should you hide biking from your parents?

geoffdevon · L Plate Warrior Joined: 17 May 2017 Karma :

Thank you all for your replies - it has been a great help.

I understand now the difference between the CBT and the follow up proper training - which I was not aware of ! He uses pester power well - but thanks to you chaps I can convince him that he needs to get started on the new driver probation - as he does want to progress to bigger and better bikes. Which I'm all for - as I think he's most at risk when bullied into the gutter by car drivers due to the lack of speed.

thanks again all

Hawkeye1250FA · World Chat Champion Joined: 14 Oct 2016 Karma :

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

Polarbear · Super Spammer Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Karma :

When my daughter wanted to learn we got her a Gilera DNA 50 which is a scooter dressed up to look like a motorbike. When I rode it I was frightened, really. More frightened than riding the Hayabusa I had at the time. More frightened than riding a push bike because car drivers at least know push bikes are slow.

I know people on here who disagree but I felt a moped/restricted fifty was bloody dangerous so the first thing I did was remove the variator restrictor (read washer) which allowed the bike to at least approach 40 on the speedo. Not fast enough to attract plod but fast enough to at least keep up with town traffic.

So, would I have let her have a geared fifty? Only if I could have got an FS1E or a 70's Gilera but not a modern one. As roger said, slower in real life than an automatic scoot.

Try get him to have the scoot, keep for am year then get a decent 125 geared bike once he is 17.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

pudder · Scooby Slapper Joined: 04 Nov 2016 Karma :

I'd never really considered having to beg and plead to be allowed a motorbike...
My Dad's always ridden old british bikes, and one of my youngest memories was going on the back of his Norton. Spent many many hours on motorbike runs with him before I was old enough to get on the Kawasaki 50cc.
Both my older sisters had used it before me, then after a year it was onto a Suzuki GP125.
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1993 Kawasaki AR50 (In bits) - 1984 Suzuki GP125 (Sold, but still ridden) - 1954 Matchless G3L (Being restored) - 2007 Suzuki Bandit 650

Holdawayt · Trackday Trickster Joined: 27 Jul 2015 Karma :

My parents didn't really mind, they know I'm sensible.

My older brother however almost killed himself a few times on his R1 so when I decided to take lessons right after he almost potato'd himself for good, they were a little concerned.

Dad was a biker, brother is a biker and we've been riding bikes on fields since we were kids. It was inevitable that I'd ride eventually.