Bro wanting a bike

[jonnay]

OK, as I expect a lot of you will know, I haven't exactly had the best of luck with my bikes. I've been knocked off twice in the last 6 months (very lucky not to have been killed both times, especially the last time), and I've had a few spills inbetween them, and during my year on a moped. Due to this, I've decided to take my bike test, then have a few years off bikes until I'm old enough to not be a responsibilty of my parents (feel tight dragging them to hospital every 6 weeks), and generally just can't fuck my body up with any more accidents

My little brother is now 14, and he's been doing up and selling mopeds for a while, which I must say he's doing pretty well with, he's made a fair whack. However, he's now on about buying an RS50 to keep until he's old enough to ride it.

I don't know what to think about him having a bike on the road when he's 16. I know how great the independance is, and the RS he's after is a really nice bike, but I also know how many dickheads are driving round in cars just waiting for a small, underpowered bike to bully. I got it on the 125, the moped was a death trap on anything except back-roads.

My parents are also now questioning me on whether I think he should be allowed to get it. I just don't know what to do, I've tried explaining the risks to him, but as I expect you can gather, being young he's a bit head-strong. I know it's nearly 2 years until he's old enough to ride, but he wants the bike now, and this is a pretty important choice.

So what would you do? Encourage him to get the bike ready for turning 16 and practice up and down our private lanes, or try to get him to wait til he's 17 and get himself a car? I don't know what to suggest.

Cheers,
Jon
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::'04 Yamaha Jog:: || ::'01 Honda NSR:: || ::'00 Suzuki Swift:: || ::'89 Swift GTi:: || ::'96 Swift Poverty Spec:: || ::'92 Swift GTi::

[Skunkcap Freddie]

get him to wait mate

wouldn't be a good idea , will only encourage him to ride it up the street every so often, which could lead to him riding about constantly, tell him to keep saving so he can get an even better stonker of a bike

[jonnay]

The bike he's looking at is very good in my eyes... 05 reg RS50, low mileage, £1700.

I'm a bit worried about him getting a bit "carried away" when riding up and down the lane, too. Theres about a mile of private roads, which is enough to play in, but you always want more. I ended up taking my bikes out illegally a few times because the temptation was too great. Thankfully nothing bad happened...

But yeh, I'm thinking he should wait, too. Thanks for the advice, and I'll try to get him to see that 2 years worth of saving (and income from the ped trade ) will easily buy him a brand spankers bike.. maybe show him some pictures of bikes like the GPR50 which he could get brand new, and look well nice.

Cheers,
Jon
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::'04 Yamaha Jog:: || ::'01 Honda NSR:: || ::'00 Suzuki Swift:: || ::'89 Swift GTi:: || ::'96 Swift Poverty Spec:: || ::'92 Swift GTi::

[Rookie]

It would be a bit of a silly buy, if it was just going to be a garage ornament for 2 years. Come 2008, the bike will have lost another 1/3 of it's value, considering it would have very low mileage.

To me it sounds like an excuse for him to jump on and buzz up the road when everyone's out. But don't tell him that even if you think it; just make him see it doesn't make financial sense.

I don't think you should try and hold him back from bikes altogether. You did what he wants to do, it's only natural, and very unfair if he's not allowed. My 14 year old brother wants a bike now I've got the Cat, but he wants a bloody cruiser! Knobhead.

Edit: Come to think of it, buying one of the last 2 stroke RS50s could make it a very good buy, if they end up going 4T as well.

[Phil_G]

Hiya

advise him of your opinion but let him make his own decision. Put simply if you start lording it up too much and saying he shouldnt then its more likely to push him in that direction to "prove you wrong"

Good luck

Phil
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1997 Kawasaki ER 500 A1:- Once again, Its merely crap

[yambabe]

Have to agree that with 2 years to go until he can legally ride it he's likely to land himself in trouble.

Did it with one of our lads, and deeply regret it now. We got him a 'ped for his 15th birthday, only a cheap one, plan being for him to ride it offroad and learn to fix it til he was old enough to take it on the road legally. 2 things happened, he ragged the arse off it and pretty much destroyed it, and he also got caught on the road with it twice and ended up with a ban before he was even old enough to legally have a licence. Outcome, the 'ped which should have been worth £2-300 was scrapped and now he is 18 it's costing him over £600 to insure another 50cc 'ped TPO. A 100cc 'ped for the other lad at the same age same address was £259 TPFT.

Your brother may not be as dumb as my stepson. But then again he might!

Don't put him off bikes altogether, that's not fair. But do use the value thing to put him off and if he does go ahead tell your parents from me that they should keep the keys to his bike in a place where he cannot access them without permission (like a handbag or pocket!)
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[veeeffarr]

Haha,

Maybe that's why 'shager' posts so much asking how to disable immobilisers/hotwire!!!

Seriously though, you can't deny him riding. a) He'll do it anyway, and b) Don't you think it's a bit hypocritical?

If he's doing up moped to sell on now, why doesn't he get a project one in himself? I'm sure if he's well tooled up to repair them he could completely strip, rebuild and respray one ready for his 16th, and it'll be darn slight better than pissing years of work away on a toy bike

[Robby]

By all means get a moped for being 16, but only get it a week or so before his 16th birthday. If he's making money buying and selling them, he might as well keep doing that.

Hopefully he'll also get enough sense to realise that they do depreciate very fast, and they are easy to fix, so that when he turns 16 he has the sense to get an old RS50 or DT50, instead of spending lots of cash on a fairly new one.