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Message
re: My 18 yr Old wants a Motorcycle "BAD" !!
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:04 am to The Torch
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:04 am to The Torch
If he's dead set on it, one thing you could do is do it with him.
Does he have his M class yet?
Find a MSF - Motorcycle Safety Foundation class and take it with him. Get your M class as well. It's actually alot of fun. They provide the bikes, usually something like a Honda Rebel 500 or some such.
Does he have his eye on a bike? If he's a new rider, you've got to dissuade him from getting something like a liter bike. A 500cc or maybe a 650.
Do you live in BTR? I tell you, I got run off the road several times while attending LSU in the 80's. No wrecks, just people that didn't see me. I can't even imagine the traffic there now.
It did make me a better driver, as survival mode kicks in on a bike and you become hyper aware of what other drivers are doing (or might do). The guy in the lane next to you starts looking in his mirrors? He's gonna change lanes. Be prepared.
One thing you must make him understand is he can't ride at night. I have a motorcycle safety book and it has a chapter on riding at night: it's one page and it says "Don't ride at night!".
Good luck.
Does he have his M class yet?
Find a MSF - Motorcycle Safety Foundation class and take it with him. Get your M class as well. It's actually alot of fun. They provide the bikes, usually something like a Honda Rebel 500 or some such.
Does he have his eye on a bike? If he's a new rider, you've got to dissuade him from getting something like a liter bike. A 500cc or maybe a 650.
Do you live in BTR? I tell you, I got run off the road several times while attending LSU in the 80's. No wrecks, just people that didn't see me. I can't even imagine the traffic there now.
It did make me a better driver, as survival mode kicks in on a bike and you become hyper aware of what other drivers are doing (or might do). The guy in the lane next to you starts looking in his mirrors? He's gonna change lanes. Be prepared.
One thing you must make him understand is he can't ride at night. I have a motorcycle safety book and it has a chapter on riding at night: it's one page and it says "Don't ride at night!".
Good luck.
1
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:07 am to The Torch
People riding motorcycles feel like bad asses, but in reality they're at the mercy of every old lady & teeny bopper girl in a Honda Civic.
I've had friends that died in motorcycle accidents.
Tell your son if he likes is life & his legs to take a pass on the motorcycle
I've had friends that died in motorcycle accidents.
Tell your son if he likes is life & his legs to take a pass on the motorcycle
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:24 am to chrome_daddy
Good post ChromeDaddy, you said much of what I thought when I first saw this thread.
I've been riding over 50 years since I was about 10 and learned in my grandfathers pasture on a small 100cc dirt bike. IMO that's the best way anyone can learn to ride, or drive for that matter. But that boat has sailed in your son's case.
Absolutely 1000% start with the MSF course - I'd go so far to say that if he doesn't make that the first step in this process, before even selecting a bike, then the deals off, hard.
Absolutely 1000% agree with a sub-liter bike, IMO a street legal dirt bike would be preferable but certainly not a crotch rocket. He can always trade up after he's got a lot of experience under his belt. Buy used, he will scratch it from losing his balance, forgetting to put the kickstand down, etc. and it'll sting less if the bike already has some "beauty marks".
don't EVER get on the bike without your armor - there's a saying in the motorcycle community "ATGATT" = All the Gear, All the Time. I'm a fan of top notch gear but decent gear is better than none and here again he can upgrade in pieces as he goes. I'm talking motorcycle-specific boots, pants/jacket with built in armor, helmet, and gloves. Yes it gets hot, but many have ventilation zippers. I once overheard someone at a gas station ask a buddy of mine if "all that gear gets hot?"... he said yes but it beats road rash.
When picking gear in particular avoid black/gray, this is the time to be as conspicuous as possible - I ride in yellows and reds. It won't guarantee a soccer mom in a Tahoe with her eyes on her iphone won't come over on you but it can't hurt.
Try this site for closout gear at good prices: www.motorcyclecloseouts.com
Lastly, I'll say the same thing I do to any other road rider regardless of experience: "Ride like everyone else on the road is trying to kill you, because they are whether they intend to or not"
I've been riding over 50 years since I was about 10 and learned in my grandfathers pasture on a small 100cc dirt bike. IMO that's the best way anyone can learn to ride, or drive for that matter. But that boat has sailed in your son's case.
Absolutely 1000% start with the MSF course - I'd go so far to say that if he doesn't make that the first step in this process, before even selecting a bike, then the deals off, hard.
Absolutely 1000% agree with a sub-liter bike, IMO a street legal dirt bike would be preferable but certainly not a crotch rocket. He can always trade up after he's got a lot of experience under his belt. Buy used, he will scratch it from losing his balance, forgetting to put the kickstand down, etc. and it'll sting less if the bike already has some "beauty marks".
don't EVER get on the bike without your armor - there's a saying in the motorcycle community "ATGATT" = All the Gear, All the Time. I'm a fan of top notch gear but decent gear is better than none and here again he can upgrade in pieces as he goes. I'm talking motorcycle-specific boots, pants/jacket with built in armor, helmet, and gloves. Yes it gets hot, but many have ventilation zippers. I once overheard someone at a gas station ask a buddy of mine if "all that gear gets hot?"... he said yes but it beats road rash.
When picking gear in particular avoid black/gray, this is the time to be as conspicuous as possible - I ride in yellows and reds. It won't guarantee a soccer mom in a Tahoe with her eyes on her iphone won't come over on you but it can't hurt.
Try this site for closout gear at good prices: www.motorcyclecloseouts.com
Lastly, I'll say the same thing I do to any other road rider regardless of experience: "Ride like everyone else on the road is trying to kill you, because they are whether they intend to or not"
This post was edited on 3/22/25 at 2:54 pm
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:25 am to The Torch
It's not if u wreck, it's when u wreck
Posted on 3/22/25 at 11:22 am to The Torch
Motorcycles would be great if there weren't so many distracted or just plain bad drivers out there.
Posted on 3/22/25 at 11:29 am to The Torch
I'm up in the air on this one. I got my first motorcycle at age 18 and still own one and saw age 72 happen last November, so 54 years of saddle time under my belt. When I got my first bike, it was a 350 Honda vertical twin and I was living on my own at the time, so no parental disapproval came into play. At least I didn't have to listen to it.
The main problem I see with motorcycles today is how damn fast they are compared to what I started out riding. It is not unheard of for a mid size bike of 600cc's to be able to hit 140+ mph and for many young riders, that is a temptation they can't resist.
The best advice I can give is to have your son register for a Motorcycle Safety Course where they spend a couple weekends learning how to ride a motorcycle safely. They learn how to use the clutch and shift since almost all bikes are standard transmissions, how to brake properly using the front brake a bit more than the rear brakes to initiate stops, how to control the bike in slow moving situations. how to counter steer to help avoid dangerous situations, etc.
The good thing about the course is there is usually a break in the insurance cost and most DMV's will not have them do a driver's test to get the endorsement on their driver's license.
The main problem I see with motorcycles today is how damn fast they are compared to what I started out riding. It is not unheard of for a mid size bike of 600cc's to be able to hit 140+ mph and for many young riders, that is a temptation they can't resist.
The best advice I can give is to have your son register for a Motorcycle Safety Course where they spend a couple weekends learning how to ride a motorcycle safely. They learn how to use the clutch and shift since almost all bikes are standard transmissions, how to brake properly using the front brake a bit more than the rear brakes to initiate stops, how to control the bike in slow moving situations. how to counter steer to help avoid dangerous situations, etc.
The good thing about the course is there is usually a break in the insurance cost and most DMV's will not have them do a driver's test to get the endorsement on their driver's license.
Posted on 3/22/25 at 11:37 am to The Torch
Probably better to have a heart to heart with him on why it scares you vs going hard line and cracking down.
I think in general, parents go a little overboard worrying about these types of things but in the case of motorcycles, I 100% agree. I've had 3 or 4 guys I grew up with die in motorcycle accidents and the majority wasn't their fault.
I think in general, parents go a little overboard worrying about these types of things but in the case of motorcycles, I 100% agree. I've had 3 or 4 guys I grew up with die in motorcycle accidents and the majority wasn't their fault.
Posted on 3/22/25 at 11:39 am to Lonnie Utah
quote:
Had a good friend die at 22 on a motorcycle.
Me too. He was a nice guy and the earth is lesser for not having this guy around, and seeing him grow with a family. Total bummer.
And we all think we can control the earth around us at 18 and don't realize that no matter how good you are at riding, there are plenty of idiots driving around you that will kill you in a heartbeat.
I had my "want a bike" phase years ago, before texting-and-driving was a thing. Now you have thousands of idiots updating their instagram and riding your bumper every day. I don't want a bike now.
Posted on 3/22/25 at 11:40 am to The Torch
Google traumatic brain injuries from motorcycle accidents.
Posted on 3/22/25 at 11:41 am to The Torch
dp
This post was edited on 3/22/25 at 11:42 am
Posted on 3/22/25 at 11:41 am to The Torch
quote:
My 18 yr Old wants a Motorcycle "BAD" !!
Not no but hell no.
Not a question of if but when.
Posted on 3/22/25 at 12:15 pm to The Torch
quote:
I rode dirt bikes all my youth but street bikes scare the crap out of me, especially an inexperienced kid driving one
Karen on her phone or Jamal street racing won’t run you over on a dirt track. Not always the guy on the bike you need to worry about
This post was edited on 3/22/25 at 2:00 pm
Posted on 3/22/25 at 12:17 pm to Bayou
quote:
Driving cars is a lot more dangerous than you think.
And riding a motorcycle is another order of magnitude more dangerous.
Posted on 3/22/25 at 12:23 pm to gumbo2176
quote:
The main problem I see with motorcycles today is how damn fast they are compared to what I started out riding.
I had a motorcycle when I was in college that I rode occasionally on the street and also some off road (it was a dirt/street).
I decided 4-5 years ago to get one again and came face to face with three harsh realities:
1. People do not pay attention worth a nut anymore while driving. They literally scroll Instagram and text while driving. Not to mention, the population of where I live now is roughly 2 1/2 times what it was when I was tooling around a small town on my bike 35 years ago.
2. My ability to react at 54 ain't nearly what it used to be at 20.
3. Exactly what you posted upthread. Bikes now not only have ridiculous top speeds, but it's difficult to accelerate at a reasonable speed. At least it was for me. There's so little dead play in the throttle, a tiny turn revs the engine way past what it used to back in the day.
1 + 2 +3 = I didn't keep that motorcycle long.
Posted on 3/22/25 at 12:25 pm to Bayou
quote:
You don't learn unless you do. Let him do. He's 18. Driving cars is a lot more dangerous than you think.
Agree. Airbags and seatbelts are a big lie
Posted on 3/22/25 at 12:26 pm to jrobic4
Motorcycle are bad but your example of 3 deaths in 20 years? I am sure more people have died taking a casual walk in the neighborhood in those 20 years
Posted on 3/22/25 at 12:27 pm to The Torch
There aren’t many 18 year olds I’d trust with a motorcycle. You know he’s going to drive that thing like a maniac
Posted on 3/22/25 at 12:28 pm to Lake08
quote:
Motorcycle are bad but your example of 3 deaths in 20 years? I am sure more people have died taking a casual walk in the neighborhood in those 20 years
Exactly. I bet 100% of his clients ride bikes and only a few have the ability to walk
Posted on 3/22/25 at 12:31 pm to The Torch
I used to ride a motorcycle until one day I seen another motorcycle rider get killed on the interstate after being hit by a reckless car driver. I gave up bike riding after seeing that happen ahead of me.
Posted on 3/22/25 at 12:39 pm to Harahan Boy
Ask him how many dates is he planning on going on with her on a bike? Or rain, wind or ice? He brought home $1800 last month? Does he realize that ain’t shite?
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