Which motocross bike is best for beginners?

Two factors are decisive when choosing the right motocross bike: the rider's height and their existing riding ability. Depending on the rider's height there is a different selection of bikes (choose the beginner-bike section below according to height) that suit the riding ability better or worse. In motocross there are basically 2 engineering concepts: motocross bikes for beginners, developed specifically for getting into motocross with lots of rotating mass, similar to an enduro or road bike and therefore easy to ride, and then there are the competition bikes with little rotating mass, very direct on the throttle and built for performance. That is why it is very important to choose the right concept for your riding ability and training. Some manufacturers mark these different concepts, e.g. at Honda these easy-to-ride beginner bikes are marked with an F at the end, which stands for Family (suitable for the whole family). The competition bike is marked with an R at the end (for Racing).

An important point to remember, especially for beginners in motocross: the easier the bike is to ride, the faster and more easily you learn the riding techniques. To learn something new you should always keep the learning environment as simple as possible, and only once you master what you have learned do you start to increase the difficulty of the environment. In motocross that would be increasing the difficulty of the track and the rideability of the bike.

These are the things to look out for:

Riding ability:

The beginner motocross bikes in these tables have a lot of rotating mass and are therefore much more forgiving and easier to ride.

Carburettor/fuel injection:

The carburettor is an old concept that only has disadvantages compared to fuel injection: fuel leaks out when leaning, it is very susceptible to dirt particles and needs adjustment when temperature or humidity changes. Fuel injection regulates this automatically. In addition, injection engines start better at any temperature.

2-stroke/4-stroke:

4-stroke engines designed for beginners are more forgiving and less aggressive on the throttle and therefore better suited to beginners.

Electric start:

Beginners in particular struggle with a kickstarter, so an electric start is a big relief especially for beginners. After all, you want to get tired from riding, not from kick-starting.

For children an easy-to-ride bike is very important, because with an aggressive engine they can easily get stuck on the throttle, crash and then become very unsettled afterwards.

For children an easy-to-ride bike is very important, because with an aggressive engine they can easily get stuck on the throttle, crash and then become very unsettled afterwards.

As a newcomer to motocross it is very important to understand and learn the right riding techniques right from the start.

If you first get used to something wrong, it is much harder to "re-train" it afterwards.

At MX-Academy you therefore complete an approx. 20-minute theory session right before riding motocross for the first time. This way you understand why you have to learn certain techniques first and how to move correctly in each situation.

In motocross, timing and movement are everything.

MX-Academy also has 4 different tracks and different groups, so everyone can be supported specifically without being overwhelmed.

The training facility in Schlatt is listed in the NASAK (federal inventory of significant national sports facilities) of Swiss Olympic