We haven’t had Bonnie’s YCF bikes in this section for a couple of months, and no, they haven’t disappeared off the face of the Earth. We’ve just had so much other content coming through for Kids’ Corner lately that these little electric legends got bumped. But now feels like the right time to bring them back and give everyone an update, especially those who’ve been wondering what happened to them. The truth is, we’ve been riding the wheels off them.
Bonnie’s still clocking up hours on both the 12-inch and 16-inch models, and not much has changed when it comes to her preference. She still prefers the 12-inch. It’s more aggressive, has better torque off the bottom, and it actually gets her up hills without needing to push. That’s not to say she doesn’t still have to kick with her feet on the steeper climbs, it’s not a mountain goat, but at 18 kilos, Bonnie can usually get herself up most inclines. Once it gets past the 45-degree mark, though, even the 12-inch starts to struggle.
On the 16-inch bike, those same hills are basically a no-go. It’s not that the bike’s faulty, it just doesn’t have the torque. The gearing is too tall, and the motor sort of gives up once it sees an incline. At times it feels like the motor’s not even helping, especially under a smaller rider like Bonnie. We passed this feedback on to the crew at YCF, and to their credit, they took it seriously. They sent the info straight to the factory in France, and now there’s a new version of the 16-inch coming with a different rear sprocket to deliver more torque. That’s a smart move, and it proves YCF’s paying attention to how kids are actually using these bikes.
Aside from the torque tweaks we’d love to see, the bikes have been bulletproof. Nearly 12 months of riding, crashing, skidding, dragging, racing to kindy, and looping out while wheelie training, and still no mechanical issues. The chain hasn’t stretched. We’ve barely touched the brake adjustment. There are no loose bolts, broken switches or rattly parts. The only real wear and tear we’ve seen is on the 12-inch rear tyre, which is now basically flat from all the backyard burnouts Bonnie’s been doing.
We also discovered something handy recently: the battery from the 16-inch bike fits perfectly in the 12-inch model. Bonnie’s been running the oversized battery from her 16 on the 12-inch, and she’s getting about an hour of runtime in full power mode, or around 10 to 12 kilometres depending on how long she holds it pinned. It’s a great hack if you’ve got both models and want to double up on range.
Since Bonnie has pretty much claimed the 12-inch full-time, we’ve loaned the 16-inch out to her mate Hugo to give Bonnie someone to ride with. Hugo’s still learning the ropes and doesn’t ride every day like Bonnie does, so the slightly heavier, more docile 16-inch has actually been great for him. It’s not intimidating, it’s easy to balance, and it doesn’t take off too quickly. When we’ve thrown him on the 12-inch in the past, he’s sometimes gotten a bit overwhelmed by the snap in the throttle and the smaller, twitchier feel. But on the 16, he’s been able to build confidence without the bike doing anything unpredictable.
Bonnie, meanwhile, has levelled up her backyard riding game. Because these bikes are so quiet, light and easy to throw around, she’s able to get proper throttle time in our tiny backyard in Sydney. When we’re at the family farm, she can ride wherever she wants. But in the city, space is tight, and the YCF still works a treat. She’s currently obsessed with practicing slow wheelies. She plants her feet, uses the throttle to find her balance point, and then creeps the bike forward using a mix of throttle blips and little steps. She’s getting about three metres before it all falls apart, which is pretty impressive for a four-year-old.
She likes to ride standing up too, but at 115 centimetres tall, she has to lean over the bars a bit too much when she stands, and it wobbles more than I’d like. It freaks me out when we’re riding down footpaths, especially with concrete on both sides, so I’ve told her I prefer when she sits down for those rides. Thankfully, the seat on both bikes is adjustable. If we’re riding on rougher or hilly terrain, I drop the seat right down so she can use her feet for balance and pushing. But if we’re doing faster, flatter rides, I lift the seat a bit higher so she can ride with better control and balance through corners.
After nearly a year, it’s hard to fault what YCF has built here. These bikes have copped daily abuse, multiple riders, zero sympathy and they’re still running strong. Bonnie loves hers. Hugo’s learning on one. And we’re excited to see the new torque-boosted version of the 16-inch hit Aussie shores soon. That’s it from these little weapons, now you know what happened to them!
