| Author | Message | ||
     Fltwistygirl |
Here is an open letter to our son, who is closing in on the age to be able to get his DL and M/C endorsement. He was the tender young age of four when he happily mounted his first Buell, a static display at Daytona bikeweek, but other than an ATV ride or two with his cousins, has not had substantial non-pillion seat time. As a parent who learned to ride at age 8 and used anything with a motor to get around (ATV's, dirtbikes, snowmobiles, tractors), I have a mixed bag of emotions to his request to start using the K75, but I am excited to see that he inherited the motorcycle gene that dominates my side of the family. My concerns: either you get the "good driving gene", or you don't. We currently witness the daughter of our friend continue to crash vehicles and collect tickets, and meanwhile his son drives through life unscathed. Same genes, totally different driving behaviors. Also, I grew up with daily or weekly exposure to different things to ride on the farm, whereas my son has almost exclusively been exposed to bikes as a pillion. Interesting times indeed. "Dear Son, so you think you want to ride? First of all, congratulations! The decision to ride is a big one, and we look forward to continuing to share our love of the sport with you. This choice is not to be taken lightly, but we have every ounce of faith in you that you have learned from us, a couple of safety nerds, to make the right choices to keep yourself whole. In addition to following the letter of the law in the areas you plan to ride, we will expect a few things from you on your journey to a new level of motorcycling: 1. You will take an MSF class, and we will not be your instructors. 2. You will practice your fundamental skills on streets in residential neighborhoods, and will not be allowed on the road until we are comfortable with your level of riding. 3. You will keep your grades up. 4. You will get a job to pay for insurance. 5. Your first bike will be something more manageable than the 1203cc monsters that live with us. We understand that at 6'4" you fit well on them, but they are not beginner bikes and will not be forgiving. 6. You will learn to do all the maintenance on your bike, and your dad will help you. As you know there is way more room for error on two wheels versus four. 7. No matter what the law says, you will not carry passengers until we feel you are ready. 8. You will drop the bike at some point, so be smart and wear good gear. 9. As users of the road, we are all responsible for everyone's safety on the road. Your survival depends on your ability to predict jackwagon actions before they happen. You have to become a master of reading people and assuming that they will do exactly the worst thing at the worst time. And have a strategy for each time something like that happens. 10. If you don't have the stomach for #9, we'll look for an alternative to two wheels. Maintenance, grades and a job will be part of that deal too. In closing, we are proud of the responsible young man that you have become, and have faith that you will continue to make good choices. Love, Mom and Dad" | ||
| Ltdin94 |
Great letter. Keep up the great attitude by parents and don't let him slide on the grades! | ||
| Callawegian |
Thanks for sharing, I have a daughter who is looking to get her DL next week. I need to share this with her but I will need to make some adjustments, ie she is only 5'1", so a 250 will be big enough. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
"Great letter. Keep up the great attitude by parents and don't let him slide on the grades!" Thanks, Ltdin94. Man, his future options depend on him keeping his grades up, and having a great work ethic. I think back to how uncomfortable my mom was when I got my endorsement. Once she figured out that my brother and I had two different riding styles, and, because of that, two very different riding outcomes, she felt better about me riding and was actually my #1 cheerleader when I chose to leave my corporate job to teach others to ride. | ||
| Fotoguzzi |
nice, my folks got me a bike thinking it was a passing phase that I'd get over.. but they just fanned the flames of my motorcycle obsession lasting the past 43 years.  my son on same bike.. it didn't have the same effect on any of my kids who don't ride.. It's kind of a relief as one less worry to have about the little darlings.  | ||
| Ratbuell |
Addendum: "riding is a PRIVILEGE, and as such, may be revoked at any time, for any reason - keep it together, and you don't have to worry. Go sketchy in any way, shape, or form, and be prepared for your keys and battery to disappear without warning." Don't encourage riding...encourage safety and SMART riding. If he doesn't want to be smart...encourage a Jeep. And feel free to use me (I'm happy to send x-rays, as well as copies of my divorce papers) as an example of what can go wrong, regardless of experience. Depending on his constitution...take a "blood on the highway" approach to drive the point home that there is far less margin of error on a motorcycle. Show him case files to drive the point home that things DO go wrong - and the important question is...how prepared are you for it when (not if) it does? But...you already know all this...why am I still typing...?  | ||
| Buewulf |
I think that is a good approach and am glad you shared the letter with us. My oldest daughter just turned 11, and she is really starting to take an interest in the motorcycles. That terrifies me, and I frankly hope that flame putters out as she gets older. I think I might get her one of those electric dirt bikes to put around on. If she does have the passion in her, she won't stop riding it; and it is best she starts learning how to ride now rather than later if she takes to the sport. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
My son is now 23 and rides a 2007 ULY. I taught him how to ride when he was 15 and then he went through the Rider's Edge course and aced both classroom and the riding tests. I took him to the Nebraska DMV here in Omaha to get his learners permit and they really didn't even know one was was available for a 15 year old. Apparently 15 year old kids don't come in for this for whatever reason. They looked into it while we waited and finally found that they could issue the permit and they did. My wife, 15 year old son and I rode our bikes from Omaha to East Troy for the Homecoming event. Then on up to Road America. A few weeks later my son and I road our bikes to Sturgis, SD. My son at that time road a Yamaha 600cc Radian. All the long distance riding has made him a very good rider. By the way, never was sure if his permit was good for out of state riding but took the chance anyways and we were never pulled over. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
By the way. Don't discourage your kids when they have an interest in motorcycles. Feel privileged that you can share a passion with your son or daughter. I can tell you that going on a long trip with your son riding along on his own bike is a great way to bond and have shared memories. Before you know it they will have lives of their own and you'll wish you could call them up and go for a ride with them. Never happen if they have been kept away from bikes because you didn't let them spread their wings in that direction. Sure glad my folks let me and my siblings have bikes when we were young. So many people are so scared shitless of motorcycles and that is why they legislate more than necessary. | ||
| Xbimmer |
10. If you don't have the stomach for #9, we'll look for an alternative to two wheels... #9 applies there too, motorcycle, car, horse, anything. Stupid people will do stupid things around your son. Great parenting Mom and Dad, something in shorter supply these days. | ||
| Mark_weiss |
When my son turned 16 he was already an experienced road racer and had won a few regional championships. Riding skills were not a concern. As you note though, judgment was what we were worried about. Friends' children were busily crashing cars and we did not want our son to be involved in a roadway crash on a motorcycle. We were prepared though and had set the policy that a motorcycle license would require at least one year of driving experience. Three months after getting his driver's license he totaled his car. One of our local cities uses a lagging left-turn arrow and, one evening, this caused confusion. If on a motorcycle, this crash would have been devastating. It was just a simple mistake, easily understood. He let us know that he appreciated the 'one year' rule. Kid number two has been driving for 6 years. Just last week he decided that he wants a license. Parents won't be his RiderCoaches either. | ||
| Tempest766 |
In my family good grades were irrelevant. It was simply "when you can legally sign the ownership papers and pay all your bills yourself, including insurance and hospitalization, then you can get whatever conveyance you like." Although I had a drivers license when I was 16, I was only rarely allowed to drive. I had to ask a month in advance, with no commitment either way until right before I needed the vehicle, based on the current mood of whichever parent happened to be dominant at the time, and just maybe they'd let me use the car...I had to bicycle around town most of the time. In college I did get a junker yamaha RD350 street two stroke, but it was 110% on my dime, with no support from the parents. Bad parents? Maybe...but I learned self-reliance VERY EARLY. | ||
| Tootal |
I was very blessed with a father that rode. My mother's father rode also. Here's where I started:  Had a mini bike by 10 and a Yamaha Mini Enduro 60 by 12. By 14 my brother, father and myself were competing in observed trials. Once we were both on street bikes dad went back to riding street, and all those memories are my favorite. We weren't too big on safety gear back then either!  I always preach to new riders to start on a used dirt bike and learn how to fall down. Dirt bike instincts will save you big time on the street. Learning to ride without traction makes it easier when traction goes away. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Tootal, Those are some might beefy front forks on that nice Trumpet. They actually look like they are rigid??? | ||
| Tootal |
I'm sure they are telescopic, just not very much travel. I think all parents are afraid of letting their kids ride probably since they themselves know what they have gotten away with and can't imagine their child being that lucky! That's why I really push dirt bikes. Simple to work on and you can't hardly kill one. Falling in the dirt is a lot less painful than concrete. As mentioned, learning instincts from not having traction will save you time and again when you hit oil, sand, diesel fuel etc. Getting a chance to ride in sand is a huge benefit. Being able to ride giant circles with your feet on the pegs and a rooster tail shooting out the back is not only a hoot but comes in handy in the rain in a corner. I can attest to this!! Used dirt bikes are cheap and worth every lesson. | ||
| Sagehawk |
I see that most folks here are not fans of the home school drivers ed program. We went that route when daughter started driving cars. One sunday afternoon, we were driving on backroad out of danbury, came to a bridge ovee a creek on east side of town. Black woman sitting in middle of our lane, fishing from the bridge. Daughter goes ballistic with the what do i do dad thing. I just replied, slow down, left turn signalon, change lanes if no oncoming traffic coming and tap horn once. She asked , why not blow the horn. I looked at her and simply said, the fish may be biting. Shes a master of the eye roll technique. But we still laugh bout that. | ||
| Trevd |
The thought of my 16 year old daughter wanting to ride for the first time on the street - or worse yet, wanting to get on the back of some teenage maniac's bike - caused me to want to get her started early in the dirt, to let her learn how to ride properly. My wife eventually - EVENTUALLY - agreed. This spring should be a good one.  | ||
| Uly_man |
That is a good list Fltwistygirl and covers most points. With his family experience in am sure that he will become a skilled and considerate rider. As said riding skills, although very important, are not the main issue. It is judgement and road craft that are. Unfortunately these can only be gained through time riding the road. The nuances of road riding are infinite and part of the joy of riding bikes. It is a bit like playing the guitar. None are the same. No two of the same make/ model play the same. Few can master them 100%. All can be modded/ adjusted to an infinite degree, to give you what you want from them, and both can become a serious life long obsession. |
