Banning kids from riding

[jimson]

G'day viewers just to let you all know my son Tom knows if I catch the little bugger riding on the tar I'll cut his bike up and throw it.When I was growing up I did it so why should I rob my son of the great fun to be had with a few friends on bikes in the bush.

[pokey]

Yeah its always sad when a kid loses thier life.. even worse when the vultures pick the bones whilst the grieving parents are still crying.,

 The media sucks,, do a media course at Uni and even they say how it sucks with its manipulation of the masses .. hitlers propaganda regieme would be proud.

[maicomc490t]

I read that story today and my heart goes out the parents who just don't need the total SHIT that the journos are running with courtesy of that C***sucker who wants to ban kids under 16 etc. Imagine how they feel and I have no intention of speculating as to what happened or what the kiddie was or wasn't doing right. For pities sake let the poor little tyke rest in peace and leave the rest of us alone cos i am sick of it all.

Throw the 'do gooder' wanker on a plane and take him to Lorretta Lynn's MX week in the US next year and tell me if kids aren't strong and fit and co-ordinated. The idiot most likely has boring sad little farts of kids or none at all but we have to watch guys like that because once they and their ilk form the dreaded committees or get into government and then we are in trouble !!!

Like many of us on here I grew up in the sixties and seventies and did stuff just like young Tom and good luck to you mate - you are out the there with your mates doing just what we did as teenagers and the guys I rode with did only that - RIDE. We didn't goof off at the pool hall's (that explains why I'm a a shit shot, lol) or go around making nuisances of ourselves as we were too busy either riding till dark or patching up our old converted road bikes or trailies, and also like me worked every spare day I could so one day I could take delivery of my very own CR125M and i still remember that like it was yesterday! Keep it up and just ride safe - something I taught my kids was to recognise 'The Fear Factor' - when you are ripping around and you start to shit yourself it means you have gone beyond your ability and your brain is trying to tell you that - slow down, learn 'smooth' and the rest will come in time.

In closing and for guys out there who have little ones pay money for the best gear you can afford for them, maintain their bikes and buy insurance in the form of professionally run training schools. my kids both did a number of Gall's Academy schools in their holiday breaks and they ride better than me (that wouldn't be hard, lol !!!)

Geeze I'm beginning to sound like an old fart, LMFAO !!! 

See you at the back of the pack!

[All Things 414]

I'm sorry for being the bearer of the bleeding obvious but MOTOCROSS BIKES IN THE BUSH ANNOY THE SHIT OUT OF EVERYBODY WHO DOESN'T RIDE A MOTOCROSS BIKE IN THE BUSH!! There's no two ways about it. Our local track is once again coming under scrutiny because of wankers participating in this activty. Gives them more leverage to CLOSE ANOTHER TRACK!!
I hear all the bleeding heart stuff about "back in my day we used to trot out there and have a blast and no one cared....." but those days are over!
More and more people have access to those area's today. They like to ride their quiet horses in them. Take their quiet families into them. They LIVE in them. So when they see and hear little Johnny on the main jet, front wheel in the air, in full motocross outfit, they can't see the difference. They will want to get rid of all of us!

If you really really really care about your kids and our sport, join a club, get licencsed and give the people that wanna close us down no ammunition what's so ever.

Because when little Johnny is peeled off that tree and is on the news that night, parents everywhere will 'Tsk tsk" and tell their kids that there's no way in the world there getting one of "those noisy death machines!"

OK. Bring it on folks.....

[Doc]

Well I don't mind being called a wanker (been called a heck of a lot worse ) I for one WILL still ride my MX bike in the bush for the simple reason I know it's not affecting anyone and it's not going cost me a fortune whenever I wish to ride. I am not talking about the bush down the end of the road or the bit of bush beside the new housing estate, I am talking of the bush or private properties where you can ride all day and not cross the same track twice or see any sort of civilization except for a plane flying 30000 feet above. Of course you need to ask permission first but for most, out of sight or earshot is out of mind. There are still plenty of areas like this but agreed you have travel further to find them these days. You are throwing everyone into the idiot factor which in my veiw is totally ignorant. I live in the suburbs and yes there is a local track (Nudgee) but the big problem is the gates are locked  99.99% of the time. What's the good of that when little Johnny would like to have a ride? Absolutely none! It may as well not exist! What we need is more riding parks or areas designated for trail riding. The area this said track is built upon was once designated 'free' for all minibikes and trailbikes under 90cc but now you need to be a club member and pay $$$ for the simple pleasure of teaching little Johnny how to ride. This track I mention is also the centre of a lot of noise complaints from suburbs over 2 klms away which is not doing our sport any good either. Fact is it's harder to find places to ride not only because of noise but the ridiculous liability bullshit that these days seems to take the fun out of almost everything. Times have changed yes but the truth is the problem now lies firmly on the parents and the government's shoulders for allowing the market to become flooded with bloody Chinese pocket bikes and minibikes that cost next to nothing. The parents buy the bikes because they are so cheap but don't give a second thought as to where little Johnny may ride and the government loves it because of the taxes and duties it can impose on such imports. Maybe if the powers that be were to halt the flood of chinese cheapies you would see a reduction in complaints and injuries but until such times the problem will only get worse as the bikes become increasing easier to obtain. To me it's like the file sharing and copyright bullshit, they give us all the incentive and tools we need to do the job for next to nothing and then say that's great, but just don't use it! I am about to start teaching a young bloke to ride but it won't be done where it annoys people.

This was in the news today.

Victorian Premier John Brumby has ruled out any changes to the law that would ban young children from riding motorbikes, despite the death of a boy.

[Tex]

Yamaha does not endorse the use of training wheels on the PW50. In fact, doing so voids the warranty (if there is one). They believe that a child should be able to hold a bike up if they're going to ride it.

I tend to agree. I would never tell anyone else what to do, but three years old is too young for my children to ride a motorbike. I'll let them master a pushie first. What's the hurry anyway?

Tex

[yzhilly]

 The cold hard facts are you cant ride a motorbike anywhere on public land unless it is registered and you are licensed. So unless you have access to private  property you have to pay for somewhere to ride . I own 5 chinese pitbikes and my kids are yet to ride up and down our street or tear up the local park with them because i dont Let them .My 12 yr old son would like nothing better than to roar around to his mates place on his YZ80 the only thing stopping him is me and he had the good fortune of watching a kid highside a YZ125 down the mainstreet in shorts and tee shirt, this has left a lasting impression as the kid is still under going skin grafts while this hasnt been the best for the kid involved ,the several hundred schoolkids who witnessed it were taught a valueable life lesson !. My kids have graduated on to MX bikes and we ride them at the local MX park  $15 a day per child .I have always rode at the track there is one located just about everywhere, it may mean that you have to put your hand up and do a bit of work to make it happen and maybe load up and take them there but that is what it takes.

[pokey]

Who didnt stack thier pushie when they were learning to ride it?  Bet it was the same scenario whith your first  dirt bike. I cant think of a dirt bike ive owned that I havnt  been been either  tossed off or had to throw away. Its a learning curve and we all get injured to varying degrees. we as "experienced riders still get injured even on  well made and supervised tracks. Its the nature of the sport to get injured  and the reason we all wear the best quality  protection as we can  afford that must meet certification .

 The onus of keeping  ourselves safe is upon us and to not ride beyond our own ability or its our own stupid fault if we do have an injury and that includes trail riding and supervised tracks.

 In the early 70's I was fortunate to have 100 acres of cleared land to learn  to ride on with only the occassional fence to contend with. I still have the scar on my shoulder from my first off. My then protective gear  was a pair of desert boots  so i could kick the big heap of crap over.. No  helmet  no elbow or knee guards  or anything else.
 After i scored my first decent bike I bought a pair of Rossi's and a centurian helmet and a pair of spider gloves and  started to ride in the state forests at Nabiac. It was registered and I had a learners permit to do so. I still fell off lots but was less injured partly from the experience i had gained and also because of the choice i made to  wear the protective gear.

As to MX bikes in the bush  The only hassle our riding group had was the  unsilenced ones that bought the constabulary  into the forests to interupt our riding and give us a piece of paper  for a blown tail light bulb. Most of the time we were hassle free. Even the silenced MX bikes could ride all day without issues .
 Our choices for venues  were at that time the SF or private land as no track existed in the area untill Failford  which didnt last long at all. My old man who was into bikes as a young buck worked most  weekends  so I taught myself how to fall off and how to make decisions about my safety. If he didnt need to work  Im sure he would have  loved to have been there to show me how to fall off the right way and  thats the same way I will teach my young bloke.
 I will take him  to the bush  away from the built up areas  to a safe open trail and ensure he has on all the riding gear and make certain his bike is safe and also that he knows  how to operate  and  keep it and himself safe .

 
 Lastly i believe that  chinese  made for the masses minibikes should have a levy placed upon them if they are garaged in urban areas unless there is a club membership  presented. This will halt the wave of street and vacant block riding that  does give people the shits  and bundle us all together as the nuisance factor.

It aint rocket science guys just common sense to be safe and not give anyone a reason to hassle you.

[pokey]

Is funny but anything seems to annoy the crap out of some people. To different eyes two people walking  down a street  is a mass riot. One muffled registered bike riden by a licenced rider unseen , could be construed as a bikie gang partying up and doing burnouts, probably smoking drugs aswell..
 It dont matter how or where  but something will annoy someone and thats just the way it goes. Hell  i cant stand the taste of white chocolate and cats  annoy me but i realise some people do enjoy them. Im pretty sure I annoy the crap out of a lot of people  with a lot of things that I enjoy.. stifff, thats just the way life is and the way life balances itself.

 Thankfully we do have some beaurocrats  that  can sort the extremist views out and take the middle ground so we all have a fair shot at enjoying life.

Its not about money its about using a bit of common sense and minimising the impact of ones own pleasures on the general public.. probably the reasoning  bike tracks are located in remote  or industrial zoned areas.

 As for being injured or causing harm to anyone else well that can happen riding a pushbike legally on a road and yes I would still be responsible for thier actions. No amount of "cotton wool" will protect everyone from every situation. All we can do is minimise the chances of harm by doing what we can and not being a dickhead or extremist about it.

 Thankfully extremist views and policies dont win votes and are costly to impliment or we would be under marshall law and couldnt fart without an expensive permit........ and the whingers would still whinge even though it would be perfectly legal.

Whatever you say
Someone will be annoyed by it
Whatever you do
Someone will be annoyed with it
 Even if you do or say nothing
Someone will be annoyed by it
So you may aswell do and say what you like.

Frank Zappa

[maicopunk]

What the hell is wrong with cats?

I love cats... although I can't eat a whole one

[yzhilly]

To blame this on cheap pitbikes is missing the point . Just because you can buy something ,doesnt give you the right to use it illegally or iiresponsibly there has been stupid people riding motorbikes illegally and iiresponsibly forever .And there has been the people who do the right thing and fight and work to enjoy this sport . The point is as a large group we have a voice and influence over decisions that will affect us. eg.  MA. shit i better pay my fee's.

[All Things 414]

Here, here!

[Tim754]

I am an evil father I had my sons riding, no! racing an 836cc Honda four Sidecar at Sixteen!!!!!!!! Looks like extra red hot pokers up my arse all the way to infinity when I reach the "happy hunting grounds" ( Hmm shit that is a  bloody long time!) >:(Tim 

[lukeb1961]

"The reality is that children under 12 do not have the developed strength or motor skills to handle motorbikes and riders also needed to develop a greater maturity and sense of judgment, road safety and responsibility," he said.

I agree. But that can also be made to apply to just about anybody, of any age, in any sport or activity, IF you bother to twist the  stats to suit your argument.. At 46 I'm still working on 'motor skills, maturity, road safety, judgement and responsibility'... Should the law be that nobody UNDER, say 55, should be allowed to participate in any sports or recreational activity? Is that too young?

I live in fear for my three year old.. but so did your dad... and his...

[Nathan S]

Two points from me:

1. As kids my mates and I looked after ourselves on our bikes. We'd typically disappear just after breakfast and re-appear when it got dark. We did a lot of stuff and covered a lot of ground. Our parents drummed certain limits/restrictions into us, and then let us roam free like the ferals we were (are?).
I make no claims to being the perfect specimen who has lived a perfect life, but that part of my childhood taught me a shitload about consequence, responsibility, and limits.
Looking back, of all my childhood mates, the percentage of my riding buddies who grew into deadbeat adults is tiny compared to the overall. Same goes for other 'significant errors of judgement' that teens/early 20s are prone to making. I firmly believe that not being molly-coddled as kids really helped us develop as people.
Watching my friends' kids, younger siblings, kids at race meets, etc I see the same clearly defined pattern. My wife had a similar experience in her childhood (albeit without motorbikes) and has come to similar conclusions.
As a non-parent (but I am instructed that I will become one in the next 12 months or so...) I hope that I will be able to offer my child/children the same sorts of opportunities.

2. There's bush and there's bush... To lambast Tom for simply "riding in the bush" might be valid or it might be miles off the mark.  
There's a world of difference between the small vacant block down the end of the suburban street, and that 15,000acres that nobody even knows who the owner is... It might be technically wrong, but if nobody cares, then... nobody cares...
Rural people also have a different approach/attitude to city people (generally speaking. Just don't get me started on SeaChangers/TreeChangers).
My riding as a kid was in the same general area as where Tom lives. If he tells me that where he rides doesn't annoy anyone, then I'll have no trouble believing him - even with the crazy population growth in that area in the last 15 years, there's still a lot of potential riding spots that are miles from anyone.