re: My 18 yr Old wants a Motorcycle "BAD" !!

As a rider myself, take him on a journey on youtube and show him the dangers of what other people do and show him motorcycle crashes. Tell him to always ride his OWN ride, do not try to keep up with his friends that he makes, and definitely do not try to be the speed demon on the road. If he wants that adrenaline get a full leather suit, and go on track days, and save that speed stuff for the track only. It's not what he does if he rides responsibly, it's everyone else. Crashing compilations can help show him that, and at a young age he will definitely want to speed, offering track and other forms of speeding instead of the roads is a good outlet. Also, remind him to ALWAYS dress for the crash, because it's not a matter of IF, but when. What price does he value his skin or god forbid a limb or worse.

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Make him watch this... LINK

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This is the correct answer.

You’re betting on other drivers driving safely, as much as you are betting on your own driving skills. I don’t care how comfortable I am with my skills, I have no faith in other people’s ability to follow traffic laws and to pay attention.

You should introduce him to skydiving for a different adrenaline rush, lol. It’s safer.

Everytime you’re driving together, constantly point out anytime an idiot is on their phone while driving. Let him know that each one of those idiots could easily kill him.

Read (and have him read) the Hurt Report. I started riding about 15 years ago, and this report was hugely helpful for me in understanding the real risks (vs all the bullshite people will tell you). One fact is your son will have an accident if he rides for very long. Full stop. 100%. The part they don’t tell you is not all accidents are the same. I had mine; a low side at about 30 miles an hour about a month after I started riding. I had good gear, though. Only destroyed a boot and messed up my ankle for a few days.

Get training, get training, get training , get training. Did I say get training? Before he gets a bike, even. Start with the MSF class and find other classes in your area. Pay for them for him if necessary.

Practice emergency maneuvers in a parking lot. Emergency breaking, swerving, etc. find drills and rep them every week.

Will he do all that? Probably not. But one of the best thing so was told when I started riding was everyone starts out with two pots. One is your luck and one is your skill. The luck pot starts as full as it’s going to get and varies for everyone. The skill pot starts empty. The challenge is to fill the skill pot before the luck pot runs out, and you don’t know how much is in the pot.

Hurt Report Summary

Full Hurt Report

Advice for a motorcycling noob

Tell him not to do this.

crazy motorcycle ride

If he will be driving in heavy traffic area's i would never approve of a motorcycle. A normal fender bender between two cars could be a lot worse between car and motorcycle.

I rode a Honda 750 in high school and college. Lucky to be alive. People look right at you and pull or turn in front of you. I wouldn’t ride on the street now for anything.

A college friend died when a car turned left in front of him. A guy who rode by my house died about 1/4 mile later when a truck pulled in front of him. A local DA was on an early morning ride tooling along when a deer ran into him. Last time I saw him, years after the wreck, he was on a e-scooter.

Podcaster Marc Maron said his dad was an orthopedic surgeon. He made Marc go to the hospital to see his motorcycle patients, which cured him of wanting a bike.

Have a sit down, tell him as long as he is living under your roof you will not allow him to have one. When he is out on his own earning a living he can do whatever he wants, but you ask that he does not get one. Then explain why.

Tell him what my pops used to tell me when I was out and about "its not you I don't trust, its other people I don't trust".

Show him the stats, how him videos of how dangerous they can be. And then when he gets on his own he can make his own decision.