Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/531879
easier for dads to wheelie. The differences in engine performance are minor, but notable. When watching the girls climb a loose, gravelly hill, it was easy to the see that TTR was beer at finding tracon. While stopped on an incline the extra weight and torquey four stoke motor of the TTR made it eas- ier for the test riders to get going again. On the down hills, the lile bit of engine braking provided by the TTR is more confidence inspiring and requires less manual braking. The extra 10cc of the TTR also pro- vide a bit more power and top speed – the laer being a check in the minus column, for us, anyway. The forks on the TTR are plush but slightly firmer feeling than the PW. While the forks on both bikes progress smoothly through the travel, the shock on each bike is oen unseled and kicks over moderate (relavely speak- ing) sized roots and rocks - especially on the lighter PW. You have the opon of two preload sengs on the shock but even on the soest seng, the shock is sll less effec- ve than the forks. The heavier TTR however, is more set- tled than the PW and tracks cleaner over the trail junk. The obvious downside to the extra weight of the TTR is that it makes it more difficult for a young rider to pick the bike up aer a p-over. Both riders had an easier me picking up the PW than the TTR. With the PW being a bit lighter, it's also more agile feeling. When our test riders rode each bike back to back they found that the PW shied easier. This was important to note be- cause both girls are just learning to shi. I rode both bikes and never noced the dif- ference. Both riders also preferred the electric start of the TTR. And while the tractable motor and added stability over the trail junk are a nice characterisc of the TTR, it was less important to our 9 year old riders. When it was me for the girls to pick their favorite, it was some- thing of a split decision in that both pre- ferred the easy shiing of the PW and the e-start of the TTR. We could have been quite happy with the PW 80 but in the end, it was the electric start of the TTR that reaffirmed our decision to choose the four stroke TTR over the PW. The e-start allows our lile rider to start the bike with ease each and every me, taking away the stress and frus- traon of kick starng a flooded engine. She may strug- gle a bit more when picking it off the ground but we spin it as a fitness bonus. Either way, you can't go wrong when choosing one of these two bikes as both are an appropri- ate plaorm for the young rider just starng out or mov- ing up from a smaller bike. June 2015 21 Both of our 9 year old girls struggled with picking up the TTR-90. The TTR outweighs the PW by about 15 pounds.