Hey guys.

The story goes like this...

Yesterday It was my nephews birthday.
Me and my sister - his mum - agreed that he could have a 49cc mini dirt bike for his birthday after he's been asking for one for ages.

Me being 17 and into my bikes for a long time now ( dirt etc. ) decided that this would be great to get him one, because it would be great to get him into riding and seeing him on his own little motor.

So a few months ago me and my sis agreed that I would buy the bike and she would buy the gear. I thought this was a good idea at the time so that I didn't have to spend too much (only 17 years old and not rich.... YET!!) so we came to an agreement that this is what was going to happen.

It came to the day before his birthday which was a saturday and I had the bike at home.

I spoke to my sis to ask her that she got all the right gear and she told me that she had got him a helmet. I then told her that when I meant gear I meant Helmet, body protection, jacket, gloves, boots, goggles and all the necessary pads etc.

After a discussion about not having the correct gear, I told her that I'm not letting him have the bike because I didn't think it was safe for him to ride without full gear on. I came to this conclusion because when I rode dirt myself and had came off a few times, I figured that I would have ended up a lot worse if I didn't have a full set of gear.

So now my sister wont talk to me because my nephew is so upset and was looking forward to getting the bike ever since he found out. I told her that he can have it as soon as she gets him the gear, but she replied she didn't have enough money after christmas and all to get the rest of the stuff. My reply was that he could have the bike as soon as he is kitted out but until then, he cant ride.

My sister is in no way a bad mother to her son, but in my opinion she just underestimates the damage that can be caused by a motorcycle even at 20-30mph when your not wearing full gear. I this naivety comes from the fact that she has never rode any CC motorcycle in her life and she doesn't drive a car either so I just think she doesn't appreciate the power that these little bike have and the injuries that can occur even at low speeds.

Although I may be wrong? Do you think that I could be too overprotective of my little nephew, or that I might be dwelling too much on the times when I've come off and then possibly worrying that the same will happen to him?

I love my sister very much and I know she always does well by her son and he is so spoilt and she takes very good care of him. I just think in this situation, I've done the right thing...

What's your guys' take on this?

Cheers, Tom.

 

I was dirt poor when I learned to ride. The only gear I had was a helmet and some gloves. I survived.
If your sister is okay with that level of protection then why not let him ride?
I appreciate you are trying to protect the little fellow, but you did get him a bike. So you can't be on both sides of the fence. Either you want him to ride or you don't.
It isn't really fair to dangle the bike in front of him and not let him ride it.
Most small bikes can be limited. Set up the bike properly and set him loose.

 

I agree with you on that one man. They don't have the experience to understand how important gear is. She'll come around. Maybe tell her you want to talk about it and explain the situation to her and talk to your nephew and let him know he's gotta be patient but that hell get to ride soon enough.

 

You have a legitimate concern based on your experiences. Your sister doesn't have the experience you do so she doesn't see the need for anything other a helmet. However, its really not your place, even though you are the one giving the bike, to tell her how to parent. I can understand why she is mad, since her son was counting on this but a few things should have happened. One being that the gear should have been discussed prior to the day before he was suppose to get the bike. There was a huge lack of communication between the two of you. Secondly, your nephew should have never been told he was getting a bike in case something came up, like this. I know, hindsight is always 20/20, but something that seems so minute to adults, is devistating to a young child. Not that it truly is the end of the world, but to them, it is.

But the real issue here is where to go from here. I say let him have the bike. Depending on what it is, it can be governed down. The bigger issue is to make sure he has a decent place to ride it. If he has a large open field to ride it in, he should be fine. If he has to navigate through a backyard, thats when things can happen.

In some cases, a helmet is enough. Of course, if its a full on race 50cc bike, then thats different. If the bike is going to have training wheels with a tether, a helmet is enough for the kid to learn on. But if the kid is going to be solo on the bike and tearing it up on his own, more gear should be worn. Big difference between a 4 year old puttn around versus a 5 or 6 year old going crazy on his own.

You may get better feedback, and more accurate assesment if you let us know what type of bike, how old the kid is, and where he will be riding it. Those 3 factors will be a huge deciding factor of whats the proper gear.

Just out of curiosity, what does the father think of everything?

 

Tom,

You are to be commended for wanting to have your nephew protected. However, you need to take a step back & look at things now.

It sounds like there was a breakdown in communication. In law, they call it a "meeting of the minds" when the parties agree to *exact* terms of an agreement. Apparently, you & your sis didn't have a meeting of the minds on exactly what was expected to be purchased in regard to gear. Regardless...

So she got the helmet & nothing else (that's the big thing). Its time to move on to what can be done to rectify the situation such that your nephew gets the bike. The cat is out of the bag w/ your nephew. Its not right that the actions of you & your sis punish the little guy. You want him to remember this birthday as a special time, not a bitter disappointment that will harbor ill feelings. Time to be the hero uncle & step up to the plate. So, go get some leather work gloves & some leather hunting/outdoor boots. That's sufficient to get the little guy going. There is no need for uber-gear like a motocross racer would need, when he's just going to be puttering around on some dirt trails. [Inserting disclaimer - proper training & supervision are a must for a beginner.]

Starting out as a youngster w/a dirt bike, I didn't have much in the way of gear either. I had a helmet, leather work gloves (from a local farm supply store), & regular hunting boots. I wore jeans or overalls, & whatever jacket/coat I had at the time. I rode all over creation in those days in the rural area in which we lived. Later, I got into motocross. <--- That's where I really learned about gear for that particular aspect of the sport. However, for puttering around the countryside trails on my dirt bike, what I mentioned above was more than sufficient.

You need to act on this NOW. Get those couple of items & give him the bike now. Bury the hatchet w/ your sis, make this a fun time, & chalk it up to a live-n-learn experience about joint gifts & expectations. Put any ill feelings aside & focus on the joy that your nephew will experience. The cost of the gloves & boots will melt away when you see the ear-to-ear smile on this face.

That's my $.05 (adjusted for inflation). Take it for what its worth.

Good luck.

 

Hi guys, Thanks to the input from you all. It's really appreciated. Justasquid, J's dad is on the fence. He's 8 and the bike is a yammy 50 and mud tracks with humps etc is where he will be riding. J's dad rode a bike before and he thinks he should have gear, but he also thinks i'm going over the top a little.

I have kind of rectified the whole thing a little. I found some of my old gloves and boots which have been stored away for some time. I told myself I would hang on to them just incase ( never thought of it at the time ) but I guess they will be sufficient for now.

I also talked to my sis and told her that I do think that he will need some more stuff but for now he can ride as long as I get to teach him properly and supervise him.

We have a mud track not far from us so I will be able to teach him there. I hope i'm making the right decision, Becky (sister) and I have agreed that I'll take the bike round tomorrow and then next weekend I'll take him on the track and hopefully create the start of a beautiful thing.

Thanks to all the input guys, Goodnight.

 

Helmet and your gear! sounds like good basics. Get some pictures of the little guy at work

 

it sounds like you guys are on the right path. It will be a great experience for all of you and your nephew will remember this for a long time. But since you filled in the age and bike, I'd say get him a chest protector. Sure, boots are very important, but protecting his chest and head,(things that damage can be extremely dangerous), should be covered. Im sure if you look, you can find a cheap used chest protector on ebay. I would look into getting one fairly soon as he will progress rather fast on it.

But in all honesty. 8 years old on a 50cc.... he should do pretty well with it. Since your on a track, its far better than a back yard or a field that has unexpected drops and hills. A track is a great place for him to hone his skills.

On a sidenote:
Many props to you for stepping up and doing the right thing, not only by letting him have the bike, but being there to teach him. Your mentality is far beyond 17 years. There aren't any 17 year olds around here that would take the time to do what you are doing. You should be proud of yourself.

 

I wish I would have had an uncle that'd have hooked me up with a bike when I was younger

 

if its in the dirt, helmet and goggles and some gloves. Boots that protect ankles. I got my first bike at 8 and thats all i had, chicks will dig the scars later in life anyway haha


just teach him, and let him loose