Parents saying no to a motorcycle...

I ride, its my primary transportation, I can go months without being in a car.

When my daughter was nearing 16 years old, we were on a ride and she asked the terrifying question...Dad when can I start riding ?

She was not interested in a car, just a bike like her Dad. It was tough question since I felt I could not deny her the joy of riding but I know all too well how dangerous riding is. I actually thought about getting rid of my bike so I could feel ok saying No, I did not feel right saying no but still ride myself. Soccer Mom ran a stop and got rid of the bike for me, I used that excuse to say no and stopped riding. It lasted almost a year before I got another bike. I got her a dirt bike and got her started on dirt before moving up to the street.

Start out on the dirt and get the basics of riding down where other cars wont kill you as you learn, then move to the street and regardless of which state you are in, wear your HELMET AND GEAR

 

What he said!

 

i totally disagree.

 

i like how you understand and show respect while under your parents roof.

 

i totally agree!

 

^meh... I've done 2 up track days... I've also been at 13k with my g/f on the bike... Not out of 1st or 2nd though. Not a big deal.... Time and Place.... she'll never ride on her own, so its fun to let her experience a teeeny tiny bit of what its like.

 

Nice post. Did nobody here ride bicycles on the street? A motorcycle is significantly safer than that activity, and you don't look like a retard with the cleats and helmets (I ride bicycles so I can say that hehe). I ride motorcycles too, and have done plenty of riding two-up--up, down, zig-zag around the US, Alaska, South America, parts of Africa, most of Europe, Australia, parts of Asia, etc., etc. I don't see what the problem is as long as you are under your limits and stay safe--which means being aware of the other road-users and how they might endanger you, and constantly evaluating and building upon your roadcraft. And unless you have a hypercar, you won't experience the same sensations, not for less than 10X the price.

My piece of advice would be heated handgrips and riding gear. It makes a huge difference and extends your riding season significantly unless you live in Hawaii.

This thread is a bit like all the idiots who pile on and scream bloody murder when somebody posts a video of a Ferrari doing a burnout in an empty parking lot. What is the big deal?

 

Illogical. If you ride more, you will be a better rider. If you ride on fair weather weekends only, you will be tempted to do stupid things and exceed your limits--which can result in disaster. As for other drivers' carelessness, you have to factor that in an dride defensively. That means, don't be in the hole and don't be in the sun directly ahead of a car, etc., etc. I always position myself in a space that a car driver would not be tempted to occupy ie. using another car as a shield, with escape paths, etc. I also just note the gaps that give me available escape routes--if those gaps start changing shape, somebody is changing their position, and I see how that can affect me and react accordingly. It's not rocket science.

You guys don't want to ride, don't ride. But please don't turn into a mommy brigade and spout nonsense as the reasoning behind your advice. Is it really that hard to say, "It's not for me, I don't think I have the ability and or desire, but as long as you are safe and build upon your skill levels and stay under your limits and leave extra margins of safety, a whole world of (relatively cheap) adventure and high performance awaits you. Be careful and have fun!"

That's what I intend to say to my kids, although I will leave out the first part.

 

I agree that riding more makes you a better rider, but it isn't matter of your skill, it's that the other drivers that are idiots. While you can survive (and if you survive long enough you will obviously develop as skill set that makes it less likely that you will get hurt) even the best cyclists can get hurt, not because of their lack of skill, but because a motorcycle has such a small silhouette that they simply aren't seen in poorer visibility situations. It doesn't matter how good you you are, you are stacking the odds against yourself in the morning commute on bike. No matter which way you are going, the sun is in somebody's eyes early in the morning and late in the afternoons. People that see a car may not see a bike and if the pull out in front of you you’re dead, no matter how good you are....

I loved to ride (although I don't have a bike now) but the term rush hour shouldn't refer to your adrenaline level when you have just had a very close call with a mom in an SUV that was looking into the sun and pulled out in front of you.... Not saying that you can't, it's just that the odds are stacked against a bike in poorer visibility situations, and that makes the morning commute much more dangerous than other times of day.