My son has finally started to show some interest in bikes!!!!!! Yay Up to recently he couldn't care less about motorcycles and when offered the chance to have a little ride on daddies pitbike he ran a mile, his sister had a go though! He didn't like the noise and would never sit on my bikes. But, yesterday that all changed. He came and sat on the pitbike and wanted to know about all the controls, he pretended to ride it and then asked if he could sit on the RSV4. "Of course Son, knock yourself out"!! He jumped on board whilst it was running, gave it a big fist full of revs and got tucked in. I was a very proud Dad!! (Mum not so!!) He's only 6 and keeps asking me for an electric bike. I'm seriously considering this but don't what to get him? I don't want to spend a silly amount of money on an Oset as i fear he may only use it once and get bored of it. I need something light, good build quality and relatively cheap. I had considered a mini moto so that i can take him to some go-kart tracks but i also want to let him loose on our local field. Anybody done something similar and can offer some advice?
As a parent of a 16 year old lad who now insists on going out every weekend on his 125 mx bike all I can say is brace yourself …………..
Got my youngest into track days , his mother couldn't watch . Obviously they are as brave as you like. Ended up getting an R6 for commuting . To be honest I was kind of glad when he flogged it when his kids were born. No doubt he will go back to it when they've grown up a bit This was his first go on a 98 R1 when he was 17
Have you not given thought to trials riding, find a club or practice venue. My lad enjoys his trials riding and his flat tracking. I see you’re in Lincolnshire, I’m told there is a very active club near to you might be worth investigating.
I'm torn on what to do. Not a fan of trials and would prefer that he gets on tarmac ASAP. I could go down the route of mx but i had a bad injury on my first attempt whilst the wife was pregnant with our first, so she may poo poo that idea. However, lots of kids go mx riding and that may be the way i have to go?
I wasn’t a fan of trials riding, but it was a means to an ends and at the end of the day he needed to enjoy what he was doing. My lad was put off MX’ing due to the amount of injuries his associates got whilst MX’ing. I’m not sure on the path you’d take to tarmac, Mini moto or pit bikes I’m guessing. I ‘m hoping my lad does more flat tracking before he hits the tarmac if he ever does. But that is a decision only he can make.
I did road racing , my lad is MX. I prefer him to stay on the dirt. Yes you get injuries and yes they are more common but I still feel happier with him at 40 than 140mph. Fitness wise MX wins every time. Jesus he is fit. Socially …… again I think MX wins it as less snobby ( but also a way too basic at times I will add )
Biggest issue I had when junior had a little cheap chinese built bike, then a much nicer derbi 4 stroke bike, was where to run the thing. A few mates had fields he could rake about in. Ultimately he wasn't that interested in two wheels and I didn't think it right to force the issue. Sometimes it's the availability of local tracks or access to land that dictates the route you go, Trialing, MX, mini moto/pocket bikes, etc, etc. Found plenty of other great lad and dad stuff to do since, karting, much easier to do with some local and not so local tracks. More recently other car motorsport that he could do from the age of 12 navigating, driving stuff from 14 onwards. Junior will dust me off quite often now on four wheels, but I am carrying a lot of "success ballast" If kids show some good enthusiasm and/or a great deal of talent then you are in for some great fun..............and some serious spending.
My teenager at 15 and a bit, absolutely did not ever want to ride a bike. That changed completely a couple of months later, he passed his CBT on his 16th and ran his moped (yellow Skyteam Ace) for 12 months then on his 17th, took over the the Cagiva Mito and has been thrashing that ever since (and kept the 'Ace'). He now has more bikes than me (currently!)
If i'm anything to go by then my son will have limited talent but you never know! I just want it to be something that we enjoy together and that may be a tootle around a field or a wobble around a kart track on a mini moto. Either way, i need to find him something that gets him going and let's see if he has a hunger for it.
You could do worse than try here just for an experience day https://www.trials-school.co.uk/ Needs to be able to ride for this experience day http://www.flattrackschool.co.uk/main/ Enduro but a fair jaunt from your location and may not cater for one so young. https://www.mickextanceexperience.com/
I went Caterham, when I realised two wheels was a no no with the ministry of prevention. Difficult to think of a track where it did not end up in the armco, but we had a lot of fun.
I'm sure there's somewhere near me and i actually spoke to them once but I can't for the life of me remember who they are!!
Took my Grandson to the inch-perfect local to me for his first go at riding His Mom was always happy just to be a pillion for a short ride only though,my younger daughter has her license but she always wanted cruisers to each their own
