So, what is the right age?

JoJmoto
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JoJmoto
Edited Date/Time 6/5/2014 11:44am
With all these head injuries we hear about lately, as a parent, it worries me for my son. Hence, why I just spent money on a 6D. We have a close family that is suffering from a head injury now. Thank goodness he is not dead but he has been in Sheppard Center in Atlanta for near two months now and although getting better, has a very long road ahead to get him close to "Back to normal".

My son has recently turned 15 years old and for the last couple years, I have allowed him to make the decision to continue to race or stop. Each time I have read or heard about a head injury, paralysis or death, I have shown him the sad results. But I continually allow him to choose to continue to race or quit, (As in just practice at local tracks). We all know once in MX there is no “quit” without an injury related reason.

So what is the right age to allow your racer, as a parent, to make this decision on their own? Is it wrong for the parent to allow them to make this decision or should we as the parent, make it for them?

Seems the faster your child gets, the more chance of a severe injury is likely should they have a get off..
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gharmon
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gharmon 6/4/2014 9:44am
6/4/2014 9:44am
Most all of us struggle with this question. Honestly, I have no idea. I, like you, allowed my sons to choose to keep riding or not and both never even thought about quitting.. I always showed them the bad injuries/deaths also. Both are grown now and still ride/race. I now have a 5 year old grandson whom I've already bought two bikes for and these questions still remain.
hvaughn88
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hvaughn88 6/4/2014 9:45am
6/4/2014 9:45am Edited Date/Time 6/4/2014 9:46am
JoJmoto wrote:
With all these head injuries we hear about lately, as a parent, it worries me for my son. Hence, why I just spent money on a...
With all these head injuries we hear about lately, as a parent, it worries me for my son. Hence, why I just spent money on a 6D. We have a close family that is suffering from a head injury now. Thank goodness he is not dead but he has been in Sheppard Center in Atlanta for near two months now and although getting better, has a very long road ahead to get him close to "Back to normal".

My son has recently turned 15 years old and for the last couple years, I have allowed him to make the decision to continue to race or stop. Each time I have read or heard about a head injury, paralysis or death, I have shown him the sad results. But I continually allow him to choose to continue to race or quit, (As in just practice at local tracks). We all know once in MX there is no “quit” without an injury related reason.

So what is the right age to allow your racer, as a parent, to make this decision on their own? Is it wrong for the parent to allow them to make this decision or should we as the parent, make it for them?

Seems the faster your child gets, the more chance of a severe injury is likely should they have a get off..
That's a very good question. And one that I have struggled with...to the point of even contemplating getting rid of my bike in an effort that my son just never gains more interest in it. I just don't know the answer. I grew up around bikes, my dad rode, my uncle rode, my cousins and I raced. But it just seems so much different now, and that's over a very short period of time. I'm only 26, so it hasn't really been that long ago that I was racing. I just don't see where there is actually amateur moto anymore, and I'm not really sure it's an environment that I want my two boys to be a part of, which is sad. I hear the great stories of the sport being family oriented, but I've played most all the sports/hobbies there is, and there are great family stories in all of them. As I have kids now, the others sports are more appealing. Sure, kids get injured in all sports, but damn the injuries in moto are serious.
EastFlorida
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EastFlorida 6/4/2014 10:12am
6/4/2014 10:12am
Two of my sons (13 & 14) are new riders riding a TTR125 and a DRZ125. They are slow, don't race and ride the local peewee track. I want to get them riding trails with me but I don't suspect either wants to race - and I'm cool with that. I do want to be riding with them though for as long as I can and as long as they want to.
KlootZak
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KlootZak 6/4/2014 10:21am
6/4/2014 10:21am Edited Date/Time 6/4/2014 10:22am
JoJmoto wrote:
With all these head injuries we hear about lately, as a parent, it worries me for my son. Hence, why I just spent money on a...
With all these head injuries we hear about lately, as a parent, it worries me for my son. Hence, why I just spent money on a 6D. We have a close family that is suffering from a head injury now. Thank goodness he is not dead but he has been in Sheppard Center in Atlanta for near two months now and although getting better, has a very long road ahead to get him close to "Back to normal".

My son has recently turned 15 years old and for the last couple years, I have allowed him to make the decision to continue to race or stop. Each time I have read or heard about a head injury, paralysis or death, I have shown him the sad results. But I continually allow him to choose to continue to race or quit, (As in just practice at local tracks). We all know once in MX there is no “quit” without an injury related reason.

So what is the right age to allow your racer, as a parent, to make this decision on their own? Is it wrong for the parent to allow them to make this decision or should we as the parent, make it for them?

Seems the faster your child gets, the more chance of a severe injury is likely should they have a get off..
I was forced to stop at the age of 14 because my parents broke up and the money was just not there. When I was 21 I got the money together to buy all the stuff needed to ride again. It still makes me sad that I had to give up riding at the age of 14 because I would have been a lot better than I'm doing now (I might won something Tongue )

In my opinion you're not "allowed" to let the kid stop riding if he loves it. But you can keep him on his feet. It's for fun, you're probably never going to make it big (= as a job) and school goes first ... In the end It is still a hobby. If you see that your child goes all out without thinking straight then it's the moment to intervene ...

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Matt Fisher
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Matt Fisher 6/4/2014 10:37am
6/4/2014 10:37am
I think a huge part of it is the kid.

My 10 year old daughter has almost zero interest in riding; playing soccer at the local level is about as dangerous as she wants to get.

My 15 year old son is the current 55kg CA State Judo champ, a varsity wrestler (state greco this Sunday), and would switch to moto full time if I had the $ to spend on it. If it's not dangerous he's not interested. Golf, baseball, etc are like watching paint dry to him.

As a parent my job is to raise them to be the best possible adults they can be. Stopping them from learning how really hard work results in being successful is part of that equation. If they aren't interested in the activity, they won't work hard at being the best at it.

It's not like injuries aren't part of the learning process. My son broke his back last year; at no time did he think that giving up was an alternative.
Darryl916
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Darryl916 6/4/2014 10:40am
6/4/2014 10:40am Edited Date/Time 6/4/2014 10:42am
JoJmoto wrote:
With all these head injuries we hear about lately, as a parent, it worries me for my son. Hence, why I just spent money on a...
With all these head injuries we hear about lately, as a parent, it worries me for my son. Hence, why I just spent money on a 6D. We have a close family that is suffering from a head injury now. Thank goodness he is not dead but he has been in Sheppard Center in Atlanta for near two months now and although getting better, has a very long road ahead to get him close to "Back to normal".

My son has recently turned 15 years old and for the last couple years, I have allowed him to make the decision to continue to race or stop. Each time I have read or heard about a head injury, paralysis or death, I have shown him the sad results. But I continually allow him to choose to continue to race or quit, (As in just practice at local tracks). We all know once in MX there is no “quit” without an injury related reason.

So what is the right age to allow your racer, as a parent, to make this decision on their own? Is it wrong for the parent to allow them to make this decision or should we as the parent, make it for them?

Seems the faster your child gets, the more chance of a severe injury is likely should they have a get off..
KlootZak wrote:
I was forced to stop at the age of 14 because my parents broke up and the money was just not there. When I was 21...
I was forced to stop at the age of 14 because my parents broke up and the money was just not there. When I was 21 I got the money together to buy all the stuff needed to ride again. It still makes me sad that I had to give up riding at the age of 14 because I would have been a lot better than I'm doing now (I might won something Tongue )

In my opinion you're not "allowed" to let the kid stop riding if he loves it. But you can keep him on his feet. It's for fun, you're probably never going to make it big (= as a job) and school goes first ... In the end It is still a hobby. If you see that your child goes all out without thinking straight then it's the moment to intervene ...
I agree.

I have an 11 year old son who I started at 3 on a pw50 and we progressed to a KTM pro Sr. and on to a KTM 65. I saw at that point he wasn't really a "racer", was scared, yet continued to get way in over his head. I decided to pull the plug on him as it just wasn't his thing and I could see him getting really hurt as the price of poker went up as he aged out of the smaller classes and the competition got more stiff. He's now quite the local basketball star and we both are more than happy with that. If he chooses to revisit moto on his own later (as I did when I became an adult) that is totally up to him. He has the fundamentals and it's in his blood. Timing is just everything. If he was a moto phenom right off the mini's he'd probably still be racing today. Each kid is different. As a parent pay attention and make the best choice from there. A 70ft triple may be completely safe on a 65 for one kid where another may have no business doing it. Gauge and coach the rider accordingly to ensure they make good choices and that their head, heart, and body are all in the same place. Danger goes up with forcing things.

If they seem in over their head I'd say it's time to step in.
Denn700
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Denn700 6/4/2014 10:54am
6/4/2014 10:54am
My parents made me quit at 15. I started hanging with the wrong crowd. I ended up getting arrested 10 times by the time I was 17 and got sent to a reform school. The people I met there introduced me to drugs.
I'm not saying your children will go down
this path but when my dad took away the thing I loved the most it made me resent him and lash out.
hvaughn88
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hvaughn88 6/4/2014 11:02am
6/4/2014 11:02am
One of my main complaints about this sport is that it requires a great deal of understanding of risk to be done safely. I don't think kids are necessarily capable of processing those risks. It's crazy to see a kid that possibly rode to the track in a car seat/booster seat, might not be able to tie his shoes and may still wet the bed and then watch him jump 60' and hold a bike wide open. I just don't know how I feel about kids discovering their limits when they don't have the basic fundamentals of everyday life conquered. I know I'm coming off very negative. I'm not trying to be that way. My son does have a PW50 and I don't keep him from riding (thank God he doesn't show a ton of interest). But sometimes I question if I might be doing him a disservice by even exposing him to the sport at all.
huck
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huck 6/4/2014 11:05am
6/4/2014 11:05am
I'm so glad my kids didn't want to ride moto....and I'm not sure I would have let them even if they showed interest. In my opinion it's stupid and unreasonable to put those young kids on bikes like the fast 65s and have them hit jumps that a lot of 450 riders don't jump. It's almost child endangerment...
luke99
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luke99 6/4/2014 11:50am
6/4/2014 11:50am Edited Date/Time 6/4/2014 11:51am
Please tell me those of you who are negative on this subject arent the same ones pissed that numbers are low on the gate...
fidiot
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fidiot 6/4/2014 11:58am
6/4/2014 11:58am Edited Date/Time 6/4/2014 12:00pm
I took my bike over to a friends house before my son was born. I haven't ridden it since. That was 4 years ago when I was 36 yrs old (40 now). My son is 3.5 yrs old now, and has no interest in riding his power wheels four wheeler or driving his power wheels Jeep. He rarely rides his tricycle or bicycle. He would rather play in his sandbox, on his swingset, or with the garden hose, or any other typical kid type stuff outside. According to my mother, I loved to ride any kind of riding toy right from the get go. Apparently he didn't get the desire to 'ride' like I was born with. His mother is a nurse at the hospital, and has seen some awful things. She doesn't want him to ride. Part of me is sad that I may never ride with my son. No one in my family rode motorcycles. My father loved playing and watching basketball. I found it incredibly boring. I saw some older neighborhood kids riding dirt bikes, and just had to have one. I mowed lawns for a few years and begged my parents to allow me to buy one. Finally they caved in, and at the age of 12, I bought my first dirt bike with my lawn mowing money. It was on after that. I rode whenever I could for about the next 25 yrs. To answer the original question though, if he ever does develop an interest in riding a motorcycle, he will first have to show me that he has mastered riding a bicycle.
KlootZak
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KlootZak 6/4/2014 11:58am
6/4/2014 11:58am
Aren't there any "kid" tracks in the USA? It seems like most parents are afraid of the big jumps but in Belgium / Netherlands most tracks have a track specially for 50cc and they are rather safe (no big jumps, no doubles, a lot of corners to practice, etc.)

From my understanding, the tracks in Belgium / Netherlands (maybe EU?) are more safe than in the USA. The speed is lower because of deep sand and there are mostly no doubles or whoops. There are still big jumps but they are all table jumps ... The average speed seems to be lower and the deep sand is a less hard substance to fall on.
ehr400
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ehr400 6/4/2014 12:04pm
6/4/2014 12:04pm
We have kids tracks at almost all tracks but when they are on 65's and are going faster then half the big bikes they race the big track, sometimes they dont hit all the obstacles but they are cranking for sure. I saw the top 3 kids hitting the big table top at briar cliff mx on 65's. it is a 80' table.
hvaughn88
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hvaughn88 6/4/2014 12:09pm
6/4/2014 12:09pm
luke99 wrote:
Please tell me those of you who are negative on this subject arent the same ones pissed that numbers are low on the gate...
please tell me you have a kid, if you're making such dickish comments
mws02
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mws02 6/4/2014 12:21pm
6/4/2014 12:21pm
I wish my parents made me quit. We all regret it. I was "home schooled" as of 8th grade. Ended up with a GED. I mangled the shit out of my body (had 14 different surgeries on different body parts). I've broken every bone except my right/left humerus. All for what? i didnt get shit in return from it. Lots of trophies that i dont give a fuck about. I'm 26 now and i wonder how i will feel in 10 more years. will i be able to play with my kids when i have them or will i hurt too much? what else could i have done with my life that would have been so much more productive had my parents made me quit. I was a kid..i didnt know any better. They asked me the same question you guys have asked your kids...do you want to race still? and of course i said yes. but i was a dumb kid/teenager that didnt see the bigger picture in life. I cringe when i see kids getting paralyzed and dying for this. If you want to have fun on a dirt bike with your kids, ride trails. Pushing the envelope to obtain the speed necessary to win even on the amateur level is a slippery slope, one i wish i was never on.
benchracermx 6/4/2014 2:49pm
6/4/2014 2:49pm
mws02 wrote:
I wish my parents made me quit. We all regret it. I was "home schooled" as of 8th grade. Ended up with a GED. I mangled...
I wish my parents made me quit. We all regret it. I was "home schooled" as of 8th grade. Ended up with a GED. I mangled the shit out of my body (had 14 different surgeries on different body parts). I've broken every bone except my right/left humerus. All for what? i didnt get shit in return from it. Lots of trophies that i dont give a fuck about. I'm 26 now and i wonder how i will feel in 10 more years. will i be able to play with my kids when i have them or will i hurt too much? what else could i have done with my life that would have been so much more productive had my parents made me quit. I was a kid..i didnt know any better. They asked me the same question you guys have asked your kids...do you want to race still? and of course i said yes. but i was a dumb kid/teenager that didnt see the bigger picture in life. I cringe when i see kids getting paralyzed and dying for this. If you want to have fun on a dirt bike with your kids, ride trails. Pushing the envelope to obtain the speed necessary to win even on the amateur level is a slippery slope, one i wish i was never on.
After reading ur post dude I genuinely feel sorry for u. That is so true, I think u see some moto dads also that push there kids far too hard in some hope of finding happiness for themselves, hoping there kids can achieve something they could not. While at the same time burning the wee guy out from what was once the sport they loved they're over it by 14
idahodan
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idahodan 6/4/2014 3:21pm
6/4/2014 3:21pm
Tough subject....

My boy is now 11 (almost 12). So many great racing memories together. Started when he was 4. Rode 50's until 8, 65's for a year and 85's since. Won a lot of races and had lots of fun at the local level. Now...two things have happened. One: he has gotten really into football and baseball. All-star teams for both sports...they take a lot of time. Two: the danger of the sport is now really scary to me. Now he wants to jump WAY BIGGER stuff than I'm comfortable with. It seems most/all tracks are just adding more and more jumps. Either jump the jumps to go fast and be competitive, or roll the jumps and have no fun riding (because most "jumpy" tracks have no flow whatsoever when you are rolling everything. Crazy how fast an 11 year old can go on a 7 year old 85cc bike...he jumps stuff that I won't which scares the crap out of me. We really now try to only ride at natural terrain tracks and/or on trails in the mountains.

I still love the sport and I hope we both ride for years to come...but...our days of competitive racing are on the shelf. We might show up to a race or two, but nothing "serious" any more. I figure he can start racing again when he's 18 if he chooses. You can ride dirtbikes your whole life. You only get to play stick and ball sports competitively when you are young. I want him to chase his football and baseball dreams as far as he can...then he can decide on taking the risks of getting faster if he wants when he is an adult.

I really don't miss the racing thing nearly as much as I thought I would...I just love any Saturday where we can even go out and trail ride a little bit...
MotoMalyDad
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MotoMalyDad 6/4/2014 3:47pm
6/4/2014 3:47pm
Darryl916 wrote:
I agree. I have an 11 year old son who I started at 3 on a pw50 and we progressed to a KTM pro Sr. and...
I agree.

I have an 11 year old son who I started at 3 on a pw50 and we progressed to a KTM pro Sr. and on to a KTM 65. I saw at that point he wasn't really a "racer", was scared, yet continued to get way in over his head. I decided to pull the plug on him as it just wasn't his thing and I could see him getting really hurt as the price of poker went up as he aged out of the smaller classes and the competition got more stiff. He's now quite the local basketball star and we both are more than happy with that. If he chooses to revisit moto on his own later (as I did when I became an adult) that is totally up to him. He has the fundamentals and it's in his blood. Timing is just everything. If he was a moto phenom right off the mini's he'd probably still be racing today. Each kid is different. As a parent pay attention and make the best choice from there. A 70ft triple may be completely safe on a 65 for one kid where another may have no business doing it. Gauge and coach the rider accordingly to ensure they make good choices and that their head, heart, and body are all in the same place. Danger goes up with forcing things.

If they seem in over their head I'd say it's time to step in.
Wow did I post that 3 years ago when my son was 11 ? After he injured his shoulder practicing the day before a worthless race (it was a smaller then expected turnout ) we took a break, got him into basketball and never looked back. Numerous friends of his are posting their surgery pictures from crashes on Facebook , way cool in the teenage years, but wait until the nagging pain hits you in your 40's and 50's. Then ask yourself if the risk/reward ratio is worth it.

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Ing
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Ing 6/4/2014 3:51pm
6/4/2014 3:51pm
I too have major problems in my later life with moto injuries. (I'm 56) Arthritis, bad back, etc. etc. Wouldn't trade a minute of my moto "career" for a safer hobby. Everything I've learned in life about winning and losing I've learned from moto. Lots of valuable lessons are learned about growing up and accepting responsibility. At least it was with my Dad as boss.
mxpro222
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mxpro222 6/4/2014 3:59pm
6/4/2014 3:59pm
tell your son to pull up his bootstraps and be a fucking man. this cuntry has enough limped wristed pussies, dont let your sun be on. concussions are bullshit and only bitches whine about them
mx836
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mx836 6/4/2014 4:25pm
6/4/2014 4:25pm
I agree with Ing. I wouldn't trade any of it. Started riding at 4 which was 25 years ago. I have pain daily now and know it will get worse, but you only live once and there's nothing more fun than moto to me. There's nothing I would have rather done growing up. Also, I have life long friends of all ages from growing up at the track.

Mws02 - Sorry you feel that way. Tons of people wish they could have been in your position. I'm sure at some point after countless injuries, you could have said "hey, I don't like this", but who knows. I appreciate everything my Dad did for me so I could race. I know it wasn't easy.
Sandberm
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Sandberm 6/4/2014 4:36pm
6/4/2014 4:36pm
mws02 wrote:
I wish my parents made me quit. We all regret it. I was "home schooled" as of 8th grade. Ended up with a GED. I mangled...
I wish my parents made me quit. We all regret it. I was "home schooled" as of 8th grade. Ended up with a GED. I mangled the shit out of my body (had 14 different surgeries on different body parts). I've broken every bone except my right/left humerus. All for what? i didnt get shit in return from it. Lots of trophies that i dont give a fuck about. I'm 26 now and i wonder how i will feel in 10 more years. will i be able to play with my kids when i have them or will i hurt too much? what else could i have done with my life that would have been so much more productive had my parents made me quit. I was a kid..i didnt know any better. They asked me the same question you guys have asked your kids...do you want to race still? and of course i said yes. but i was a dumb kid/teenager that didnt see the bigger picture in life. I cringe when i see kids getting paralyzed and dying for this. If you want to have fun on a dirt bike with your kids, ride trails. Pushing the envelope to obtain the speed necessary to win even on the amateur level is a slippery slope, one i wish i was never on.
".i didnt know any better. They asked me the same question you guys have asked your kids...do you want to race still? and of course i said yes."

Of course?

If you were scared to get hurt then what was stopping you from quiting and going back to public school?
chump6784
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chump6784 6/4/2014 5:18pm
6/4/2014 5:18pm
I raced from the age of 12 to 18. The whole time my parents were supportive and encouraged me but they never pushed me. They always made the point that it was better to ride in my comfort zone and finish than go out all guns blazing and crash. Sure I had some crashes, about 6 concussions, a few broken bones but injuries happen in all sports. The biggest thing that I had were parents where me having fun was more important that results. We were never going to make a career out of it but by the end I was placing fairly high at a state level but it was a hobby. other parents put a lot of pressure on their kids and they tend to wreck pretty heavy
slipdog
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slipdog 6/4/2014 6:27pm
6/4/2014 6:27pm
mxpro222 wrote:
tell your son to pull up his bootstraps and be a fucking man. this cuntry has enough limped wristed pussies, dont let your sun be on...
tell your son to pull up his bootstraps and be a fucking man. this cuntry has enough limped wristed pussies, dont let your sun be on. concussions are bullshit and only bitches whine about them


MX_Andrew83
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MX_Andrew83 6/4/2014 7:01pm
6/4/2014 7:01pm
This is something I think about all the time, My 3 year old daughter is obsessed with dirtbikes. Every night before bed she asks if she can watch supercross, I keep some on DVR for her. She has requested a dirtbike for her next Birthday, I'm not sure if i'm going to pull the trigger on it though.

Great Thread!
level
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level 6/4/2014 7:12pm
6/4/2014 7:12pm
I don't think I would let me kid ride. I would let them ride around but not do jumps.

I struggle so bad personally on whether to throw a leg over a dirt bike again. I haven't ridden in a few years. I just had my track in my back yard redone today. It's an arena cross style track but I don't know if I will even ride it. I just redid it because the weeds were growing so bad and it was looking bad so now it's all groomed and brand new looking.

I haven't cranked my bike in months. I am just terrified of getting hurt and to me that tells me I need to stop. Once the fear sets in then it may be time to stop riding. I am also 40, have a 3 year old daughter and run a company so there is a lot to lose but then there's another part of me that says so what-you need to have some fun too. I just don't know what to do. I'm out of shape as well so really couldn't ride more than a few laps at a time.

I had my fun so it's probably time for me to give it up. I was going to ride this weekend a little bit but then I think-damn, all it takes is just one wrong jump and that's it. I am not as worried about broken arm, etc even though that would suck but head injuries and paralysis and severe injuries.
str8shooter 6/4/2014 7:26pm
6/4/2014 7:26pm
Some kids are just simply frail and break easy.......RC car racing is probably a better choice
Some kids are just naturally tough as a rock and are very coordinated with fast reflexes.....better candidate for moto.

Either way, your kids can get hurt doing just about anything. I certainly would not hide the dangers of this or any sport from my kid......but I would never keep her from it if she wanted to ride/race and loved to do it.

My dad sheltered me from the "dangerous sports" all my life till I was on my own at 19.......and here I am yet now at 43 making up for it!!!!!! I'll never stop riding till I simply cannot physically get on my bike anymore. Weather that be sooner or later who knows.
PFitzG38
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PFitzG38 6/4/2014 7:42pm
6/4/2014 7:42pm
mws02 wrote:
I wish my parents made me quit. We all regret it. I was "home schooled" as of 8th grade. Ended up with a GED. I mangled...
I wish my parents made me quit. We all regret it. I was "home schooled" as of 8th grade. Ended up with a GED. I mangled the shit out of my body (had 14 different surgeries on different body parts). I've broken every bone except my right/left humerus. All for what? i didnt get shit in return from it. Lots of trophies that i dont give a fuck about. I'm 26 now and i wonder how i will feel in 10 more years. will i be able to play with my kids when i have them or will i hurt too much? what else could i have done with my life that would have been so much more productive had my parents made me quit. I was a kid..i didnt know any better. They asked me the same question you guys have asked your kids...do you want to race still? and of course i said yes. but i was a dumb kid/teenager that didnt see the bigger picture in life. I cringe when i see kids getting paralyzed and dying for this. If you want to have fun on a dirt bike with your kids, ride trails. Pushing the envelope to obtain the speed necessary to win even on the amateur level is a slippery slope, one i wish i was never on.
Brutal - just freeking brutally honest and true. I hope you can find something to replace the rush racing provided and in time I hope someday your not too burn out / injured to at least trail ride and feel the wind.

I don't even have kids and that got me to think.....or really just reaffirm what I already thought.

Thanks for sharing that
JeepnMike
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JeepnMike 6/4/2014 8:04pm
6/4/2014 8:04pm
level wrote:
I don't think I would let me kid ride. I would let them ride around but not do jumps. I struggle so bad personally on whether...
I don't think I would let me kid ride. I would let them ride around but not do jumps.

I struggle so bad personally on whether to throw a leg over a dirt bike again. I haven't ridden in a few years. I just had my track in my back yard redone today. It's an arena cross style track but I don't know if I will even ride it. I just redid it because the weeds were growing so bad and it was looking bad so now it's all groomed and brand new looking.

I haven't cranked my bike in months. I am just terrified of getting hurt and to me that tells me I need to stop. Once the fear sets in then it may be time to stop riding. I am also 40, have a 3 year old daughter and run a company so there is a lot to lose but then there's another part of me that says so what-you need to have some fun too. I just don't know what to do. I'm out of shape as well so really couldn't ride more than a few laps at a time.

I had my fun so it's probably time for me to give it up. I was going to ride this weekend a little bit but then I think-damn, all it takes is just one wrong jump and that's it. I am not as worried about broken arm, etc even though that would suck but head injuries and paralysis and severe injuries.
If you have enough land to make an arenacross sized MX track, you can make a bitchen 1/8 scale RC track! For any retired MX rider, RC buggy racing really is the next best thing... You get similar thrills and it is super technical, but you aren't in danger of getting hurt doing it.. You will work on your buggies more than you did bikes so the allure of wrenching is there too.

I am just throwing out that there is alternatives to MX that will surprisingly give you a similar rush and requires similar skills and understanding of lines, throttle control (even in the air) etc. You have room for an awesome track.. Smile You can get into a used 1/8 scale buggy with just about everything for around $500, new $1k. A lot of guys run 1/10 scale indoors which is crazy technical. 1/8 outdoors everything is bigger, faster, much more moto-esque.

Sorry for the off-topic post, just something to consider.
Jack mehoff
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Jack mehoff 6/4/2014 8:33pm
6/4/2014 8:33pm
JoJmoto wrote:
With all these head injuries we hear about lately, as a parent, it worries me for my son. Hence, why I just spent money on a...
With all these head injuries we hear about lately, as a parent, it worries me for my son. Hence, why I just spent money on a 6D. We have a close family that is suffering from a head injury now. Thank goodness he is not dead but he has been in Sheppard Center in Atlanta for near two months now and although getting better, has a very long road ahead to get him close to "Back to normal".

My son has recently turned 15 years old and for the last couple years, I have allowed him to make the decision to continue to race or stop. Each time I have read or heard about a head injury, paralysis or death, I have shown him the sad results. But I continually allow him to choose to continue to race or quit, (As in just practice at local tracks). We all know once in MX there is no “quit” without an injury related reason.

So what is the right age to allow your racer, as a parent, to make this decision on their own? Is it wrong for the parent to allow them to make this decision or should we as the parent, make it for them?

Seems the faster your child gets, the more chance of a severe injury is likely should they have a get off..
JOJO. I feel like a grew up at the right time for mx 80 s 100cc schoolboy 125. 250 and yes I rode open bikes for many years , I think mx was more. Thought out back then each bike was just right for my age motor/ power / frame size , I have a ton off fond memories from mx , life long friends , I even have a sponsor that's like a dad to me , I speak from experience I don't think mx is heading in a great direction and it starts with putting kids on 250 fs , right off 80s , yeas there are a few kids that have the skill but for the masses it's just a tragic accident waiting to happen , I know this is why you are seeing this carnage any one that says other wise is a fool . For most kids it's way too much bike to put in a kid that's still developing his skill set . A 125 takes more skill to go fast , witch gives the kid time to Develop into the skill set to go fast and be more in control , a 250 f with the power delivery any schmuck can go fast mx lost a lot off its skill factor , now you just point the pig strait blip the throttle and whala you down the strait away , so you are right with your last sentence but it's the bikes making the kids faster much younger With out the proper skills and untill mx sports , ponica , lake Whitney , and any other big armature race promoter stands up and tells the mfg that they are not going to let little kids on adult bikes and race them any more you will keep seeing more and more off this , I have this conversation at least once a month with that sponsor that walked away from this sport because he saw this coming . Just for the record I am 43 have raced from 10 yrs old untill I was 35 , I have owned them all 2stk / 4 stk

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