When the dreaded day comes when our children say “Mom, I want a motorcycle”, it’s time to sit down and weigh many matters about. And it is that driving a motorcycle has many practical advantages since it is a very agile vehicle with which to avoid traffic congestion, it allows short trips around the city without worrying about parking or entering downtown areas, reaching the destination sooner, they have low consumption and its repairs and maintenance are cheap.
But obviously, and since you can drive a motorcycle from the age of 15, as parents it still seems early and dangerous to put a vehicle of these characteristics in the hands of the young people at home. So what should we do? The answer is not simple, you have to assess whether there is a real need, whether they are mature and responsible enough, make calculations, negotiate… For this reason, AMV experts give us a series of tips to help us make the best decision.
First of all, one of the first things that we must consider when deciding whether or not to allow our son to have a motorcycle is if you really need it. How are your commutes? What positive and negative changes would a motorcycle bring to your life? It helps, in these cases in which emotions sometimes overcome us, to make a written list of the pros and cons to see things a little clearer, if it would be good for them to go to class on the motorcycle, if they will free us to make certain trips (extracurricular classes, doctors, sports centers, etc.) or even if it can help us in our day to day and they can do certain errands for us.
Most parents think that their children are wonderful in absolutely everything, except for a few little things that are still being polished because they are not yet adults. It is precisely those things that are still being polished, the ones that we have to coldly analyze to find out if they are ready to have a motorcycle, as if they are always going to put their helmet on correctly and whether or not they will wear it tied up. If you will respect the speed limits and traffic rules and you want to learn how to drive correctly or you are more thinking of showing off in front of your friends. If they will take care of the vehicle and have it ready. And so on until we have thought of all the possibilities because one thing is certain: no one knows our children better than we do, so we are the best qualified people to make this difficult decision.
Another issue in which you have to think coldly is spending. Although motorcycles are, in general, cheaper than cars, several costs will have to be calculated, such as the purchase of the vehicle itself, the driving school to obtain the permit -you will have to take a practical exam and another theoretical one-, the insurance, which in the young are more expensive than for adults; gasoline, repairs, spare parts, revisions…
In addition to the appropriate helmet and accessories to protect them in the event of an accident. Even take into account possible fines. It happens to all drivers at some point and it is likely that our children are no exception.