Is the CRF50 right for a 5-year old?

Is 5-years old too young to handle a Honda CRF50? Too heavy? Can they shift? Use the rear brake? Hold the bike up? Kickstart it? We try and answer some common questions that I had when I put Rennen on this new-to-him bike.

I come across some pretty good deals, and this 2004 Honda CRF50 was one of them. I picked this up for $400 and it just needed a carb rebuild and new fuel petcock from sitting for about 10-years with old fuel in the tank. A Honda 50 is ALWAYS a good bike to have around, cause they can carry and adult as well as they can a kid. My big-boy XR50 is still a go to bike in my fleet for new riders or for just plain fun.

My question was though, how old should a kid be before they try and ride a Honda 50? They're a bit taller and heavier than the PW50, and also have 3 gears with a semi-automatic clutch to shift between those gears. It also has a proper rear foot brake pedal rather than the PW50's rear brake being actuated by the left hand. I also like that the Honda is a 4-stroke and with it comes more torque for play riding, it's maintenance free, and well, it's a Honda!