Posts
3
Joined
9/22/2017
Location
Duqoin, IL, USA
Edited Date/Time
3/6/2018 11:27am
I've been riding dirtbikes since I was just a little kid. I have always had the desire to race but never quite got the answer I wanted. I first asked if I could race around the age of 7; however, the answer was always no. I got my first dirtbike (ttr-50) later that year. My parents always gave the same answer when I asked so I got tired of it and just stopped. I am now 15 but going to be 16 in 2 weeks. In the past year and a half, the bug has hit me harder than ever before. My dad and I bought a ttr-125 a while back so I could get the feel for dirtbikes again. About 2 weeks after we bought the 125, we bought a kx 250 thinking that my dad could ride around with me and later on it could be my bike. But one day about 5 months after we had bought the KX and ttr, I felt that I was ready for more power so I got on and started playing around with the 250. Ever since that day, the only thing I have rode is the KX. I have been on my dad and mom about racing ever since we got the bikes. But like before, the answer was no. It has been a year and a half that I have been asking. My mom doesn't really like the idea of me racing, but she is okay with it since I love it so much. My dad on the other hand hates the idea all together. When I ask him about it, he will either be silent and ignore me, or yell at me for even bringing up the topic. I never beg and I don't ask everyday. Although he doesn't like racing, he does allow me to go to a local track and ride about once every 6 months. I have mostly everything I need to race, (Boots, Jersey, Pants, Race Bike, Gloves, Goggles, and I recently purchased a Alpinestars BNS neckbrace). All of this I bought on my own. I am now at a place in which I don't know what to do. A week ago, he watched me ride on the track I mentioned and when I came up to take breaks, he pelted me with comments about how I am going to get seriously hurt and never be able to walk again. I have no where to go. I have damn near perfect grades for being a sophmore in high school seeing as I have A's in all classes. My dad tells me all the time that if I race, I will never walk again or maybe even die. Another reason he says no is because of the money; however, I offered to pay for the entry fees and costs (I don't have a job, just chores. I have around 400 saved up now) ,but he hit me with the "how are you going to pay for your expensive medical bills". If anyone has any helpful advice on how I could possibly change his mind, it would be greatly appreciated
Show your dad a solid plan and disposable income (that doesn't come from the household) and your case will be a lot easier.
Unfortunately $400 bucks wont get your very far and racing is addictive....
Maybe try and get your dad to ride with you, and also ride more on practice days at the track. He might feel more comfortable when he watches you ride more and will let you race. Just make sure you make good decisions on the track. My son over jumps stuff and rides above his head on race days. It scares me, when he crashes every moto. Also, if you do crash, get up as fast as you can, so he knows you are okay. My 2 cents.
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Its not a race, but has the feel of an organized event. If he is willing to trail ride with you, then this would give him a chance to experience the fun of an event. It would also give your Dad a chance to see there are lots of responsible riders, clubs and events.
He might ease up if he has some fun, and then later down the road, ease in to the idea of an off-road race. If that works then ease into the idea of full MX racing.
I feel for you man, I had a buddy that kept his bike at my house all through high school because his parents hated motorcycles. His uncle gave him a bike and his parents sold it and allowed him to buy a Spree scooter (way before your time), which was absolute shit. Later he bought his own bike and thus kept it at my house.
Good luck
There is a husband and wife here in this area who are divorced because the wife couldn’t stand her son getting hurt Racing, so she left. That kid has now been hurt so bad he may never use 1 of his hands again
Pit Row
Hey dad maybe you should stop using the sidewalk because a car could accidentally jump the curb, hit you and never walk again or die.
Hey dad maybe you should stop riding bicycles because you could hit a rock, fall off and hit your head, slip into a coma and never wake up again.
Hey dad since it's winter maybe you should hibernate for the next few months because you could walk out the door, slip on the ice and never walk again or hit your head and die.
Sounds to me like your dad needs to stop babying you. The world isn't all sunshine and rainbows. He already let's you ride dirt bikes so what's the big deal. You can get hurt riding just like you can get hurt racing.
The point is you can get hurt doing just about anything.
Get a job to atleast help pay for it and maybe he'll eventually come around and see how much it means to you.
Seriously though maybe convince your parents to atleast go to a race with you to see what it's like. Once you're there walk around the pits and show them how great of a family environment it really is. Talk to some of the racing families on why they do it, the risk associated with it, how they got started, etc.
Or you could always try the "would you rather I'd be staying out late with friends causing trouble and doing drugs?"
Good luck.
Maverick, as Canadians, it's easy to overlook the differences in how insurance would treat your examples vs. racing injuries (if I'm understanding correctly how American health insurance works). This is a genuine and real concern.
Racing is on a whole different level of risk then fun riding. Its not just staying within your limit but the guy next to you as well. There are always new guys in the field and accidents happen, bringing your buddies into your accident isn't an uncommon problem with moto.
When I was in the hospital after my accident I met plenty of other people that were paralyzed. One guy fell off a ladder, one girl was in a car accident, one guy where I live was a swimming accident.
He already let's him ride. You mean to tell me his dad can't see that he can get hurt just as much riding around? Whether he gets hurt riding or racing, riding a bicycle, swimming, etc. They'll still have medical bills.
Kid's going to be 16, will he prevent him from getting his driver's license because there's a chance he could get into an accident? There's a ton of traffic and idiots texting behind the wheel on the road but that's somehow safer? Get real.
It's impossible to control everything.
Glad I got to be a kid and act like one.
To say "you can get hurt doing almost anything, therefore you might as well (insert risky activity here)" is a monstrously bad inference. I'd have thought that to be obvious. It's the kind of argument you'd expect from Homer Simpson.
My car insurance agent said they don't care if I totaled my bike racing for a 6 pack or a national competition.
We're in Canada and if you wanted to go race in the US you would have to get a special insurance policy to cover yourself in case you'd get injured. If we're able to get insurance to cover us while racing in the US I'm sure people living in the US can get coverage as well.
I'm sure it wouldn't be cheap but probably a lot cheaper than getting hurt without any coverage and getting multiple medical bills.
Insurance policies exists for all kinds of different things it's just up to you to do your research and decide which one is best for your application or not get one and deal with the consequences later.
Here's what I don't really get. His father let's him go ride at a track where he has to sign waivers consenting to the risks involved before his kid can even enter the track. He'd still have to sign waivers to let him race. If he got hurt riding at the track they would more than likely get denied coverage because his father signed the waivers allowing him to ride knowing all the risks. He let's him ride but won't let him race. Same risks if you ask me.
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