Keeping one's mouth shut could be a good thing...

[3Dachs]

My favorite story I've heard from a family member went something like this:

Mr. Smith used to have a bike and one day the truck that was in front of him suddenly jack knifed and he had to lay his bike down and then he jumped on top of the sliding bike but he still hit that truck and was in the hospital for six months.

I didn't have the strength to argue the holes in this story.

[Scourge]

Originally Posted by themeatmanlandry

Yeah, my mom always gives me the "your dad's cousin was thrown from the back of one of those things. Hit his head on a telephone pole and that's all for him."



. . . while she puffs away on the cigs.

I assume the irony is lost on her?

When I was a kid, and my mother will never forget this incident because I never let her, my dad came home and told me and my brother that we where going to look at a gocart. Now my brother and I never had much in the way of solidarity, in fact we are not very fond of each other to this day (which i deeply regret), but this bit of news sparked a new bond in us that had not previously exist. After going and taking a look at the go cart, my dad used 6 little words in succession that proved to be the end of our grand imaginings of fun and adventure..........." let me talk to your mother". Sounds pretty inncocent doesn't it, but alas when he took us into the den and told us that she damn near had a "heart attack" at the news, we pretty much knew all was lost. That was 25 years ago, and it still chaps my *** a little.

[stp1971]

Originally Posted by Scourge

my dad used 6 little words in succession that proved to be the end of our grand imaginings of fun and adventure..........." let me talk to your mother"..

DEATH!!!!!! Those words are death to a kid,,but it also works with the dad also,,,"Mom can we do this???",,and she responds,,,"I would say yes,,but you need to go talk to you father..." Reminds me of The Christmas Story,, you are going to shoot you eye out!!!!!

[Gixxxer750]

sit your mother down and let her watch the Ghostrider 3 video where it says in the warning that people who drive motorcycles are 16 times more likely to be in a accident. that should cure her...or driver her insane. he he he

[InaneCathode]

Hmmm
My mom never really asks where i go, or how fast. Generally she says be careful, whenever she asks specifically i say "Im going safely"
Kinda pretend not to hear her when shes yelling at me about my bike, afterall, its just a silly dualsport

[Gixxerdale]

Hey Quack, I can understand her concern, since I commute in the LA area too. Generally, I'm more concerned on surface streets around here at rush hour. With all the cross traffic, driveways, stray dogs, oblivious pedestrians, pot holes, debris on the road etc. it makes the freeway look tame and safe.

At least on the freeway everyone is going in the same direction (most of the time). But it's still a matter of staying focused on your ride. I have had more close calls on the streets than the freeways.

My son has wanted to ride for a couple years now, and I keep telling him he's not ready. He is 18 now and can't stay focused on anything for any amount of time. He's a smart kid, but would be a danger to himself and others on a bike at this point in his life. Maybe when he settles down some. At least he is still taking my advice on riding for now.

Ride safe, and watch out for those LA cagers.

[QuacktheDuck]

hey gixxerdale, yeah i definitely feel the same. In fact I'm really impressed by you and others who commute every single day on a bike over here...it's hell out there on the roads more often than not. I'm glad I didn't have a bike when I was 18...dunno if i'd be around to type this now. Being older a bit and more mature about everything (plus paying for everything) is when I finally decided to get a bike.

Well the whole situation has really blown over and died out almost entirely (for the most part) since I really do limit how much I commute on my bike and when I do, I time things accordingly so as to avoid rush hour in the morning and on the way back. But honestly give me a nice, easy and quiet sunday morning ride any day of the week over anytime else...

[spyderrocs]

i'm lucky because all my parents ride. so their even helping me look for a bike.

[NTOLERANCE]

While my take on this doesnt really apply to Quacks' situation, I do find that most parents, mothers in particular, that have a fear of their offspring being killed/injured on a bike, is due to a previous experience of another relative/friend being killed/inured on a bike in years past. Perhaps when mom was a child, a friend or relative was killed on a bike. When it happes to one as a child it has more of a profound impact, then when as an adult. Many times the younger person isnt given all the details of the incident, all they see is a loved one in a casket at a funeral.

This situation can be tough to get over. Best thing one can do, is to ensure that you dont give the overly concerned person any additional reason to worry. This can include bringing the gang over and letting them do dumb things that mom can see, getting cited for speeding or other moving violations, not wearing proper gear, even looking on the net or TV at riders perfoming stunts or acts of stoopidity. It can just give her another reason to bring up the topic of why you shouldnt be riding.

One last thing, never belittle her concerns. She may be overreacting, be she has a valid point.

Doc.

[inspiron]

I don't think that bikes have anything to do with that fear ... it is ever-present. When my grandfather had to bury his daughter (my mother) after she lost her battle with cancer, all he could do is sit there repeating "it isn't supposed to be like this."

[skullman91]

Take Her For A Little Ride, Maybe If She Knows What Its Like She Will Be Cool With It

[drgibson]

As far as I can remember back my dad had motorcycles. He even worked at a dealership. I've been riding since I was 10 mom, dad, sis we all had bikes and me and dad raced. Somewhere along the line mom decided that it was too dangerous and all the motocycles left around 1976. After I went into the service I started riding again (and caught he[[) and continued until about 12 yrs ago. No job, no time, 2 kids to feed etc... Well “we” as in my wife and I decided to buy a bike for the joy of weekend trips and to help ease the cost of commuting. Well I went and told mom that I had bought a motocycle (yes I know it is Motorcycle) and listened to the sermon then she sent me into my dad for the "Father Sermon". While I was in trouble with her before it was about to get worse. No "Father Sermon" just give me the keys and the helmet. As dad is making a loop around the block I knew that I was fixin' to be disowned. Now Dad has the bug he’s looking for a Triumph on E-Bay and it’s all my fault. How was I to know that he would get infected? He never did with any of my other bikes!

[wookie]

Originally Posted by inspiron

I don't think that bikes have anything to do with that fear ... it is ever-present. When my grandfather had to bury his daughter (my mother) after she lost her battle with cancer, all he could do is sit there repeating "it isn't supposed to be like this."

It's always sad when a parent has the misfortune of having to bury his/her offsprings. A few years ago, my best friend's (the one who lends me his Duc SS800) mom passed away after years of struggle against liver disease. At the funeral, looking at my buddy's grandpa touching the coffin was enough to cause me having watery eyes (yes, even Chewy cried when Han-solo was carbon-frozen).

This is why I am always extra, extra, extra careful and paranoid about safety when riding.

[md2lgyk]

I first mentioned wanting to get a bike when I was 19 or 20. My parents were dead set against motorcycles, and said they'd cancel my driver's license if I got one. That was 40 years ago, when you were a minor until age 21, so they could legally have done it. So I waited a couple of years. To this day I still wonder what they'd have done if I'd called them on it.

[broncbob]

motorcycles are part of my life because grandpa was a rider and owned the honda(among a lot of others) dealership in my home town. life was all about the things, gradpa road till he was about 75, and had a few spills along the way(what do you expect from a guy who loaded two bikes in the back of a car and drove to daytona beach to race when the track was still the beach?)my dad and uncles all raced and hill climbed. so the feelings on them with the family are good, i can't even imangin dealing with ducks problem. no one really liked it when i got in to sport bikes but i never got anything more than you had better have you head and *** wired together when you ride that thing. now i'm ride a bigger bike but it looks a lot less sporty so not somany comments, but my brother just got a duc 900sscr and he getting the comments. the best thing you can do is tell them i'll be safe and then do it, don't have to make the phone call from the er asking for a ride home cause you laid down your bike doing something stupid!(by the way it's ok to make that call if you were safe but someone else wasn't in my famliy!)

[AceGS500F]

Ah... my mother AND father were the same way... I came home with a bike one day (they know I had wanted one for years) and freaked out... they nagged me about it forever...

I finally struck a deal with my mom... she said if I quit smoking she would stop bugging me about riding... "I had to choose one death path or another" was her saying... so I quit smoking (5 months smoke free!)... and she tries her best not to nag me... its just in their nature to worry I guess...

[farmbone]

You guys should be thankful you have a mother and father who cares!
I lost both of my parents when I was two. Raised by all kinds of family members. So I think you should go and give them hugs and tell them you love them and you'll ride extra careful.

Just my .02$

[92Notch]

By the title, I thought this thread was going to be about ridding down the street yawning or something and ending up swallowing a locust or a billy-goat or something. …. Oh well.


Good luck w/ that. If you don’t live at home she really can’t say anything about it anyways …. Other then “be careful dear”.

[JES883]

When I talk to my mother on the phone, three questions are asked, almost always in this order:
1) Did you get rid of that deadly red motorcycle (Answer: no no no no)
2) When are you going to meet the right girl and give me grandchildren (Answer: probably never, talk to your other children)
3) Why don't you come visit me very often (Answer: because of the above two questions)

[blackie1491]

Some day, heaven forbid you will have children.
Just have a little talk and tell her enough is a enough, nagging is too much.
I tell my kids to live thier lifes. And don't nag me.