18 year old wants a motorbike

[Jackielaffertyiscold]

Does anyone here have a teenager with a motorbike/moped?

My 18 year old wants one, has no interest in a car and never has.

It terrifies me

My child’s friend was killed last week riding a motorbike. He was 17.

Oh god, that’s awful! That’s what I’m terrified of

Unfortunately though if he's 18 and can fund it himself etc then it really is his decision.
Expressing your disapproval may make him more inclined to get one.

I am so grateful that mine shows no interest in a motorbike

A&E staff call them Donorbikes for a reason.

We have 2 rules, you're not joining the armed forces or getting a motorbike.

Is he generally sensible? Can he afford a decent, well maintained bike, decent kit, etc?

Not a chance I'd be assisting financially. Obviously if he has his own money there's not much you can do. I know 2 sets of brothers who died riding motorbikes.

And on the other side of Myexisadick's coin, my Ex-H passed his test at 17 and has been riding for over 50 years without being killed.

@Twinkie01

A&E staff call them Donorbikes for a reason.

We have 2 rules, you're not joining the armed forces or getting a motorbike.

Out of genuine curiousity... What would you do/say if your adult child told you they were going to do one of these things?

If you'd like proper advice instead of hysteria from people who've never owned or sat on a bike, dm me OP.

Returnoftheowl they agree with me and wouldn't do either. They've done other things I disagree with but not things that could end their lives.

If you know anyone who works in A&E they will tell you they are by far the biggest reason for serious injury and death.
I have told my kids that one of the only things I absolutely disapprove of (aside from hard drugs and criminal activity) is motorbikes. Never whilst they are living in my house. Awful death traps.

He’s buying it himself so I can’t stop him, are they really referred to as donor bikes in A&E?!

I am from a biker family where we have all been ridig for many years, if he really wants a bike then make sure he has full training, the best gear and a very good crash helmet, get him to chat to older bikers (the really hairy scary types they are always willing to help and are a very nice bunch generally) he needs to understand how to ride defensively and not like a twat, it will save his skin.

@Returnoftheowl

Unfortunately though if he's 18 and can fund it himself etc then it really is his decision. Expressing your disapproval may make him more inclined to get one.

Yes, but you can make it difficult for them. I simply said to our eldest a few years ago when he mentioned it, if he wanted one, he wouldn't be storing it on the property, so he'd have to rent somewhere to keep it.

You can't do much about it if he's able to fund it himself, however I wouldn't be helping out financially in any way, AND I'd be getting him to pay keep at home. If he can afford a motorbike and insurance etc he can afford to help you out with the household finances now he's an adult living with his parents. It's up to you whether you take the money off him or put it in a savings account for when he needs a deposit for a house (either would be fine - at the end of the day he's an adult so should be contributing) but I certainly wouldn't make it easy for him to get a bike.

Kidney donor machines, you mean.

Two of the boys in my class at school died in motorbike accidents before they were 20. In there days before we had Chelsea Tractors, BMWs and Mercs in large numbers, and proper drink drive enforcement (which now has halved because Boris Johnson when London Mayor and Conservative governments have cut police numbers).

Please discourage it, not because he may not get proper training and be sensible with it, but because too many people who are unfit in many senses to drive are allowed to, and motor cyclists come off worse in crashes.

@Twinkie01

We have 2 rules, you're not joining the armed forces or getting a motorbike.

These are completely unrealistic rules to impose on an adult though? How would you enforce that?

rainbowthoughts we've lost family members in both the armed forces and on motorbikes so they know where I'm coming from and agree with me. I don't need to enforce it.

@Jackielaffertyiscold

Does anyone here have a teenager with a motorbike/moped?

My 18 year old wants one, has no interest in a car and never has.

It terrifies me

My 18 year old wanting a motorbike would be my worst nightmare to be honest. I wouldn't sleep at night. A moped I could cope with maybe !

My parents were the same as you when I said I was getting a bike when I was at Uni - they even offered to help me buy a car instead. I did all the training, got the gear, rode defensively, made friends with the big hairy, scary looking bikers, who were y'know, just people, and had a lot of fun, much better than any car I've had since. (In fact, one of the best journeys I've ever made was on a mate's twist and go moped - top speed 32 mph downhill, but I grinned like a loon the whole time. )

Fast forward a few years...my parents went to Greece on holiday, hired a scooter (my Dad had scooters as a young man), my Mum had a go, absolutely loved it and got herself a bike which she rode for the rest of her life till she died of cancer in her late 60s

@Twinkie01

I'm sorry. I can absolutely see where you are coming from and why your DC would understand.

When I was 16 my mother asked me if I wanted to learn to drive a car or ride a bike. My grandparents were to be paying for my driving lessons and I think she was trying to steer me towards the bike out of spite. In the end I did neither and paid for my own lessons a few years later.

Looking back now I'm horrified that she thought a bike was a reasonable suggestion.

My husband had a bike license since he was a teenager. He sold his last bike over 10 years ago and never plans on riding one again. He thinks that other drivers are making the roads too dangerous.

Is he wanting a scooter or a motorbike? Scooters are slower than motorbikes. Both are dangerous though.

For both you need to get a provisional licence, sit your online theory test (presumably centres are open again), then your cbt (which is your one day basic training after which you can go on the road on your own bike). Then your lessons for a good many weeks on your own bike or one you hire. The one you will sit your test on. Up our way they take you out two learners at a time and one instructor.

The you sit your test. If you sit it on a moped you get a moped licence. They are slow. Easier to ride as automatic so no gears.
Or you sit on a 125cc bike. A bit faster but not that much power. Cheap to road tax.
Or you can sit it on a big bike which then lets you buy a bigger bike yourself. Faster. Road tax and insurance is dearer.

The problem is that young people’s brains don’t fully develop until 25 ish. So they don’t have the full warning system they should when faced with dangerous situations. It’s scary. But the law allows us to give them keys to cars and bikes.

Perhaps he won’t be able to afford it all? Has he ever been in a bike?