little boys and motorcycles

[racinchef]

I was out riding these past two days and on both days I stopped at one of our rural country stores for coffee and a while I was outside enjoying my drink cars were stopping and people were coming and going from the stores. On Friday a mother had her son with her and he stopped and just stared at my motorcycle. His mother said he loved motorcycles. Today, a young boy with his father stopped and was looking at my motorcycle. The boy said that his father used to have a motorcycle just like mine. (dad smiled at me and shook his head no, it wasn't just like mine) Then they boy wanted to wait until I got on my motorcycle and rode off before they went into the store. I got such a kick out of both kids and surprisingly neither of the parents expressed any negativity towards motorcycles.

HehHeh...

Here, kids always look. The parents almost always look away.

I was stopped in traffic the other day, and some kid was trying to talk to me out of the car window. I could tell his parents were trying to shush him up. Eventually they rolled up his window (to keep him from being corrupted, I suppose.)

[dantama]

I notice that kids and old people look the most in parking lots. It's surprising how many 80 year old types give it a hard look.

I like it the most when kids pull all of the slack out of their parents arms trying to slow down and look long enough.

[ringadingh]

Ive noticed that also, about kids and seniors looking at the bike. Ive had a few older people comment about it while stopped at traffic lights. I get a kick out of it as well.

[Todd]

One of the things I do when a kid is real interested in a parking lot is: I get on the bike and make sure it's in neutral, clutch in etc....and pipes not hot(or warn them to stay away and just be careful not to touch) ....then with the OK of the parent(s) I let the kid push the starter switch and fire it up.........I've been paid with many a huge smiling little face from the kids!!!

[formikec]

Kids, Seniors, and Single Women. Those are the ones that love bikes.

[rampage]

Originally Posted by todd (Nomadis Custodis)

One of the things I do when a kid is real interested in a parking lot is: I get on the bike and make sure it's in neutral, clutch in etc....and pipes not hot(or warn them to stay away and just be careful not to touch) ....then with the OK of the parent(s) I let the kid push the starter switch and fire it up.........I've been paid with many a huge smiling little face from the kids!!!

[rampage]

Originally Posted by todd (Nomadis Custodis)

One of the things I do when a kid is real interested in a parking lot is: I get on the bike and make sure it's in neutral, clutch in etc....and pipes not hot(or warn them to stay away and just be careful not to touch) ....then with the OK of the parent(s) I let the kid push the starter switch and fire it up.........I've been paid with many a huge smiling little face from the kids!!!

I had never thought to do that until about 2 weeks ago when a guy on a Goldwing saw how interested my 2 year old was in his bike. He let my son start up the bike and my son loved it.

[racinchef]

Originally Posted by todd (Nomadis Custodis)

One of the things I do when a kid is real interested in a parking lot is: I get on the bike and make sure it's in neutral, clutch in etc....and pipes not hot(or warn them to stay away and just be careful not to touch) ....then with the OK of the parent(s) I let the kid push the starter switch and fire it up.........I've been paid with many a huge smiling little face from the kids!!!

Funny you should mention that, I've thought about doing that if the parent let the kid talk to me enough. I guess we are little boys at heart and can relate to how they think. (okay ladies lets not jump all over that)

[dakals]

Originally Posted by racinchef

Funny you should mention that, I've thought about doing that if the parent let the kid talk to me enough. I guess we are little boys at heart and can relate to how they think. (okay ladies lets not jump all over that)

Now you know that i will jump all over that!!!! LOL No one every said that we have to grow up!!!!! I have never felt more like a kid then when i am on a bike!!!!!

[fish]

I was at a hotel checking out and my wife was waiting at the bike and a 72 year old women asked if her grandson could take a pic. of her sitting on the bike. Elaine said he is very fussy with his baby.When I came back over to the bike the women asked if she could stand in front of it so her grandson could take a pic. I handed her my lid and told the grandson OK now.

[rlfaubion]

Originally Posted by dakals

Now you know that i will jump all over that!!!! LOL No one every said that we have to grow up!!!!! I have never felt more like a kid then when i am on a bike!!!!!

Growing old is enevitable - Growing up is opptional

[socwkbiker]

One morning I went to Sam's warehouse club and as I was getting off my bike a little boy comes running up yelling "Motorcycle!" His young parents asked if they could take a picture of him on the bike. Of course I said yes and that little boy had a huge smile when they took his picture.

I think when we do things like that we show that bikers are nice people and really promote motorcycles in a positive way.

[tkd]

I have gotten the most compliments from senior citizens--men and women. I guess they are more able to appreciate the lines as opposed to a crotch rocket that looks like it is going 200mph on the sidestand.

Funny how you mention kids. In my neighborhood, people take their young (2-5) kids for walks or stroller them around. I have one little girl who everytime she goes past points and yells "Motorcycle man!". My neighbors kid is 12 and he waved at me the other day while he was with his buds. I stopped to talk to him and as I drove away, you could tell the kids were in awe that he knew the guy with the "cool bike".

Also just to share. Not me but a buddy of mine that rides a Honda---He's debadged it and put pipes on it had a young lady (early 20's) come up to him and ask for a ride telling him that she always wanted to ride on a Harley. He told her it wasn't a Harley and she said "oh, I really only wanted to ride a Harley". His comback was perfect. He told her "tell you what, let's go for a ride and if you don't like it, you don't have to sleep with me". She obviously got mad, but I thought it was a perfect comeback to her insult.

[dantama]

Originally Posted by tkd

Also just to share. Not me but a buddy of mine that rides a Honda---He's debadged it and put pipes on it had a young lady (early 20's) come up to him and ask for a ride telling him that she always wanted to ride on a Harley. He told her it wasn't a Harley and she said "oh, I really only wanted to ride a Harley". His comback was perfect. He told her "tell you what, let's go for a ride and if you don't like it, you don't have to sleep with me". She obviously got mad, but I thought it was a perfect comeback to her insult.

That reply was too funny. I wish I had been there.

And to confess a certain amount of deviousness of my own.

When a kid gets exited about my bike, and I have let some twist the throttle etc, I get a little bit of perverse enjoyment out of knowing that the kid is ruined for life :) I tell the parents something like, "he's going to be an expensive teenager ;)

Whatever the kids life's course was going to be, it just changed :)