AD|Guide For Buying Your Teenager A MotorCycle

The idea of riding a motorcycle, having a vintage bike to do up, and the freedom to hit the open road can be very exciting for teenagers. Lots of teens start asking their parents for a motorbike, which can be nerve-wracking, to say the least. Even if you’re a fan of motorbikes yourself, it’s natural to worry, as a motorbike can be very dangerous in the wrong pair of hands. Deciding on whether they should have a bike shouldn’t be rushed, and agreeing should always come with a requirement. 

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Correct Gear

Wearing the correct gear when riding can greatly reduce the risk of being injured if you’re involved in an accident. Make sure that as well as the bike itself, your teen invests (or you buy for them) all the proper gear. It is essential to buy a quality motorcycle helmet, as it could save your child’s life. Sturdy boots and proper bike leathers will protect them if they come off the bike. Make sure they know that they must never ride their motorcycle without wearing the correct gear to keep them safe. 

Speed Restrictions

In the UK, those under 18 have a lot of restrictions on the kind of bike they can ride, which can be reassuring for parents. Motorcycle tests are very rigorous, more so than the test to drive a car, and have additional age restrictions. Learner-friendly bikes often come with a top speed of 60mph, and some licenses prevent teens from carrying passengers. This offers less opportunity to show off, which can put your mind at rest a little. Many accidents involving teenagers in cars are caused by peer pressure or the need to impress passengers.  

If your teenager has a more advanced licence and can carry passengers, it may be wise to ban them from doing so. A passenger can throw off the bike, especially for an inexperienced rider, so consider whether you want to remove this risk altogether. 

Alcohol

Teenagers and alcohol in cars are a big worry for parents. Even if you trust them not to drink and drive, their friends may drink in the car, and that can greatly increase the risk of an accident, even with a sober driver. 

Motorcyclists don’t seem to have the same problems with alcohol. For a start, it is physically impossible to ride a motorbike and drink something at the same time. The coordination needed to steer also makes it unlikely your teen would get far even if they did have an alcoholic drink first. 

In the UK, biker culture is very anti-drink-driving. You’re far more likely to see bikers drinking energy drinks, so they can drive home safely. This means your teenager is far less likely to take such a foolish risk than a teenager with a car. If they can’t carry passengers, you’re also removing the risk created by having passengers who are drinking or already drunk too. 

Other Drivers

Other drivers are a natural thing to worry about if your teenager rides a motorcycle. No matter how skilled and safe a rider they are, someone else could hit them. In a car, you have more protection. On a bike, you only have your own skills and your protective gear to keep you unharmed. 

If you’re worried about this, consider implementing some rules to keep them safe. This should include always wearing proper safety gear, but you could also restrict them from riding at night and ask them to avoid areas that are known to have high rates of accidents. 

Maturity

If you’re going to gift your child with something as powerful as a motorcycle, you need to know that they are mature enough for the responsibility. If you know they’re a risk-taker, then a motorbike is probably not for them, no matter how badly they want one. 

You need to be able to come to an agreement together about the rules surrounding their motorbike and be able to trust that they will follow those rules out on the road. Spend time discussing these rules together so everyone is in agreement. You could consider asking them to complete a pass plus or other extra courses for motorcycles beyond their initial test. Talking over the rules together will help you decide; if they are happy to discuss this and agree to your rules, it’s a good sign that they are mature enough to follow them. If they argue with you, then they probably aren’t, and you shouldn’t allow them to have the motorbike.

This is a collaborative post.