with having a non adjustable training wheel and in fact it might be less hassle to use the straight bar. You’ll never have to adjust it and you can set it and forget it. If you kid is riding a KTM or Husky 50, then they will have rear suspension. Because of the rear suspension you will need to buy the adjustable training wheels. If you buy the non adjustable then the training wheels will be way too high off the ground. My son has a KTM 50 so we bought the adjustable. I also set the sag on his rear shock to very very stiff when he was learning to the ride. That made the bike much more tolerable around corners with the training wheels attached. If you don’ set the sag the bike will lean really bad and can cause a major crash!
Another thing to consider when buying is if you are going to use these on multiple toys. My son also had a Razor MX350 and we wanted to use the training wheels on that. The MX350 has much lower seat height and had no rear suspension. Since we wanted to use the same training wheels on both bikes, I ended up buying the adjustable training wheels. As he grew older I lifted the training wheels higher and higher so he could work on balance.
Construction and Durability
The two weak points on all training wheels are the tires (puncture easy) and the bolts that attach the training wheels to the frame (peg holders).
Almost all aftermarket training wheels attach under the pegs. You will need to remove the pegs and use a different bolt that will come with the mounting hardware. The pegs will no longer be spring loaded but you will still be able to use them. If you buy the non adjustable training wheels (the straight bar) there will be no other parts that can fail. The wheels are the weakest point, they will puncture easy so I recommend replacing them with puncture proof tires that are meant for lawn mowers. My son blew his first tire out almost immediately. It scared him a little bit so I went ahead and replaced both wheels that we bought our local hardware store. If you by the adjustable training wheels, there will be a “U” shaped bolt that will allow you to change the angle of the curved bar. This part can commonly fail if you don’t use hardened bolts. The ones we bought eventually broke and I had to replace the bolts with some I bought from our local hardware store. Cheaper brands of training wheels use cheap metals and they will break very quickly. A few brands have mounting hardware that already uses hardened materials.
Best Kids Dirt Bike Training Wheels
There are a lot of options available online and all of them basically do the same thing. There are a few brands that flat out use higher quality components. Here are the best adjustable and non adjustable training wheels for youth dirt bikes. I personally have the Hardline one.
1. Hardline Products Wheels-4-Tots Universal Training Wheel
The number one adjustable training wheel goes to Hardline. Hardline is more expensive but its worth it, they come with better wheels and hardened mounting hardware right off the bat. The wheels are 4 ply tire that will resist punctures much better than the other brands. The adjustable feature is a must if your kid has a bike with rear suspension or if you plan to use the training wheels on multiple toys.
Buy Hardline Products Wheels-4-Tots Universal Training Wheel here.
2. FLY – MOTOTRAINER TRAINING WHEELS
If your kids needs training wheels for their PW50, CRF 50, TTR 50 then I would go with a non adjustable training wheel offered by Fly. This set up is centered mounted and bolts up right to the frame with solid steel construction. Very durable so they can take an off road beating.
Purchase the Fly Mototrainer here.
Conclusion/Final Thoughts
I’ve now had mine for over 3 years and the only thing that was worn out are the tires. My kids tend to ride with one tire down and that tire will wear out easily. I’ve also had to replace the tires multiple times. The original tires were thin and popped easily. I ended up buying replacement tires from a hardware store. They were originally tires for lawnmowers or wheelbarrows. They fit right on and are a lot more durable. I still think the adjustable training wheels are best and they have lasted this entire time of several different toys. Right now they are on one of the electric bikes we have, a Razor MX 350.
