Motorcycle safety and education
Posted by Maggie Smith on Sunday, March 24, 2019 Under: Motorbike Safety
For many very young children, the noise of a motorcycle is scary. Yet there are many children that grow up in families with motorcycles. Most of the time, as they get a little older, the noise and the challenge of riding a motorcycle will become a source of excitement for them.
Most children that have been exposed to motorcycles love to be taken for a ride on them. In families where motorcycles are a way of life, the issue of safety while riding is already a part of that life. For the child passenger, this means that long sleeves, pants, proper shoes and a helmet that fits well are the basic riding attire. It also means staying OFF the highway.
If you are new to the world of motorcycles, there are some things that you should know before considering allowing a child to become involved.
- When riding, depending on the speed, even flies can cause welts
- Eye protection needs to be worn by everyone
- Motorcycle pipes are extremely hot. One touch means a nasty burn or melted shoe
- Motorcycle riders can NEVER assume that they have the right-of-way! Most often, the driver of an automobile does not even see the motorcycle. Be even more careful when you are riding with a child passenger
There are motorcycles that are designed for children. They can begin to ride, on their own by the time they are four or five years of age. This allows a child to learn to ride about the time that they are able to ride a regular bike without training wheels. The child's motorcycle, called a 50, is very low to the ground and doesn't go very fast. This small bike is an excellent way to introduce a young child to riding on their own.
Teaching your child to ride a bike also means teaching them about bike safety. The proper safety equipment and parental supervision are two items that must never be overlooked. It is not uncommon for children to crash their motorcycles. Hitting the handlebars with their mouth or chin is part of crashing. This is an excellent reason to buy and require them wear a helmet with a full face cover.
Never allow a child to give someone a ride on their motorcycle. The child may not be able to resist showing off, which is never a good idea. Another reason not to allow a passenger on a child's bike is that the motorcycle handles differently with a passenger and he just may not be up to the challenge that this causes.
Unless you own a large piece of property where your child can ride, they are limited to riding on dirt trails or motorcycle trails because legally, they cannot ride on the streets. This means that their experiences will be rather bumpy. Fortunately, the manufacturer of the motorcycle knows this so that the bike should be designed to stand up to it.
As a motorcycle rider, even a child is not too small to learn the care and basic maintenance for the bike. If you are unsure of how to care for the motorcycle, ask the dealer for some tips.
Riding a motorcycle is a passion that can be passed down to your children. What a great way to strengthen the bond between you and create memories for a lifetime.
In : Motorbike Safety
Tags: motorcycle education warrington