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Kid wants a street bike

11K views 105 replies 61 participants last post by  K5cpt 
#1 ·
Kid has a dirt bike, mom and dad are both on street bikes, kid just turned 15.

I've purchased and 100% funded the dirt bike

In Texas, you can get a permit to ride at the age of 15 with certain restrctions, not at night, cc restrictions etc.

Anyway

She found a motorcycle that she is drooling over, and she has the money for it, she has been saving since she was 7 years old, an older ninja 250.

I've agreed to go look at it, but I'm still hesitant on going down this road. I've put down additional "restrictions" that she said ok to and I'm still iffy

1. can only ride with mom or dad on a country ride, no city riding (DFW)
2. you must assume all of your own expenses such as insurance, oil, tires, etc
3. owning a motorcycle or not, your primary mode of transport is car (city)
4. I don't care if you bought it with your money, under my roof, my rule is rule and the machine can be removed/sold regardless (punishment)
5. pay for your own track days
6. if you get a speeding ticket you lose the bike and you must pay the ticket, 1 shot only no retries.

My biggest fear, cars, riding a street bike is the single most dangerous thing I've ever done in my entire life, and I've done some serious shit in my day, traditional and sport rock climbing, active cave diver etc.

I'm scared to death of her being out with retards on the street, but with my restrictions agreed upon I have little rational justification to say no.

I've burned through hobbies with her to get her to "latch" onto a passion, sports, scuba, music, you name it nothing "sticks". Motorcycles stuck with a flaming passion so I do not want to discourage it, there are worse things she could get into.

I need an outside opinion, would I be ding-bit-shit loony for allowing her to do this?
 
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#6 ·
I'm thinking car vs motorcycle, I've been teaching her how to drive a jetta diesel manual tran for a while now, when she starts to drive that will be her car.

She can do "track work" and get free track days, also part of the reason she has to agree to take on all of the expenses is to learn the true cost of owning something, just because you bought it doesn't mean your done.

Now, with that said there is no rule that mom and dad can't buy things for birthdays and christmas and such, but you gotta make them sweat it out a little otherwise nothing gets learned.

i think you are going about it just fine. its going to be difficult to enforce it because kids can be unpredictable. i think she will have her head on right for this so i wouldnt stress too hard.
Thinking about the shit that I got into as a teenager is part of my hesitation, she is a good kid, straight A's head on straight but at the end of the day, a teenager is a teenager. If I had a motorcycle as a teen I'd be dead, no doubt in my mind, but that's me, I was an extra wild variety.

Thats why I also said, for now, rides with mom and dad only so I can supervise, when she decides to pull a stupid teenager move when she is out of sight, I'd rather have her do that in a cage.

When she gets older with more freedoms, I'll just have to cross that bridge when I come to it. This wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't so damn bad as a teenager, I know what they can get into, cause I was doing it and more, hehe
 
#5 ·
i think you are going about it just fine. its going to be difficult to enforce it because kids can be unpredictable. i think she will have her head on right for this so i wouldnt stress too hard.
 
#8 ·
#1 is probably the best rule you put up there. That way you get to observe her, less traffic, and most likely she wont be fooling around on the bike.
 
#10 ·
Sounds like a good set of rules you have. Thats about what my parents and I agreed to so that I could get a bike. Definitly glad they didnt just let me go where ever, when ever on whatever(i wanted a 600) I honestly think I would have gotten in to much trouble if they hadnt put the foot down, even tho I hated it at the time.

Good luck on the search:cheers
 
#12 ·
Sounds like your doing it the right way :)

Best thing for her is having you there. My Father taught me heaps. The only other experience I had was pillioning. Hopped on a 150 2 smoker at 15 and then a 250 3 years later. Now on a 750 at 6 years and still going strong and learning heaps :thumbup
 
#13 ·
I'll be the voice of dissent. I wouldn't let my kid ride at 15. Not without experience in a car first so they can practice obeying traffic laws AND seeing what stupid shit other drivers can do. Maybe trackdays first so she can get some seat time.

The last thing you'd want is for her to be in an emergency evasive situation (can happen anywhere, even a country road) and not have the skills to maneuver the bike.
 
#14 ·
Agree, I've already told her she will "learn" to drive with the traffic laws and such in a car first, we've already been working on that.

The motorcycle would be in the parking lot for now

When I see how she handles a car, then we can talk about the bike on the streets, but it doesn't mean she can't start parking lot bike stuff now.
 
#15 ·
sounds like a good bunch of rules..
and from your statements, it sounds like she is going to be a "rider" no matter what you say, just a matter of time. If ya dont let her have the skoot now, she will have one later in life.. best to do the teaching while they are young and just hope the instructions will be learned and stay with her..
I kno its every parents worst night-mare watching their "spawn" ride into the wild blue yonder aboard a skoot, but there isnt a lot we can do about it, teach um well and wish them luck..
 
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#16 ·
You're definitely going about it the right way.

While certainly very dangerous, it's clearly something that she's passionate about. And since you're taking the right precautions, it could even turn out to be something that brings you and her closer together.

Good luck :thumbup
 
#17 ·
<it doesn't mean she can't start parking lot bike stuff now. >
Please supervise 1st times !
We dont want to hear another story like the boy last year who was very responsible, did all the things dad asked, super kid, dad did as promised and got his kid 1st bike at 16 and did his first riding in a parking lot unsupervised ,
and died in that parking lot that day when he put the bike thru a wall.
Normally I would not print this, but I have a 15 yr also and going thru same almost but she has no interest in the bikes right now.
I am trying to take her to desert and train driving with quad.
When she can correctly ride with us using a clutch and brakes in the rough, I see her making the right decisions for terain with clutch , throttle, brakes, gears, I will start to consider street and the car.

good luck, be vigilant, stay frosty
show the love !
 
#18 ·
One thing to notice is that she really seems like a proper rider and has a genuine interest in it. That should also means she will take it very seriously, to the point of being critical on everything she does, doing her best to learn everything about it. Even more so having you there with her. I know it was the same for me, didnt want to piss off or do something stupid with my Father there.

Much better than the guys who get 750's and squid around coz it looks cool to their mates...
 
#25 ·
Under a certain age there is the helmet law, I don't even let them on pedal bikes without a helmet, no squids in this house.

While i do applaud your effort for laying down ground rules my only question is are you going to be there to hold her hand forever? Are you going to be supervising her 24/7/365? Chances are you're not. I'm assuming this is your own child or younger sister.

Rule#1. Instead of restricting her to riding only in the countryside , why don't you ride with her in the city to to show her the proper way to conduct yourself on a bike when riding. The simple fact of the matter is you won't be there by her all the time and restricting her to one section is only going to promote curiosity in her to explore.

Rule#2. Amen to that.

Rule#3. I completely agree with her bike not being a primary mode of transportation.

Rule#4. That sounds a tad overbearing to be honest. Look at it this way. If you bought something with your own money that you saved up for because you had nothing but pure desire for it and your mom or dad saw that you did something bad, took it, and sold it without your permission; i would imagine you would be pretty pissed. By you selling it from her grasp isn't showing her how to be responsible and that is the whole point you are trying to make.

Rule#5. No complaints over here. 100% agree.

Rule#6. You would really take her bike away if she got one speeding ticket? If anything i would make her pay the ticket and take away the key to her bike for a set period of time. That would show her to be more responsible and more cautious since she's a new rider.

At the end of the day, by you making a contract of rules isn't necessarily going to make her safe. Lets be honest here, anything associated with a motor has risk. Yes when driving your car you are still at risk from someone hitting you. The same holds true for when you're on a bike. The only difference is you don't have 2 tons of metal protecting you from the impact.

The only way she is going to be a safe rider is if you show her how to be safe on the bike. Simple and plain. You could have a whole book of rules that she must follow to avoid discipline but in reality what have you done to make her a safer rider?
For #1 that will come with time, DFW traffic is no place for a beginner, I'm not saying never, but its not the place for a beginner to be, people around here are extra stupid behind the wheel, I think its the sun, cooks their brains.

#4 wouldn't be done lightly, it's to make sure that it is understood that she is indeed still a minor, and would only be executed in an extreme case, I have no wish to stop the growth of interest but I will do say for safety's sake if it comes down to it, she can hate me if it means her making it through her teens alive, I'm ok with that.

#6 yes, I would take it away, but not forever, unless it was becoming a problem, aka you got 6 tickets in 4 months doing 25 over, its going up for sale kind of thing. I expect tickets, this is texas, but there is a difference between oops and being a repeat offender. For me to put the bike up for sale if she got busted for a 10 over would be very much hypocritical of me.

If I were you and she got hurt, I would not be able to live with myself.

Same reason I never allow passengers.

People get hurt/die on and off public roads. So off street riding is NOT an excuse.


Don't do it.
Yep, if she gets hurt or worse I'm gonna have a very hard time with it, but this is not something I'm forcing, or even encouraging.

I remember being young, being told what I couldn't do, and doing it anyway in a very dangerous way. At some point I'm gonna have to let go entirely but after reading these posts and thinking about it, I'd rather do this now when I do have some degree of control so that I can at least guide the outcome.

I can say don't drink but that isn't very effective, most teens do some drinking at some point thats just an ugly fact. My approach is don't do it, here is why, but if your going to be stupid here is what you need to know, and here is the price you could end up paying for being stupid. And they pray she does the right thing, or at a minimum tries to do so in a safer manor, espeically since she is a girl and all us "boys" love girls that set their drinks down, right? I don't want to see her shit over in the red R :p

I'm going to go the side of eduction and support this, because in 3 years I can't stop it anyway.

Shit is makin me old
 
#22 ·
You are doing It the right way, it sounds daft but I have trust in your own hesitation.

You will make sure that child is a safer rider than you are.
 
#23 ·
If I were you and she got hurt, I would not be able to live with myself.

Same reason I never allow passengers.

People get hurt/die on and off public roads. So off street riding is NOT an excuse.


Don't do it.
 
#24 ·
While i do applaud your effort for laying down ground rules my only question is are you going to be there to hold her hand forever? Are you going to be supervising her 24/7/365? Chances are you're not. I'm assuming this is your own child or younger sister.

Rule#1. Instead of restricting her to riding only in the countryside , why don't you ride with her in the city to to show her the proper way to conduct yourself on a bike when riding. The simple fact of the matter is you won't be there by her all the time and restricting her to one section is only going to promote curiosity in her to explore.

Rule#2. Amen to that.

Rule#3. I completely agree with her bike not being a primary mode of transportation.

Rule#4. That sounds a tad overbearing to be honest. Look at it this way. If you bought something with your own money that you saved up for because you had nothing but pure desire for it and your mom or dad saw that you did something bad, took it, and sold it without your permission; i would imagine you would be pretty pissed. By you selling it from her grasp isn't showing her how to be responsible and that is the whole point you are trying to make.

Rule#5. No complaints over here. 100% agree.

Rule#6. You would really take her bike away if she got one speeding ticket? If anything i would make her pay the ticket and take away the key to her bike for a set period of time. That would show her to be more responsible and more cautious since she's a new rider.

At the end of the day, by you making a contract of rules isn't necessarily going to make her safe. Lets be honest here, anything associated with a motor has risk. Yes when driving your car you are still at risk from someone hitting you. The same holds true for when you're on a bike. The only difference is you don't have 2 tons of metal protecting you from the impact.

The only way she is going to be a safe rider is if you show her how to be safe on the bike. Simple and plain. You could have a whole book of rules that she must follow to avoid discipline but in reality what have you done to make her a safer rider?
 
#26 ·
I wish my dad did this with me when I was younger.

He sadly quit riding when I was born (after riding myself I don't know how he managed it). He never rode again till I got my own bike which he took out for a spin. I wish he would have kept going so I could have gotten interested in it at a younger age. Would have made me a better rider.

I applaud you for doing this. Just make sure she has the gear, because she will go down eventually, even if you are there. Can't avoid all the idiots on the road sadly.
 
#29 ·
It depends on the kid as much as the parent. Some kids are natural. Most aren't.

Being the current driving instructor of my 16 yr old angel, in my case, I would not allow it (see first sentence).

If your daughter reliably demonstrates the aptitudes required to put your mind at ease.....

We all want to see our kids fly but we have to deal with their mistakes/consequences.

'tis a pickle, no doubt. Good luck
 
#30 ·
Sounds reasonable overall and I completely agree with the city restrictions and the chosen bike. I was commenting to myself just today about how downtown feels like a war zone.

Go easy on her if she gets a speeding ticket for going 1-10 mph over, but higher than that... When I was younger the 20-something officers used to pull me over and ticket me for nothing, so I have some sympathy for new drivers and minor infractions. Here in NH, however, ANY speeding ticket will lead to a suspension of privileges for new licensees.
 
#32 ·
I say let her get it and have fun. Life is short and you have a great way to bond with your kid. I mean She could choke on something and die before something happened on the bike, you just never know what is in store in life.

I am 29 years old and have been heathy damn near my whole life. But one day, about 2 years ago I had my aorta tear from my pelvis all the way to my heart, it stopped tearing about 5mm from my heart and would of killed me right there if it did not stop tearing.. the doctors say it all happened for no reason at all and I went from heathy, to a very servere life threating issue and it is now restriction the length and the way I can live my life.

Now I think of things a little differently, I do not want to regret something from now on. That doesnt mean I want to go do crazy things. but I just don't want to wish I did something another way or turn down an opertunity that I would regret.

When I was 15 I wish my dad would of helped me out riding and been there to go on rides with me. Hell, I wish my dad and I would go on more rides together now, but since I have a sport bike and he rides a Harley it seems he is embarressed to ride with me even though there may not be many rides left for either of us with him getting too old to hold up the bike with his bad knees and me not knowing when my situation may become worse...

Bottom line is that you have a chance to do something that YOU BOTH enjoy and seem to be doing it in a safe (as can be) maner.. If you tell her the only way she can ride the bike is with you and her mom, I see no reason to not make this happen. I think if you do not do it you may regret that decision in the near future..

If she gets the bike and it seems like it is not working out, sell the bike and move on. I think you should give it a shot first and go from there. I don't think a ninja 250 is going to be too much at all. Hell, maybe go and get a restrition kit and limit the MPH the bike will do too. if that will ease your mind.

tell her the insurance company requires a chip installed on the bike that records top speeds and will terminate the policy if she goes over 80MPH and you will sell tha bike??? a little lie wouldn't hurt anything here, not letting her ride with you would hurt at some point.



Yea that was a little more then I planned on writing... lol..
 
#34 ·
ugh...Ive got a 14 year old boy who wants a "moped" which I guess is just pretty much a 'shooter' these days

and I see those silly things running all over town, and hate them...of course the 'operators'(don't even want to call them 'riders') are a total mess, no shoes, pants, shirts, maybe just swimming trunks and a baseball hat on backwards
....I get really nervous that one of those will try to share a lane with me and cash us out

I'm sure even tho he is a great/smart kid he would be just as careless on a shooter, smashing into a car that turns in front of you on a shooter going 40mph isnt going to kill him any less fast?...so I started talking to him about getting a motorcycle instead, full riding ware, and classes...

but I just dont know :twitch
 
#35 ·
I saw this thread and it really hit home with me. 12 years ago I was the son of my father who was thinking the exact things you are. He knew that i bleed motorcycles as that is how we lived, a Harley for cruising the street and two dirt bikes for the weekend. When I turned 15 i told my father I wanted to get a used sport bike for my first true street ride. You and he have the same rules, and by encouraging me and developing my interest and skill level, I am still here at 27, still riding, and still ticket free. My best memories from high school and my early twenties include winding roads, small diners, and all the places in between my city and the places on the east coast we traveled. Along the road i learned responsibility, control, freedom, and would not be the man I am today without my fathers guidance and better judgement. Most of those questions about life and love happened over coffee or hiding from pounding rain below and overpass. This year my father had a full hip replacement and his Harley days are about over,(he might get a can-am but he hates the look), so my memories with my father, all the pictures, and fun times might be the end of our riding history together, but they mean the most to me more than anything else I accomplished during those years. You are not crazy you are a great Dad. One thing I would suggest is get a dang go pro camera! I have very few on the bike shots of me and my dad that are action shots as only when he was double up could we get em.
 
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