My kids are getting to the point where our Kawasaki Elektrode is too small for them. Maybe not for my youngest, but for my two older kids, who are asking for more power and a seat higher off the ground—even brand-new pants seem to always be too short for my daughter—I'm reaching the point of inevitable conclusion with that little EV dirt bike. As you'd expect from a dad who runs a powersport site, I've started looking around for what's next.
And while I can already hear the comments section saying I should get them 50s or 110s, I ain't got time to mess with gasoline these days. We've got soccer, lacrosse, birthday parties, hang-outs, work, work around the house, and when I do find the time, hunting. So dealing with carbs, oil, mixing gas, and seized engines is below the ground on my priority list. I'm looking for EVs for them, and the market has a plethora of them available. Most, however, aren't backed by big-name companies.
Triumph, however, wants to fix that, and just released its new TXP youth electric dirt bike lineup, which has a model for everyone from my youngest son to my daughter and beyond. I really need a second job to afford all their activities...
Triumph has four models for parents to choose from, including the TXP 12, TXP 16, TXP 20, and TXP 24, with each taking a step or two up from the previous model in terms of size and power. All, however, deliver on these dirt bikes being, well, actual dirt bikes, and not just souped-up balance bikes. No, these have real suspension front and rear, real brakes, and look ready to get your kid either shredding the track or the woods. Or, in my case, our backyard single track and figure-8.
The entry into the TXP range is the TXP 12 and features all the stuff you'd want in an entry-level dirt bike as a parent, i.e., parental controls for power and safety, lightweight so it doesn't hurt them when they inevitably fall off or go over the bars, and a long-lasting lithium battery so you're not constantly charging the thing in between rips. And the max speed, which can be set by the parent, is 16mph. That's plenty for introducing kids to the sport in my experience.
Stepping up to the TXP 16, you get all the same safety coding you got in the TXP 12, but the whole thing is more designed for the next age group of riders, i.e., between 5-7 years old. It has a taller seat, there's different suspension, a different battery pack and Triumph-tuned torque delivery, better brakes, and a swappable battery pack. And like the TXP 12, the seat is interchangeable so your kids can either try their hand at trials or regular dirt biking.
From there, things get more serious, as the TXP 20 gets more of everything. More power, more height, more control, and that makes a lot of sense. At this point, if your kid has been progressing, they're more sure-footed on a bike. There are fewer nannies they want or need, although parental controls are still very much in place. Top speed, however, is upped to 24 mph. But everything else is just edging closer and closer to a real grown-up dirt bike, you know. It isn't there yet, but the bones are there.
Last, but not least, is the TXP 24 and this is basically just a miniature EV dirt bike ala Stark, Zero, Dust, or any of the others on the market. The frame is substantially larger to accommodate youths in their early teens. It has a larger battery for more power and longer rides. Top speed is upped to 27 mph. The suspension, brakes, and seating are all better. It comes with better tires. And, like all the other TXPs, you can switch it from a trail bike to a trials bike by removing the seat. It's the perfect endpoint before swapping to a full-size dirt bike in the 250 class of things.
But the best thing about all of these is that they don't break the bank.
Starting at $1,695 for the TXP 12, their prices steadily rise, with the TXP 16 costing $2,295, the TXP 20's price being $3,495, and the TXP 24 starting at $3,995. And that doesn't even work in the savings you'll have thanks to no oil changes or gas fill-ups, nor the lawyer bills you'd likely accrue when your kids want to rip around your neighborhood at 9pm in the summer, and the HOA calls the cops. I still need to find the cash, though.
Man, kids are expensive.
