Parents will kill me if i got a street bike

[SPYDER16]

Ok so i want to get a street bike once i get a little older... Im 17 right now and in like 3 years i plan on buying one. My parents already talk about or mentioned how they dont want me to ever get a motorcycle.. They got me a dirtbike not to long ago and are worried that after riding the dirtbike i may get tempted to get a bike for the streets.. I know that this is something i want to do when i get older. I know that it is dangerous and it is only because the other drivers around you make it dangerous. My cousin has a street bike and he crashed it. It wasent his fault, these girls in a jeep where flirting with him when they drove by, and then they purposely went and cut him off to joke around and there back end tapped him and he went flying.. NOTE: never were a big necklace when riding, when he went down his necklace was through his neck..not like real deep but it cut through it badly.. ANYWAYS, i know the risk and im willing to take it. Did anyone else have to get through there parents when buying there first motor cycle?

[CManT1914]

Argue it this way:

You're gonna buy one eventually anyway, whether it be now, or when you move out. It might as well be before you move out, where you still have your 'rents around to give you advice and they'll be there for you in case something bad happens. If you get one after you're out on your own, they're not as likely to be around in case something happens.

That's actually my pops' line of reasoning, and why he let me get my first motorcycle. He knew I would do it eventually anyway, he just wanted to be there for advice, support, and god forbid something should happen.

[palanon]

My parents, especially my dad, absolutely forbade me from owning dirt bikes never mind street bikes. I got my first dirt bikeat 15 and had to keep it at a friends so as not to let the folks know.

Just do what your doing - ride. your lucky to be in an area where you can still ride Xcross. You'll get gobs of hands on riding experience. take as many rider safety training classes as you can. Maybe get an enduro bike next. If you do all that on your own, it will go a long way towards showing your folks your responsible.

Motorcycle riding is a lot safer than it used to be. if you keep your head screwed on straight it can be safer than driving a car plus it's a better high than any drug and when the weather s**** you still get to tinker and play with your rides.

Good luck...ride safe...always learn.

[Clint]

Originally Posted by palanon

Motorcycle riding is a lot safer than it used to be. if you keep your head screwed on straight it can be safer than driving a car....

You HAVE GOT to back that one up with at least an opinion, if not some factual data, bud. I'd say you're wrong on both counts.

SPYDER16, welcome. Your are your parents riders? People who don't ride often have skewed views of what motorcycling is and inflated concerns about safety. Do some reading, learn a few things and attempt to demonstrate that you're willing to reduce your risk.

You're mistaken about riding being only dangerous because of others. I can almost guarantee that your cousin made a whole pile of mistakes that led to his crash. If you're really interested in learning about riding safely, those mistakes will reveal themselves in the near future. Stick around and hang with us a while. You'll see that young riders often choose the wrong bike, older ones often overestimate their skills, and many riders of all ages wear too little gear and get too little training. These are the things that kill motorcyclists, not just other traffic.

[Rickster]

As a parent my self, I can tell you that having your kids start to drive is a very scary thing, weather it be two or four wheels. I remember thinking that it sure would be nice if I could buy them a Sherman Tank for there first vehicle.
As long as you are living at home, the smart thing to do, is what they say. That doesn't mean you can't do things to try and change there minds. Acting responsible is the best way, your parents need to feel like they can trust you to make good choices.
I always felt like the things I was saying to my son, were going in one ear, and out the other, until one day I overheard him on the phone with one of his friends. He was giving his buddy the same lecture I had given him more than a year earlier. It was a simple thing, and he never even knew it happened, but it gave me the feeling that I could have more confidence in his decision making processes.
To me, the fact that you are asking for advice means a lot. Do you do that with your parents to? If you don't, you should!!
Stay with us, and have your folks visit here too. I for one would be happy to answer any questions your parents have.

[old-n-slow]

Show your parents that you're not as dumb as they think you are. Tell them you'd like to take the MSF beginning rider course. If they ask why, it's because you want to learn from a professional rather than the hear-say you're getting from squids everywhere else. If they say no way you're getting a bike, tell them it's not about getting a bike, it's learning how to operate one in a professional manner.

[DrBob]

Take the MSF course to learn to ride safely. Then remind your parents that someday you will get to choose their nursing home, so they better be nice to you now!

[Edward_Teach]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

You HAVE GOT to back that one up with at least an opinion, if not some factual data, bud. I'd say you're wrong on both counts..

I am also of the opinion that riding is safer now than it used to be. We have better training, better bikes, better gear, more public awareness, and certainly more public acceptance. 20 years ago if you ran over a biker it was just some scum outlaw, rebel, evil doer. Now it could be your preacher, judge, accountant, or kindergarten teacher.

As far as safer than a cage........

[palanon]

Originally Posted by Edward_Teach

I am also of the opinion that riding is safer now than it used to be. We have better training, better bikes, better gear, more public awareness, and certainly more public acceptance. 20 years ago if you ran over a biker it was just some scum outlaw, rebel, evil doer. Now it could be your preacher, judge, accountant, or kindergarten teacher.

As far as safer than a cage........

I do believe it's safer now for the above reasons. My opinion about car vs. bike safety is based on perception. for every thousand car recks I might hear of one bike crash but that is perception NOT fact. If you look at % of accidents per 1,000 licenced drivers/riders it probably is incorrect.

Hmmmmm....

my point is training and more training a lot of bike shops offer rider safety classes plus lots of good private enterprises & clubs do to. If you do the homework and present it to your folks it shows a lot of maturity and responsibility. they still may say no.... but you'll know you gave it your best shot.

[CManT1914]

Originally Posted by palanon

I do believe it's safer now for the above reasons. My opinion about car vs. bike safety is based on perception. for every thousand car recks I might hear of one bike crash but that is perception NOT fact.

Ummmmm........ that's probably because there are 1,000+ cars for every motorcycle on the road! (not fact, just making a point)

It doesn't make riding a motorcycle safer because there are more car accidents. That's ridiculous. Not trying to be a jerk, just saying.

I will say that while there is a lot more training available these days, the POSSIBILITY of safely riding a motorcycle is there. ANYBODY can take the courses, wear the gear, ride smartly etc. It's just that so many people don't. So it's possible to be relatively safe(r) while riding a motorcycle, just most people aren't.

[DrBob]

Statistically speaking, 20.9 cars out of every 100,000 cars registered end up in fatal crashes. The rate for motorcycles is 66.7 per 100,000. When you take into account that the average car turns about 12,500 miles a year, and the average motorcycle 3000 miles a year, you are about 13 times more likely to die on your motorcycle than in a car.

[Shea]

Originally Posted by Edward_Teach

I am also of the opinion that riding is safer now than it used to be. We have better training, better bikes, better gear, more public awareness, and certainly more public acceptance. 20 years ago if you ran over a biker it was just some scum outlaw, rebel, evil doer. Now it could be your preacher, judge, accountant, or kindergarten teacher.

As far as safer than a cage........

More public awareness for who?

Due to the vast number of cars on the street compared to 30 years ago, motorcycling is probably more dangerous then ever before. Road rage, more speeders, cell phones etc add to the danger. More distractions than ever before too.

As far as being safer than a car, this is the most uneducated claim one could possibly make.

[Clint]

Originally Posted by Shea

More public awareness for who?

Due to the vast number of cars on the street compared to 30 years ago, motorcycling is probably more dangerous then ever before. Road rage, more speeders, cell phones etc add to the danger. More distractions than ever before too.

As far as being safer than a car, this is the most uneducated claim one could possibly make.

My thoughts exactly on both counts.

[Rockhead]

Originally Posted by Shea

More public awareness for who?

Due to the vast number of cars on the street compared to 30 years ago, motorcycling is probably more dangerous then ever before. Road rage, more speeders, cell phones etc add to the danger. More distractions than ever before too.

As far as being safer than a car, this is the most uneducated claim one could possibly make.

+1

I just asked my brother the other day (Paramedic) how many bike accident calls do you get? He said about 3 per week. He says the biggest problem he see's most of the time is the person has way too big of a bike they just can’t handle. Then after that he says the person that flattens them (Cage) claim they never saw them. I’m not trying to shy you away from riding but when you start riding always pay attention to your surroundings and be ready to act.

Good luck with your folk’s approval though, you have college coming up and riding will be they’re after you’re done

[palanon]

okay..okay.. I recinded my statement almost at once. it was an of the cuff remark but it wasn't the point of my statement. My point was safety training and hands on riding. That's what I like about this site. I checked out a few others and they seemed more interested in wheelies, endos, breakstands and going a buck ten down thier local back streets. I'm actually very happy you all jumped on my case.

wait for it.....

wait for it....

here it comes.....

with that said, I'll bet that there are quite a few of you on this site that are like me. I've been in 3 car accidents in my life but not one bike accident ( I,m Knocking on the table now). I've been called a wimp an old lady and much worse. I DON"T TRUST ANYONE OR ANYTHING. I don't believe someones turning until they turn, I don't trust 'em to go straight, I don't trust the cars in the driveways ( especially ) and I don't trust our friendly little forrest critters none either. When not focused on that I'm thinking about chain wear and mechanical issues that could cause an emergency and on my own condition at the time.

Like our new young friend, my folks hated motocycles. I didn't get a street bike until I was twenty and both my parents had passed away. Because I waited I got good training and experience trail riding. Plus I got to see first hand what happens when you don't get MST. Several of my buds got bikes as soon as they could and just took the licence exam. They thought they knew it all. after all, they had been trail riding for years right? Well, none got killed, thank God, but some bad wrecks - yup. Even though one of my buddies won a law suit, every accident including his, was their own falt.

After reading a lot of posts on this site I can honestly say this group of folk seem to have their heads screwed on pretty straight and have a bunch of good info and tips. The only person I saw get more grief than me was someone asking how to do wheelies !!

Still, I don't know about you guy's but I feel safer ( personally ) on a bike

As Dr. Demmings would have said - increased production (read living) thru continual improvement and vigilance

[4W4K3]

My parents were OK with me getting a bike as long as I had a job (duh) and was enrolled in school. I have no intention of not enrolling in college this Fall, and without a job I can't live, so getting a bike would be an impossibility anyways.

If everything works out I hope to have a bike and a license before I turn 19 (roughly 1 year) but money is ALWAYS an issue for me.

[Edward_Teach]

Originally Posted by Shea

More public awareness for who?

I am fairly surprised that you guys do not think the public is more aware of riders today than 20 or 30 years ago. Please do not construe my statements as ones meant to belittle the safety issues facing todays rider. I agree with the cell phone type comments. It is just that I have noticed more awareness and interest among the general public, not motorists specificaly, but people in general. Promoted I think by the recent TV shows and the success of the Harley Lifestyle marketing plan.

Do you think riders overall are safer or more dangerous now than in years past?

[4W4K3]

I think it all depends on where you live really. I don't travel much so I get a pretty one sided view here. Around where I live, the majority of bikers are younger and you see alot more sport/super-sport bikes than anything else. They are always racing, and weaving in and out of traffic. Personally riding next to most bikers in my area I'm afraid they'll bale and end up under my tires. But this is probably due to the long stretches of road I drive on, and very few police patrols. It's amazing to not see at least 1 race everytime I go down 121 to Lewisville, but I'venever seen anybody get pulled over in that area.

But like I said that's just in my area. I think if there are people on the streets like the majority of people on this forum, then riding a bike has really improved, because I have yet to see anyone give bad advise or bad suggestions.

[bajaraider]

if you have to set up rules for yourself and stick to them. When deciding these rules take your parents concerns to heart. For example, if they are worried about drunk driver, (a problem around here on thursday, friday, and saturday nights) then say you will not ride after dark on thursday friday and saturday nights. If safety equipment is a concern, let them you what equipment you not just intend, but WILL wear when you ride. Etc. Just an idea to help push them over the hill along with the MSF courses and further education.

[palanon]

Originally Posted by Edward_Teach

I am fairly surprised that you guys do not think the public is more aware of riders today than 20 or 30 years ago. Please do not construe my statements as ones meant to belittle the safety issues facing todays rider. I agree with the cell phone type comments. It is just that I have noticed more awareness and interest among the general public, not motorists specificaly, but people in general. Promoted I think by the recent TV shows and the success of the Harley Lifestyle marketing plan.

Do you think riders overall are safer or more dangerous now than in years past?

I think it's safer. I haven't been intentionally run off the road in 20 yrs.
But, I also think likr the above post, location is key. In New Hampshire our capital, Concord, wouldn't be counted as a town in a lot of states but it's a major city here. I have a brother Near L.A. - that would be some crazy riding. I noticed that bikers there ride between lanes. personally I'd be scared of someone opening a door or hitting a mirror

Be a good weekly poll if someone could set it up - I don't know how