Noah and Elliot Holter, midwestmotocross.com bike test consultants, who will be on the lucky end of that exchange for years to come, made and solidified their recent steps in motocross evolution in mid-July. Elliot with a good ride on his PW50 and Noah with the receipt of his 2003 RM65.

A clutch! A transmission! A real motorcyle! The 65 class is a dream for mini parents who are used to the frustrations of coaxing more juice out of playbikes (PWs, XRs, etc.) or dealing with the rigors of maintaining the 50cc racers (Polinis, Cobras, etc.). The 65s, for the most part, are rock solid, particularly the KX/RM model that while stock might give a little up to the KTM and Cobra DC65 in terms of raw performance is a champ when it comes to reliability.

Noah got his first real opportunity to see how his 65 compares to his Polini X3, and if the 70 or so laps he did on the 65 vs. the five or so laps he did on the Polini are any indication, it's arrivederci to the little Italian racer.

Elliot, initially more enthralled with the mud and going to the bathroom, settled down near the end of the day and put in some quality laps on his first dirt bike, making it clear that there will be many more laps to come.

While Noah did very well on his first real ride on the 65 (at Buffalo Range in Ottawa, Ill.), it's a long, long leap to the upper echelons of the 65 class. While his practice time might not have him up to the task just yet, his heart certainly does. Bring on the 65 class.