What to Know BEFORE You Buy Your Kid an Electric Dirt Bike

“Most electric dirt bikes are just a mountain bike with a motor and battery strapped on it. Avoid those at all costs.”— Austin Jonas

By Austin · Owner, Kickin' Bikes · Importing and selling dirt bikes for the last 15 years · Utah/Idaho distributor for RFN

Every week I talk to parents buying their kid's first electric dirt bike, and most of them are stuck in the same place: there's endless noise about watts and price tags, and almost nothing about what actually makes a kid's bike good. So people buy the cheapest thing that looks like a dirt bike. That's the most expensive mistake in this sport.

Here's what I'd tell you if you walked into my warehouse in Lehi.

1. Buy from a brand that offers after-sales service

This is the most important question in the whole purchase: who takes care of you after the money changes hands? We've been in business 11 years. RFN has 18 dealers across Utah and Idaho — about an hour from anywhere in either state — plus more across the nation, parts ship same-day from our Lehi warehouse, and Warrior-series bikes carry a 24-month warranty on the battery, motor, and controller. It's also why a used RFN holds its value: outgrow it, sell it, and fund the next size up. A no-name bike with no parts behind it is a lawn ornament the day it breaks.

2. The cheap bike ends up being the expensive bike

When you buy a cheap bike, you end up buying an expensive bike — because it breaks. Bad brakes, bad suspension, and when something fails you'll find out the brand has never stocked a replacement part in its life. You replace the brakes, then the controller, then the motor, and now you've spent more than a real bike costs on something that's still crappy underneath.

3. Most "electric dirt bikes" are just a mountain bike with a motor and battery strapped on

Look closely at most of what's sold online and you'll see it: a heavy mountain-bike frame, bicycle brakes that can't handle the weight, and pogo-stick spring suspension that beats up your kid's hands on every bump. That's not a dirt bike — it's a mountain bike in a costume. A real dirt bike is built for dirt from the frame up: moto-style frame, hydraulic disc brakes, suspension that can actually take a landing. Every bike we sell, RFN Warrior or KIKN EXV, is built that way, because that's what your kid is going to do with it.

4. Beware of poor throttle control — never buy a bike without power adjustment

Cheap bikes run cheap throttles with two settings: nothing and everything. The kid blips it, the bike jumps, they grab on harder, and now the bike is in charge — riders call it whiskey throttle, and it's the fastest way to scare a kid off riding. So buy a bike that meters power smoothly and lets you turn it down. RFN Warriors have ride modes on the handlebar plus app settings so you can cap the speed from your phone; KIKN EXVs have ride modes plus lockable speed and torque limiters. Start them in the lowest mode, keep the gear on, and turn it up as they earn it. A couple hundred extra dollars for adjustable power is always better than a hospital bill.

5. Sizing: there's only one way to screw it up

Buying too small. A slightly-too-big bike gets grown into; a too-small bike blocks proper riding technique and gets outgrown in a season. And skip the flat-foot test — you ride a dirt bike with your feet on the pegs, not flat on the ground. Have your kid stand on the pegs and see how the bike feels; seated, a beginner just needs tippy-toes on both feet or one flat foot to feel confident. Between sizes? Go bigger — every bike below turns down to beginner power while they grow into it.

The right bike for your rider's size