Would you let your kid ride a MOTORCYCLE ???

DirtBikeMomma · Oct 20, 2004

:biggringi DEFINITELY let your children ride, but only under supervision and with proper safety equipment (helmets, riding boots, pants, shirts, gloves) and safety training.

My husband was racing dirtbikes when I met him...when we decided to marry, I *knew* that my kids would grow up on dirtbikes, and they have indeed. My son wanted one badly but we told him he had to learn how to ride a bicycle first...so at age four, he taught *himself* in TWO WEEKS how to ride one...and we rewarded him with a dirtbike at age 5. He has been racing ever since (he is now 9.5).

My daughter started racing on 4-wheelers but has since switched to dirtbikes. She is 11.

We race with several groups in PA (www.ECEA.org mainly but www.WNYOA.com is another good group) which have races specifically for elementary aged children.

In all of our years of racing, I have seen only two "bad" injuries -- one is because the parent was irresponsible and had only sneakers on their son -- he caught his foot on a tree root and twisted his ankle. :uhoh3: The other, a girl crashed into a tree and broke her arm -- freak accident. My own children ride every weekend either at a race or at our cabin, have been riding for nearly 5 years now, and have never suffered more than scratches when they disobeyed and did not wear their riding pants.

PROPER EQUIPMENT, PROPER CLOTHING, PROPER ATTITUDE are a must for safe and fun riding. These are things that PARENTS are responsible for teaching/using. At the hospital where I have clinical, they have more ATV/dirtbike trauma victims than any other hospital in the country, and 75% of the victims were not wearing helmets let alone other proper safety equipment. Most accidents involved alcohol. So it's up to parents to teach the right way, the safe way to ride. We always tell our kids, you will not have fun if you are not riding safely.

We do not tolerate showing off, ever. Every once in a while, my son will fool around on his bike, and we immediately make him stop, get off, and park it.

Riding is definitely fun!!! Races are family events and the parents involved are FAR nicer than any we have met through Little League and other kid sporting leagues.

Quite frankly, I wish more kids rode dirtbikes. When kids are out riding, they aren't bored and getting into trouble. And if you have good parents involved, the life lessons are numerous and the bonding is wonderful! :)

DirtBikeMomma · Oct 20, 2004

Reading through the threads, I noticed that people seem to use motorcycle to mean both dirt and street bikes. They are very different critters.

Children are allowed to ride dirtbikes as young as 4 years old (some even come with training wheels). However, to get a street bike, you have to be at least 16 and have a motorcycle safety course.

I am all for dirtbikes but have already told my children they cannot own one while living under my roof. After they're on their own and self-supporting...well, they can buy whatever they want! :rotfl:

picuman, BSN, RN · Oct 20, 2004

HI,
im wondering if you would let your kid get a motorcycle if they wanted.
my grandfather was a physician and would not let my mother or her sisters ride motorcycles.
so Im wondering if this had to do with the number of motorcycle related deaths/carnage he had seen. Do you see many motorcycle related accident victims?
thanks

CONSIDERING ALL THE PATIENTS WE SEE AFTER AN ACCIDENT WITH A MOTORCYCLE I WOULD NEVER LET MY SON OR DAUGHTER RIDE ONE.

General E. Speaking, RN, RN · Oct 20, 2004

HI,
im wondering if you would let your kid get a motorcycle if they wanted.
my grandfather was a physician and would not let my mother or her sisters ride motorcycles.
so Im wondering if this had to do with the number of motorcycle related deaths/carnage he had seen. Do you see many motorcycle related accident victims?
thanks

would i let my kid get a "donorcycle"? no way

butterflylvn · Oct 20, 2004

NO WAY!!!! My oldest son is almost 21 and I tell him constantly that I don't care how old he is, he's not getting a street bike!!! He grew up riding dirt bikes, which I totally supported. I still don't mind dirt bikes so much, but, too many people get killed riding motorcycles on the street. I work on a busy surgical floor that handles all of the minor traumas and is a step down to the trauma neuro unit and let me tell you, it is seldom that we don't have at least 3 or 4 pts from MCA's.

rebeccalizzie · Oct 20, 2004

Nope. DH is a cop, I used to be a 911 operator. DH *had* a bike...until he became a cop and found out that at least 95% of the motorcycle-involved wrecks are *not* the cyclist's fault--but the cyclist is quite often very seriously injured or dead. *Much* more often than car vs car wrecks. People in cars don't always see you and merge right into you. Helmets seem to make almost no difference, since most of the deaths are caused by being ripped apart, run over, severe internal injuries, or head injuries so bad that the helmet doesn't make a difference. The last one DH was on, guy was 28 with 4 kids, wearing his helmet and driving carefully. Person in the next lane didn't see him, merged into him. He was thrown off the bike and landed on his head. Dead at the scene, snapped his neck. The last motorcycle call I took was a cyclist whose neck made direct contact with a telephone pole. His head was 15 feet away when the EMT's showed up (he was also speeding on a wet road, so it was a stupidity-related accident, but still).

Yes, life is full of risks, but I don't take a lot of them. I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, I don't drink and drive, I don't skydive without a parachute, and riding a motorcycle raises your odds of death a lot more than driving a car.

Note--I don't include dirt bikes here either, since I think the biggest risk to cyclists is cars. If you are riding a dirt bike, there shouldn't be any cars on the trail with you!

Forgot to say...of course this means until DD is 18. After that all I can do is pray!

NannaNurse · Oct 20, 2004

Even though my hubby and I own harleys, I really don't like my kids to ride. Our youngest son was in an accident a year ago. He was run off the road by an elderly lady NOT PAYING ATTENTION. He was not seriously hurt, THANK GOD, but he did have a major case of road rash. Did several thousand $$ damage and my son said he will not ride again.......I'm not too sad about that.

We lost a brother-in-law a couple of months ago in a Motorcycle vs Auto accident. The 16 y/o girl was NOT PAYING ATTENTION. Charges are still pending for veh. homicide.

We ride alot and we are constantly watching the others on the road. I do think it is dangerous and I know that every time I get on that bike, I know it could be my last, but that is a chance that 'I' take. My hubby feels the same way. Our other kids ride occasionally. My future son-in-law rides motorcross (I did as a kid) and he was seriously hurt last year and spent months in rehab with a TBI. He has recovered 100% and is back fulltime with his Army duties. It is a decision that is made by the person who gets on that bike. It is dangerous I know........every time I walk out the door, regardless of what mode of transportation I use, could be my last. I realize that a bike is more dangerous.........perhaps?? I feel that getting on a airplane is more dangerous than my bike.

I also pray and ask God for safety and critical thinking when I ride too. So far, I've been safe. I too was run off the road a few years back, but no injuries. I've been riding since age of 11. I'm now 45 and will continue to ride until I can't.

I'm a rehob nurse too and care for patients that have been in accidents.....but we see more autos than bikes.

jgrossberg · Oct 20, 2004

Hi, all. My 18 year old son wants to get a motorcycle, too. We have used all of the above in reasoning with him, and we also live in SUV territory where the impact score is SUV: 1, motorcyclist: 0. IN fact, if the gas prices keep going up the way they are, I am considering one myself, just to get back and forth to nursing school for the next year and a half. But I must confess it scares me. Wish the bus system here was decent. Hope everyone has a flu-less flu season.

mamabear · Oct 20, 2004

NOPE! I won't even let my husband ride. I've almost lost a brother and seen too many motorcycle fatalities. MOST of the time the accidents aren't due to the cycle riders - it's usually other drivers who don't look out for the bikes or just don't SEE them. I do have a large group of friends that have taken up Harley's and we even have another friend who owns a motorcycle shop and I still won't let my loved ones ride. I grew up with motorcycles, my dad, my brother and I each had one...it WAS fun - we've switched to watersports now.
~T

You won't "let" your husband ride? And what does or doesn't he "let" you do? Or are we still in the '50s?

HarleyRider · Oct 25, 2004

Great story! My husband and I both ride and we have been involved in CMA for the past 6 or 7 years. Glad you got hooked up. Love to ride. We just hit a deer for the first time on Saturday night. God's hand of protection was on us-we didn't dump it. Should have though the way she (the doe) hit us. Glad to hear your husband saved.

Our daughter turned 16 last year and wanted a cycle. We opted instead for a 125 cc scooter. Still had to get L license, but she is learning a lot. She wrecked a few months ago-nothing serious, just plenty of road rash. As one other stated earlier-it's usually the driver of the cars you have to watch out for!!

The safety class is worth its weight in gold-for all of the family.

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Oct 26, 2004

I have because my brother is a Harely owner, and well...he was very slow and calm with my son as his rider! We also own dirt motorcycles for our acre, and the kids use them...as long as, they wear helmets/kneepads/elbowpads/ and my son has a torso cover thingie (can you tell I don't ride motorcycles or what..LOL!), and they MUST have an adult present!!!!!!!

My hubby (paramedic) noticed he saw kids in my rural neck of the woods riding on motorcycles/4 traks without helmets and invested in restaurant vouchers (with the help of his company and the volunteer fire fighters guild here!) and he will give them out to kids wearing protective gear! (bicycles too)...in less than one year word got out...now we have 17 people doing this too, and I must say...I haven't seen a kid without a helmet~! We also have a budget for child safety in my community and we give cool fancy helmets to kids who may not be able to afford them!

Yeah, we were very sad to see kids get hurt...since we responded to those types of injuries too often...now hardly ever!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!

Kids will do it if they want to, and they will sneek it. Best to have a great program or incentive to wear helmets and protective gear...Like getting a free meal at a nice restuarant!!! My hubby is so great!!!!!!! What a cool idea, and he got it to happen!

He also got the Amber Alert broadcasted to paramedics in my county! Before only police would get the info...but with paramedics driving everywhere....wow! So far in 2 years..three kids found by paramedic info! AWESOME!

I know motorcycles have a very bad stigma at times...but turn lemons into lemonaide if you can! :)

vanillaskye · Oct 26, 2004

No way. Not with the the Road Warrior mentality of the majority of people out there.