[KeninIowa]

Here's the scenerio;
I've got a nephew that just turned 18 a week ago. He's been hinting around for six months that he'd like to have my 88 FZ. I always told him that I wouldn't get rid of it until my 86 was completely done. It was in the flood, completely submerged, so I told him if he could save it he could ride it the rest of the summer. Turns out it didn't have hardly any flood-related damage and the headlights half full of water are kinda cool. He was gonna get his license last Thursday, but it started raining before he got through the riding part.

So the other day my mother chews my ass about how irresponsible it is of me to give him that bike and all the guilt trip bullshit about how if he gets hurt it will be my fault. So I call my brother to say WTF because I'm sure it's something he said that set her off. He claims to not remember the conversation wherein he told me he didn't care if the kid had a bike. In that converstaion he actually told me it was up to his soon to be ex-wife. I suppose not realizing that since she bought a house down the street from me I see her more now than I ever did when they were together. She's actually been supportive of the idea. Her reasoning is that he'll be more careful riding my bike than if it were his own.

But I'm superstitious enough to believe that it's guarrantfuckingteed that the kid will get hurt on that bike if I let him ride it now. My plan since he works for me some anyhow is to pay him for the time he's spent on it, all his out of pocket expenses(he's already licensed, insured it, bought a helmet), tell the other adults to blow me and be done with it. Looking for opinions....

AND THEN...
I will tell Judey to blow me for picking on my spelling LOL

 

[Judeyramone]

Is a quilt trip something one goes on when one is cold?

 

[Geeto67]

I don't think he will get hurt...but at this point since there has been an objection, let the kid know what happened (kids won't understand money from a buyout as an explanation but they will understand parental authority figures keeping them down) who objected and make it their responsibility to figure it out. The last thing you want to be is in the middle of any kind of issue between your bro and his soon to be ex-wife.

wash your hands of it, tell the kid exactly why you are washing your hands of it, and then step out of the equation

 

[bmartin]

Many years ago I sold one of my semi-pro MX race bikes to a guy who ended up killing himself on the bike. Apparently he was driving it drunk and without a helmet. He ignored all my warnings about the bike and ended up in a bad way. I don't feel bad then and today like I did anything wrong.

Now I have a son-in-law that I was seriously thinking about giving him one of my done over 69 cb750's. I've since reconsidered my thinking about giving him the bike. The main reason is the big What if... Other than letting him ride one (while I ride with him), I don't see myself willing to take that kind of responsibility.

Riding can be very safe, but you have to be on your game 110% of the time. I've already two incidents this year where I've had one driver pull out in front of me and one almost take me out while I was starting to pull out of my drive way. If it wasn't for my extensive riding experience, I would have been road kill. So you may want to reconsider your offer. For me - it's pretty clear decision.

 

[Diamondj]

Please tell me he's taken a rider ed class? Iowa has a rider ed program:

http://www.dot.state.ia.us/mvd/ods/mre.htm

I agree with Geeto, wash your hands of it (at least initially) if one of his parents is objecting. Get the kid to talk to his folks - I guess mainly his dad. Maybe convince the dad to take the rider ed class with him to see he's approaching this in a responsible manner. If they BOTH agree he can take up riding then let him have the bike. You sure don't want to get in the middle of a family disagreement - particularly since your brother and sister-in-law are in the middle of a divorce. No matter how peaceful the split seems, it could be she's allowing the boy to get a motorcycle to bust your brother's balls....

Jim

 

[Judeyramone]

One of the main reasons I'm hanging onto my cb360 (other than it's so much fun), is that I have 3 kids under the age of 10. I asked my wife which she would prefer, for one of them (or worse, a boyfriend) to "borrow" one of the Triumphs someday, or to let me teach them how to ride safely, on a small beginner's bike? The small Honda has found a permanent home. All teenagers do stupid shit with motor vehicles.

He's licensed, but does he have any riding experience? I know if I had a bike that cool & fast when I was 18, I wouldn't be here to tell about it.

 

[2smokeTyler]

my mom wouldnt let me get my bike license when i was under her roof. i didnt get mine till i was 20 actually. even though i raced almost every weekend and won a couple of state trophies and finished in the top 10 at amatuer nationals, she wasn't putting me on the street. in hindsight, it was a good move. i was so cocky back then with my bike skills that i know i would have tried a bunch of stupid shit on the street. my RD, my cousin gave it to me for christmas, and he is terrified that i am going to get hurt on it. i have 2 years of street experience on me now and while that isn't much, i have matured A LOT and that is what it takes to ride safely on the street, maturity. to calm my cousin down i told him that if i didnt have the RD i would have bought another street bike, i mean, by now, no matter where a bike came from, i would have something. but in your case i think you better let the kid's parents decide. i think a good compromise would be (since you have 2 bikes) to ride with the kid for a while. take him out, keep him under your eye and basically teach him what it is like to ride on the street. i wish i would have had somebody to ride on the street with, i would have been much safer than i was. good luck, i know its a tough descision!

 

[Judeyramone]

Tyler, that's a super idea. If you have a spare bike, let the kid borrow it anytime he wants. You then have a riding partner and can decide if the kid's ready to have the bike. That would definitely ease my conscience.
My mom wouldn't let me have a bike at all, while I lived at home. I bought my first one while I was in the Army, and Mom didn't know about it until I was discharged, and it was shipped to her house ahead of me. All the other guys in the Army, flush with $$$ and no living expenses bought (at the time) brand new gsxr-750s. the battalion parking lot was full of more damaged fibreglass than any of you have ever seen.

 

[KeninIowa]

He's signed up for the MSF class. I told him that he couldn't ride anything of mine without taking the class. The waiting list was such that he can get his license a couple weeks before he can take the class which I told him was OK as long as he was signed up. I suggested that he and his father take the class together but appearently if you have a mid-life, my old lady left me Harley it's not important to know how to ride. He's had some dirtbikes around the farm and since he's been working for me had pretty much free run of my KDX.

I've pretty much decided it's not gonna happen. What pisses me off is that A. I'm going to look like a dick when all I was doing was trying to help the kid out. and B. Somebody should have spoke the fuck up if there was a problem with it before now.

Another sidenote; He's going to college in a town 40 miles from me. He's applied for a job at a dealership that a buddy of mine works at and I kinda know the service manager. He's almost guarranteed the job. So instead of getting his first miles on my weak-ass, 20 yr old 600 he'll have some access to the newest, fastest bikes with no direct adult supervision. Doesn't seem like that's in his best interest. So let's take this thinking to the extreme, I could call down there, get his ap pulled and he could flip burgers instead.

 

[2smokeTyler]

if the kid is like me, all he ever dreamed about was working in a bike shop. don't take that from him. i worked in my cousin's shop for 2 summers while i was in high school and i loved ever minute of making less than minimum wage at the time. just because he has access to that stuff, doesn't mean he'll get to ride it. if he gets the job and you know the people down there, tell them to keep an eye on him and not to let him ride stuff, though i'm sure they will not let a "newbie" just hop on a show room new 600 or something and go thrashing around on it. just be there for support, he'll appreciate that more than anything, but try to do some tandem riding with him. please don't throw up road blocks for the kid just because you are upset with the situation. be a motivator, be a teacher. you see so many "mini dads" at the race tracks now that just push their children so hard. you have to let them figure things out on their own, while keeping them reasonably safe. they are going to take their falls and they are going to get their scrapes but i know because i have had a rough go of things lately, the thing you need most is somebody that will encourage you instead of harping on what you did wrong.

 

[Eric750]

Ratty-550
Is this the 86 gsxr? if take some pic's and let him enjoy the bike as much as you do. just let him know thats its history he's on.


Eric 750

 

[KeninIowa]

quote:Originally posted by Eric750

Ratty-550
Is this the 86 gsxr? if take some pic's and let him enjoy the bike as much as you do. just let him know thats its history he's on.


Eric 750

Eric, nope the GSXRs are for me only. Put about 50 miles on your old bike today. Hadn't had it out in a while, all the roads around here are trashed from the water. When things get more back to normal I'll get you some pics of it with the 86. How ya coming on your 350?