My Son Wants to Start Riding

[EGAlvarez_imp]

As usual, great advice in this thread. It makes me look at this subject with more of an open mind.

Compared to most of you, I'm a new rider. I didn't buy my first bike until four years ago at age 50. Why did I wait, some may ask? I waited until both of my parents passed away in 2010. The reason is that I knew they would worry sick about me if I rode a motorcycle. Thinking back, I wish I had started much sooner in life.

MG, soon I will be in your shoes as I have a 16 year old son who just got his driver's permit a couple weeks ago. Him on four wheels is scary enough, and he keeps talking about getting his MC license and getting a street bike when he turns 18. I selfishly keep telling him he has to wait until his mother and me die like I did lol...

After hearing different perspectives maybe I'm wrong. My son has been riding quads and dirt bikes since he was 11 and from what I've seen he's a very good rider; he handles his YZ250 with great skill. Being a sensible kid, doesn't get in trouble and works hard in school, what more could I ask for? As long as he takes the MSF courses and agrees to ATGATT --at least until I'm too old and senile to know the difference -- I will support his decision.

Awesome, I'm glad to hear that you would give it some consideration.

Just remember that the MSF courses are the absolute, bare minimum amount of knowledge required to throw a leg over a bike and ride around town. The MSF classes are a great start, with great instructors, however nothing beats professional instruction in high performance, real world, street riding skills.

http://www.classrides.com/

http://totalcontroltraining.net/

http://www.cornerspin.com/main.html (VERY fun!)

I wouldn't let Gabriel take off in a F-22 Raptor after completing 20 hours of lessons in a Cessna 152 at the local airport

[Elipten_imp]

Yea but that F-22 has just a wee bit more horsepower and speed increase percentage wise over the Cessna 152 than even the most powerful super bike could muster compared to a starter 125cc motorcycle.


2014 CB1100 DLX
2013 CB1100 Std
1990 BMW K75 RT

[Riko_imp]

My mate, bought a bike behind the back of his parents.
Today I met a bike mechanic, totally passionate about motorcycles, uses a bike to go to work every single day.
His dad was against him riding, though he rides himself..

My own mother could not sleep the first night after I bought my Burgman.

My dad who had ridden a bike after 30 years fell...but all is good (dad & bike).


Whats the point of this all you ask?
1. If someone is bitten by the motorcycle bug, you cannot do anything about it, you cannot stop him/her, they WILL ride, if you like it or not.
2. Accidents can happen to all of us, old and young, new and experienced riders.

Deal with it in a positive way.
Help him, guide him.
He already plans to take a rider course.
He wants to start with a small bike.
So, all that is good.

I can't see anything else than go with the flow, and he and you seem to have a good vibe going on in this matter

[Steverino_imp]

I think its safer than some other hobbies, like ocean fishing and hunting. Surprising how many motorcycle accidents are single vehicle so a lot of it is in care and training.

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[the_undecider_imp]

Whether or not this is financially or logistically feasible, I don't know, but how about you and your son buying some used dual sport bikes like a KLR650, DR650, DRZ400 and heading out of the city into the canyons where there is less traffic and onto some dirt roads? If I lived I'm Socal and could afford to own a motorcycle, there would be no way I wouldn't have a dual sport. Seems to be a bit lower risk and a way for your son to gather some great skills and practice without a lot of traffic.

[Riko_imp]

Hmmm, the best way to handle traffic and most important of all, to get used to traffic is learning in a traffic environment instead of avoiding it.

At the riding school, on first day, after a few introduction minutes, the first thing they did was drop the students into traffic!
City traffic, heavy traffic roads, you name it.

The only and best way to learn!

[emptysea]

Nah... First, that's not how introductory riding schools work here. Second, riding in traffic on a bike isn't really any different than driving in a car...dealing with traffic isn't about riding skill so much as learning how to anticipate, react, be defensive, etc. I will call those "Traffic Skills" To be sure, riding in real world traffic is a key component to learning traffic skills, but one is much better off learning riding skills in a controlled envinronment so that the rider can concentrate on traffic skills when out in the real world.

Ultimately, a good street rider must master both traffic and riding skills and that will involve being in traffic, but learning both at the same time, in traffic, does not strike me as "the best" way.

[Riko_imp]

Nah... First, that's not how introductory riding schools work here. Second, riding in traffic on a bike isn't really any different than driving in a car...dealing with traffic isn't about riding skill so much as learning how to anticipate, react, be defensive, etc. I will call those "Traffic Skills" To be sure, riding in real world traffic is a key component to learning traffic skills, but one is much better off learning riding skills in a controlled envinronment so that the rider can concentrate on traffic skills when out in the real world.

Ultimately, a good street rider must master both traffic and riding skills and that will involve being in traffic, but learning both at the same time, in traffic, does not strike me as "the best" way.

sure, thats how we did it here 4 hours in total on the first day (if I remember)
First 2 hours riding skils, could be 1 hour more.
Than on the road for the rest of the time.

[Verdecken_imp]

From the perspective of a current 25 year old, I can say that the Internet makes it easy to stay grounded and cautious as a rider. My parents aren't huge fans of me riding (well my dad is a-ok, my mom worries a lot) but I am not one of the "invincible" minded kids anyway. I am active on Reddit, and the motorcycle forum there is a great place where people share videos and stories. It's been a great tool for me to see what is good and bad riding as well as being reminded that it's 'cool' to go ATGATT and be constantly on the lookout for SMIDSYs. I took an MSF course and it was great. I highly recommend. Does your son have friends that ride? If so, as long as they're good riders and not hooligans, he should be fine. I certainly wish I could ride with my dad!!


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[ChipBeck_imp]

I have mixed feelings about my son riding a motorcycle. Southern California is not the safest place for those of us on two wheels. Plus, he's 22 years old. I think back to the craziness and invincibility I believed I possessed at that age and it makes me shudder. The thought of him going down and getting hurt really messes with my head.

Another part of me is excited at the prospect of riding together. It would be great to share this passion of mine with him. There are very few things that compare to the feeling I get while riding and none that I do as frequently. I would love for him to experience the same joy. I would love for us to experience it together.

He's always been an athletic, coordinated kid, so I have no worry about him mastering the skills of riding. It's all the uncontrollable dangers that scare me. I'm brought back to the day I let him ride his bike to the park alone for the first time. The anxiety was nearly overwhelming until I heard the back gate open and he came inside, all smiles. He must have been 8 or 9. I'm sure I'll be just as anxious when he rides off on his motorcycle for the first time.

His plan is to take the basic rider course then buy a slightly used Kawasaki Ninja 300. It looks like a great little bike. Even after the course, I'll take him to some large parking lots and we'll practice some more, eventually making it onto surface streets in light traffic and slowly progress from there. My hope is that he'll soon be riding rings around me. And my biggest hope is that he never feels he has anything to prove and that he takes things slowly.

I'm excited and terrified...

Mentally,

Like some others here I started my son Charley very young riding in the dirt. But when he wanted to start riding on the street I was a nervous wreck. The combat mindset required to stay alive on a bike is so different from that required in a car and mistakes can be so serious. So I bought my son the Ducati he wanted for his college graduation but I bought it a year early with the stipulation he could only ride it with me until he graduated. I did my best to observe and critique. He was fine riding the bike so I was just trying to show him how to avoid accidents caused by auto drivers.

The best mindset advice is to imagine that you and your bike were completely invisible and you needed to ride to a destination in traffic. How would you ride? How would you position yourself relative to the cars around you? You would assume that every car would turn left in front of you, or pull out in front of you because they cant see you. You'd never stay directly beside another car any longer than necessary. Ride like you are invisible because to a lot of drivers, you are.

Despite all that I did, shortly after his graduation Charley was sideswiped by a woman in a car knocking him off his bike. She said, "I didn't see him". He didn't get hurt but over $5000.00 worth of damage to his bike was done. He admitted that although he was not at fault that he could have prevented the accident by being more aware. Charley's bike is repaired and he's back riding. I'm glad he wasn't hurt and I know he is more in tune with being invisible. That lesson learned, I love riding with my son. All the best.

Chip

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