Your Introduction to Motorcycles

We were pre-schoolers taking turns sitting on the gas tank of Dad’s Triumph while cruising SoCal cul-de-sacs in ’81. Did this moment, along with our early years of Big Wheels, dirt bikes and three-wheelers, help turn us into motorcyclists? Or is the love for riding motorcycles innate? We love hearing origin stories of how people got started in motorcycling – the following video is one such story.

Some parents give careful instructions while others just plunk a kid down and point, “this is to go, and this is to stop.” Whatever the approach, there are techniques and attitudes that play a big role in how someone’s penchant for motorcycling is revealed…or stymied. Thankfully, we had a Dad that trusted our abilities, even if naively at times. He put in the time to help us work through the discouraging bumps and scrapes.

This topic was prompted by a recent video we enjoyed by artist, filmmaker, and storyteller, Van Neistat. If you’re a parent of a youngster that’s into making wheels go ’round, or you know someone contemplating an introductory approach to motorcycling, it’s a thoughtful and interesting perspective worth watching:

One thing we’ve learned while raising kids around motorcycles (bicycles, too): it’s worth teaching them to respect the activity and the machines. Respect the danger they can bring and appreciate the joy they can create. We admit that risk can add excitement, but staying as safe as possible and trying to master the controls allows for more time in the saddle. If you’ve got a moto-minded kid, we hope you’re able to navigate each phase, or each rite of passage, with a positive outlook and a little luck along the way.

For more on the topic of family-time and motorcycling, check out some of our other Good Spark posts!

Family Time at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days