Why do young guys buy cars????

[Al]

Maybe the reason youngsters want a car instead of a bike is because with a car your mates can ride with you...?
With the problem of trying to impress your mates and trying to impress the "chicks", a GN 250 will just not cut it for some youngsters. Peer pressure and vanity and trying to be "cool" is such an issue nowdays.

Take care

Al

[Kendog]

I've got a 14 year old who thinks that he will go straight to bikes. As a parent who has driven cars all his life and only recently moved into bikes, there is no way I am going to allow him to do that.
My perpective is that until he learns road sense and has the ability to recognise the basics, such as cages changing lanes without indication, I want him in a car where the early mistakes are not punished by a hospital visit.
Yes he will end up on bikes and I will fully support him (unlike my parents when I was his age). But I do feel that he needs to learn to read the dangers of the raod in a safer environment, where he has some sort of protection, before venturing out on a bike.
I'm sure there are a lot of parents out there that feel the same way.

I'm not a parent and I totally agree with you. Can imagine the power of a little 250 race bike going straight to a 'bullet-proof' teenagers head!!

[sAsLEX]

Licensing factor is a big one too. It takes forever to be allowed to go at a better speed on the motorcycle.

180 out the door if not more, hard to find an entry level cage that would do that

[Kendog]

Why not start them out on a scooter each? Cheap, cheap, cheap. That way they learn a bit about looking out for hazards, and what it's like to be a person on the road without any cage protection, so when they drive the car they have the awareness of a biker (like what Ixion was getting at) but without the power and speed that would have you worrying everytime they put a helmet on. Then they can move onto a car or a 250, which ever they feel more comfortable with. At the end of the day, if you are paying, you get to choose, if they are paying, well.......

[Beemer]

Maybe the reason youngsters want a car instead of a bike is because with a car your mates can ride with you...?Al

My thoughts exactly. The kind of person who rides a bike isn't necessarily worried about what his/her mates think, but if you have a car, you have to impress your mates or else!

The main reason most young guys would prefer a car over a bike is because they can usually fit in at least four or five of their mates - not to mention chicks - and if they take a girl out on a date, there's that nice back seat! A lot of young girls aren't into bikes because you can't get all glammed up to go out - the helmet would put paid to that in an instant!

[gamgee]

some of the points raised are just stupid, like comparing the price of a 1990 CBR250RR (about $4000-$6000) to the price of a 1990 Toyota corolla (about $1500)
it's just a total mismatch, a fairer comparison would be:
A CBR250RR about 4-6k and a Mazda Familia GTX (turbo) about 4-6k
both can be ridden/driven on the respective learners licence and both in most cases are not an ideal vehicle for a learner to be in control of
and then the low price
90 toyota corolla about $1500 and either gn250 or sr250 (1990 models) about $1500
both are not super quick, better for learners and not as appealing
Getting into biking can be as affordable as you want to make it, and complaining about the price of the 250 sportsbikes, and making that the reason for not getting into biking, would be like a cager blaming the cost of a subaru WRX as being the reason they haven't got a car licence

[avgas]

I not nessicairly saying that you should learn to drive before you ride. But i now understand why parents are so paranoid to letting kids do it the other way.
I feel that why the law is strong and overpowering in some points. It lacks in the training of first time riders.
After 10 mins or riding around a carpark at speeds below 30kph (on a 10hp or lower bike), i could ride a 250cc (20hp+) bike at speeds up to 70kph, with no restricter to keep me at that speed.
While i was all for kids being allowed to have free roam, i now understand that their was things in my past that allowed me to have the skills i had when i went for my licence.
- I was able to ride off road before my licence
- I had the opportunity to ride in a quiet town after my licence
- I had learnt to drive off road before my licence
- I had all the riding gear before i sat my licence (due to being a pillion)
- I understood what happens in a crash due to racing in a demo derby
- I had very good balance due to mountainbike racing
I know that if i had failed on any of these fronts when i had my ts,rz or my rg (learner period), i would have become a road side cross because i was young and reckless.
I realise that you do no need all these skills to survive on a bike, but with New Zealand and its current record with the road - its is to dangerous to allow kids to assume they 'know it all' when we give them their learners motorbike licence.

[iwilde]

some of the points raised are just stupid, like comparing the price of a 1990 CBR250RR (about $4000-$6000) to the price of a 1990 Toyota corolla (about $1500)
it's just a total mismatch, a fairer comparison would be:
A CBR250RR about 4-6k and a Mazda Familia GTX (turbo) about 4-6k
both can be ridden/driven on the respective learners licence and both in most cases are not an ideal vehicle for a learner to be in control of
and then the low price
90 toyota corolla about $1500 and either gn250 or sr250 (1990 models) about $1500
both are not super quick, better for learners and not as appealing
Getting into biking can be as affordable as you want to make it, and complaining about the price of the 250 sportsbikes, and making that the reason for not getting into biking, would be like a cager blaming the cost of a subaru WRX as being the reason they haven't got a car licence

Theirs still the matter of buying the helmet, boots, gloves, jacket and pants. Thats a nesessary cost to me, but how does a 15yr old see it? Helmet because you have to and maybe gloves to keep your hands warm. Educating our young to be responsible adults doesn't always work, especialy when they get around the corner and see a chick standing at the bus stop, either a burnout or a wheelie is going to happen.

[gamgee]

well they will be saving a lot on petrol, and ya can always pick up cheap gear on trademe, not everyone needs the lattest and great jacket with hyperspacetechmanology for decreased wind resistance etc

[chickenfunkstar]

I've got a 14 year old who thinks that he will go straight to bikes. As a parent who has driven cars all his life and only recently moved into bikes, there is no way I am going to allow him to do that.
My perpective is that until he learns road sense and has the ability to recognise the basics, such as cages changing lanes without indication, I want him in a car where the early mistakes are not punished by a hospital visit.
Yes he will end up on bikes and I will fully support him (unlike my parents when I was his age). But I do feel that he needs to learn to read the dangers of the raod in a safer environment, where he has some sort of protection, before venturing out on a bike.
I'm sure there are a lot of parents out there that feel the same way.

Thats been my advise to friends who are thinking about getting a bike when they have no road experience at all as well.
Simple mistakes like clipping a curb or running over a pothole have far more severe consequences on a bike than on a car. On a bike you can often be too hot, too cold / wet and have very limited vison because of the rain. This isn't really a good environment for someone who's still learning how traffic flows, how to identify and deal with hazards etc. I'd suggest that a would be biker spends at least a couple of months in a car untill they can interact and deal with other traffic without having to think.

[gamgee]

I'd suggest that a would be biker spends at least a couple of months in a car untill they can interact and deal with other traffic without having to think.

I'm sorry what??? on a bike you have to be constantly thinking and analyzing situations 100% of the time, you can't just lapse into that state of driving where everything is rushing merrily past and nothing bad is going to happen, thats when they jump out and get ya

[Motu]

And young people these days expect so much - I expected nothing from life.I was very thankful to my mother (but never told her,oh no,don't make your mother proud) for buying my first bike - $60 was a lot of money for a solo mum working full time in a mans job.I had to pay her back of course,which left me $3 to do all the things a 16 yr old needs to do - which was sweet stuff all...hamburgers,a movie,motorcycle magazines,it was a pretty small world for me.

My daughter were pretty lucky (although a young lad might not think so) as I have vehicles lying around and can pick them up pretty cheap.So my elder daughter had a MkII Escort staion wagon,which she thought was cool as she is a retro girl.My younger daughter had a Lada Samara,which she thought was cool because it was sooooo uncool! I don't know what will happen with my boys as when they are up to driving age I won't have this business....but I'll still be picking up cheap cars.

Bikes need to be the cheapest thing a kid can get into...and they need to lower their sights and accept uncool as what you start out with .And I agree with Ixions precious lamb syndrom - grow up you parents...and let your kids grow up too without your interference.

[Mr. Peanut]

14 is too young for anything, so is 15. When he turns 16, start him on a bike.

I started on bikes. It wasn't dangerous. I'm a far better driver for it.

[Ixion]

I don't agree about the 14 year old thing.

Manifestly, 14 year olds can control a motorbike, cos lots of them do so in off road events.

As to traffic, that is no different to a push bike, and until Precious Lamb almost all young guys had been riding pushies on the roads for years by the age of 14.

And, at 14 kids are still much more under parental control. Telling a 17 year what to do is not easy, a 14 year old is much less independant.And much more willing to accept advice from Dad .

And if the machine be restricted to <15 the speed issue does not come into it.

[chickenfunkstar]

I'm sorry what??? on a bike you have to be constantly thinking and analyzing situations 100% of the time, you can't just lapse into that state of driving where everything is rushing merrily past and nothing bad is going to happen, thats when they jump out and get ya

I agree, but I think its a good idea to be able to deal with things like give way rules, road signs etc without having to think about it. Its also a good idea to know the signs that are someone is about pull out, traffic is about to come to a stop.

However the more riding I do, the easier I find it to analyse situations, identify hazards and react to them subconciously. I'd even suggest its better to do things that way. There's no emotion involved that way. Car pulles out infront of me, I subconciously choose the best way to get around it and carry on with my jorney as if nothing had happened. There's no getting angry or frustrated which can lead to innattention and accident causing mistakes.