Dad thinks I shouldn't get another bike...

[yamahor]

So, I'm kinda pizzed off. My dad, a fellow rider, thinks I shouldn't get another motorcycle... Why? Because of my wreck. Actually, let me rephrase that, he thinks I shouldnt get another sport bike... Now, I accept any bad move I make, and I did make a dumb move with the wreck. But it wasn't all my fault. Even the police, towtruck driver, and my PASSENGER think I'm not at fault. The PD dispatcher and the tow truck driver said this turn is NOTORIOUS for loose gravel. Now, I admit, for loose gravel I was going too fast... But how was I to know? I don't remember much of the wreck or leading up to it, basicly, I remember the rear getting lose and me trying to save it. I wasn't above the speed limit... Now, coming from that, do you think a man that lives 4 Hours from me would know if I'm at fault or not? I don't think he would. But he obviously does...
I saw him today (sis in law had my nephew) and he said I "don't have the skills to ride a motorcycle" and "Shouldn't get another one" And if I do "It should be a cruiser"... I countered with the fact that the Harley Riders edge Experienced Riders course was done, and passed, by me at the head of the class... That means I'm MSF Certified according to HD in a harder course than the MSF course itself. Shid, the HD man who books the classes was all for me becoming a MSF teacher and continuing to become sponsored by HD to become a riders edge teacher! Thats a week long course for RE teachers that HD pays for! Now, with that, am I or am I not certified to ride a motorcycle more than my dad, who by the way, never took a MSF course? Shoot, he just got back into motorcycles a year or so ago since from when I was a kid... Thats about a 15 year lapse, if not more for him... So I almost have more skill than him. I'd like to see him pull off a U turn in the tight space at MSF courses without putting his feet down... I don't think he realizes... The reason I ride is to keep my mind off the real world. When I ride, all I do is focus on the ride... On the road and its surface... On whether or not theres gravel... On if this animals gonna run out in front of me...
Oh yeah, heres the kicker... my brother, who went down in gravel a couple years ago and ended up continuing riding, was on my dads side about me not handling the gravel right... Sounds like they just want some reason to harp on me... Or they don't like the busa (which they don't...)

Then again, maybe hitting my head in the wreck wasn't absorbed enough by my helmet and jacket and caused me to go crazy and not realize I really am wrong... Oh, by the way, a helmt is about the only gear dad wears... I wear ALOT more than that....

 

[vman1300]

Well from 1st hand experience watching you ride, I think, better yet know you have the skills. I have only seen a few things that you have done and pointed them out.

You remind me ALOT of myself when I was younger and I honestly feel you have alot of potential to be a very accomplished rider.

Have they ridden with you at all? Or is the judgement made on just the wreck?

 

[yamahor]

(vman1300 @ May 02 2007,17:04) Well from 1st hand experience watching you ride, I think, better yet know you have the skills. I have only seen a few things that you have done and pointed them out.

You remind me ALOT of myself when I was younger and I honestly feel you have alot of potential to be a very accomplished rider.

Have they ridden with you at all? Or is the judgement made on just the wreck?

Ridden with me a couple times when I rode the bike the 4 hrs to visit him. We rode from his place about 20 miles or so down the road then back... So, alot of experience riding with me... yep, thats it...

 

[rubber2burn]

You know what I say it is your life you live it the way you want tobecause you only have one chance to do so. If you walk through life letting other people tell you that you are not good enough even old dad and you believe him then that is your BAD bro. I went down last year due to a guy in a truck running me off the road same thing here I am an experienced rider been through the MSF course was the top guy in the class and all the instructor said the same I handled the Busa better than the other guys in the course on Crusiers, 600, 750, and 1000's. So go with your heart and mind on this one if you want to ride the Busa then RIDE the BUSA bro.

 

[Burger King]

It sounds to me like your Dad loves you and worries that he possibly came close to losing his Son in a motorcycle accident.

Back in 82 I called my Dad one morning needing a ride home because I had been in a wreck with my Ford Bronco. After he inspected my vehicle and picked my up he chewed my out good. When I looked back it a few years later I realized his words came from the fear of him losing his son in an accident........oh....I hit the 43'rd car of a moving train at 4:00 am. It destroyed the vehicle but all 4 of us walked away.

I wouldn't fret to much about what he said. Just tell him you love him too.

 

[yamahor]

(rubber2burn @ May 02 2007,17:14) You know what I say it is your life you live it the way you want tobecause you only have one chance to do so.  If you walk through life letting other people tell you that you are not good enough even old dad and you believe him then that is your BAD bro.  

I actually thought about pissing dad off... If I do go to MMI and I do open a shop that does good, I'm thinking of buying a busa... Turbo, about 500hp... for the fun of it and to piss dad off. Me having a bike that has more power than almost any street legal car... yeah...

Trust me though, another sportbike is in the future... MMI might just hold it back for a bit.

 

[yamahor]

(Burger King @ May 02 2007,17:17) It sounds to me like your Dad loves you and worries that he possibly came close to losing his Son in a motorcycle accident.

Back in 82 I called my Dad one morning needing a ride home because I had been in a wreck with my Ford Bronco. After he inspected my vehicle and picked my up he chewed my out good. When I looked back it a few years later I realized his words came from the fear of him losing his son in an accident........oh....I hit the 43'rd car of a moving train at 4:00 am. It destroyed the vehicle but all 4 of us walked away.

I wouldn't fret to much about what he said. Just tell him you love him too.

I understand that bro... but I tell ya, it's like he tries to tick me off sometimes...

 

[thrasherfox]

I dont know Ben.. ya know I love ya like a brother.. but maybe your dad is right.. maybe if you do ride again you need to start off with a 600 or something smaller..


I have a welder and we can even weld some training wheels on it..























j/k Ben.

Dude. without knowing the family situation and all that entails, but gut reaction is he is just worried about his son.

I ride, and I am making sure I am teaching my boys to ride dirt bikes trying to prepare them for street bikes in case they do decide to get street bikes.

But no matter how much I teach them, no matter how good they become, all that means squat if some blind beyotch pulls out in front of them and they get killed.

us dads want out children to out live us. I am guessing, from a fathers point of view, maybe your accident slapped a little reality into him that he could lose you some day in a motorcycle accident.

And I don’t care what anyone says, riding motorcycles is dangerous, your risk of serious injury and death greatly increase when you ride a motorcycle.

You life expectancy rate drops. not as bad as a door gunner in Vietnam, but you get the idea.

You lived through this, you will now be paranoid of gravel from now on. This incident will make you a better an more cautious rider.

Heck, this last Vegas trip, I was riding real slow and cautious through the twisties, mainly because of BA BUSA’s wreck last year because of gravel.

So my advice is listen to your dad, take what he says into consideration, then make a decision on how you feel.

I will say this, I know of two people in particular that had a scary thing happened on their sports bikes, they were married and they always seemed to not be able to control the urge for speed when they road. They were / are both awesome riders and people I respect very much. After a specific incident they talked about it and decided they wanted to live long and happy lives together. They both traded in their sports bikes and got cruisers.

I have three boys, and every day I realize more and more how much they need me, especially at this point in their lives. And the more I feel they need me the more I have contemplated giving up sports bikes because of the risk.

What I have done is just take it easy (no jokes people) I am not taking the risks I used to.

So anyway Ben, I have heard you are a good rider, one small accident shouldn’t deter you from riding if that is what you want to do, and every accident you live through will be more experience to help you be a better rider, but on the other hand you shouldn’t get upset about your dad’s concern for you.

Don’t be confrontational with him, listen to what he says and tell him you will think about what he says. Think about it and make a decision. If your decision is to keep riding sports bikes, then you did what you told him you would do, you listened to him, you took what he said and you made a decision on what you felt was best for you.

I feel that is the honorable way to treat your dad and still be a man that makes your own decisions.

 

[mrninja9]

man everyone is right he is lookin at losong a son not a bike. I mean ben ask al the parents that are here you never want that phone call sayin mr and mrs so and so you kid has been in a wreck

ben just lay low for awhile he will come around

 

[thrasherfox]

(Burger King @ May 02 2007,14:17) It sounds to me like your Dad loves you and worries that he possibly came close to losing his Son in a motorcycle accident.

Back in 82 I called my Dad one morning needing a ride home because I had been in a wreck with my Ford Bronco. After he inspected my vehicle and picked my up he chewed my out good. When I looked back it a few years later I realized his words came from the fear of him losing his son in an accident........oh....I hit the 43'rd car of a moving train at 4:00 am. It destroyed the vehicle but all 4 of us walked away.

I wouldn't fret to much about what he said. Just tell him you love him too.

+1

Thats kind of what I wast trying to say, I allways have a problem getting to the point like you did lol..

 

[05BusaLe]

You are just too young to handle the power a Busa makes, Just get yourself a moped!

Truthfully I think your Dad was just scared that he might loose you in a bike wreck! Do you have kids? If you do then you should understand, If however, you don't have kids then you will understand when you do! Just take it easy and do what you want! After all how far does your Dad live from you? Would he know about another bike if you didn't tell him! Once again I am glad you and your passenger are ok, Ride safe!

 

[vman1300]

(thrasherfox @ May 02 2007,17:37) Dude. without knowing the family situation..........................


.......................... way to treat your dad and still be a man that makes your own decisions.

Very well said sir.

 

[GMbusa]

Ben, you had an accident. It happens and people will worry, NO MATTER WHAT. You could be the best rider in the world and people will still worry about you. Take care of what you need to do and if you want another bike, then get one. You can still go to college AND have a bike. It will be an extra payment to deal with. Your a good friend of mine and i know you. That nice florida weather will drive you crazy not having some kinda bike. If you need to vent, give me a ring or come on over.

 

[ike]

Dads just lookin out for you bro.

 

[Big Wall]

Sounds like you know the correct answer and just need to vent. Don't let it get to you. Frankly, part of growing up is making your own choices and not needing your parents approval of those choices. You know what is right for you. (Do I sound like I have had parent issues?)

Get well Ben.

 

[BusaDale]

Yep, Dads do that kind of stuff. We worry all the time and I've heard my son say I am trying to piss him off a million times. He rides a GSX-R600 and is a better rider then I have ever been but I still won't let him ride my Busa cause I worry he might get hurt on it.
I know it's silly but like I said, that's the way us dads are.
AND, if he went out and bought his own Busa, I would get over it but, I would still worry.

 

[GSXTacy]

Hey you better listen to him and get a cruiser. They dont slip in gravel.

 

[VaBusa]

Sounds like another person that just assumes it's only the sport bike riders that crash...  

Ben, you're an adult, you get what you want...it's good to get free unsolicited advice from those around you, so smile and say "thank you, I'll take that in to consideration" and then do what you want.

I heard it so much when I wanted to ride, then when I jumped over to the Busa...I know friends and family are concerned and they feel the need to share those thoughts, so understand that part of it and then do your own thing...no need to make it drama between you and your Dad; take his words to heart and understand that he's worried.  His heart is in the right place, but it's your life and your wallet  

Nothing but respect for Dad...  

 

[BlondeOnaBusa]

Ben, your Dad is just worried about you cause he loves ya.

I am one of those parents that got a phone call early one morning. Went something like this.....

Mrs. Smith your 18 yr old son has been in an accident and he has to be life flighted to the hospital. He has a compound fracture of the femur,  fracture in the pelvic area and  busted teeth.
It was one of the worst days of my life.  The one thought that keep going through my head was "What if I lose him".

He spent 2 weeks in the hospital...one of those weeks was in ICU on a vent.
He doesn't remember much, Said he felt like he only spent a couple of day in there.
After 2 months of physical therapy "he" was good to go but I wasn't. I didn't want him to drive ever again. Not because I thought he would wreck again but the thought of almost losing him was just overwhelming.

4 months after his accident he was on the road again. That was 4 yrs ago last month. To this day I still worry. The "what if" thought creeps back into my head.

Now he wants a motorcycle and it's kill'n me but he is an adult and it's his money. It's just hard to let go.

Don't be to hard on your dad, he loves ya.

It's tough being a parent sometimes.

This is my memory......

 

[VaBusa]

Holy

Dawn

I cannot imagine! That's every parent's worst nightmare...I'm so glad he's okay, but yeah, I don't think you'll ever stop worrying as a Mom (or a Dad)...

Great advice for Ben...