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

[Popeye the Sailor]

Just pay some hot, slightly older college girl to tell him how *hot* she thinks bicycles are. It could work.

[eyeboy]

Hmmm...

 I'll speak from my experience, and take from it what you will.

I got my first street bike when I was 16. It was a CBR 600. My parent's didn't buy it for me, I got it through my own means. By that time, I had several years of dirt riding beneath me, and almost 2 full years of driving on my own.

I was valedictorian of my graduating class and was never into drugs.

That said, I was pretty stupid. The 600 was a terrible choice for a 1st bike, and I'm frankly surprised I have all my limbs still with me.

I am pretty much the only person in my family with any interest whatsoever in motorcycles. I know that if my dad had ridden, and he would have taken the time to teach me how to ride and how to do it properly, I would've avoided several "incidents". That is the way I was taught how to drive (when I was 12) and I have not had any accidents to this day on my car, and I am not a conservative driver.

If you dedicate the time to teach him how to ride properly, and do the schools with him and take him on rides, not only will you be able to teach your son how to be a conscientious rider, but you will also be able to "shape" his abilities the best way you see fit (as well as some pretty damn awesome bonding time).

What I would recommend is getting the bike, but keeping the keys. Only allow him to ride with you, on sunday rides and such, until which time you deem him ready for riding solo. This will not only allow you to watch his progress very closely, but it would be a good compromise (he gets what he wants, and you get what you want)

If he truly is the level headed kid that you say he is, things will be fine, Of course he will go down, eventually, but if you drill the importance of good gear into him, he's gonna be fine in case of a get down.

a huge +1 on the traffic violation thing.

Cheers,

M

wow, this sounds exactly what i *wished* i had written. Well said mister.

[knightrider]

i have to agree with msincredible, traffic in california can be crazy, no matter where you are in this wacky state. a couple years of driving a beater car around will learn him the ways of the road and give him a taste with a little protection.  i also agree with el matador about riding together.  i dont know the situation of who is funding the bike purchase, but maybe a deal where he pays for a car and later gets the bike for weekend rides.

[monsterduc]

Both of my kids ride, one is an enthusiast.  Both had been riding small dirt bikes around the yard since they were little, but no serious riding.  Oldest son got his drivers license late, and so far has just renewed his MC learners permit.

Second son got his drivers license the day he turned 16.  Within 2 weeks he got his MC learners permit with our blessing.  He did have many thousands of miles behind the wheel, we did some serious road trips.  We live in a rural setting so traffic volumes are fairly low and a good place to learn.

First year I let him ride my XT600.  He rode the wheels off it, and beginning of second season went down and rashed it up good.  He lost a few bucks worth of hide where gloves meet jacket sleeves etc.  The message is GOOD GEAR, WEAR IT.  Every Time.  After my wife didn't kill me, we started looking for another ride.  I set a horsepower limit of 60.  Lots of old Japanese cruisers etc out there but they are not cool.

We found a Yamaha SRX6 and fetched that home from down near Arkansas.  Cool looking bike, decent handling and only around 45 HP.  He fell of of that once but nothing too serious, and he had the gear on.  Most of it anyhow.  He received a world class a$$ chewing in front of the cop and paramedic for skimping on the gear on a hot day.

I went riding with him after a couple years on that and realized he was taking the bike to it's limit.  We talked about stepping up and agreed on a sub ~80 HP limit.  That's when the Monster bug bit.  He found a deal on CL, 95 M900 with less than 3k miles.  We bought it and he spent a summer riding it and working the bugs out of it.  Once it was running good I rode it and dang if I didn't need one too! I have a 96!

Besides rain at Road America there is one constant in motorcycling.  If you ride, you will fall down.  Accept it and prepare for it.  Wear the gear, good gear.  Start small, learn to ride, I mean really learn to ride.  Mine has fallen off the Monster a couple times, and I am sure he aint done yet.  One of his buddies picked up an old 650 twin Yamaha and they learned together.  So far so good.

Oh ya, the rules.

Motorcycle key was the first and most effective form of negative reinforcement for any transgression.
NO TICKETS
I defined his riding area, geographic limits
No crossing the 4 lane divided at an uncontrolled intersection etc
WEAR THE GEAR

He's 19 now and just finished great first year at college.

I also knew a guy bought his kid a 600 sport bike as a first ride for a rank novice.  That didn't work out so hot.


Did I mention good gear, wear it?  Every Time!

I am a proud new parent of nearly three month old girl.  I have thought about when she gets older and if she wants to ride and my thoughts are just about exactly what bigbore4 has said here.  Close parental involvement is key I think. 

[DoubleEagle]

I got a Honda 50 when I was 16 and rode w/ a couple of neighbor boys my age. We rode to the pool and around the area close to our homes. Never did we venture on the Highway until once an older guy from down the road on a Triumph 650 talked us into riding w/ him and we went further than we had ever gone .

In fact we road about 3 miles from home and got stopped by a Highway Patrolman because we didn't look old enough to be riding. We had to go to Juvenile Traffic court for some violation we were cited for and as a result I lost my riding privledges for some time.

I was ok until I got to be in my late teens and got a 650 BSA Spitfire and started riding with a group of older riders on the weekends when I'd come home from University. We drank beer and road and did crazy things that could have got us killed.

I lived in rural Ohio and I'm sure it was different especially in the mid to late 60s.

When Dad let me drive the car when I was 16 , I was worse than I was on the bike. Usually had 3 or 4 of us in the car and we just had to find mischief.

If you trust your boy , lay down the law and enforce it and let him have a small bike.

[El Matador]

wow, this sounds exactly what i *wished* i had written. Well said mister.

Thank you... Sometimes you learn from experience 

I only try to help people learn from my stupidity...

Another thing to take into account, is that if you do buy him the bike, you can control what type of bike he is riding and make sure he rides according to his ability.

If you refuse him the bike now, He is only gonna find a way to get it afterwards when he is in college, and by that time he will have the I am a big man, I don't have to listen to you syndrome, and the 250 is a terribly uncool bike to have in college.

I worked at a motorcycle store for a while, and you'd be surprised how many dumbasses (like me) showed up with an R6 or a CBR600 or a GSXR 750 for their first bike, Having absolutely no experience in riding...

Furthermore, having him in your house for the first several year of his riding will give him the obligation to do his riding safely (I can't be stupid bc my parents will take away the bike if anything happens) and create a much safer riding in him, than he would otherwise be without your supervision...

[Bigbore4]

I am a proud new parent of nearly three month old girl.  I have thought about when she gets older and if she wants to ride and my thoughts are just about exactly what bigbore4 has said here.  Close parental involvement is key I think. 

Start them young.  Even if not serious offroading, a small bike around a large (2 acre) yard is at least a start and skill builder.  Parental involvement is key too, good point.

Mine drove a cage for a full year on his permit.  Any time we went anywhere, he drove.  Including a camping trip to Yellowstone and The Rockies.  A good head, good gear, parental involvement and some level of experience should set them down the path.

I can't even equate our rural residential living in MN to southern CA.  That is a whole can of you-know-what that the board members from the region can offer up opinions on.

[mattyvas]

I've only just jumped back on a bike after being off for over 10 years.
Last time I was riding I was 20 or so and for the life of me I can't remember practicing any of the things I do now.
Buffering, reading traffic and trying to expect the unexpected.
I had ridden bicycles on the roads for years but that is a totally different kettle of fish, objects appear much slower.

If I had of kept riding for sure my skills would be far greater now but I am equally sure there'd be a crash or two under my belt.
Everyone crashes eventually, had 2-3 car crashes and if any of them were on two wheels I'd be in different condition today.
So I'd agree with MsIncredible is a cheaper car and dirt bike an option. That way your young fella can get around and you can still start to teach him about motorcycling.

cheers
Matty...

[fwtcc]

If I would have started riding any sooner than I did at 23, I would not be typing this message.  but everyone is different.  I, in particular, was a very bold youth.

[Mduc]

My son is now 2 and 7 months. I am going to start him early. I will order that battery Ducati from Sears for this summer and it should be good next summer as well. Once he outgrows this I will buy one of the little dirt bikes that he can rip up the yard with. I think starting early, close involvement and proper instruction is the key. I much rather go this root then one day when he turns 16, he will come up and says dad I want a bike.

I figure that if he can ride from such a small age he will have lots of experience and I will keep a close eye on his development once he hits the teens and will be able to go on the street.

In your case I guess I would get the bike but put restrictions on it. No riding alone unless I go. But when you do this, the bike will no longer be considered a mode of transportation so hope you can get some beater car he can drive to school and back.

If you do decide to go with it, just keep a close eye and ve involved.

[ptooey]

My son is now 2 and 7 months. I am going to start him early. I will order that battery Ducati from Sears for this summer and it should be good next summer as well. Once he outgrows this I will buy one of the little dirt bikes that he can rip up the yard with. I think starting early, close involvement and proper instruction is the key. I much rather go this root then one day when he turns 16, he will come up and says dad I want a bike.

I figure that if he can ride from such a small age he will have lots of experience and I will keep a close eye on his development once he hits the teens and will be able to go on the street.

And you never know, he might end up becoming the next Casey Stoner... 

The other advantage to starting 'em early is when they do end up hitting the teens, they might be all ridden out, as in they'd be more level headed with riding and less throttle-heavy.

[desmopr]

Good thread guys.....I'm 34 and have a 6 year old kid.  My passion for machines started early on my teen years.  Cars for the big part.  My father was never a car/bike nut like I was.  I got a brand new 1990 Civic Si at 16 that to this date I don't know how I did not get killed or killed somebody else on that car.  I was a very irresponsible teen.  I am not proud of that. Speed was ALWAYS involved, and alcohol too occasionally.  When I finally had the money to buy a street bike, my mom told me that if I bought it I had to get out of the house and live on my own.  Being the brat I was, I did not and I truly believe that if I had bought the bike I would not be here now.  I just bought my son a Razor Pocket Rocket which he rides only with my constant supervision with gear.  I want him to learn the basics and progress in a way that I will buy him a dirt bike next Spring.  I will be involved constantly in this until his old enough to ride in the street with me.  Then again, I think he will be more responsible than I was on my teens.  Good luck with your decision.  I think your involvement is the key.

[duqette]

I am a parent of a 10 year old son. I tell him boys under 30 don't ride motorcycles. 

You might find this article from the NYT interesting;

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/18/health/18brod.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Teenage+Risks%2C+and+How+to+Avoid+Them&st=nyt&oref=slogin

Read the accompanying letters as well, about how the brain develops.

In a nutshell, teens do not have the brain capacity/development or life experience to judge risk accurately. If you do decide to let him get a bike, don't let him ride in situations where mis-judging risk could maim or kill him.

[IowaS4r]

I was riding mopeds at 14 on highways.  Rode the tires off it.  Only crashed once, and taught me a huge lesson.  I got my first streetbike and rode it like a moron, but then again I am almost 40 and still ride like a moron at times.  Evidence, severley sprained wrist from pulling wheelies on my new dirtbike in front of my kids.  Oooh, that one hurt.  You know, maybe an enduro 250 would be a good choice for him.  Kawasaki makes a KLX250 that has about as much power as a lawnmower and would fit his size.  He could use it for on and off road.  I would trust my teenager with that bike. 

Depending upon his riding experience and crash levels, a faster bike would be ok if he knows how much crashing hurts.  Also, if your drove with him on a low traffic road for a week or two that would be good time for instruction and guaging his levels.  A video of the squids doing stunts would be good, too.  Skip the video and go to the outtakes where they show the brand new bikes exploding into pieces, the 911 calls to the dolts who tried to stand on the seats while going down an interstate ( wow, was that guy lucky to live).  Show him the positives of responsible riding and the negatives of irresponsible riding.  Also, if he takes care of his stuff he is less likely to mistreat it.

You could play it safe and not let him ride until he gets older, but I am of the opinion that if you grow up around something, know how to treat it responsibly, and respect it, you are far more likely to have positive results as you get older.  I know guys in their 30's, 40's, 50's who get Hardleys as their first bike and absolutely have no idea whatsoever of proper riding.  Then when they get in an accident, they blame the motorcycle.  I dont know, I think it is foolish to try to keep kids away from doing something because they may get hurt.  Of course that does not mean I let them run loose like idiots, but supervised experiences, good or bad, are lifelong learning experiences. 

[rose351]

I started riding around 9 or 10 in the dirt on a 1984 Honda XR 80.  Dad rode with me on an XR 100 two years newer.  I had a freaking blast.  Had a few get offs on the trail and in the yard, but i quickly learned what improper braking or throttle technique would do to you.  I got bigger/faster bikes as I got older, and eventually we moved into having four wheelers.  I raced motocross through high school and into college, but had to get out of riding because of time issues.  I also know how much crashing hurts though too.  Even when fully geared up in motocross gear and not going that fast in the dirt.  The majority of my riding has been on the dirt, but I have ridden on the street a little when friends let me borrow a bike for a few hours to go riding with them. 

I've wanted a street bike since I was 16, and dad told me no.  But not because I was a bad rider... he knew I wasnt because he trained me.  He was more worried about the other idiots out there in cars that dont pay attention enough to other cars let alone other people out there on motorcycles.  He still doesnt know that I'll be getting a bike in two or three weeks, but I plan on being totally geared up and show up at the house when I decide to let him and mom know.  I also plan on being ATGATT, even when its hot outside or just a quick run to the store. 

If I had started riding at 16 on the street, I dunno what I would be now.  I'm only 24 now, and I personally feel must more responsible and like someone else said, I can read traffic much better and have a better understanding what the idiots are gonna do in the cages.  I totally agree that riding together on the street would be a great learning tool for him, but also it would keep him safe and help to teach him what to do and what not to do. 

Its a tough decision that I'm sure I'll have to go through with my kids one day... so good luck to you.  You have a lot of good ideas here, so let us know what you decide.  And if he gets a bike, WE NEED PICS!