Just want to point out that this “non-performance” bike is the bike I used to illustrate that the smallest of bikes have the 0-60 performance of a sports car.
Johnny LA’s experience growing up on dirt bikes is probably the best way to learn how to safely ride a bike. That alone would make me more inclined to allow a bike as a 2nd vehicle. But since the 1970’s the density of traffic has changed the dynamics of how I feel about motorcycles. I don’t feel they’re safe on the highway at all. Traffic is just too dense.
So the question remains. Do you want your child’s first accident to be in a car or on a bike? Statistically, there’s a good chance you’re getting the phone call. The difference is the person making the call.
I disagree. I think you’re safer on a crowded freeway than on a crowded street. No cross-traffic, for one thing.
It helps if you can split lanes (which I think is only legal in California). A motorcyclist splitting lanes is less likely to be hit from behind than one who isn’t.
FWIW I have over 100,000 miles on a motorcycle on L.A. freeways.
We have lots of divided highways with cross-traffic in the Midwest. We also have the newcheese-cutter barriers that are being used when extra lanes are added and the divided space is reduced. It’s not that the barrier itself is any worse than any other barrier after a body hits it at 65 mph. But they exist where no barrier existed before.
It’s hard to argue against 100,000 miles of LA freeway riding. It’s impressive. But I get in this argument all the time regarding safety and probability. What is most important, when discussing safety, is the cost of failure. Minor collisions involving motorcycles are more likely to involve serious injury or death than an automobile. If a child wrecks the family car you ground him. If he a child wrecks a motorcycle you are more likely to bury him.
If he’s old enough to earn his own money at his own job, I don’t believe they can really tell him what to do with it (unless he owes monetary debts to them, anyway).
I probably worded my post poorly, but the main focus is education. Educate, and let him decide. Make sure he knows the risks, and if he decides they’re not worth it, that’s great. If he decides they are, well, other than kicking him out of the house, there’s not much you can do, is there?
Granted, I’m not a parent, so take that for whatever it’s worth.
I disagree with this. I would classify three types of accidents, a crash, a high side (when the back wheel skids out, then regains traction, causing the rider to be launched over the “high” side of the bike), and a low side (laying it down).
However, I will agree that this:
Is the one of the most ridiculously false misconceptions about riding a bike. You will -always- stop faster when you keep the shiny side up, as the coefficient of friction between rubber and asphalt is much higher than metal on asphalt.
When I was in high school I was first struck by a similar motorcycle lust. I found a motorcycle training course that provided bikes - all you had to provide was the appropriate DMV permit and I think you could even rent safety gear. Maybe if your son tried that out first, before taking the plunge, it would help?
For what it’s worth, when I raised the issue with my parents, they quite firmly said that so long as I lived under their house, I would not be getting anywhere near a motorcycle. They have no idea about the two times I’ve ridden as a passenger on a bike. They also don’t know that as soon as it’s financially feasible (hopefully a few months after I graduate), I fully plan on purchasing a bike of my own. Their absolute refusal to see it as a deathtrap simply means that when I get one, I won’t tell them about it.
I started riding dirt bikes when I was 12 years old. My first bike was a '79 Honda XL80. I got into more trouble with that bike than any I’ve had since. Why? Because I was totally inexperienced. I crashed, jumped, skidded out and endo’d that bike constantly and I have the scars to prove it. But I learned how a bike handles. Since then, I’ve had a 100cc 4 stroke, a 250cc 4 stroke and now have a 250cc 2 stroke. I still “lay it down” from time to time (I disagree with the above poster about not ‘laying it down’, if I can jump off away from that tree and let the bike crash, I’m gonna do it) but I have not been nearly as terrified when I get in trouble as I was when I had that 80cc crap performing XL80. Even driving cars on dirt roads or icy roads, the skills learned about how vehicles behave on slick surfaces from motorcycling have improved my driving abilities tremendously. My own personal suggestion would be to suggest to him to get an (underperforming) dirt bike to see if he likes it first. You can probably get 125cc late 80’s dirt bike for less than $1000 and one of those will teach him everything you need to know as long as you’re not being an asshole on them. (I have ridden street bikes a couple of times, dirt bikes are about 1000x more fun)
Update, since this thread’s resurfaced. The Boy decided against buying the bike (actually, what happened was he went to the shop with my stepfather to look at it, and stepfather became enamored and offered to trade the shop his broken Harley for it straight-up, and they agreed).
Now maybe I’ll have a brief respite before he comes up with his next hare-brained scheme.
He might not be able to afford this, but if he wants a fun vehicle that’s safer for someone his age, maybe he should consider getting a 4x4 such as a Jeep Wrangler or CJ - fun for a young driver, and a major chick magnet.
I was with his 13 year old sister when she first laid eyes on the coffin. I’m sure you can imagine her response. Screw objective.
There’s also the two young men I saw brought into the intensive care unit during the two weeks I spent visiting my brother there. They both died. My brother was the only car accident. He’s fine now.