Safety Want a motorized bike but mom won't let me:(

[Brownguy]

so i have a nice Schwinn ready to get a motor on, but my mom doesn't want me to get a motorized bike. she thinks its dangerous, and i don't blame her but i really want a motorized bike.
She says to get her the statistics but i cant find any.
Does anyone know the statistics of motorized bicycle accidents or anyway to convince my mom its not as dangerous as she thinks?
Thank you

 

[Dobroknow]

Dangerous...

It probably IS as dangerous as she thinks !
I know it's not what you want to hear , but realistically...

 

[Turtle Tedd]

Just tell her that you want to build one and then just start it up and listen to it and look at it kinda like a piece of art...and then have something to work on and tinker with.

 

[Stan4d]

so i have a nice Schwinn ready to get a motor on, but my mom doesn't want me to get a motorized bike. she thinks its dangerous, and i don't blame her but i really want a motorized bike.
She says to get her the statistics but i cant find any.
Does anyone know the statistics of motorized bicycle accidents or anyway to convince my mom its not as dangerous as she thinks?
Thank you

Ok....I knew that sooner or later this might come up. So for what it is worth Brown here are my thoughts:
There are many different reasons we motorize our bikes, some for transportation on a daily basis, some for traveling, some for the fun of it. There are more reasons but lets stick with those.
My question would be which catagory do you fall into.
If it is for transportation is it really needed, could you pedal to where you are going?
I am thinking it is not for traveling, so I will skip that one.
Now, if it is for the fun of it:
What kind of fun are you looking for? I am kinda different, I get as much enjoyment out of the build as I do the ride. And I love to tinker with it which is probably why I will always have one 2 stroke around. If it is the building and creating let her know. I think she might like the creative interest you have.
If it is riding, what kind of riding? Would you be willing to intentionally build something that would not go over 15 MPH? Or do you want speed? The answer to those two questions is key to convincing her. I will not tell you how to answer the questions, it is up to you to say what you think.


You can get statistics to try and prove your point......and here is the part you are not going to like. Go to your local DMV and ask about liscensing, if it is needed and any info they have on mo-peds or motored bikes.

Stay safe and have fun, I do hope she is willing to let you build the safest ride possible.

 

[KCvale]

By your profile you are 17, that is plenty old enough to handle one, they aren't motorcycles.

The best place to get stats is to call your local newspaper, they gather stats on many things, if that doesn't work call the local police regular phone line, not 911, and ask for the stats on any motorized bike/car accidents, then ask them about regular bike/car accidents.

If you live in a "bicycle friendly" town you are in good shape.

You can use these "talking points" if you like.

Pros:
With a 48cc (1.92 HP) motor kit you can only go about 25 MPH.
You ride them the same way and in the same places you ride an un-assisted bike like bike lanes, you just don't break a sweat.

They are dirt cheap to operate depending on your location.

Here in Glendale, Arizona it works out to be less than 2 cents a mile TOTAL...
You don't need a license, tags, emission testing, or insurance to operate them, and with gas under $3 + a little oil and 100+ miles per gallon you just can't get around any cheaper than that without 100% human power here.
Jezz, even taking the bus costs more than my bike does and I have complete freedom of when and where I go.

And speaking of human power, I had a "discussion" with a local bike store owner that hates motorized bikers.
In short when I told him about 2 cents a miles he bragged is costs him nothing to pedal 10 miles to and from work every day so asked him what he ate and took to keep his body able to produce that much power.

He didn't catch the drift until he had already named off foods and vitamins and energy drinks and such that totaled hundreds a week.

They are green. Use a Grubee motor, they are EPA certified.
They don't belch black smoke or anything, they are actually very efficient low cost power plants.

You don't have to worry about be stranded because you ran out of gas. You can just pedal it. It's still a bike, the motor just helps you some.

Unlike a car, you will always be alone and not able to use a cell phone or play with your tunes without stopping.

And in my experience I think I am safer on a motorized bike than a pedal bike on the roadway. Why? Drivers notice you! You make noise, people think they are cool and like to gawk at it, and you move along better than a pedal bike so you don't frustrate other drivers.

CONS:
17 year old males for the most part are stupid, arrogant, and easily distracted, at least my mine was.
You can't be any of those operating ANY motorized ANYTHING on the roadway safely.

If you are building this yourself don't think you can make yourself a dirt bike you can do stunts on and ride on the road, not yet anyway.
Bicycles just are not built for kind of stuff and you will tear it apart or at the least make it dangerous to operate because it is KIT build, not a motorcycle.

If you already have experience riding a bicycle in traffic, don't get distracted with gizmos, and can resist the urge the teenage urge to push it, you have thumbs up for the safety of them.

I have been riding every day for months and never even had a close call, all I get are smiles, thumbs up and questions wherever I stop ;-}

 

[Bonefish]

If you are 17 years old. Then next year you will be 18. Tell your mom since she is repressing your childhood, you might just wanna grow up fast when you hit 18. You might move out of the house and buy a Harley Davidson when you hit 18 years old.

Sounds like you have a good mom. If you are smart and she is smart, you both should be able to create/workout a win/win situation for you both.

Tell her to let you get/make a motorbicycle now and you will agree not to buy a Harley Davidson when you hit 18.

You win, she wins.

Wish you well.

 

[Vistaman73]

I am 15 and have had a MB since I was 14. As long as you know what you are doing and have a safe bike, you should have no problem with one. These two things are important. I'm different because I have a very old soul so I act nothing like a 15 year old. Good luck and hope you learn something to help you convince your mom somewhere in this site.

Best Wishes,
Vistaman73

 

[Brownguy]

Ok....I knew that sooner or later this might come up. So for what it is worth Brown here are my thoughts:
There are many different reasons we motorize our bikes, some for transportation on a daily basis, some for traveling, some for the fun of it. There are more reasons but lets stick with those.
My question would be which catagory do you fall into.
If it is for transportation is it really needed, could you pedal to where you are going?
I am thinking it is not for traveling, so I will skip that one.
Now, if it is for the fun of it:
What kind of fun are you looking for? I am kinda different, I get as much enjoyment out of the build as I do the ride. And I love to tinker with it which is probably why I will always have one 2 stroke around. If it is the building and creating let her know. I think she might like the creative interest you have.
If it is riding, what kind of riding? Would you be willing to intentionally build something that would not go over 15 MPH? Or do you want speed? The answer to those two questions is key to convincing her. I will not tell you how to answer the questions, it is up to you to say what you think.


You can get statistics to try and prove your point......and here is the part you are not going to like. Go to your local DMV and ask about liscensing, if it is needed and any info they have on mo-peds or motored bikes.

Stay safe and have fun, I do hope she is willing to let you build the safest ride possible.

Actually i will be using it mainly for transportation. I live 10 miles from the city I go to daily and think this is a great way to get there and back faster than on a bike and way more fuel efficient than driving. I have biked there many times and its a pain coming back because its mostly uphill.

As for everyone else, thank you for your help. Yes I do have experience in traffic, i do drive so i know what its like being the person behind the whee and i will definitely be getting a DOT helmet .
I will Probably be showing this thread to my mom to help me with my argument. Thanks a lot guys, i REALLY apreciate it

 

[SimpleSimon]

Good luck, brownguy.

Thing is, I'd bet she says, "No!" right now because she loves you, and fears seeing you hurt. She is right in her fears - but you are GOING TO BE HURT sooner or later if you just keep breathing. It is part of being human. I think it is far, far better to take reasonable risks and the inevitable spills they bring with them, than to try too avoid all risk and get blind-sided by life.

Good luck. Hope you are back soon with noobie questions for your build.

 

[Stan4d]

Good luck, brownguy.

Thing is, I'd bet she says, "No!" right now because she loves you, and fears seeing you hurt. She is right in her fears - but you are GOING TO BE HURT sooner or later if you just keep breathing. It is part of being human. I think it is far, far better to take reasonable risks and the inevitable spills they bring with them, than to try too avoid all risk and get blind-sided by life.

Good luck. Hope you are back soon with noobie questions for your build.

I hope she says yes.....You won the argument with me for it. Just besure that you are responsible while using it for transportation. It is a tool to get you there and not a plaything.