Family Fun On Two Wheels
Kids & MOTORCYCLES
"C'MON, LET'S RIDE!"
Special Section: Motorcycle Training and Riding as a Family
FAMILY FUN ON TWO WHEELS
In many ways, motorcycles are like magic carpet rides, wondrous vehicles that can transport their occupants to whole new worlds of fun and excitement. From the moment you first throw a leg over a motorcycle, the unequaled sense of freedom and adventure they offer is apparent. they offer is apparent.
For most of us on the staff of Cycle World, motorcycles became a huge part of our lives when we were kids. The sport was introduced to some of us by parents and childhood mentors, while others stole their first ride when the concept of “proper supervision” took a brief hiatus. Either way, the hook was set.
This special section of Cycle World stems from our desire to share the joys of motorcycling with the next generation of riders and their families. What follows are two feature stories intended to help parents understand just some of the many advantages that riding as a family activity has to offer. The first story offers a glimpse at some of those benefits while providing a few useful tips for riding with friends and family. The second story is a first-person account of what a father experienced when he took his daughters to a Honda Rider Education Center for a basic offroad riding course.
One family that has received many benefits from riding and given even more back is the Herrmanns of Palmdale, California. The father, Chuck Herrmann, started riding in his early teens with a neighborhood family that took motorcycles along on regular camping trips. Once that off-road introduction to motorcycles ignited Chuck’s passion for two wheels, few were surprised when his first street vehicle was a motorcycle. From that time forward, he has never been without a motorcycle.
Even when he married his sweetheart, Brandie, streetbikes were part of Chuck’s life. And soon after the Herrmanns started a family of their own, dirtbikes again became part of the landscape. At age 5, their son Curtis began the time-honored pursuit of begging for a minibike. His efforts would not be in vain; for his sixth birthday, Curtis became the proud owner of a Honda Z50 minibike. His enthusiasm quickly got Dad back to riding dirtbikes, and soon Mom and little sister Breeana joined in the fun. The family activity continued to grow as the Herrmanns joined friends for camping trips, and Curtis soon began amateur racing with the whole family cheering him on from the sidelines.
This, however, is where the story takes a tragic turn. After a wonderful weekend supporting her older brother at the races, Breeana, age 6, went to sleep and never woke up. The cause was a pediatric brain tumor that had given no warning and so was never detected. As the Herrmanns struggled to deal with this tragedy, they learned of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and that organization’s fund-raising efforts through the Ride For Kids program. “We had no idea that pediatric brain tumors are such a threat to kids’ health,” said Chuck. “Though we had no options for helping Breeana, we decided to give the money that people had donated in her honor to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.” This initial generosity became the impetus to further generous acts by young Curtis Herrmann. After his mother participated in a walk-a-thon, Curtis came up with an idea that would utilize his family’s love for motorcycles to honor his sister and help fight this disease in other children. Thus, Laps 4 Love was bom.
Curtis, along with a few very special riding buddies, asked people to sponsor them for every lap that they could ride around a motocross track during a five-hour period. It was a simple concept, but it got amazing results. By event’s end, Curtis and his friends had ridden a phenomenal 250 laps and raised more than $14,000. And perhaps more importantly, they had started something that would continue to grow.
To date, Laps 4 Love has held four lap-a-thons and raised in excess of $86,000, all of which has gone directly to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Plans are now underway to host the fifth annual event, tentatively scheduled to take place in early 2006. If you want to discover more about these great events and learn how you can support their efforts, log onto www.laps4love.com.
So, yes, motorcycles really are magic carpet rides. And sometimes, the magic can even help save lives.
