New to the fun

[SmokinYoo]

Hello everyone my name is Chris.
I've been quite interested in sportbikes for quite a while and have been trying to convince my dad for the past few months to let me get one as i will be paying for EVERYTHING. I am 17 years old turning 18 july 29th and i am 128 lbs 5'6" (so im short), and that is why im interested in just an ordinary ninja 250cc. i've heard these bikes are great for beginners and also they fit well for the shorter people haha. Anyways... i have been trying to get him to let me get one as i have had a stable job since may 08, and have about 4k saved up. His main reason besides every normal dad saying "its so unsafe" and "i see guys die on them all the time" is that insurance is going to be sooooooo expensive. Perhaps he is right, however after doing quite a bit of research i've found many people saying that insurance really isnt that much. My dad has his mind set on telling me insurance will be 5k a year (2500 for 6 months). I think thats a bunch of bull$h!T Many people usually give links for websites to get quotes from, but instead of going through that hassle i'd like some opinions, and also if anyone is from illinois and has been in my situation recently or is currently in the situation can they give me a range of the insurance prices with some companies so i can explain to him how wrong he is. Also i know that summer will be over soon, and so even if i do convince him i probably will wait until next february or so to start a purchase or anything like that so i can actually ride it instead of storing it right away if i bought one now.

Sorry for the bulk paragraph. Hope someone has the time to actually read it.
-Chris

[jeffcoslacker]

I used your age, birthdate, and location, ran it through Progressive as a new rider, recent MSF course grad (very important), no points on license, $500 deductible for comp/collision on a 2007 Ninja 250R...

And the grand total....

Your 12 Month Progressive QuotePay in full: $604.00

Pay monthly:

Downpayment of $100.50
11 payments of $52.78

Now...was that so hard?

I'm sure dad is just trying to discourage you...sounds like you are pretty smart about things, including money, so he's trying to hit you where you live.

But he's wrong...

Please, take that MSF course. It's nothing but good....

[jeffcoslacker]

...might as well give you my standard advice to a new rider while I'm at it.

Buy a well used (but safe) 250R for $1800 or so if that's what you want. Carry liability only on it, that'll drop that rate even lower.

Used beginner bikes already have the "oops" damage from drops (ends broke off levers, peg/bar/bodywork scrapes, tank dents) so you can get it out of your system without kicking yourself when it happens (and it will happen, at least once).

By next year you'll want a 600cc or better (guaranteed, regardless of what you think now)...so next spring, when people get the fever, you put yours up for sale for $2000, get your money back out of it, and now armed with some knowledge about what you really want and don't want in a bike, get the bike of your dreams...and ride it safely ...but have fun too

[richtazz]

Great advice Jeffcoslacker and I'll second it. An MSF course is the smartest thing a new rider can do to increase his/her survival chances. Starting with a used bike not only saves money, but keeps you from dinging up a newer bike when (not if, when) you do something stupid and dump it/drop it.

[MagicRat]

Good advice, as noted above.

I can understand your dad's point of view. If my son (also named Chris ) was your age and wanted to ride a bike with no prior experience, I would likely try to discourage him, too.

Trust me, there must be about a million households in North America where the same parent/son arguments and discussions are going on. Kids want to ride bikes and the parents go ape.

Your parents have a lot of time, effort and emotion wrapped up in raising and protecting you. I am sure if something bad happened to you, their lives would be ruined forever.

Some of your dad's fears and concerns probably stems from the fact that he has no exposure to bikes of any kind. If your dad continues to object..... get HIM involved in riding too!!
Borrow or rent some dirt bikes and go for a ride off-road somewhere.
Get your dad to take the motorcycle safety course with you, so he knows the training you will get.
Get your dad on a scooter and zip around the neighbourhood. Perhaps he will find it so much fun, he will get one for himself.

FWIW, my son is 3 and a half and can already drive the lawn tractor (no mower deck engaged).
We go riding dirt bikes every summer weekend (he rides with me). As soon as he can work out the balancing thing, I am getting him a micro dirt bike so he can be as familiar as possible with the concept of riding, driving and operating machines...... so when the day comes that he wants a real bike, he will have lots of experience, and his dad as a riding partner.

[SmokinYoo]

Thanks everyone for your advice. all i can do now is use it and talk to him, and see what he has to say.

[MagicRat]

If you can, let us know how it goes. Good luck.

[SmokinYoo]

well it didn't go over well. i talked to him and all he had to say in response was "chris are you trying to be annoying?" I guess i understand where he's coming from in his perspectives because not only is he worried about my safety but also i'm pretty much paying for my college starting in the fall.

[jeffcoslacker]

My best friend got the MC bug right before he went to college. He'd never rode before, I don't know what set him off...

He just went out one day and bought a used Kaw 750 LTD and called me to ride it home for him, as he had no idea how to even get it in gear My MC riding experience was limited to about 30 minutes off road on a dirt bike on private property one day, so I wasn't much better suited for the job...it was a terrifying but exhilarating ride across Denver in rush hour traffic, let me tell you! My God that bike seemed like it had rocket engines, it was so powerful....at least to me, at the time...

He didn't wanna go home because he was dreading his dad's reaction. We went to a school parking lot, and I tried to teach him the basics. He was really struggling with it, and getting discouraged. When we took the bike back to the house, he went in to face the music. I don't know how that went, I had to go to work.

Apparently it wasn't what he expected, though. Really it was the first time he'd ever openly defied his dad on anything big, and I think dad realized he was beginning to become his own person now. Therefore he reluctantly warmed to the idea, and made sure Mike had a good helmet, leather jacket and gloves for riding, and paid for his MSF course...which was great, because after the course Mike was no longer uncomfortable with the bike, he now had the basics I just wasn't qualified to teach him.

That bike worked out well for him, it was a great confidence booster and served him well through college and beyond as cheap transportation...otherwise he couldn't have afforded to go home every weelend like he did, etc...and I think after a time his folks were actually glad he bought it...

Just an anecdotal story from my own past...not suggesting anything....

But I can also tell you I have known a young man that my younger brother grew up with, he bought a bike against his parent's wishes at 19 years old, hid it from the folks, didn't get any good advice on riding and ended up getting killed while showing off three days after he bought it...it was horrible for his family. There had to be some element of guilt there...they couldn't STOP him from doing what he wanted...but by refusing to be a part of his decision and helping to steer him in the right direction, they kinda forced him to go about it the wrong way, he was getting his input from the sportbike riding clowns he hung with instead of any responsible input...

Just saying...

[aussieidiot]

I went through the same discussion with my parents.

I was a little older and wrote out all the pros and cons for buying a bike and listed why I chose the bike I did as opposed to others.

I went through the whole thing systematically and the only thing they kept saying was its dangerous. So I then found out, in my state with out recent changes to motorcycle licensing, there were zero fatalities of anyone who participated in the mandatory training scheme.

I told them I knew it was dangerous and gave them a list of how I would minimize the risk.
1) Buy a good second hand bike.
2) twin disc brakes as opposed to single for better braking
3) full leathers (top of the line) in bright colours
4) top of the line helmet in a bright colour
5) back brace and other extra safety gear.
6) training courses.

this finally swayed their decision. they weren't happy but they let me do it.
Now my Dad rides too and realises I'm not that bad a rider and can see dangerous situations before he can.

You may want to let them have their way for now and bring it up in the future. Experience on the roads in a car will only help you once you ride.