My Daughter broke my heart . . .

[XRpredator]

Earlier this fall I tried to get my sweet little buttercup out on her brother's old TTR90. She was not really down with it, she more enjoys the old YFM80 quad we have. But I really wanted to get her on two wheels. After several hours of tears and "I HATE YOU"s and "NO FAIR"s, she finally rode it by herself for about two minutes.

Fast forward

I see Yamaha coming out with a TTR50. I think to myself "this would be an excellent machine for her, as it still has electric start and is lighter and lower than the TTR90". I make a swinging deal at the Yamaha dealer to trade the 90 for the 50. I talk her into going down to sit on it. Yeah, she thinks its kind of cool. Then she says the words that break my heart.

"I don't think I want a motorcycle."

:(

What am I to do, ladies?

 

[nikki]

Give her some time?


Or, spend lots of father-son riding trips and make her jealous and want to be included. :ride: :p

 

[XRpredator]

time, okay. But do I pull the trigger on the 50 deal? Do I keep the 90, which is just taking up room?

 

[gwcrim]

I bet she secretly wants a two stroke!

 

[LoriKTM]

Is the TTR90 really too big for her? If you dump the 90 and get the TTR50, and then she grows a little bigger before she "decides" she wants to ride a motorcycle, will the 50 then be too small?

How old is she now? Maybe she's just not comfortable balancing on two wheels yet. If she's having fun on the quad, so be it. If she's crying and upset about having to ride the bike, then maybe it's not time. Does she have a bicycle that she rides a lot?

Or it may help if she sees other girls her age riding two-wheeled motorcycles.

 

[Patman]

Buy her a pink helmet, it worked for my wife :)

 

[FruDaddy]

I originally bought the PW80 for my daughter, she got tired of riding it after about a year. Now she does, on rare occasion, putt around on it, and sometimes I have her move it for me. She does go to the track with me and the boy, and sometimes watches, but she has minimal interest in riding. You just have to accept the fact that you little girl doesn't ride. Trying to push her will only make it worse.
WOW, I just noticed that you were asking the ladies. Oh well, I typed it, you can read it.

 

[MXGirl230]

Well...if you did get the TTR-50 and she doesn't ride it, that means play bike for you! Those things have all kinds of GYTR accessories available :nod:

I agree with Nikki, but whats her reason? Just doesn't want to? I also have the same questions as Lori.

 

[kdx200chick]

My daughter (now 10 years old) did the same thing to me...she is the only one in the family who doesn't ride. I've been riding for 30 plus years and it's like a knife going through my chest everytime I offer and she declines with a "no thanks, I'll just sit here and do other things!" I keep hoping and praying that SOMEDAY she will say "yes, I'll ride today!" for now we just pack her art supplies and camp shovel and she entertains herself perfectly! I'm just grateful that she has never said, "I don't want to go with you!"

 

[DaveRS575]

Have you tried training wheels? It might help to build her confidence up some. They do make them for bikes up to 110cc I believe. Maybe she just needs to build the confidence up a bit more?

 

[Reesknight]

I bet she secretly wants a two stroke!

Yeah, I bet she's thinkin "4 stroke?! I might as well be on a quad!" :nener:

 

[Jamir]

just let her see her daddy ride more. I bet by watching another girl ride, she will want to do it to! :P

 

[mx547]

i can't give you any advice but today my eight year-old daughter said, "dad, i thought about it at school and church today, i want to try motocross."

i'm not getting too excited because she has a tendency to say what dad wants to hear. the older one (kendall) just tells me to screw off.

 

[rickyd]

Somebody mentioned the pink helmet, my 3&1/2 year old niece asked for a pink MX helmet, that and i have too find her "Princess" stickers for it.. We put around the yard on her 50, she wears a bicycle helmet, but before i turn her loose by herself, she will have all the gear.. Give her time, if its not meant too be, its not meant too be IMO..
RIck

 

[GETMETOCA]

Face it, you got a girly-girl. Glue some Svoravski crystals all over the bike and she might go for it.

 

[bbbom]

Come on Pred answer the questions!

How old is she? Does she ride a bicycle?

My daughter is a pretty good rider but it took a LOT more work to get her hooked than it did for the boy. The boy, was hooked before he was old enough to ride, he lives for bikes.

With my daughter, we had to make sure that the weather was nice, the ride was challenging but easily doable, she got lots of praise (helpful if it's from someone besides big bro or mom or Karl) and most important SNACKS!!!!

Even when she started racing, she was off & on with that. I'd load her bike up & tell her she had to come to the races but if she didn't want to race she didn't have to. Once we got there, and she saw all the kids she'd been competing against, she was in.

That has kinda changed now that she's on the 80, she isn't as confident with it so she isn't as willing to go WFO but she will race Women's Class if I do. She will also ride trails if I ask plllleeaasse and promise snacks, pictures and pit stops to go exploring.

Praise from others helps a TON! People at the track would comment how great a rider she was and it helped keep her motivated. On her big bro's birthday ride, she led the boys on our trails for part of the ride. One of my boys friends commented to her "Wow, I never saw a girl ride like THAT!" She was beaming.

One of my friends little boys is in the same boat, after a ride with us though, and lots of praise (and snack stops), he informed his mom that it was the best ride he'd ever done and he loved riding dirtbikes.

Bring her & the boy up for next springs Kid's Ride. Lots of kids, all levels and prizes for everyone of them.

 

[LoriKTM]

Yeah Pred, I'm bettin that you take your lil girl up to bbbom's for that ride, and she gets to ride with a bunch of kids her own age, she'll be all over that bike.
Heck, bbbom's descriptions makes ME want to go! :laugh:

 

[CaptainObvious]

Ya know Pred, I've been having similar problems with my youngest, Colin.

He "soloed" his XR50 on his 4th birthday. He also had his first crash that very same day, and decided that he didn't like riding. I never pushed him to get back on the bike...and it sat in the garage for almost two years.

This past weekend, two years to the day of his first solo, he asks if he can ride his bike. I say sure. I get him dressed and I run through the control drill with him. He seems to remember it all. I begin the starting sequence and he says "can I just sit on it first?"

"Sure".

After a minute he starts pushing himself down the driveway and gets his feet on the pegs. He grabs the front brake, comes to a stop and asks me to push him back up the driveway. After a few of these runs he begins to push the bike up the driveway himself. He does this for 1/2 an hour!

He's very proud of this. He hands me the helmet and asks "next time can we start the motor?"

"Sure" I say.

I'll wait until he's ready...and I think he will be this spring.

 

[Tony Eeds]

Well...if you did get the TTR-50 and she doesn't ride it, that means play bike for you!

Tracie - That is funny ... think elephant sitting on a stool and you'll get the picture! :rotfl:

My grandson is getting a bike for Christmas. He has been sitting on my minis every time he comes to the house, but they are too big for him. He seems interested. I am making sure all of his gear makes him look like a Power Ranger and my daughter is pointing out to him that the Power Rangers ride bikes sometimes.

We'll see soon. Less than two months till Christmas!!! :ohmy: :yeehaw: :yeehaw:

 

[MXGirl230]

Hey thanks Tony, you spelled my name right! You have no idea how many family members can't spell my name...even after 23yrs...

:laugh:

 

[Psyco Goldfish]

You know the sad thing? i STILL ride a mini, and what makes it worse is im 13 and very tall for my age... :coocoo: :coocoo: :coocoo: my friend found it in the dump and did it up, lol. I have to convince my parents to let me ride but you guys have to convince your kids to ride odd...

 

[bbbom]

Heck, bbbom's descriptions makes ME want to go! :laugh:

Come on up Lori, you'll fit right in for the Kid's Ride! :)

Hey Psyco, at least you get to ride!

 

[MXGirl230]

Psyco, my brother is 16 and rides his XR50 MORE than his CR125! He's always wheeling it up and down the yard. He is saving up to put a Big Bore kit in it.

 

[squeaky]

Well Pred...I can't offer up any more advice than everyone in here already did...

Just don't push, as others have said, she won't come to the conclusion that she does want a motorcycle with dad over her shoulder every minute saying "Wanna ride the motorcycle?"

It takes time and confidence is huge...

Good luck and if she doesn't want to do it, unfortunately you'll just have to accept it.

P.S.

Tony - an elephant on a stool?! :rotfl:

 

[XRpredator]

okay, to answer some questions . . .

She can ride a bike without training wheels. She's 7 years old and has been riding the 4-wheeler since she was 4. She has taken a few laps on the 90, but since she is so tiny it is rather large for her.

My niece, who is two years younger, rides a PW50. Both girls do everything else together, so I thought maybe she'd go for having a dirt bike like li'l Sidbot.

I think I'll pull the trigger on the 50, since it will probably hold its value longer than the 90, just because people dig those little bikes. Plus, with all the GYT stuff available, it can grow with her for a while. Then it will be a good pit bike for me ;)

I hate to be pushy, but I also want to get her off the 4-wheeler, since if she crashes it will probably mangle her a bit.

Oh, and Pat, she doesn't need a pink helmet because she picked the paint scheme on her lid: