Convincing my mom to let me get a bike

[Andrew13]

The best way you can convince her is to sign the both of you up for the MSF course. That way she will learn far more about motorcycles than you will ever be able to convey to her, she will see you on a bike, and will be able to discuss your skills on a bike with a professional trainer. She may even get hooked and buy herself a bike.

[JDawg117]

Thanks for all the help.

My mom's 53, I doubt she'll get a bike.

My dad isn't as against it as my mom is. Hell, my dad rented some motorcycles once when he was younger and said he loved riding them.

In TN, you can get a motor-driven cycle license when your 14.

Taking the MSF course with her watching me is a good idea. Thanks icariz.

[CNF2002]

At 16 I doubt you will convince your parents.

[VermilionX]

get a NSR50. just add paint or stickers to it.



you can build your skills on an NSR50. it's even its own race class if you wanna stick to it.

then you won't need insurance on the bike, which is the big problem for young people.

but everything i said is useless if you need a bike to commute.

[dieziege]

What does 53 have to do with it?

[oldschoolorange]

You know what man. I just turned 23 and bought my first street bike. I had a few dirtbikes before that and my parents were not too happy about it. My dad kind of warmed up to me having them but my mom was never and is still not a big fan. I bought the street bike My dad was cool about it but my mom is pissed, Not much I can really do about it, They know I know how to ride as i have been dirtbiking for about 5 years so besides that I can't do much else. At 16 I would have probably killed myself on a bike, I was responsibe at that age but I love to go fast and at that age I did not ahve the skills or the self disipline to control myself. Start off on dirt learn some skills (how to fall is one of them) and then go from there in a few years because I gaurntee you that the first thing you do on that bike when there is no one else around is try and see how fast it goes

[icariz83]

There is nothing stopping him from getting a motorcycle. When I was 16 I was fully capable of showing up with a motorcycle... nothing anybody could say or do to stop it since at that point it would already legally be mine.

What he can't do is get a license without parental consent. He may or may not be able to insure it either.

Now, you can say "what's the point of a motorcycle without a license?" ... dirtbikes don't require licenses though.... nor do bikes that will be used exclusively on closed private property (e.g. racetracks and back yards). Beyond that, you can own a street bike and be fixing it up so that once you have a license you'll have a bike too.

But that isn't what he wants. He doesn't want a CBR in his bedroom or garage, he wants to ride it. That means parental consent to getting a license and insurance and so on.

Well I don't know the laws nationwide but I'm gonna guess that you have to be 18 to buy any street legal vehicle. Which would put our friend here SOL.
That's how they are here in the Southwest/RM region.

[dieziege]

No, there's no age restrictions to buy vehicles. That would be nuts... not only would it serve no purpose but it would people (e.g. orphans, child actors, little schemers, etc) from using their money...

I bought a car when I was 14... no problem. I could even register it. I just couldn't drive it.

I didn't finance it of course... that's a different subject.

Actually...this is the second time I've had this exact same conversation on this forum... aparently there are a lot of people who have invented this idea that you must be "of age" to own anything... very weird. The last time, the person also actually thought that only people could own cars, if you can believe that... they thought a corporation couldn't own a car.

[Flting Duck]

When I was that age, I never even considered the possiblity of getting a motorocycle. I knew that it just wasn't going to happen with my parents. Face it, motorcycles are dangerous(a car running a stop sign will still kill you, no matter how responsible you are) and the prime motivating factor of this guy's mom is that she probably has no desire to outlive him.

My mother passed away before I got my first bike at age 25. I'm now 47 and my dad, who deosn't swear very often, still refers to my bike as "that f***ing motorcycle." Guess why.

[Nibblet99]

I guess the 1 thing you can do is show you're serious about safety.... Maybe once a week, do lots of research into one type of safety gear, and buy a reasonably priced, but well rated bit (ie. back protector, gloves, boots, pants, jacket, helmet, wet weather gear, etc).... when your mother sees you spending so much time and care into getting the right gear, she may come around to the idea that you are responsible enough.

If you spread it out, so stuff turns up over time, it shows that 1. you want to do it right, 2. its not a fad you're going to grow out of, and 3. responsibility... It also gives them time to get used to the idea, and deal with it

Its not fool proof, but then there may be nothing that changes her mind. I guess the most difficult thing is to sit down, and talk it through.. no shouting (even if she starts to shout, it always helps to be reasonable and maintain the moral highground )

Finally when you do sit down and talk to her, make it clear about things like not touching a drop of alcohol if you're going to be riding the bike. and things like that... Always give the perception that you are making a decision like this, with all of the risks weighed up, and minimised.