Teenage daughter and Moped/Motorcyle

[mum222]

My 16 1/2 year old daughter has a moped or rather I should say a 'motorcycle'. It's bright green and orange replica of a racing bike but only a 50cc. She's a sensible rider and loves the fact she is a blonde female on a racey looking bike. However, despite having all the safety clothing and by this I mean, apart from helmet,gloves and jacket, she also has re-inforced trousers - she will not wear them when the weather is 'fine' and by that I mean dry and not raining. To quote her I'm wearing 4 pairs of trousers'. We had a flaming row this morning about protecting her knees if she comes off (which she did a few months ago and skinned her knee badly). Her argument is, they're bulky, hot, uncomfortable and she cant walk in them and people laugh as she walks into college and she wears more protective clothing than most do on a 50cc. I have said it's not the engine size, its other drivers, pulling out on you, cutting you up and not seeing you. Vanity is playing too big a part in this. She is currently saving for a 125cc when she turns 17 and I have said she's not having one if she continues to adopt this stupid and immature attitude. If she injures herself badly, guess who'll be picking up the pieces.

Any advice please or has anyone else a teen, particularly a daughter who is into bikes?

Friend of ours really injured her knee when someone overtook coming the other way.

Gravel rash is never a good look. Getting over that will be a lot more bulky, hot, uncomfortable and immobilising than the trousers.

Before saving up for the 125 could she save up for some more fashion conscious biker trousers?

Oh yes, motorcycles. Or as the police apparently call them, "coffins."

What about the reinforced jeans you can get?

it's one mile per one inch of skin - tell her that.

So if she's going at 30mph that's 30 inches of skin - pretty much all of her legs

oh and the scarring can be terrible

Road rash story

Werewolf a sobering story and a very brave lady.

Mum222 I think the message for your daughter is that if she comes off a bike the above is what happens, no ifs, buts or maybes.

Kevlar lined jeans are very good - you can put armour in them too. One of the stipulations we made when my son (now 20) started to ride was that he wear protective clothing at all times. He has stuck to this and has textile jacket/trousers, leather jacket, full set of leathers, and a pair of kevlar jeans. He wears whatever is appropriate at the time. Proper boots are also important - a friend would have lost his foot in a motorcycle accident (some fool opened a car door in front of him) if he had not been wearing proper boots.

What about something like Draggin jeans? They look "normal" and have hidden pockets for protectors?
I am a biker with a big bike and wouldn't dream of riding in any thing less than full leathers but I understand how they don't want to do that on a little bike.
Take a look at "bulletproof clothing" website and see if there's anything there she likes.
I'm in love with the chupa chups helmet!

shop.bulletproofclothingco.co.uk/bulletproof-moto-gear-107-c.asp

Here's the link for them.

My sister was hit by a motorcycle and the impact sent her rolling down the road 50 meters. The gravel rash was awful. She lost most of the skin from her leg from knee to ankle. For months she had to sit with tweezers picking all the bits of tarmac from her leg. It look months to heal and was extremely painful.

The driver of the motorcycle had protective clothing and had no injuries and he slid a similar distance.

I would take the hard line, try to find clothing that she likes. But ultimately I would ban her from riding without any.