Motorcycles Can Be For Kids Too!
Author: Malinda Henderson
I never had the opportunity to ride a motorcycle as a child, but I remember envying every child that I saw on the back of one. To me, kids that grew up in a family where motorcycle riding was the hobby were very lucky. I would see my neighbors leave on their motorcycles quite often, with kids in tow. As the kids grew, they started with their own motorcycles. Now that I am a mom myself, I enjoy it when the kids want to ride with me. Although, it worries me a little to think that they would someday ride their own, only because as moms, well, we worry! That's where motorcycle safety comes in. Safety on motorcycles is very important for everyone; but learning motorcycle safety at an early age is paramount for our future generation. Long sleeved shirts, long pants, and gloves are rules number one, two and three. As hot as it may be, and as good as that wind may feel against the skin, long sleeves and long pants are mandatory for riding bike. Preventing sun irritation to the hands is important, especially for young kids, so gloves are a must. Also, of course, a proper-fitting helmet. As a teen and younger adult, I often didn't use a helmet. I learned after I had my little accident (no injuries - just bruises!), whether a helmet was going to be worn or not wasn't even a question in my mind anymore. There are very stylish helmets out there for both kids and adults that make helmet purchasing much easier than it was, say 10 - 20 years ago. Ideally, I would have liked my kids to start riding at an early age, but due to financial restrictions, I was not able to get them a child-sized bike. So, now they are teenagers and young adults, and if they want to learn, they can use my motorcycle as their training tool. That, in itself is difficult for me to do, as I do so remember all the non-motorized bicycles crashing into trees, garage doors, etc. So, at the very least, when the kids do decide if they want to ride, the first dozen or so rides will be with me or another licensed adult on the back. And that is after the professional training they would receive! Once they are ready to get their own bike, up to a certain age, they can't ride legally on the street. They would need to start on dirt trails or motorcycle trails. This makes sense to me, as I'd prefer they learned on a dirt trail surrounded by soft grass and bushes, rather than tough asphalt surrounded by mailboxes! I'm sure, once the kids are on their own bike, they will want to take a friend with on their bike. I have restrictions on that with the kids when they learn to drive a car; I have even more restrictions for motorcycles. No doubt the kids will want to entertain their young friend on the motorcycle though. So, at least for the first couple dozen outings, it will be (1) ensuring the friend has their folk's permission, and (2) making sure there are other adult riders along on those initial rides, just to be sure there is no motorcycle monkey business going on. Always a consideration for any motorcycle driver should be the weight of their passenger. Although a passenger's weight doesn't matter in a vehicle with four wheels, it can make a huge difference on one with two wheels! With proper training and safety considerations, and, consideration of the maturity of the person managing the handlebars, I think kids can be pretty happy, safe bikers at a pretty early age. I never had the opportunity to ride a motorcycle as a child, but I remember envying every child that I saw on the back of one. To me, kids that grew up in a family where motorcycle riding was the hobby were very lucky. I would see my neighbors leave on their motorcycles quite often, with kids in tow. As the kids grew, they started with their own motorcycles. Now that I am a mom myself, I enjoy it when the kids want to ride with me. Although, it worries me a little to think that they would someday ride their own, only because as moms, well, we worry! That's where motorcycle safety comes in. Safety on motorcycles is very important for everyone; but learning motorcycle safety at an early age is paramount for our future generation. Long sleeved shirts, long pants, and gloves are rules number one, two and three. As hot as it may be, and as good as that wind may feel against the skin, long sleeves and long pants are mandatory for riding bike. Preventing sun irritation to the hands is important, especially for young kids, so gloves are a must. Also, of course, a proper-fitting helmet. As a teen and younger adult, I often didn't use a helmet. I learned after I had my little accident (no injuries - just bruises!), whether a helmet was going to be worn or not wasn't even a question in my mind anymore. There are very stylish helmets out there for both kids and adults that make helmet purchasing much easier than it was, say 10 - 20 years ago. Ideally, I would have liked my kids to start riding at an early age, but due to financial restrictions, I was not able to get them a child-sized bike. So, now they are teenagers and young adults, and if they want to learn, they can use my motorcycle as their training tool. That, in itself is difficult for me to do, as I do so remember all the non-motorized bicycles crashing into trees, garage doors, etc. So, at the very least, when the kids do decide if they want to ride, the first dozen or so rides will be with me or another licensed adult on the back. And that is after the professional training they would receive! Once they are ready to get their own bike, up to a certain age, they can't ride legally on the street. They would need to start on dirt trails or motorcycle trails. This makes sense to me, as I'd prefer they learned on a dirt trail surrounded by soft grass and bushes, rather than tough asphalt surrounded by mailboxes! I'm sure, once the kids are on their own bike, they will want to take a friend with on their bike. I have restrictions on that with the kids when they learn to drive a car; I have even more restrictions for motorcycles. No doubt the kids will want to entertain their young friend on the motorcycle though. So, at least for the first couple dozen outings, it will be (1) ensuring the friend has their folk's permission, and (2) making sure there are other adult riders along on those initial rides, just to be sure there is no motorcycle monkey business going on. Always a consideration for any motorcycle driver should be the weight of their passenger. Although a passenger's weight doesn't matter in a vehicle with four wheels, it can make a huge difference on one with two wheels! With proper training and safety considerations, and, consideration of the maturity of the person managing the handlebars, I think kids can be pretty happy, safe bikers at a pretty early age. About the Author:
Malinda Henderson
http://www.becomeabiker.com
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