I feel like I don't get to ride anymore!

[i-scream-stop]

We got my son a bike a month or so ago, he is 17 and we started him on a small bike. A 75 Honda CB 200. It is a great little bike and a blast to ride around town. He can learn about maintaining a bike and get use to it before moving up to a bigger bike. The problem is my wife always want to go places where he can go which means we have to stay on back roads where the bike can keep up with traffic. Im ok with this except I never get to go riding alone any more. I am stuck on half hour and hour rides and have not turned a hundred miles in a trip in well over a month. If i speak up to say I am going riding they all get ready and want to go to, I get depressed and haven't even wanted to go anymore. Of course my garage is getting clean now. What to do, I tell my wife she don't understand that it is just not fun for me, I always lead which means I am always watching everything including mirrors and worrying about my ride and everyone else.

[AKBEEMER]

I think you are failing to realize how fortunate you are. You could have a son and and a wife who were either oblivious to motorcycling or antagonistic towards it; you could ride all you want then. Instead, you have to endure teaching your son the skills and knowledge he needs to enjoy a lifetime of riding, much of which he may share with you. Boy do you have it rough.

[40401]

Enjoy the time you have with him while you can. It won't be long 'till he either graduates to a bigger bike & your rides will get longer & faster or he may find other inerests or destinations which means less time with him. Many boys that age think their dads are real dorks and don't want to spend time with them. You're lucky.

Let him lead & see what happens. It might be fun to see where that goes.

[markaz]

Enjoy doing something with your son while you can. The opportunity won't last forever. I wish my wife was physically able to ride...I'd buy her a bike in a minute. I got my 25 yr old daughter on my old Trail 90 a while back and I think she's hooked so we may be looking for another bike soon. I'd love to ride with her.

[john1691]

My oldest son bought a Suzuki GS500 at 16, (he is now 22) rode a few times that summer, rode it to work about 1/2 the time the next 2 summers, but went to Temple in Philly and hasn't ridden it since. My younger son got his permit at 16, rode the 500 once, never got back on (he is now 18). Neither had any close calls or drops, just don't enjoy it. I would love to have either one of them go for 1/2-1 hr. rides with me, knowing I can go by myself later or when they are doing something else.

I insure and pay registration on the 500 every year in the hopes it will be ridden. I end up riding it myself around 500 miles per year just to run some gas through it and keep it on a "Tender". Since my son bought it and doesn't want to sell it, it stays in my garage and takes up space............

Enjoy your short rides, make him take a safety course, show him safe riding habits while he is with you, as once he is comfortable on his own, he will certainly be trying stuff he wouldn't if you were watching.

[i-scream-stop]

Thanks guys, You actually made me feel better. On a short ride to McD's I let him lead me through country, It was almost dangerous for me I was laughing so hard some times with his looks of WHERE THE HECK am I? I had plenty of gas so it was how riding is suppose to be.

[dwyandell]

Kevin said it. Enjoy him while you have him. You have a great chance to teach him to be safe and enjoy motorcycling by riding together with him. This stage of short local trips while he is learning will last only a year or less, and before you know it, he'll have a bigger bike and you'll be holding him back. Your bigger problem will be when he DOESNT want to ride with YOU because you are too old, too slow, not cool, insist on him wearing full gear, pack too much, want to sleep in a bed once in a while, etc.

I have 3 boys, the youngest now 20, and two of them ride. They were begging to get their endorsements as soon as they got their drivers licenses. We found a couple of beat up but fixable old Honda Twinstars on Craigslist when they were 16 and 17 and they learned to ride AND wrench on them too.. . They outgrew the twinstars within the first year (once we got them running), moved up to bikes of their own choosing (a GX'r and a V-Strom) and both are responsible and safe riders now who do their own maintenance. The third one, my oldest, is disabled and felt left out so we got a hack and he's thrilled to go along now--and his brothers are enjoying the chance to drive a sidecar.

This is my youngest, with his Wee at the far tip of Cape Breton (Meat Cove) last summer. . .we had been riding for 5-6 hours straight in driving cold rain that was getting through our gear. . . we stopped to find some dry undershirts to put on.

[braddog]

My wife won't even look at my motorcycles, let alone ride with me. My oldest son has little or no interest in riding, and my youngest has a loooong way to go in learning responsibility before he can ride, and even then, he's not very interested.

My youngest daughter loves to ride, and had her own bike for a couple of years before she totalled it when hitting sand on an off ramp. Luckily, she only had some road rash and nothing else. She took the insurance check, and hasn't had a bike of her own since.

Man, I'm totally envious of you being able to ride with both your wife and son! Think of the awesome times you'll have when your oldest learns more skills and moves up to his own BMW.

[bikerfish1100]

you need to turn in your ManCard at the nearest ManOffice.

your only alternative is to learn to say "i am going for a ride by myself. i'll be back sometime later, and will be glad to go on a familygroupride at that time." and then do exactly that.

there's nothing wrong in looking out for your own interests and desires, as well as sharing them with wife and son.

[ANDYVH]

I agree with all the responses, to a degree. I wish I had a son that would want to ride with me and learn from me. Being able to share something as personal as riding with a son, or daughter, would have to be a great experience. Same for having a spouse, SO, whatever that wants to ride with you. Cherish and enjoy it for the special bonds it builds.

But,....one of the best things that motorcycling does for me, is ME time, alone, with my thoughts, and often with NO thoughts but the riding itself. I have had great, philosphical rides, spiritual rides, great talks with God rides, great mind-clearing rides, great theraputic rides, that came a result of nothing more than me, my bike, and a wandering direction, no direction actually. My last big one was 415 miles in one day, with no real plan. I felt great after that!

You are fully entitled to YOUR riding time alone, if it means that much to you. Like Bikerfish said, "man up", but also explain WHY you need riding time alone. Don't just say "I going riding alone, you all can stay home till I get back" as that sounds selfish. But to explain what riding alone means for you and does for you, gives reason for them to understand. Then, when you do come home, you'll want to ride with them all the more! Maybe it means you take YOUR ride at 5am, and return at 9am to ride with them.

[royce]

I agree with all the responses, to a degree. I wish I had a son that would want to ride with me and learn from me. Being able to share something as personal as riding with a son, or daughter, would have to be a great experience. Same for having a spouse, SO, whatever that wants to ride with you. Cherish and enjoy it for the special bonds it builds.

But,....one of the best things that motorcycling does for me, is ME time, alone, with my thoughts, and often with NO thoughts but the riding itself. I have had great, philosphical rides, spiritual rides, great talks with God rides, great mind-clearing rides, great theraputic rides, that came a result of nothing more than me, my bike, and a wandering direction, no direction actually. My last big one was 415 miles in one day, with no real plan. I felt great after that!

You are fully entitled to YOUR riding time alone, if it means that much to you. Like Bikerfish said, "man up", but also explain WHY you need riding time alone. Don't just say "I going riding alone, you all can stay home till I get back" as that sounds selfish. But to explain what riding alone means for you and does for you, gives reason for them to understand. Then, when you do come home, you'll want to ride with them all the more! Maybe it means you take YOUR ride at 5am, and return at 9am to ride with them.

I could have written this response! But I couldn't have written it so well. Thx for the perspective.

[REDSLEDRIDER]

Enjoy the time
Soon your son will be doing this. You don't because we are getting old and don't heal as well or as fast.

[26667]

Enjoy the time you have with him while you can. It won't be long 'till he either graduates to a bigger bike & your rides will get longer & faster or he may find other inerests or destinations which means less time with him. Many boys that age think their dads are real dorks and don't want to spend time with them. You're lucky.

Let him lead & see what happens. It might be fun to see where that goes.

you probably know this already and I understand your frustration, but I think maybe it's one of the ways ya just gotta look at it...and then be happy.

[rd400racer]

What RedSled said....enjoy the time with him and take it to the next level. This is my son at Road Atlanta on the other German bike...MZ660 Skorpion. He never participated in road riding before taking it to the track and could care less if he rides on the street. And talk about great father-son time. Weekends at the track are like Christmas.







Oh, and RedSled.....you and I need to hang out! We ride the same Beemer, both of our boys race and I just picked this up to restore

[dwestly]

you need to turn in your mancard at the nearest manoffice.

Your only alternative is to learn to say "i am going for a ride by myself. I'll be back sometime later, and will be glad to go on a familygroupride at that time." and then do exactly that.

There's nothing wrong in looking out for your own interests and desires, as well as sharing them with wife and son.

+1 !