I never thought i would face this problem - but my 9 year old just simply does not seem to like dirt bikes! To be honest, I think i made some mistakes early on (no...I was not the pushy little league dad yelling at him) So I am seeking the advice of others who may have already been down this path. Here is some back ground on what has taken place.
First - I am 100% totally obsessed with bikes (street and off road)- it is a huge part of who I am (and likely part of the problem...I have to much vested in my kid liking them to!)
Both my boys are somewhat timid - certainly not agressive. If you could call it that...the younger is the more aggressive one. Both are extremely good students - the youngest at 3rd grade easily does the 5th graders work.
My 9 yr old is a second child, his older brother now age 11 1/2. they started on bikes very very young - big brother at 3 1/2, little guy at 11 months old started riding in a sidecar...racked up nearly 40,000 miles in it up till about 2 years ago. Both boys ride with me on my VFR occasionaly do overnight trips together each summer.
Oldest got his first bike, a JR 50 age 5. really did not seem to click with him - although we always felt he did just fine - but he seemed rather afraid of the bike. He gave up rather quick... first mistake...we said "ok" how about a 4 wheeler at age 8.
Young one inherited the JR50 at age 6. Did super early on. Seemed to be an absolute natural on the bike. Very short time later (a few months) clearly the JR was not up to the task...got him a LEM LX2. Again..he did extremely well. Short while later he did his first (and only...mom just could not stand to see him race) race...got 7th place overall from 3 motos. He seemed pumped. We then did a fair bit of trail riding...kid did great...then one day his first real major get off - no injuries...but he took a big hit.
We backed off on the riding for quite a while...the next season came around on the LEM...his still did OK but it did seem his interest was not there.... he was outgrowing the LEM, got him a 1999 Polini X3 Standard about 1 year ago. Last summer he rode very little...he never asked to ride, when we would suggest a ride, no interest, we pratcially had to drag him out on it. Every time he did get out on it he really did seem to have a good time...smiles and grins, hard on the gas (kid seems to love riding WFO!) We have a super place to ride right at home (40 acres with woods and field trails). Last summer he had one decent get off...nothing much of one...all because he was charging harder and harder into a hard pack corner.. But last summer at most he went through 7 to 10 tanks full of gas on the bike.
So now the riding season is upon us...we talk to him about it...he seems no interest - says it just is not his thing...like say knitting would be for me. We convince him to ride ...again he gets right on it...seems to have a great time...I see him gasing it...enjoying WFO again...he even pulls up to the garage and asks me to join him on my bike (unfortunately it was down for repairs), i blast around with him on a quad for a bit. After the fact...he says..was not fun at all. Just aint his thing...
So i starting thinking...that Polini is a little screamer...its a MX bike - peaky little thing...narrow power band etc....little 10" tires and some what twitchy handling... certainly not a perfect mellow trail bike. Heck...if an adult were asking about a first bike, I would not point them to a RM125....perhaps that was part of the issue - the bike is a bit intimidating perhaps...
So here is what I am thinking about...I have a line on a 2000 (maybe 2001 not sure) Yamaha TT-R90 for a decent price (or so I think...is $900 a good price?) Its a trail bike - mellow power...bigger tires etc... We deliberatly back way off on encouraging the riding....occasionally "insist" on a few laps around the field as a family affair (all 4 of us out for a ride) ...occasional rides in the local trails...i spend more time riding two up with him on my KTM (not so sure how thats gonna work) to show him some of the fun we can have. He has agreed that perhaps this would be good. He seemed to perk up a bit and said "so its just a trail bike?", and liked the idea of more two up riding. He however reiterate...."dirt bikes just are not my thing"... We plan on the whole family coming along on most all of my enduro races this year, so he will continue to be exposed to bikes in that context as well.
So - any comments??? suggestions???? Have i just spoiled my kid with getting him what ever bike he needs such that he does not appreciate it? did he get scared with that big get off??? Do I just need to accept that dirt bikes just are not his thing...and move on to find some other common ground (not so easy for me to accept however...not much else exists for me as far as activities I have a passion for).
thanks for your thoughts!
(BTW - regardless of the outcome....looks like i will have a 1999 Polini X3 standard for sale...great shape...very little use :ugg:
First - I am 100% totally obsessed with bikes (street and off road)- it is a huge part of who I am (and likely part of the problem...I have to much vested in my kid liking them to!)
Both my boys are somewhat timid - certainly not agressive. If you could call it that...the younger is the more aggressive one. Both are extremely good students - the youngest at 3rd grade easily does the 5th graders work.
My 9 yr old is a second child, his older brother now age 11 1/2. they started on bikes very very young - big brother at 3 1/2, little guy at 11 months old started riding in a sidecar...racked up nearly 40,000 miles in it up till about 2 years ago. Both boys ride with me on my VFR occasionaly do overnight trips together each summer.
Oldest got his first bike, a JR 50 age 5. really did not seem to click with him - although we always felt he did just fine - but he seemed rather afraid of the bike. He gave up rather quick... first mistake...we said "ok" how about a 4 wheeler at age 8.
Young one inherited the JR50 at age 6. Did super early on. Seemed to be an absolute natural on the bike. Very short time later (a few months) clearly the JR was not up to the task...got him a LEM LX2. Again..he did extremely well. Short while later he did his first (and only...mom just could not stand to see him race) race...got 7th place overall from 3 motos. He seemed pumped. We then did a fair bit of trail riding...kid did great...then one day his first real major get off - no injuries...but he took a big hit.
We backed off on the riding for quite a while...the next season came around on the LEM...his still did OK but it did seem his interest was not there.... he was outgrowing the LEM, got him a 1999 Polini X3 Standard about 1 year ago. Last summer he rode very little...he never asked to ride, when we would suggest a ride, no interest, we pratcially had to drag him out on it. Every time he did get out on it he really did seem to have a good time...smiles and grins, hard on the gas (kid seems to love riding WFO!) We have a super place to ride right at home (40 acres with woods and field trails). Last summer he had one decent get off...nothing much of one...all because he was charging harder and harder into a hard pack corner.. But last summer at most he went through 7 to 10 tanks full of gas on the bike.
So now the riding season is upon us...we talk to him about it...he seems no interest - says it just is not his thing...like say knitting would be for me. We convince him to ride ...again he gets right on it...seems to have a great time...I see him gasing it...enjoying WFO again...he even pulls up to the garage and asks me to join him on my bike (unfortunately it was down for repairs), i blast around with him on a quad for a bit. After the fact...he says..was not fun at all. Just aint his thing...
So i starting thinking...that Polini is a little screamer...its a MX bike - peaky little thing...narrow power band etc....little 10" tires and some what twitchy handling... certainly not a perfect mellow trail bike. Heck...if an adult were asking about a first bike, I would not point them to a RM125....perhaps that was part of the issue - the bike is a bit intimidating perhaps...
So here is what I am thinking about...I have a line on a 2000 (maybe 2001 not sure) Yamaha TT-R90 for a decent price (or so I think...is $900 a good price?) Its a trail bike - mellow power...bigger tires etc... We deliberatly back way off on encouraging the riding....occasionally "insist" on a few laps around the field as a family affair (all 4 of us out for a ride) ...occasional rides in the local trails...i spend more time riding two up with him on my KTM (not so sure how thats gonna work) to show him some of the fun we can have. He has agreed that perhaps this would be good. He seemed to perk up a bit and said "so its just a trail bike?", and liked the idea of more two up riding. He however reiterate...."dirt bikes just are not my thing"... We plan on the whole family coming along on most all of my enduro races this year, so he will continue to be exposed to bikes in that context as well.
So - any comments??? suggestions???? Have i just spoiled my kid with getting him what ever bike he needs such that he does not appreciate it? did he get scared with that big get off??? Do I just need to accept that dirt bikes just are not his thing...and move on to find some other common ground (not so easy for me to accept however...not much else exists for me as far as activities I have a passion for).
thanks for your thoughts!
(BTW - regardless of the outcome....looks like i will have a 1999 Polini X3 standard for sale...great shape...very little use :ugg: