I
still remember the unbridled joy of seeing
my first bike, a Honda QR50, under the
Christmas tree. That tiny little two-stroke,
along with Yamaha's legendary PW50,
launched the riding lives of so many kids
across the world, but that was the 1980s,
and things have moved on since then.
Honda's had the CRF50 in its lineup for
eons, and it's a case of getting it right the
first time and not having to update it after.
The CRF50 is powered by a near bullet-
proof 50cc air-cooled single-cylinder four-
stroke. An automatic clutch gives access
to the three-speed gearbox, so learning to
shift gears becomes far less intimidating
for newbies.
My boy, Harvey, has been pestering me
for a bike since about the time he could
talk, but I'll admit that after a career in mo
-
torcycling and all the associated aches and
pains that come with it, I tried to introduce
every sport I could think of before getting
him on his first dirt bike. Predictably, those
good intentions failed miserably.
Harvey's seventh birthday rolled around;
sure enough, there was a CRF waiting for
him downstairs. The look on his face was
something I'll never forget; I knew exactly
what he was thinking. And so, his life rid
-
ing dirt bikes began.
The CRF is designed for kids 4-8 years
old, but I'll admit Harvey was a little tall for
(Left) Remember
how stoked you
were when you
got your first
bike? (Below) At
47 inches tall,
Harvey is about
as big as you can
be for the CRF.
PHOTOS: RENNIE
SCAYSBROOK
Hda
CRF50 CRF50
CRF50 CRF50
VOLUME 61 ISSUE 42 OCTOBER 22, 2024 P111