16 year old and a motorcycle???

Random answer:

No

Please tell me she has a lot of training and you live in a rural area.

 

Ooh, I can see this getting really ugly, really fast. Driving two weeks? Definately not time for a motorcycle, unless its of the 50cc variety or its a little dirtbike or something like that. Hopefully its not a full on streetbike.

Unless she has been on dirtbikes before, then I would say its perfectly fine.

 

I have my license and used to ride years ago. Back when people actually watched the road and didn't think driving was secondary to talking on the cell, playing mp3s, etc..... even then, everyone I knew, e v e r y o n e, that had a bike, layed it down. Some more seriously then others but it was pretty much just luck that made the diff.....

You must be willing to accept this risk if you decide to ride. No way should a new driver be adding a bike to her options.

 

Well, given that you haven't indicated which streetbike it is, and the fact that at least she has been on one before, it may not be that bad after all. We aren't talking a CBR600 or 1000 here are we?

 

Hard one to answer....depends on the kid I guess and you need to be careful who you ask to, some people think no one should be on a bike and others think bikes are ok.

My daughter has been riding with me since she was around 5 or 6 years old, she is now almost 16 and the other day as we were riding she asked me "how old do you have to be to get a bike license?" Felt like saying "after I am dead" but how can I say that when I ride and so does her mother. I think it really depends on the kid, how responsible they are and to a point where you are. If you live in Los Angeles or its area forget it, Santa Barbara, yeah ok if NOTE BIG IF you trust the kid. In my case, she will get a car (not my Dino, her first choice for a car) for a few months and then AFTER MSF training we will talk about a street bike. She is already signed up for the Skip Barber "New Driver Class" at Laguna Seca, 3 weeks after she gets her license. Then a month or 2 later, MSF training and we will talk...

The short answer...I think 2 weeks is too soon without professional training but it really depends on the kid.

One of the reasons why I am willing to get her, her own bike is that I WILL NOT allow her to ride with anyone on their bike, she will ride her own or in a car, too many crazy kids out there killing themselves and I think she would be more level headed and safer that way, she is not into racing.

 

I don't think it's a good idea to let 16 yo girls drive anything at all!

flame suit on...

 

You've got to be kidding, her parents bought it for her? I don't know any parent that would buy a street bike for their kid who has just started driving, is female, with limited experience.(the female thing because I've only seen a handfull that I thought could handle it) I hope she took a training course.

Take it from a guy that was almost killed on one(fortunately only a broken collar bone) this is a fatal accident waiting to happen if this is as you described it. People just don't see riders.

 

Without more history on the new rider, the answer is a resounding NO. Dirt bikes teach you balance and control. A lot safer practicing on dirt bikes after training and then training again for the street.

The only time this would be a yes, or, if she was already well versed with MC's.

Sunny

 

Depends. If it's a hot sportbike and she has little experience, probably an exceedingly stupid idea.
If she's a fairly level-headed person, has gone to an MSF course, has good gear, and it's a good bike for a beginner (250 Ninja, EX-500, GS-500, SV-650, Buell, Blast, etc.), it's probably not a bad idea.

I got my first bike at 16 (Yamaha SRX250) and I think it made me a much better driver. I learned to be much more aware of my surroundings and ride and drive as if everyone was trying to kill me.

I think any vehicle that minimizes the number of distractions is a good thing. Just about every crash I can think of back in high school involved, alcohol, distracting friends (yelling, dropping a cigarette, making stupid dares), drinking or eating food, or playing with the radio. With a bike:
1. 1 passenger maximum (I would mandate no passengers at all for the first year of riding).
2. No radio. (no CDs to change or knobs to play with)
3. No smoking, or friends that smoke. (no cigarettes to drop)
4. No eating or drinking. (nothing to spill)

Are you more vulnerable on a bike? Yes. But, a life of avoiding every possible danger would be pretty damn boring.

 

I second that motion.

 

I third, fourth, fifth and sixth that.

 

This is not a good idea.

 

And seventh.
Saw too many bike FUBARS come into the ED in bloody pieces.

 

First question is what does she have for gear? Her parents should mandate that she ride with a full 1-piece Aerostich or the like EVERY time she rides, there are no exceptions to that rule. On top of the 'Stich, she needs proper motorcycle boots, gloves with carbon fiber knuckles, a back protector, and a full face helmet.

All the gear, all the time. If she wears this, she has a SIGNIFICANTLY greater chance of not only surviving, but getting through the next 40 years of motorcycle riding without a scratch.

It seems to be very hard here on the East coast getting kids to wear gear. When I first started riding I didn't even know gear like this existed because noone, not even my mother or father (both ride) ever wore anything more than jeans and a long-sleeve shirt. West coast riders seem to be more in tune with the "gear" mantra, but it could still improve.

Back in May of 2000, an older woman in a Camry cut across 3 lanes of 80mph traffic to make an exit ramp she decided last minute she wanted to make. I was cruising in the right-hand lane at the time, heading to work on my 3 week old CBR929. She slowed to about 40mph, the began cutting across traffic. I couldn't see her until it was too late and hit her in the right rear quarter panel at full speed. I flew over her trunk, landed on my left hip, and slid 62 yards. Because of my gear, I got a tow-truck ride back to the tow-shop, had my father pick me up there on his Valkyrie, went home, got on my '97 VFR, and went back to work in the same clothes I had the accident in. Not a scratch.

A little over a year ago, coming across the George Washing Bridge into NY, I took the Henry Hudson exit from the lower level and while going around the 180 degree sweeper at the bottom of the exit, I ran through a line of oil in the center lane from where some car had dropped its oil pan drain plug. The bike, my 2002 K1200LT, was unridable .. but 3 hours later I was eating dinner with my wife and her parents in China Town. The full extent of my injuries was a sore wrist from when I'd put my arm out to brace my fall.

On the opposite end of that spectrum, on my 10th day of first motorcycle ownership, I had a 20mph get-off. I was wearing a leather jacket, jeans, sneakers, and no gloves. My hands were littered with little pebbles of asphalt. Although I didn't actually "slide", as much as I hit the ground and rolled over twice. It tore through my jeans like butter, ripping through my left knee and right arse cheek. I couldn't sit without pain for 2 weeks (using the john was a real treat during that time), and pulling gravel out of my knee was not what I consider a high-point in my motorcycling memories. This from a 20mph getoff.

All the gear, all the time. All the gear, all the time.

On the "skill" end of the spectrum, have her rear Twist of the Wrist II by Keith Code. Have her read it now, and then again once a year for the next 3 years.

She needs seat time. If she's not riding every day, she's not riding enough. My father's been riding over 30 years. Until I got him his Valkyrie, he averaged about 2 thousand miles a year. This is why my father had no clue how to ride a motorcycle for 26 years. Looking through each and every corner, threshhold braking, target fixation, the traction circle, centripital forces (yes, centripital, not centrifugal), proper maintenance, proper posture, throttle control, trail braking, hanging off, suspension setup, etc .... these are concepts/techniques that every motorcyclist should know. Being familiar with and constantly practicing these techniques is what will keep you alive.

Bill in Brooklyn
'97 VFR
'98 Valkyrie
'00 CBR929
'00 CBR929
'01 CBR929
'02 K1200LT-C
'03 K1200LT-C

 

Sounds like a really really really bad idea.

 

ditto.

 

Good for people who are waiting for organ transplants.

 

I don't have anything against motorcycles (I have one), but 2 weeks of driving experience just isn't enough. I had extensive dirt experience and to tell you the truth, I think even with 2 years of prior street driving experience... Street riding is a totally different ballgame.

You know, she'll probably be fine... Just make sure she gets, or wears, some decent gear. Give her **** if she acts stupid on it. 16 year old girls are very impressionable.

 

Alex,

Show her this thread, if you can.........

Maybe she will understand and be smart.

 

I got my first motorcycle, a Honda SL100 when I was 12 years old. But, I lived in South Georgia and could ride on dirt roads and pastures with little if any traffic. Now I live about 30 miles north of Atalnat and won't even ride my Harley in Atlanat traffic and I've been riding now for 36 years...just too many cars not paying attention. When I ride now I go north up to the Georgia hills and countryside, not to town. I have been considering buying my 7, 9 and 11 year olds a dirt bike to ride in the woods though...but, my wife is against it.

 

i will take a similar position as the others...i think it is a bad idea!! i don't even care how much prior off road riding experience she has as it does little to prepare one for the life on the congested streets!! the rules of the road do not get taught easily or w/o close calls.

why would a parent allow this?

 

Hug your friend goodbye every time you see her. Hug her like it's the last time you'll see her.

 

Why would a parent allow it? Maybe they ride MC's as their primary transportation, maybe she has been riding everyday.

Most people do not wake up one day and say, I want a MC! Especially 16 year old GIRLS.

There's more to this story, and without those details, we're all pissing into the wind with the exception of those who have shared their experiences and safety tips on how to tackle these desires from a veteran rider viewpoint.

Sunny