2006-09-21 16:19:24 · 17 answers · asked by dieseldick3408 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Motorcycles
No...you should convince him he doesn't need it. That's not going to be easy. Tell him to set aside enough money for insurance and a burial plot first, then he can buy it.
Love is tough!
2006-09-23 13:37:03 · answer #1 · answered by exert-7 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not unless he has ridden motorcycles before, has taken a motorcycle training course, has been driving for at least three years and has ALL the necessary protective gear.
Motorcycles do not handle like cars, and without understanding that he WILL crash. Taking some type of training course, like those offered by MSF, will help him understand why you can't brake during a turn (like cars do) and why locking up the rear brake could kill him.
He also needs to have a few years of being able to follow traffic laws and knowing how to read traffic. Most fatal motorcycle accidents involve another car driver that did not see the rider or did not give the right-of-way. I've been cut off, pulled into and turned in front of countless times, but I was prepared for each one and avoided them. Unless he truly understands how people think behind the wheel, he needs some more time in a car to learn this.
On a motorcycle, you don't have the benefit of a cage. Showing off or thinking you'll be fine because you have the right-of-way will get you killed on a motorcycle. It will NEVER matter who was right, the biker will ALWAYS be on the losing end of ANY altercation with any size vehicle, even another bike!
This is why education and experience will only go so far. Eventually EVERYONE goes down, and having the right gear will save your son's hide. This means a good FULL FACE helmet, jacket, gloves, boots and long pants. Helmets are worthless when worn with Vans and shorts, obviously! Jeans are, well, better than shorts, but that's about it. Expect a full set of reasonable gear to run $500 to $1000, and tack that onto the initial cost of the bike.
It's not "cool?" Tough $hit, then. Personal experience has allowed me to literally walk away from totaling my first bike, and because I was in full gear I have ZERO lingering effects from the accident. Bottom line is that gear works.
The IC wards of hospitals are full of paralyzed 20-somethings that wore helmets as the concrete ground their unprotected bodies to a pulp. This is not a scare tactic, it's reality, and if your son is not prepared to take motorcycling seriously then we don't want him in our ranks. Squids are not welcome.
Perhaps the deciding factor will be how much insurance will be for a teenager riding a sportbike. If you haven't gotten a quote on that yet, you're in for a SHOCK!
2006-09-22 19:28:04 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I've had bikes since I was 10 years old, I am 33 now. I always had a used dirt bike, 3 wheeler, 4 wheeler, enduro type bikes. I learned off road on used bikes that didn't matter if I crashed (no big loss if I broke something or put scratches on it) I always wore boots, gloves, and a helmet. I wiped out a few times when I was young, I was sore maybe even scrapped up a little bit. I learned how to handle a bike and ride. Never went to the hospital. People today see all these chopper shows on TV and run out to buy the shinyest, fastest bike they can afford, all with no experience. Put him in a motorcycle safety class, support him in buying a used older bike, make sure he wears his gear. I recommend learning off road but that is getting harder and harder these days to find any undeveloped land. Get something that he can handle well. If he weighs 100 lbs. soaking wet, he needs a lighter bike. Get a standard type bike not a sportsbike first. A bike is a bike, two wheels are better than a cage (car). If you're lucky enough to be on two wheels, you're lucky enough.
2006-09-22 09:54:40 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
There is no way I would buy my 19 year old son a 600cc crotch rocket. If you do, make sure you have good life and medical insurance on him. Like was said above, a 600 crotch rocket is a very "capable" machine. He needs to have experience on something smaller
I'm going to help my 19 year old with a 750 shadow, a much more tame motorcycle. This is after he gets done with the Honda rebel 250 he has now. Got to get some experience on something that's forgiving first
2006-09-23 21:11:08 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
We have one riding buddy who is 17yrs old, he rides a Honda Interceptor (less sport-oriented than the CBR), he purchased it himself, and has been riding motorcycles safely since he was old enough to walk.
He's unbelievably smart, reliable and sane. Still, his dad said that if he'd wanted a CBR, he wouldn't have allowed it.
It's a tough enough question to ask if a 19 year old has enough life skills and experience to handle ANY street bike, let alone a bike designed for racing that is fast enough to get even the most experienced rider in trouble.
I ride sportbikes - I'm over 40 and have ridden all my life, but even with all my experience and adult-brained problem-solving skills, it's very tough not to let adrenaline take over when you're on a bike that goes that fast, handles that well, and feels like it could outmaneuver anything else on the planet.
The only place a 19yr old boy could possibly stay alive on a CBR is on the track, with years of training and experience.
Yes, I know there's a few of you out there who've lived through owning sportbikes at a too-young age, but there's also a great percentage that could tell you horror stories, or aren't here to tell you any story at all.
If he really aches to own this bike, he can wait until he's older and wiser, and buy it himself. Especially if he just broke up with his girlfriend, doesn't even know the shift pattern of a CBR, and is selling his jeep to buy it.
2006-09-22 02:24:38 · answer #5 · answered by ducatisti 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Is your son wise beyond his years? Does he want this bike because HE wants it, as opposed to wanting it because his friends have them? Is he an extremely experienced motorcyclist, with plenty of years in the dirt or on a smaller/slower street bike? Does he wear all the gear, all the time? Can he pay for his own insurance (which will be astronomical)? Is his driving record completely free of citations? Can he resist peer pressure to go too fast on the street? Has he taken and passed a rider education course? Does he hold a motorcycle license?
If you can answer "yes" to all of these questions, I'd think about it. If it were my son, he'd need to demonstrate that he will be a responsible rider before I'd even think about it.
2006-09-22 12:45:34 · answer #6 · answered by Thumprr 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I wouldn't help him buy a motorcycle. He could be the most careful person on the road but he would have to watch out for the maniac in the car who is not paying attention at all. The car wins...driver not a scratch. Motorcycle loses, motorcyclist injured.
It happens too often. I'd just say no and help him buy something more substantial than a motorcycle.
2006-09-21 23:29:51 · answer #7 · answered by EW 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If he's never given you a reason to not trust him maybe you should. Are you just talking about maybe a down payment and cosigning the loan? Then it's OK.
Other than that, he's 19. Time to start learning how to prioritize things in life and know the difference between needs and wants.
2006-09-21 23:28:28 · answer #8 · answered by shogun_316 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Only if he's already got a couple years of expereince on a more forgiving and predictable bike. That's a rather dangerous bike for a beginner to ride, as it's got enough power for a small car and a chassis that responds very quickly.
2006-09-23 07:59:17 · answer #9 · answered by Mad Scientist Matt 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well hell yeah mom help him out!!!!! Ya know that is of course the stunt bike of choice.......bring it on over ill do the quick throttle mod so he can get the front up faster......oh and youll want to go to a larger rear sprcket to get more gearing.......be sure and split some foam for the windscreen so he doesnt decapatate himself on that first endo gone wrong......ha ha.....ha.ha....ha....no seriously i ride and stunt sometimes and use common sense.....get a realistic impression of a 19 year old on a vehicle that has the acceleration factor above a corvette.......has he been riding long? took a motorcycle safety class??? DID YOU CHECK INSURANCE RATES????? got any riding equipment ( good stuff)???? ill tell you this ......EVERYBODY goes down.
2006-09-22 09:14:21 · answer #10 · answered by the_gooey_1 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
iam 21 i'v been ridn sine i was 16,
i'v had 7 bike's no lie i'v gone down 2 on the
street and 3 off road i ride 4 a group called
D.S.R. (down south rider's) out of miami .
bike are no joke like i tell evey that want's a bike
don't be scared of dieing . i'v lost 2 boyz of mine 2 the love of bike
and on november of 05 i lost my 6's bike a 04 honda 1000rr
and thank god walk away with my life i had a F-350 come 6in from my head . sine then i only ride stunt on open road. my advice get a dirt bike 1# because from the look's of it a 600f4
is a beginer's bike feel free 2 call 4 any ??? believe me i kown
where u r coming from 786-318-7685
2006-09-21 23:48:00 · answer #11 · answered by robert v 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋