Aaarggh!! I read all the posts on this topic last night and prepared a fabulous, lucid reply and the stupid system somehow wouldn't let me submit it, or accept it, cuz of the word 'geyy' ( or a similar spelling) . One last shot.

Kudos to whosdatindamud for having the courage of his conviction. He really hasn't wavered from what he's been saying all along. Some of you have tried to twist his words or missed his subtle attempt at humor cuz you wanna jump all over him. I've found his posts to be intelligent and well-spoken and well researched (as well as you can research). He seems very passionate about atv rights and is DOING more about it than any of us seem to be doing ( or at least more than me). I don't agree with all his comments like the ones about giving your kid a puppy instead of an atv, and the comparison of criticising CBS being akin to blaming the weatherman for hail dents is an illogiacl analogy. CBS controls and spins what they want; the weatherman has no control over the weather.

Anyways, next to the Scandanavian countries, i live in the most over-regulated, government dominated, socially engineered country in the world. Our gov't wasted billions on a stupid, useless gun registry and redundant privacy legislations. Despite this, we don't seem to have anywhere near the ATV regulation I see many of you complaining about. BUT we watch what happens with great interest knowing it's only a matter of time before some "save the geyy whales for jesus" group tries to ruin and regulate our atving. Get involved folks, and do what you can. There are powers at work against you, so you need to fight head on and get organized and loud.

I completely agree with taking responsibilty for ones actions and not blaming others. But don't trash all of these parents too hard. The best parenting can still result in kids being momentarily stupid, or even incorrigible pukes that won't respond to good parents. I think the fact that all of us have committed the time and $$ to atvs for our kids shows a certain level of dedication and sacrifice to our kids, that most other kids will never get. Very, very few of the people I know will commit the time or $$ to teach their kids atving. I think that alone says something positive about the parents.Obviously, if the parents don't supervise, or send the kids off on monster machines, they need to have their brain taken out of neutral.

This post has really opened my eyes to one of my own SNAFUS/ or possible errors as a parent. I try to teach my kids respect, and supervise their riding. My 8 y/o seems like an excellent rider for his age. He often asks if he can ride my Kodiak 450 which is fully automatic. He has earned my trust by never riding it fast or like a fool, and by showing responsibility. I wouldn't let him ride if i didn't think he was riding safely and capably. I keep him on relatively simple stuff while using it, and always supervised. But now i think about the weight of the machine and if he had a brain cramp or mishap, the damage it could do. If anything ever happened to him, i'd never stop blaming MYSELF. At least an accident on his atv shouldn't be as bad. Sooo, what to do? Life is full of risks everyday. So far, he's always rode my machine responsibly, and mostly rides his own. He's demonstrated he can ride it. Do i now say no, cuz something could happen, and undermine the trust I've shown in him? Am I an idiot for exposing him to this risk?

What would you do?

 

Thats a toughie... I know like yourself, I'd never forgive myself if something were to happen and they get hurt or worse. You cant't always plan for accidents.. only do what you can to keep them from happening.... if that makes him stay off of it, then that is a decision I can live with. And sleep at night with. You may need to explain the decision to him.. and he may not like it, but an 8 year old can understand a great deal more than we give them credit for... Parents make mistakes too, and change their mind. In an effort to make our kids happy, we sometimes don't think things through as much as we should have... and just considering the size issue should give you reason to think twice.

I have a big kid for 8 years old... I know I will have issues with his size.. but he wont get to ride my Rubicon/warrior/raptor until he is old enough. He will have to keep riding his Raptor 80 for a long while.

Lastly Accidents happen. Kids at 8 are quick learners, and inqusitive.. however when it comes to judgement.. there are few that can make a good judgement quickly. And in an emergency , they have to be able to react without thinking. All it takes is a stuck throttle, or a unexpected rut that heads you straight for a tree, and they get over their heads. Add in panic, which makes them grab the bars tighter, which could also mean full throtle, and you could have a disaster on your hands. My 8 year old has the same problems. He has to think things through.. and does not have the ability to act on instinct yet. That ability comes with age and experience...

Which would you rather have? A disapointed child, or an injured one?

My only complaint with Whodat is when he quotes policy and law, that they don't always apply in all states, and that it may confuse someone.. He is as passionate about the subject as any one can be. And I am sure his experience has been much different than ours...

 

Thanks for your thoughts. I thought Whodat was always pretty careful to qualify his comments by saying something like, "this is the way it is (or, the law) in Minnesota".., but I didn't re-read all his posts, so I don't remember for sure.

My 8 y/o is probably a little small for his age. The LT160 is pretty light (compared to most of the 90's), and he fits it quite well, so maybe I'll get him riding that one more if he wants something bigger. I think it might be 50lbs heavier than the average 90.

 

Well count yourself lucky that he has progressed to a certain point where he can demonstrate a minimum of skill level. Whodat is working to make it possible for kids that are capable of handling larger machines to ride them legally. I think that is a good thing and is needed everywhere. If for no other reason than for a parent to be able to show they did due dilligence in getting them teh training, and that the kid was able to demonstrate their abilities. It will go a long way to relieve some of the pressure from the parents.

 

Yep, he's a really good rider and the thing he does best is listen to advice and take instructions well (unlike the know-it-all attitude you get sometimes on other day-to-day advice). That's the thing with my 450, he rides it so naturally and responsibly, it's hard to yank the carpet out. I think the combination of riding dirtbike helps. And just getting time on the seat.

 

I was introduced the other day to communications devices that my dealer had on his display. They are called a chatterbox, and basically clip on your helmet with an earpiece and microphone built in.. you get two of htem and you can talk directly to the kids while they are riding. You can either follow them and talk them through a situation, or stand on teh sidelines and talk to them as they ride. Price is about a hundred bucks a piece, and you need two if you want the helmet kind... they also have a hand held that works with the helmet type so you don't have to be wearing your helmet if you are not riding. They can get all the way up to almost $300 a piece for models that have a range of up to 5 miles.

I think they are neat additions to the safety gear that everyone should consider.

 

sounds interesting. probably gonna cost $500 for a pair here. Let's hope rockymountainatv.com comes out with a set [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Thats a bit harsh really. We'd all be paying YOUR bill if you get in a car wreck(you always wear your seatbelt?), lose an eye while weedeating, cut your leg while using a chainsaw- etc. Unless your the model of saftey in everything you do its not really fair to call him empty headed.

Stupid people- and there is a bunch of them, will always do something dumb and get hurt. You just cant protect against ignorance.


And, the whole, "I have to pay for it when you get hurt" stuff isnt worth arguing. I'll have to pay for your bills if you get cancer from smoking or drinking, its just part of paying taxes.

 

Not harsh enough and if you're defending him you'll get a taste too.

I ALWAYS wear a seatbelt and if someone were to hit me, I would have their auto insurance, then my auto insurance and then my health insurance to cover me. Most likely, their auto insurance would cover it anyways. I am 38 years old and have yet to be in an accident. I haven't had a ticket since I was in high school. I drive over 50k every year. I am obviously a safe driver. Hell, my car has @ 8 airbags.

Weed eat with out safety glasses, are you nuts???

Don't use a chain saw, can't comment on those things.

Don't smoke, never once. Don't abuse alcohol, I like a few glasses of red wine every week. Never eat fast food.

I will have a response to whatever you say, I'm one of those kinda guys.

It sickens me when I hear about needless deaths or injuries on quads. 95% of them are needless. I will NEVER be part of that statistic.

Whereas driving a car seems a necessity in this world, riding a quad is not. That is a priviledge some would like taken away from people with no common sense. Are you one of those people?

 

In a way defending him yeah. Hes an adult, he can make his own decisions about helmets. They arent required on motorcycles in some states, if you are a retard and crash you get hurt. Stop crying about other people and be glad you protect yourself, you should live a healthy life because of your choices. No need to force your opinions on someone else.