Quality Family Time
QUALITY FAMILY TIME
Motorcycling helps prepare children for the rest of their lives
RYAN DUDEK
"You don't need to bring your helmet," I says Jeff after asking his son Evan to come help work on his bike. Evan's disappointed reply is, "Well, this isn't going to be any fun." Maybe not, but it offers Jeff the chance to teach Evan an important lesson about responsibility.
Kids are simple creatures, and the reason they like to ride is equally sim Duh! Can you relate? Take your basic camp example: What do you get out of it? Good t memories, unique bonding, learning expe outcomes that, as described by those Maste commercials, are priceless. Adding motorc' only sweetens the experience. Even though motorcycle riding is enj kids tend to get way more excited about even prove that motorcycles can cure bor Okay, so there are no such studies, but it's an unu Dirtbike + kid = fun. For parents or mentors, this effective tool that can help families to spend more together and teach kids some valuable lessons,
Actually, the riding experience starts before you even leave the house. As the time for departure grows nearer, the kids (and sometimes the adults, too) begin eagerly anticipating all the thrills of riding-shifting up through the gears, going faster and faster, their imaginations running wild. This presents a perfect opportunity for the getting little ones to participate in the preparations for a riding trip. Even if they're too small to help load bikes, they can assist in cleaning air filters, lubing chains and checking tire pressures-the lesson being that the reward for just a little work is loads of fun. This also is a good time to share stories of past riding trips, which gets the kids even more anxious to ride—and willing to pitch in and help.
In today’s world, most families spend very little time together. Between work, hobbies, school and sleep, there never seems to be enough time left for family activities. Paul, a father of three, feels that camping cures that ailment and gives family members a new perspective on their relationships with one another. “Out here, time slows down and I get to spend quality time with my family and friends.” Joe, Paul’s 10-year-old son, enjoys their riding trips so much that he frequently calls his dad at work because he misses him and wants to talk about riding dirtbikes.
Ted, a father of two sons, takes his family camping on a regular basis. “This is what I did with my family growing up, and I want to give my kids the same opportunity.” Dirtbikes and camping have a way of bringing everyone together, teaching them about helping and caring for one another.
In between their riding stints, kids can still be kids, climbing trees, throwing rocks, digging holes, running around like dogs, getting into mischief—you know, all the normal kid stuff. Put a dirtbike under them, though, and watch as they slowly transfonn from pesky toddlers into responsible little people.
That’s perhaps the most valuable aspect of motorcycles. They’re more than just fun; everything about riding has the potential to teach beneficial life lessons. As kids ride together, they become closer pals then before. Conquering tough trails brings new confidence to their steps and gives them something worth bragging about to their friends.
Riding also teaches machine control— learning what the throttle does, how the brakes work, the consequences of poor operator judgment or inattentive riding. By the time they’re old enough to get a driver’s license, they’ll have years of experience in the management of an internal-combustion vehicle, which can’t help but make them better, safer drivers.
Trail rides make for a special time with family and friends; you can cover a vast amount of land, make stops to enjoy nature and drink in some of the wonders of the great outdoors. One-day rides are nice but overnight camping trips are even better. You can ride all day, relax at night and ride all day again. Is there anything better?
Paul’s son Joe prefers to go on long trail rides, whereas his friend James is happy riding around a course. But for both of them, nothing feels better than to twist the throttle and go, turn, jump. They could ride in circles for hours— or days—if you’d let them.
After the ftm stops, the ride home is a good time to share stories from the trip— unless Dad has to drive solo while everyone else is pooped out and sleeping. When you get home, there are more lessons in responsibility for the kids as all of you unload, unpack and wash the bikes. The kids learn how to care for their belongings and get ready for another ride. This also demonstrates the love you have for your children; some day, they’ll look back and realize how much you have done for them over the years.
Bottom line here is that kids like to play and have fun; motorcycles make it easy for them to do that. Just as many of us were introduced to motorcycles at a young age, leaving us with memories and lessons that last forever, let’s return the favor for our little people. If you don’t ride with your family, go now, go before it’s
too late, then sit back and watch your kids enjoy themselves. The memories and stories that arise from those good times will be shared with family and
friends for as long as all of you live. And will someone let Evan know that he is going to need his helmet for this part of the ride?
THE STATISTICS OF GETTING DIRTY
On a cosmic scale, dirtbikes are a new concept. For decades, enthusiasts relied upon one motorcycle to serve all of their rid ing needs. Whether any given bike was a dirtbike, a streetbike, a touring bike or anything else simply depended upon the way its owner equipped it. True purpose-built motorcycles did not come into existence until the 1 960s, when the market started demand ing machines designed specifically for certain uses. Thus, true dirtbikes ("Off-Highway Vehicles," in statistic-speak) were born, and they've been part of an ongoing technological evolution ever since. But technology is not the only factor driving the popularity of off-road riding; today, there is literally a dirtbike for every size of rider, with the traditional kickstarter gradually being replaced by electric starting-the "magic button." As a result, dirtbikes are easier and more fun to ride than ever, and that has made more people interested in owning them. According to the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), which tracks all of the major manufacturers' new-bike sales, 2004 was a land mark year, with total unit sales exceeding one million for the first time since 1979. Dirtbikes accounted for 30% of those sales.
Off-Highway Motorcycle Sales
Sales of new dirtbikes have increased 42% in just four years Approximately 55% of the dirtbikes sold during this period were 125cc and smaller
Source: Motorcycle Industry Council
The joys of off-road riding are not lost on the average Cycle World reader. Input from a recent reader-research panel revealed that a lot of our readers have a dusty trail or two in their past. Plus, a large number of them are getting dirty today, and nearly twice as many as that have expressed a strong desire to take the trail less traveled in the future.
Have Owned
Currently Own
Would Like to Own
Source: Cycle World Reader Pane'
