Archive for the ‘Sport Bike Safety’ Category

Guest post by: Lisa Alexander

Many children grow up in families where custom sport bikes are a part of life. I remember my husband taking our boys for rides as soon as they were old enough to walk. This was terrible for me, as I have not much experience on a motorcycle. However, my husband has been riding since he was a little kid so it was just a natural process for him.

Most kids love to ride motorcycles, but the issue is highly controversial. I am an overprotective mother, so it’s hard for me too. However, all my children love riding in them and I trust that my husband has their best interest at hand all the time. I really hate it when my kids are on the road, because I know that accidents can happen so quickly. Of course they wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. They also must wear helmets that fit properly.

They make little custom  sport bikes for children to travel independently when they are four or five years old. My kids learned to operate one as soon as they were able to ride a bicycle without training wheels. Of course, the motorcycle, called 50, is very realistic and does not go too fast. When I look back now, I think it was a very good for them to learn about operating a motorcycle safely..

This does not mean that everything was so easy! My oldest son crashed his motorcycle into a fence when he was seven! He lost control and I think he tried to stop but panicked and pushed the gas more. My other son loved to go as fast as he could, so we hesitated to move to a bigger bike, because with the bigger size came more power. Children should never be left to ride a motorcycle without the proper safety equipment and without parental supervision.

Since by law they can not ride their custom motorcycles on the street, they had to ride on private streets and dirt bike paths. Make sure the type of custom sport bike you purchase for them is designed for such difficult terrain. You should also consider buying them a helmet that covers the entire face. It is common for children, when they have their first motorcycle accident, to hit their chin and mouth on the handlebars. This is the main reason why you should purchase a helmet that covers their entire face.

If your child is a rider on a motorcycle with another adult, make sure that the adult has a license to operate a motorcycle. Younger children can ride in the front of the motorcycle, but are encouraged to ride in the back. Make sure you always wear a helmet, even for a short trip. Children can ride a motorcycle on the main roads, but this is a personal decision for parents.

While operating or riding on a motorcycle can be a little dangerous for children, they will have tremendous amounts of fun. They will make long lasting memories too. Parents have the responsibility to keep their children safe while riding a motorcycle. Do not share helmets among your children because they will not fit each of them properly.

Many children enjoy custom sport bikes, and parents will find that can help them be more responsible. They also learn valuable skills about operating vehicles and safety at an early age. They also develop skills to make them safer drivers so that when they are old enough to ride a motorcycle on the street they will have the experience necessary to be safe riders.