Hey guys thought this would be the best place to gather some objective or outside opinions on teaching my 14 y/o teenager to get used to riding a bigger bike not because he has to but because he wants to. I've got the non traffic area to train in covered and have all safety equipment for him. Im looking into a cheap Rebel 250 for him to practice with.

Heres some facts for your consideration:
1. Has basic skills such as shifting, cornering and balance.
2. Has outgrown his KLX 140 dirtbike
3. Really conservative on movements (Doesnt make radical changes on pavement)

-How old/young were your kids when you taught them to ride a street bike?
-What size bike did you start him/her out on?

Thanks for the replies in advance. I dont know alot of folks that ride through work or personally enough to get good objective feedback and NO my wife isn't in agreement with me. LOL

 

At 14 he is old enough to learn but he'll want to ride on the street all the time and he legally can't. Why not just get him a bigger dirt bike? before he's tempted to sneak out one night and gets busted.

I was 7 when my Dad taught me to ride a street mini bike. Rode dirt bikes till I was 19 and then bought a dual purpose bike. Didn't need dad to teach me **** when I moved over to road legal bikes. The basics were already learned.

 

I'm planning on doing similar for my boy, he is about to turn 13...

If he can manage all the fundamentals, then it really is all about how much chrome and paint do you want him to scratch up. I expect that I'll get my son an older sportster or even a fatboy (He only wants a Harley... marketing has gotten him)

Put some engine guards on it and remind him that if he breaks it, he pays to fix it and a scarred up bike will tell people that he doesn't know what he is doing.

You could consider an enduro or similar as well... You know your kid better, but I'd avoid anything that might convey "rice rocket" until maturity has set in.

 

The best thing I did for my son was to let the Motorcycle Safety Course teach him how to ride a street bike. After he had his regular drivers license for a year.

He had all the confidence he needed after I taught him how to ride snowmobiles, 4 wheelers, dirt bikes, cars, trucks and boats starting at around age 7.

His first big bike was a Yamaha 250 dirt bike at age 15. His grandma let him use her 250 Honda Rebel last year after the safety course at age 17. Now he has a older 750 Kawasaki sport/touring bike for this year.

Some kids have more natural ability and confidence than others, but you know your kid best.

 

Thanks guys. Never thought about a good used dual sport being a catalyst to a full street bike. The weight would be a plus being he'd get the street training without weight handling. Great idea. Weve got an unsold piece of property behind our house Ive been letting all the kids ride their toys on for the last few years. Its a circle with side streets and complete with stop signs and pavement at least a mile around. (Developed subdivision without homes) Im thinking it would be the perfect place to practice for him. The safety course would be a must for Ins. purposes at his age. He's got about 9 mos. before he can get his bike license.

 

I'm an old geezer and riding before there were MSF courses and even a helmet law. The only thing that kept me alive during my teenage street years was the skills in riding sideways in the dirt. If he has outgrown that 140, a 250/650 KLR or DR has much going for it. You can take a KLR around the world and with the more than dirt bike weight get really good at moving the weight around in the dirt, then the street.

I think if you did a survey of lifetime long geezer riders, a high percentage of them owe their lives to learning a poop load of dirt skills. Hare & hound,TT, enduro, motocross etc. These skills transfer well.

 

I would think that if he has outgrown a dirtbike, he should be able to jump right on a smaller size street bike and take right off with no issues at all. I say this because I remember when I was 13 or 14, I had only ridden three wheelers, quads and small dirtbikes. One day, at that same age, I waited for my folks to leave the house. As soon as they did, up went the garage door and I took off on my father's 1975 CB 360t. Took it out for a 30 or 40 mile joyride and returned it to the garage without a hitch. I always had a knack for driving and riding though...I guess you know your son and can gauge whether or not he has the aptitude or not.

 

Yes!!......what you said!

 

I've realized that the skills learned by riding bicycles around corners from pavement to gravel...the times I ate it and the good saves...transferred to my Harley. I'd love to push my harley more like I could the bicycle...but it just doesn't seem wise.

But you won't like my answer (ur wife will) but I made myself stay off bikes until I was beyond the years of marriage and family. I think the risk/reward isn't there for the young...get older before you get on two wheels.

But...have fun and be safe.

 

BTW, assuming you get your boy licensed and skilled and on his own bike, the best teacher of skills is practice and good examples. Find a few other riders that wouldn't mind going on casual rides with novice riders and over the course of time get him a few hundred or thousand miles.

I'm sure that he will find the desire for speed and jackassing around, we have all done it and we all know the 2 kinds of riders. Those who have dumped their bikes and those who will.