Hello guys. What are your friends and familys views on motorcycling? My parents hates bikes and think they are death straight of the bat. Does not matter what you ride or how you ride, you are going to die. That is how they think. I know they are just afraid of anything happening, but how do you deal with this if you have this problem with your family? Myself is 27 and own a house, have a girlfriend, cars, pets etc, but it still gets to me how i can get my parents to calm down a bit about it. Feel like i can't even ride to their house, because it is just gonna start a argument.
I knew how u feel. I was never allowed a bike my dad used be a paramedic and he was a anaesthetic technician. So he's seen when shit goes wrong. As soon as I left I bought a bike to be honest he was ok with it. As for a the wife I don't have one so fuck what they say
I guess I was lucky. My Father was a Police motorcyclist and so I grew up with and around bikes and was riding off road at a very young age. When I reached 16, my mother was not keen n the idea of me ridiing (she was a nurse in A & E) but my father used the argument that me being taught to ride properly would be a better option than getting on the back of someone who was less skilled or untrained. So she conceded. I think the only time this nearly backfired was when I was about 19. My father came off the Police bike on the Oxford bypass smashing his collarbone. 2 days later my sister crashed her AP50 Suzuki Moped and a few days after that I was rear ended on my Suzuki GT380 resulting in me breaking my knee cap and being unable to walk. I had left home by this time but I was unable to look after myself and so I had to return home. My poor mother had about 4 weeks of 3 of us not being able to do very much. But, on the plus side, I have subseqently had a career in motorcycling since I became a full time Police rider when I was 21 and I still work with motorcycles to this day despite having had the crash which left me disabled. My father and I were the first father and son Police motorcyclists (in my force) holding class 1advanced tickets (we were also the first father and son to hold class 1 car qualifications as well), my mother eventually embraced us riding and made many friends herself in the motorcycle community (although she did not ride herself) and she was instrumental for 25 years help me organise the annual trip to Assen for the GP. Mrs TC has been all over Europe on the back of the bike and loved it, she still avidly follows MotoGP. In fact when I retired, it was her that went and brought my new bike without telling me My daughter is desperate to learn to ride, but I am reluctant to let her despite the fact she is 25 on the basis that she cannot ride a pedal cycle without falling off But I took her to her first live bike meeting a couple of weeks ago and Talan and all the crew at www.talanmotorsport.co.uk looked after her and spoilt her big time and now she is hooked. I have had to explain to her that not every race meet guarantees the VIP treatment. So all in all, my family are in agreement that motorcycling has been good for me and for the family. I have done things that many can only dream of doing. I have met people that have inspired, are very famous, it has provided a good career, and I have seen many parts of the world and been paid to do so because of motorcycling. On the downside? 1 very bad injury which is a legacy of my Police service, I have ridden in some pretty unpleasant weather, I have had to deal with and have seen some pretty gruesome sights. Would I do it again? You bet I would, in a heartbeat. Would my family let me do it again? These days possibly not. Different era now, different mentality. Different attitudes.
Parents & friends who don't like bikes very rarely change their mind. So bit of a waste of time using energy to persuade them any different. Just live your own life & if you do ride over to theirs, leave the old ear plugs in for the first 10 minutes I find my WhatsApp status always cheers them up no end too, if you want to try it
I was lucky like you TC my father rode motorcycles and was a police officer, he was not a police motorcyclist as such but he did ride some police bikes, I remember him bringing them home, it was 40 years ago but I think they were Honda CB350's . He also had the advanced driving qualification. Him and mother (reluctantly) allowed me to purchase my first moped, a Garelli Rekord. I rode that for 11 months without hurting myself so dad gave me his CB125. I had a break from bikes whilst my 4 children were young but started up again 12 years ago. As I had only ridden up to 250cc bikes I had to take my direct access test, 8 months later I did the police bike safe course which is great. I have since done the I2I motorcycle control course. My wife surprisingly really took to it so we have toured abroad a number of times, she rides pillion and is more than happy, when riding through the Alps and is very adept at taking pictures whilst we are on the move. Would I want my kids to ride, no I would not, the standard of the average car driver is appalling, i think some of this to do with modern cars and people feeling so safe with their airbags and ABS, they just don't concentrate. Would I do it again, yes deffo I have not suffered a bad accident that has left me with any problems, so don't have that to consider.
My mum used to hate it when I would go out on the bike and my dad would get it in the neck as I used to go to his work on the back of his. My missus isn't to keen but respects it's something I love to do, I took both daughters on he back with one being good on the back and one pretty hopeless lol My first accident leaving me in a coma for three weeks hasn't put me off and the latest being taken out by a van, two compressed discs later still hasn't put me off but makes it harder for those around me. My brother who doesn't ride thinks it helped him be more aware while driving after getting on the back.
My dads got three bikes and loves biking so he's cool. My mum doesn't really like them but isn't vocal about it. The missus is cool with them, if not a bit scared of them. She wants to have a go on the back eventually, took her on the back of a moped on holiday and she though that was a bit fast [a cyclist overtook us going down a steep hill ]so maybe not ready for the Blade just yet, im going to use it as an excuse to justify getting another bike thats a bit comfier for a pillion .
My Dad had a bike, almost killed himself in a bad crash before he had kids, so mother banned us from having bikes Brother went plod and rode bikes for work (class 1), and pleasure. Sister rode a moped to get to college/work until she could afford a car. I waited until I was in my 40s then did my direct access as only ridden 'peds and off road before. Dad, not overly impressed when I wrote off an Astra with my bike, but just told me I was stupid and should stick to cars. No idea what my mother thought as we haven't talked in years, or is that decades now. Currently the wife has a 125 NSR 2 stroke and is thinking of doing her test, the eldest has a 125 Aprilla, and the youngest isn't interested but likes going pillion. End of the day it is all about balance, if you love it and your family hate it then don't rub it in their faces, but at the same time they shouldn't have a go at you about it.
My parents and grandparents are all dead and I'm not married and don't have any kids so nobody cares........
Seriously though....... My girlfriend loves bikes and everytime I mention selling it she lets out a, "Nooooooo!!!!!" so I'm good. I have a theory that she has designs on my death-in-service benefit payment from work
Pretty lucky with family as dad used to have bikes and where I grew up the bus service was crap and needed a bike at 16 to get to work! I think my enthusiasm for bikes has transformed a few people at work, as in the last two years 6 people have gone and done their bike tests, just waiting for them to get some serious decent bikes now though
I grew up with motorcycle racing trophies round the house, including TT replicas. Dad made an OK living racing bikes, back in the day (no you have never heard of him !!). He made sure I got my bike for my 14th Birthday (just like he did) and I had to cycle down to get my provisional licence on the morning of my 14th Birthday (just like he did). It was all before I was born, but it was a big part of his life - the photo albums, stories, scars, gaps in the teeth ! Dad was a racing motorcyclist.
My dad had bikes growing up but just before I was born I had an elder brother that was killed at 16 years old on his bike just 3 days before Xmas ,, mum who's no longer with us absolutely hated them for obvious reasons but I have 2 older brothers still and we all still have bikes and dad still fondly talks about the ones he had many moons ago. My 2 lads have grew up around bikes and visiting the races but I'm not sure how ill feel when they get to 16 and start asking for there own. Having kids has certainly slowed me down.
No need to feel sorry for me. I'm tall, dark and handsome Well.........I'm short, dark and handsome Actually I'm short, bald and handsome
You know what. There's no point bullsh!tting about it...........I'm short, bald and reasonable-looking in the right lighting conditions
My misses isn't too keen, but she knows she has to live with it. The biggest problem has always been my directors... they've always expressed "displeasure" at me owning a sportsbike, and have hinted (subtly enough to avoid litigation) in the past that it has prevented me from obtaining some "mission-critical" responsibilities!
Only rider out of my family, parents have accepted the fact its something I wanted to do when I was younger, and to this day still respect my choice (Mother worries) My misses isn't too keen either, but she also knows she has to live with it.
