Pit Bikes: Sizes, Seat Heights and How to Read the Listing

What a pit bike is

A pit bike is a small dirt bike. It has the same basic shape as a full-size motocross bike, with knobby tires, a fork up front, a shock at the back and a tall, narrow seat. Everything is scaled down: smaller wheels, a lower seat and a smaller engine.

On a listing, "pit bike" is a size class more than a strict category. Many sellers write "dirt bike pit bike" in the same title. That's why this table holds both. It covers every gas pit and dirt bike we track on Amazon US, from a 60 cc youth bike to 300 cc full-size machines, sorted by stated engine size, biggest first.

The bikes come from three makers in our data: Trailmaster, X-PRO and MotoTec. Several models appear more than once under different listings. I list them as the listings come, with no favorites.

A dash in the table means the listing didn't state that field. No listing in our data states a rider age or a rider weight limit for these bikes. That's the first thing to fix before you buy: get the owner's manual.

If you're shopping for a younger rider, the kids' dirt bikes page and the 50cc dirt bikes list cover the small end. If you want something lower and simpler, see mini bikes.

Seat height decides the first pit bike

My one strong opinion here: seat height tells you more about whether a pit bike fits than the engine size does.

The reason is the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's fit test. A rider must be big enough to hold the bike up, get on, and sit with both feet touching the ground. They also need to reach and work every control: turn the bars all the way, use the brake pedal and shifter with their feet, and work the throttle and brake lever while holding the grips. A rider who can't do that isn't ready for that bike.

Sixteen listings in our data give a seat height. They run from 22.05 in on the Trailmaster TM-06 to 37.43 in on the Trailmaster LX300 Dual Sport. That's a spread of more than 15 inches inside one table. The same engine class can land in different places, too. Among 125 cc bikes, the Trailmaster MK125, MK125S and MK125E list 29.5 in, the TM24 lists 32.7 in, and the TM SX125 lists 33 in.

Marisol's take, since she can't leave a number alone: "Seat height is the one spec on the listing you can check against the rider with a tape measure. So check it." She keeps one in her truck. She has offered to lend it to the whole loop.

What to look at on a pit bike listing

Engine size: four classes in one table

Engine size is in cc, cubic centimeters. Our table sorts into rough groups.

• 60–72 cc: the Trailmaster TM-06 (60 cc) and the MotoTec Hooligan 72cc
• 110 cc: Trailmaster TM15, MotoTec X2 110cc, X-PRO X15 110 and an X-PRO 110cc listing
• 125–150 cc: the biggest group, more than half the table, from both Trailmaster and X-PRO
• 250–300 cc: full-size bikes such as the Trailmaster TM38E (300 cc), LX300 PRO and LX300 Dual Sport (283 cc), and the 250 cc Trailmaster and X-PRO models

Where a listing names the engine design, it's a 4-stroke. A 4-stroke keeps its oil separate from the fuel, like a car. That means no fuel mixing.

Wheel sizes: front and rear are often different

Most pit bike listings give two wheel sizes, front and rear. Here's how they line up in our data.

• 10 in: Trailmaster TM-06
• 12 in front, 10 in rear: Trailmaster TM15, X-PRO X15 110
• 14 in front, 12 in rear: many 110 and 125 cc bikes, such as the Trailmaster TM23, MK125S and MK125E, and the X-PRO Storm 125, Lynx 125 and Bolt 125
• 17 in front, 14 in rear: the Trailmaster TM24, TM29 and TM C50, and the X-PRO X9 125 and X19 125
• 19 in front, 16 in rear: Trailmaster TM SX125 and TM-SX150
• 21 in front, 18 or 19 in rear: the 250 and 300 cc full-size bikes

If you're searching for a "big wheel" pit bike, the wheel columns are where to look. Bigger wheels roll over ruts more easily and usually come with a taller seat. So check seat height again before you settle on one.

Manual clutch, semi-automatic or automatic

This is the second line I read after seat height. It decides how much a new rider has to learn at once.

• Manual clutch: a clutch lever on the left bar plus a foot shifter. Most of the 250 cc bikes and several 125s list this.
• Semi-automatic: a foot shifter but no clutch lever, as the term is generally used. The Trailmaster TM23, TM24 and MK125S, the X-PRO X19 125, one Storm 125 listing and two Lynx 125 listings, and the 110 cc Trailmaster TM15 and X-PRO X15 110 list one.
• Automatic: no clutch lever and no shifting. The X-PRO Bolt 125 and one Storm 125 listing say automatic. The MotoTec Hooligan 72cc lists an automatic with a centrifugal clutch. The Trailmaster TM-06 lists a CVT with 1 gear.

The MSF notes that some small off-highway bikes have no clutch lever, and some have no shift lever either. It teaches clutch and shifting with the engine off first. Gear counts in our data run from 1 on the TM-06 to 6 on the Trailmaster TM38E and X-PRO Templar X 250.

Trailmaster names its bikes TM15, TM23, TM24, TM27, TM29, TM33, TM38E. At work, a model line that reads like a parts catalog is a compliment. You always know which manual to pull.

Start type: electric, kick or both

Sixteen listings say electric and kick start. Six say electric only, and eight say kick only. The rest don't state it.

Electric plus kick is the belt-and-suspenders setup: a button for most days and a kick lever for the morning the battery forgets its job. Whichever it is, the MSF says starting and refueling should be done by responsible adults. It even has a memory aid for it, FINE-C: fuel valve on, ignition on, neutral, engine stop switch on, choke for a cold engine only.

Brakes and suspension

Where listings name brakes, most say front and rear disc, and 11 of them say hydraulic. A few give sizes, such as the 240 mm front disc on the Trailmaster TM-SX150 or the 220 mm front and 190 mm rear discs on two X-PRO Lynx 125 listings.

Suspension lines are most detailed on the full-size bikes. The Trailmaster LX300 PRO lists a dual-adjustable inverted front fork and a triple-adjustable rear shock with a nitrogen reservoir. The TM38E lists inverted forks with 300 mm of travel. Several 110 and 125 cc bikes list an inverted front fork.

Assembly

Nine X-PRO listings say "some assembly required." That's the most honest phrase in the business. It never says how much.

Follow the owner's manual step by step, then do its pre-ride checks before the first start. The MSF says to inspect the bike thoroughly before each use. If any part of the assembly is beyond you, have a shop do it.

The California note

Twelve listings in our data carry a California note. Trailmaster listings say "NOT CA CARB-compliant." X-PRO listings say the bike cannot be sold to California. CARB, the California Air Resources Board, says off-highway recreational vehicles sold in California, model year 1998 and later, must be CARB-certified. If you live in California, read for this line first.

Which pit bike size fits

Here's how the table sorts out, by what the listings state.

• Smallest: the Trailmaster TM-06, with a 60 cc 4-stroke, CVT, electric start, 10 in wheels and a 22.05 in seat. The MotoTec Hooligan 72cc lists an automatic, an electric start and a 33 mph top speed.
• 110 cc: 12/10 or 14/12 wheels, semi-automatic where stated. The X-PRO 110cc listing gives a 28 in seat height.
• 125 cc, small wheels (14/12): seats of 29.5 in on the Trailmaster MK125S and MK125E. Semi-automatic and automatic options sit here.
• 125–150 cc, big wheels (17/14 and 19/16): seats around 33 in on the Trailmaster TM24, TM29, TM C50 and TM SX125. Manual clutches are common in this group.
• 250–300 cc full-size: 21 in front wheels, manual clutch, 5 or 6 gears, seats from 35.4 to 37.43 in where listed. These are for riders big enough for a full-size bike, not for kids.

None of these groups comes with an age. The rider's height, the seat height and the owner's manual decide it together.

My tía asked about prices before she asked about colors. Good instinct. Here the Check price button does that job, because prices change faster than her opinion of my haircut.

Pit bike safety: gear, supervision and where to ride

Riders need a properly fitted helmet made for motorized riding, plus gloves, boots, eye protection and long sleeves and pants. Follow the maker's age, height and weight limits, and keep an adult watching every ride.

The CPSC's helmet chart lists a motocross or motorcycle helmet for dirt-bike riding and motocross. The MSF says to never let anyone ride without a DOT-compliant motorcycle helmet that fits snug but not tight and is fastened. It lists eye protection, gloves, long pants, a long-sleeved shirt or jacket and over-the-ankle boots for every ride, in any weather. The AAP's HealthyChildren.org adds a chest protector for higher-speed riding like motocross.

Supervision doesn't end when the basics are learned. The MSF says direct supervision by an experienced adult is necessary at all times. For first rides, it describes a level dirt or grass area about 100 by 200 feet with no rocks, stumps or holes, and never concrete or asphalt. The AMA calls the parent the rider's teacher, coach and safety supervisor.

Rules for riding mini bikes, pit bikes and go karts vary by state and town. Check yours, and ride only where it's allowed. Off-highway bikes stay off public roads.

Fuel and exhaust

Refuel outdoors with the engine off and cool, and store fuel in an approved container away from the house. Never run an engine in a garage or any closed space.

The CPSC says to store gas cans in a cool, well-ventilated place, never inside the house or basement, and out of kids' reach. Buy a child-resistant can, and put the cap back on after every use. It also warns that opening doors and windows or running fans isn't enough to make a gasoline engine safe indoors.

Who should skip a pit bike

Skip a pit bike if your rider can't yet sit on the seat with both feet on the ground. Look at a smaller bike first. Skip it if the helmet, goggles, gloves, boots and riding clothes aren't in the budget. The gear is part of the purchase. Skip a manual-clutch bike for a first-time rider unless an adult is ready to teach clutch and shifting with the engine off. And find the legal riding spot before you find the bike.

Stand the rider next to the seat height before you stand next to the box.