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Question: How do i convince my very stubborn mother to get me a motorcycle at 16?

(Posted by: chico1014 on 2010-03-08 18:35:35)

The bike is a Honda CBR125R It's cost per month is $64 Insurance is $301 I have the money to pay for it I'm very responsible and it would be just to go to school then to my work(law firm) and back home. She has never riden a motorcycle, so she doesnt personally know what it's like or how dangerous it really is. And she is making her decision based on how idiot do stunts on the bike and kill themselves. i dont have enough money for a car but i do for the motorcycle. and i live in ontario, canada i would only be driving at low traffic times, and nnever on the highway.

Posted by: vtwin_doc on 2010-03-08, 18:44:17

Show her YOUR sense of responsibility....I ASSUME you have a car drivers' license....take the Motorcycle Safetly Foundation's Riders' Safety Course, pass it and get your certificate, go to the DMV and give them your cert and they will give you your motorcycle endorsement. Present the cert and your m/ c license endorse to your mother to show her that you have enough responsibility and knowledge to think and plan ahead and get educated on rider safety and skills. msf-usa.org/

Posted by: Lola on 2010-03-08, 18:45:26

Your mom is not being stubborn, she really loves you and cares a lot for you and don't want nothing bad to you. My parents always say this to me; "You can be driving good but the other other person who's driving can hit you. " Riding a motorcycle is dangerous and there's a lot of deaths resulting to it. I'm not scaring you or being rude, I'm actually saving you. Your only 16, your mind is not that fully developed were you know better. Even 16 year olds that drives cars get accidents and die. Imagine a 16 year old on a motorcycle? I think maybe you should get a car and not a motorcycle. Just wait a couple more years your way to young anyways.

Posted by: sapper13b on 2010-03-08, 19:05:32

Just wait until your 18. I didn't get my first bike until I was 25. Stop being a baby.

Posted by: gildersleeve on 2010-03-08, 19:06:10

It sounds easy and affordable, but it's still wa-a-a-ay more dangerous than a car. No, that doesn't have to be an absolute deal-breaker for you, but you're disproving your competence to own a motorcycle if you gloss over the risks in any way. The risks are very, very real. Heart-breakingly real. The only way you and she are going to resolve this sensibly is if you BOTH look up the statistics on accident rates (including in many kinds of traffic situations, many kinds of weather conditions, and different types of drivers, demographically speaking). And the fatality rates, injury rates, and permanent-crippling rates. And then compare those stats to the motorcycle-ownership numbers in the same region. This should give you both a more-or-less realistic idea of how often people get out there and ride their motorcycles without any disastrous incidents happening. You BOTH need to be stone-cold honest about the significance of ALL the statistics. The honesty is the only way you two can put the statistics into a healthy and realistic perspective. I'm with your mother. I'm middle-aged, and I've seen way too many people over the years who died or were crippled for life because of motorcycle accidents. A couple of these people were close friends, some were people I grew up with. One serious crash was family (serious injuries, coma for 2 months, he was in constant pain and out of work for over a year -- but he DID eventually recover fully, and rode for many years afterward). About half of them happened ONLY because car-drivers or truckers didn't see the cyclists, and either ran into them, or never touched them but caused the cyclists to swerve out of control and crash. Lane-changing smack into an un-noticed cyclist is a horribly common pattern. If you are the cyclist, it isn't just you who has to be capable, wise, alert, and safety-sensible at all times. And you can't count on *every* other vehicle driver on the road to be those things. "It only takes one " to make your mother be suddenly having to plan your funeral. In a collision between a motorcycle and a car, the motorcycle *always* loses -- even if the car does, too. Think carefully about that, and weigh it all up *intelligently,* before insisting too strenuously. That said, the vast majority of the people I've known who rode motorcycles did so happily and without disastrous consequences for many, many years. Some of them still ride whenever they can. Two of them collect vintage motorcycles, and have a ball riding them each in turn. Do you have a trustworthy adult motorcycle-riding "mentor " you could ask to help teach you all the ins and outs of this? Knowing you are following someone else's experienced, competent advice might damp down your mother's worst fears a good deal. Whatever you decide, stay strong, be sensible, and have fun! And good luck!

Posted by: csburridge on 2010-03-08, 19:58:14

First of all, your mother cares about you. So please don't think badly of her if she wishes to keep you safe that's her job. Now, given the information that you have presented, it sounds like your mother is getting bad information and believes death is the next step after getting a motorcycle endorsement. What you must do is counter the information your mother receives with positive information. Such as, a motorcyclist learns to identify and take steps to reduce the risk of riding a motorcycle. One way to learn this is to take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Beginning Rider Course. The course will help you to identify risk and teach you to take the necessary steps to avoid it. You will have to get your parents permission to take the course, but it may help elevate some of your mothers fears knowing that you will get formal training. Another way would be to start buying motorcycle books, from local bookstores, that give advance tips on riding safely, and leave them where your mother can find them and maybe look through them to see not all riders are hell bent to destroy them selves. As you learn more and more, you must keep the lines of communication open with your mother. You have a most difficult task before you, and communication is key. You must ease her fears with solid proof that you can handle the complex task of riding a motorcycle in today's fast paced and distracted world, and not get killed by a distrated driver...or an angry mother who loves you. Good Luck and Ride Safe

Posted by: Hormazd Irani on 2010-03-08, 20:11:50

The CBR 125 R is not just any old commuter bike. I am sure you will agree with that. So how come you want this particular bike to take care of your seemingly innocent commuter needs, is the big question. It is obvious that your mom does not trust you, neither does she take anything at face value. You will have to earn her trust. Also there is no harm in waiting for a couple more years. She wants you to have a longer life span. Bikes are not the only things that matter in the world, you know; there is lot more that needs doing out there. Respect her decision or try and win her over with another more sober model. You don't have to start your road innings with race look alike you know!

Posted by: Aussie H.D. Rider on 2010-03-09, 03:18:18

Be real nice to her - make her breakfast in bed & so on.Do a few more house hold chores and work the bike into general conversation.This is good practice for married life as well - although nowadays if I want a new bike I just buy it as long as I can still pay bills & buy food.You could drive your ma to the dealer and look one over after you`ve just taken her for out for coffee.

Posted by: guardrailjim on 2010-03-09, 08:00:40

Compromise with her. Buy a scooter instead of a motorcycle. Tell her it doesn't have enough power to do stunts. They don't go faster than a 10 speed bicycle - so what's the difference between a bike and a scooter. A scooter will get you to where you are going and it will show your Mother that you can be responsible. She'll get accustomed to you riding and will calm down. You can sell it within a year, then buy a motorcycle.

Posted by: ymmot ton on 2010-03-10, 18:14:52

When you pass the bar exam, then you can buy whatever you want, and if your mom slanders you, for riding a bike, you can take her to court. How is your yearly insurance only 301?