"motorcycles are a death sentence"

[Aron696]

This is the view of my parents, my question is how do if any of you have expierience with this.

They think that cars just ignore motorcycles and get ran off the road/owned
this prevents me from going with the "Im responsible and will be a good driver" route.

I am going to buy my own 250r and pay my insurance but if my parents back it I could get something along the lines of a BMW (Rich north shore kid) and they would pay for insurance.

[RivZX6]

Get the cheap 250 so when you drop it they aren't saying I told you so over an expensive bike. Prove them wrong by paying for it yourself and staying alive. If you do it all yourself AND prove them wrong, maybe they will spoil you with a nicer bike after you have acquired the skills needed to keep it from dropping. Almost everyone drops their first bike, thats the way it is. Also show them how responsible you are by taking the MSF. That about covers it. No reason you cant take care of yourself even if your parents are loaded.

[Aron696]

also do you have any general idea what insurance would cost on one?

[RivZX6]

Well, I got mine when I was 19, or 20 i forget. It was a 650R, I paid 15 dollars a month, no collision. Only people to get motorcycle insurance through is progressive, if you go anywhere else, get vasoline. I'm 23 now and I'm paying 10 dollars a month on a ZX-6R so its not all that expensive unless you have a crappy driving record.

[jbsmd]

When my brother got his first bike, he told our mother that he expected to break something....arm, leg and she said ok, as long as you know you might get hurt. I took his bike over the next year. Neither of us have been seriously hurt yet. That was back in 65/66, and have been through many bikes since. Just saying, riding a bike is not a certainty of getting hurt. Need to be aware of what's around you, and be able to handle what you ride.

[airforce1]

Hey Aron,
IMHO, get the "practice bike" first.
Negotiate with your folks that it is better and then negotiate for the 'beemer" for later. The BMW is a more sedate bike and you might be a few years from that, but you will be back into working with them as you learn (it IS a learning process to ride well and be safe).
Best of luck in what we all hope will be a happy, safe and long time riding experience!

[xcgates]

Get an affordable bike first, you will most likely have a few '0mph' tipovers, and it will be entirely yours to mess up.

My parents were not thrilled to say the least, but everything for the bike has come out of my pockets. Except for the MSF class, which my parents were willing to pay part of, as my dad and I have done several track schools, and have become better drivers because of them.

Just go for it with your own money, and deal with any problems yourself, they will complain less. Like earlier this week, my bike quit running halfway between home and school, so I let them know after I had arranged to drop the bike at one friend's house, and have another friend pick me up on his way to school. BTW, I just went and got it today.

[Aron696]

Thanks for the input, not gonna bother buying my bike now (dont wanna learn in -10 degree chicago snow storms) so Ill work though the winter learn in the spring and be good by summer

[airforce1]

Hey Aron,
If you learn to ride in -10F in Cheeegago snow, you will be a wizard in the spring and joyous in the summer!
Best wishes for your riding adventure and your continuing tour around the sun!

[TheReaper]

Also, shop around for insurance. I have State Farm myself. Wouldn't use anybody else for a motorcycle.

[socalmarcus]

After I wrecked my first bike when I was 18 (hit & run by a 13 year old) my dad said no more. When you're a military kid, you DO NOT talk back. At least, that's the way it was with my dad. I guess it's different for a "Rich north shore kid?"

Anyways, I'm not my dad and we're not raising our daughter like that - she's 17 too. In fact, the only thing she needs for her MC license is more time with her permit - she already passed the MSF course.

You just turned 17. Like I expect from my daughter - don't just ask how much something like insurance costs (how can we guess YOURS), find out how much yours will cost you for the bike you want. Show me you have a responsible interest.

OK, lecture over. It can vary so shop around. AAA (where I have my homeowner insurance and multiple cars) wanted twice as much as Geico; so did Progressive, but that's just my case.

The most responsible thing to do IMO - take motorcycle training! Good luck.

[soc_monki]

Originally Posted by RivZX6

Well, I got mine when I was 19, or 20 i forget. It was a 650R, I paid 15 dollars a month, no collision. Only people to get motorcycle insurance through is progressive, if you go anywhere else, get vasoline. I'm 23 now and I'm paying 10 dollars a month on a ZX-6R so its not all that expensive unless you have a crappy driving record.

Progressive is bad, mmmkay? LOL at least for me it was, even though my current insurance (who uses Progressive for bikes). 2 grand a year! Geico wanted 1800!
i went to state farm and its 600/yr. full coverage too. aint no way im going with anything less for a brand new bike!

motorcycles arent a death sentence. yes, people in cars dont see us a lot of times...but you have to be aware of them and anticipate that theyll do something stupid. this has saved me quite a few times in my ~3 months of street riding.
also, make sure you are as visible as can be. i have a lime green bike, and i wear lime green as well (jacket and helmet). my friends tell me they can see me coming a mile away! but i dont let that lull me into a false sense of security. there are still people who dont see me because they dont pay attention.

make sure you take a training course...youll learn a ton i promise!

[Jamie C.]

Originally Posted by Aron696

They think that cars just ignore motorcycles and get ran off the road/owned
this prevents me from going with the "Im responsible and will be a good driver" route.

There's at least some truth to what your parents think; motorcycles tend to be invisible to other vehicles on the road. And your best bet at surviving on one is to understand that everything else out there is out to try and kill you. If you ever make the mistake of thinking "yeah, they see me and won't pull out in front of me", you'll be a fixture on the side of somebody's Buick before you can blink.

Yes, a motorcycle can outrun most anything else on the road, however, if you end up on the bottom of the stack, you will be "owned", simply due to the weight difference.

So in the end, you'll be better off buying the smaller bike and getting some experience with surviving the other driver's bad habits, rather than going straight to the BMW.

Sorry, I know this isn't what you wanna hear, but it's the truth.

[Ericthejet]

I spend way more time in my car. If I'm going to get into an accident the odds are I'll be in the car.
It's pure math.

[polizei]

A motorcycle is only as dangerous as you make it, simple as that. Take the MSF course, get the 250, ride it with RESPECT and don't be stupid and you'll be fine. My parents said the same thing (I'm 19) and my dad rides. It takes a great deal of maturity and responsibility to ride safely.

-Cody

[freightshaker]

Originally Posted by Aron696

This is the view of my parents, my question is how do if any of you have experience with this.

Wouldn't I need to be dead to answer this?

Rich north shore kid? Sound like another Long Islander.

[CTRider]

More people than ever are getting motorcycles. I don't think there have ever been more on the road than there are now. As a result, people are less likely to "look through" a motorcycle now because they are more common.

However, the flip side is, drivers are finding more new and innovative ways of distracting themselves than ever before. Cell phones, GPS systems, DVD players, satellite radio and even laptops are all driver's toys now. That puts every vehicle on the road at risk of their lack of attention - especially all those additional motorcycles.

The key is to always play the "what if" game. What if that guy pulls out? What if there's sand in that next corner? What if a deer runs out from those trees...?

If you constantly think of the ways something could happen as you approach potential hazards, and always leave a way out of those hazards, you'll reduce your chances of a wreck by 70%. Take the MSF course, ride responsibly and never drink when your out on the bike and you'll reduce your risk even more. Finally, find ways to make yourself more visible: wear bright colors, change your position in your lane frequently and don't tailgate other vehicles.

The thing is, you don't want to be part of that increase in statistics that is almost certainly going to happen with the increase in riders.

As far as insurance, it depends on your record, the bike and your location. Even your credit rating plays a role now. Rates can vary wildly from one area or person to the next, even with the same company. You have to shop around.

[wildjerseyfiref]

simple as this..parents said no, gas hit almost $5 a gallon, i went on craigslist found a great used bike, went and looked at it, went back and picked it up..I am paying insurance and reg on it, so they really dont have a say in the deal.

Now my dad wants one, and my mom wants to go for a ride on it..go figgure

[cooltimbers]

I suggest some motorcycle safety training. Check out the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.

Your parents are correct that most (~75%) of accidents are caused by cagers (car drivers) and not by the motorcyclist.

Consider ways to make you and your bike more visible.

Good luck and give us an update.

[McGrude]

Originally Posted by Aron696

I am going to buy my own 250r and pay my insurance

If this is your first bike I would also suggest going this route. I would not buy a new one as my first bike though. You are likely to drop it if this is your first bike (so be prepared for that and don't freak out when/if it happens). You'd be amazed how little plastic damage there can be and the insurance company will declare it totaled (assuming it is financed and therefore fully insured).

If you get a used bike in reasonable condition it will be a great learner, plus if its got a scrape or bruise here or there you won't be ****ed at yourself when you add your own. Ride it for a season and then upgrade after you've got some miles behind you.

If you do go with a Ninja 250 I would suggest a 1988 - 2007. They were almost exactly the same for that whole 20 year run. There are a zillion parts out there.