Department > Adventure Toys
Adventure Toys: Toy Story
Clean Rides for Playing in the Dirt
story & photos by Steve Temple
Special thanks to Mitch Rosekamp for lending daughters Roxsan and Jennifer and son Sean for this photo shoot and to J.C. Barban for demonstrating stunt slides on the dirt bike.
Inside every off-roader lurks an inner kid who lives for mud and goo and grime. Okay, call us grubby, say we’re slobs, but we’re having too much fun in the dirt to care what those fussy, white-gloved types think. And we expect our real-life kids to feel the same way, right?
Which means they need to have their own off-road vehicles. Of course, you’re not going to hand over the keys to your baby, so the next best thing is to get them their own little rigs to run around in.
To offer some suggestions, we rounded up a few Pro Comp products to consider on your next outing in the great outdoors. To demonstrate the range of what’s available, we found a mini dirt-bike and two ATVs, one medium-sized and the other a half-pint version.
Starting with the smallest, the 150-pound ATV 49 runs a 49.5cc, single-cylinder engine and is designed for kids six years and older. Mom and Dad, don’t worry: To ensure that your youngsters stay out of harm’s way, there’s a safety lanyard that’s worn on their wrist, and it shuts down the engine if the rider falls off. Also, there’s a remote switch so a parent can turn off the vehicle from a distance (if only you could do that when kids become teenagers and start driving the family car).
A governor in the exhaust pipe and adjustable-throttle limiter allows speeds to be kept at a level appropriate to the age and experience of the rider. In addition to these safety features, the ATV 49 has a coil-over suspension and half-gallon fuel capacity.
The slightly larger ATV 90 also has coil-overs and a one-lunger engine, but it measures 85.9 cc. This ATV is heftier, with a total weight of 250 pounds (dry). Due to its higher output and bigger size, it’s designed only for riders 12 years and older. The throttle limiter and safety lanyard also are included. The suspension has tubular control arms, with drum brakes up front and rear disc brakes.
For young ones ready for some two-wheel action, the Pro Comp pit bike is another way to play. Weighing a comparatively light 163 pounds, it can handle as much as 330 pounds (even our full-grown test rider was well under the limit). Max speed from the 110cc, single-cylinder four-stroke is a frisky 46 mph, so we’d recommend it for kids fairly experienced with dirt machines. The engine turns over with either an electric or kick-start. For soaking up the bumps, the frame features an extended rear swing arm. And to slow things down, disc brakes clamp on both front and rear wheels.
You won’t have to get a special trailer for these dirt toys. It only took a couple guys to load all three ATVs onto the bed of a pickup truck. All you have to think about is how you’re going to keep dusty kids off the living room rug.