Should I let my (almost) 16 year old son get a bike?

[Bun-bun]

Having read the thread, I see that the majority seem to tend to the negative on this question.
I also see that many are not parents.
i am a parent, and my son is now 23. We live in a city, not huge, but big enough to kill a biker quick.
Here's my .02:
Have your son learn to drive a car first, and give him an old one, because he WILL bash it up some.
once he can drive that well, get him the bike he wants.
My son beat the crap out of his '87 T-bird for about 9 months, then got a Honda Shadow (and a full set of gear), and has been riding ever since. He's been hit once(totalled the bike, he walked away) and dropped it once in the last 6 years. For our area, that's not bad.
Look, you know your son. In the end, all you have to ask yourself is "do I trust him?" If the answer is yes, get him what he wants, if no, don't.


Either way, whatever you do, you're in for a lot of sleepless, worry filled nights.

Good luck.

[tobyseattle]

It doesn't matter how smart, or mature, or responsible you think your teenager is.  They are still teenagers.  Brain research shows that they think differently (as if the research was necessary), which includes poor assessment of risk and limited understanding and response to the long-term consequences of their decisions and actions.  Lots of really good kids do really stupid things, not because they are bad or stupid or sub-standard, but because they're kids.  Lots of great, smart, well-adjusted and responsible kids get in car accidents, even those who were allowed to drive in parking lots and dirt roads since childhood, and thankfully we have seat belts and air bags to keep them safe.  Even the best parents can't be there when they're riding.  Most accidents happen close to home, so creating limitations may not really change things.

Someone mentioned that your kid could be the next Casey Stoner, implying that this is justification for getting them the bike.  I would point to the movie "Faster" where Rossi, Biaggi, and other top pro racers were asked about riding on the street--they all said it was way too dangerous, saying that they only ride in a controlled environment of the track. 

Support your kids by setting some limits--that's our job as parents.  Start them in a car.  Let them appreciate the rules of the road, develop basic traffic skills, then assess their actual driving responsibility--a much better indicator than their GPA and clean lifestyle.  Then decide if you want them to get a bike or not.  If you think you're kid is MotoGP bound, train them to ride in a controlled environment, like the dirt or a track, not the city streets.

Just my 2 cents as a parent and an educator. 

[turbowagon]

If you want to help him fulfill his riding dream you need to go all the way. Buy him all protective gear, ride with him and teach him how to survive the street and send him to school to learn proper way to corner.
Otherwise you don’t need to buy him a bike as a transportation and don’t feel bad about it, riding is a hobby and he can always buy himself one when he gets older with his own money.

[sbrguy]

i still say get a track bike and let him flog it aroudn a track and race other people.  right now he is fearless so he will probalby be fast, also since he will probalby want to go fast on a motocycle you give him an environmnet where going fast is ENCOURAGED.

so if he wrecks there he won't be as hurt with any luck and with luck if he wrecks there he will realize that when he starts riding on the street that racing on the streets isn't the smartest thing to do.

track bike all the way, get him racing so that he can go 150-170mph legally on a track.  what 16 year old wouldnt want to go that fast.

[Manny]

It doesn't matter how smart, or mature, or responsible you think your teenager is.  They are still teenagers.  Brain research shows that they think differently (as if the research was necessary), which includes poor assessment of risk and limited understanding and response to the long-term consequences of their decisions and actions.  Lots of really good kids do really stupid things, not because they are bad or stupid or sub-standard, but because they're kids.  Lots of great, smart, well-adjusted and responsible kids get in car accidents, even those who were allowed to drive in parking lots and dirt roads since childhood, and thankfully we have seat belts and air bags to keep them safe.  Even the best parents can't be there when they're riding.  Most accidents happen close to home, so creating limitations may not really change things.

Someone mentioned that your kid could be the next Casey Stoner, implying that this is justification for getting them the bike.  I would point to the movie "Faster" where Rossi, Biaggi, and other top pro racers were asked about riding on the street--they all said it was way too dangerous, saying that they only ride in a controlled environment of the track. 

Support your kids by setting some limits--that's our job as parents.  Start them in a car.  Let them appreciate the rules of the road, develop basic traffic skills, then assess their actual driving responsibility--a much better indicator than their GPA and clean lifestyle.  Then decide if you want them to get a bike or not.  If you think you're kid is MotoGP bound, train them to ride in a controlled environment, like the dirt or a track, not the city streets.

Just my 2 cents as a parent and an educator. 

i still say get a track bike and let him flog it aroudn a track and race other people.  right now he is fearless so he will probalby be fast, also since he will probalby want to go fast on a motocycle you give him an environmnet where going fast is ENCOURAGED.

so if he wrecks there he won't be as hurt with any luck and with luck if he wrecks there he will realize that when he starts riding on the street that racing on the streets isn't the smartest thing to do.

track bike all the way, get him racing so that he can go 150-170mph legally on a track.  what 16 year old wouldnt want to go that fast.

The 2 best responses, IMHO. 

[NDSTRL620]

I would point to the movie "Faster" where Rossi, Biaggi, and other top pro racers were asked about riding on the street--they all said it was way too dangerous, saying that they only ride in a controlled environment of the track. 

I saw that movie recently and I think you have taken that comment out of context. That was said for two reason. One: those guys make  livelihood riding bikes and are less likely to take risks off the track. Hundreds of thousands and in some cases millions are at stake. Heck, even Snoop Dogg doesn't gang-bang, but he will rap about it. Professional athletes won't play miscellaneous sports for fear of  random injury. Two: the movie is meant to promote a race culture. Its obviously attempting to get more people out on the track.

Lets take a poll, how many of you on this forum ride on the street ?

[weemonster]

When i was 16 i wanted a bike. Told my parents who were fine with it . who told my grandparents who freaked.
My grandmother then bought me a car on condition that i didnt get a bike.  Unfortunately it was a grandmother style car  mayflower yellow with chocolate brown interior.
I eventually got a bike when i was 19.

Bribery worked on me

[akmnstr]

When I was a kid I worked and saved.  I got enough money to buy a bike.  I had my eye on a Suzy 250.  I asked my dad.  It must have been real hard for him, but he said, no.  Funny, when I turned 21 and wanted a bike, he loaned me the money to buy one.   

I say you let him get a 250 to ride with you, and he must take a riding class, and wear the gear.  No riding with friends or solo.  I thought of a few other things to demand in exchange for getting a bike: like must keep up his GPA, bat at least 300 on his baseball team, get a full scholarship to Stanford when he graduates, no sex until he graduates from college, no drinking until he is 21, and get accepted into a good medical school.  OK, a few of these might be too much, but I am serious about the riding with you only.   [moto]

[NWapex]

I am a parent.  In my case, I would not allow my son to have a street bike.  I bought him something to ride off road instead.  Now that he is an adult, he can make a decision on whether to ride a bike on the street.    In my mind, the combination of uncontrolled variables in the environment (every cage is out to get you), learning curve for driving on streets, learning curve for a bike, and teenage judgment, all made me decide to say "no." 

 I will admit that this is how I was parented as well (dirt bike with a car as a teenager).  I will also admit there were some crazy things I did in a car and that if I did some of those things on a bike, would have resulted in possible injury to myself or others.  And that was just with the ladies javascript:void(0);