January 16, 2026
No Comments
Gas Powered Bikes
Ride With Power
Gas Dirt Bikes
Ride The Rough
Bikes Accessories
Upgrade Your Journey
Guide
Ultimate Bike Guideline
Ride With Power
Ride The Rough
Upgrade Your Journey
Ultimate Bike Guideline
A 40cc dirt bike is a mini sized motorcycle that’s meant for youth and beginner riders.
These bicycles are a standard for first-time riders in the dirt so your kids can learn balance, motor skills and maintenance.
A 40cc dirt bike is not made for speed and power like the larger ones, it targets safety, smooth performance and is simple to operate.
For this reason, many parents have one simple question in common, How fast is a 40cc dirt bike?
Knowing the speed and limits of that process can help you determine if it’s is something you want your child to do.
The average max speed of a 40cc dirt bike is generally around 12-18 mph (19-29 km/h).
This is deliberately gimped out of the box to make sure young riders are safe. So it may not seem very fast compared to adult dirt bikes, but it is satisfactorily good for children who are beginning to learn how to ride a bike.
A few may feel faster on acceleration, and in some cases, smooth ground, generally, isn’t much over this range.
MANY FACTORY 40CC DIRT BIKES ARE SET WITH SPEED GOVERNER TO PREVENT POWER SURGES.
40cc Dirt Bikes Are Not Meant For High Speed And The Reason Behind It,
A 40cc dirt bike is very small when comopared to other displacement such as 110cc, betwen 125 and 150, or even up to the more usualy adult maximum size of a medium-size OMC for kidz.
THESE ARE NOT RACE OR XC BIKES. We can not try to be as free, instead we have to prefer control, stability and security.
Manufactures limit the speed as a safety concern, A young rider might not have fast reflexes or doesnt have quick enough reaction time in an event of an accident.
Slowed speeds also allow for easier supervision and teaching by parents with less worry over the constant danger of a speedy wreck.
Speed Of Different Dirt Bikes
Check Our 10 Best Tested 40cc Gas Powered Dirt Bikes in 2026
While the average is 12-18 mph, there are a few factors that will determine just how fast.
Rider Weight Rider weight is a significant factor when estimating how fast will a 40cc dirt bike go.
A heavier child will generally have slower acceleration and slightly lower top end speeds.
While the small engine lacks strength, heavier riders could experience slower/bogged-down performance.
The surface you travel on matters, too when it comes to speed. A 40cc dirt bike will be best on levelled, hard packed dirt or flat, smooth grass.
On sand, mud and rocky roads or uphill trails add it to the speed decreaser because of increased resistance.
The majority of 40cc dirt bikes have a speed limiter/throttle stop. That allows parents to limit how much throttle the kid can access.
With the restrictor in all the way, you’re looking at 8-10 mph. Once a rider becomes more comfortable, the limiter can be set to suit increased speeds.
Performance can be affected to a small extent by correct maintenance. A spotless air filter, properly lubed chain, and quality fuel are all factors to get the engine purring.
It’s also possible for the bike to feel slower or less zippy due to lack of maintenance.
Most 40cc dirt bikes do not have gears and rely on an automatic transmission.
This allows much lesser stress for new riders – they concentrate on riding and controlling the throttle without any complexities thrown in.
A full-size bike with an automatic transmission still reaches top speed more slowly than the manual gears of a bigger dirtbike.
This is part of the reason 40cc bikes are slower, but safer for kids.
The general and age most range for the 40cc dirt bike is Age 4-7 years depending on rider height – weight, as well as little one used to riding it.
These bicycles are ideal for children who may be riding a bike for the first time or who are outgrowing balance bikes.
If you are a big kid, teenager, or adult at all then riding a 40cc dirt bike will make you feel slow and underpowered. In these cases you would want to step up to something 50cc, 70cc, or even a 110 dirt bike.
Having an idea of how a 40cc dirt bike stacks up against other engine sizes can be useful information when gauging its speed.
A 40cc dirt bike goes to about 12–18 mph, making it great for a beginner who is young.
A 50cc can also be a bit quicker, sometimes hitting 20–30 mph, and is better for kids who may be slightly older or more confident.
A 110cc dirt bike is recommended for riders of all ages who are looking forward to tackling moderate to steep hills and rough off road terrains, the 4-Speed manual clutch little dirt bike is really fun and easy to ride.
This should give you an idea of what a 40cc dirt bike is, and it’s clear that this machine will not be hitting any speed records any time soon.
While 12–18 mph may sound slow, it can still be an unsafe speed without the appropriate safety features.
It is advisable for children to be properly equipped such as wearing a helmet, gloves, knee guards, elbow pads and types of sturdy Footwear!
Parents also need to make sure the riding occurs in a safe place away from traffic and obstacles and that the slope should not have steep drops.
Adult supervision is highly recommended particularly for young beginners.
A few technical mods, removing speed limiters, adjusting carburetors, can get you a little more speed.
But this is what younger riders do not advise. Ramping up the speed comes at a cost of safety, and it makes the bicycle less reliable.
A better solution is to allow your child to build skill and confidence, and then trade up for a bigger bike when they are ready. This is a great way to keep safe, and have fun.
So, exactly what is the top speed of a 40cc dirt bike? In most cases, 12 to 18 mph, depending on how heavy the rider is riding that day and the terrain in which he is doing it.
Although this speed might even be considered slow, it’s fine or very good for little kids and beginners.
Its a 40cc dirt bike, not intended for speed or performance, but for mastering the basicslearninghow to ride and practicing with parental guidance.
When used properly, it is a great way to introduce children into the world of dirt bikes and ensure that they are well prepared for larger, faster models as part of the process.
