Let me start off by saying I realize most of you are probably full-grown adults and plenty of you will look at this and think, "It didn't matter what my parents said, I wanted to ride motorcycles, so I rode motorcycles." And that's great. But I'd be willing to bet that, when it comes to riding bikes, some others have also been influenced by their mother and father.
My Experience
Personally, I experienced both positive and negative influences from my parents. My old man used to ride motorcycles (I was just discussing his '70s Honda CB 750F with him) and my mom used to sneak out of her parents house to claim her spot on the rear seat. My dad's an electrical engineer who I've seen fix practically everything, and I also grew up with his love of cars and vehicles. In that regard, I developed an interest in anything with wheels and a motor. But his time with bikes wasn't all good vibes and love stories.
READ MORE: Do You Split Lanes? | RideApart
My dad also saw two of his best friends get in accidents, one of which happened on the highway, included a semi-truck that almost ended in a fatality. So he was well aware of the dangers of the hobby. This didn't help my cause when my desire to ride two wheels got stronger and stronger, and essentially, I wasn't allowed to ride until later in my life.
READ MORE: How To Convince Your Father You Deserve a Motorcycle | RideApart
How About You?
But that didn't stop me and now here I am. I'm fortunate enough to be writing for RideApart. Now I want to hear about your side of things. Did you sneak riding motorcycles at your friends house? Did your mom or dad have you riding at age four? Tell us in the comments how your parents influenced your love of motorcycles.
READ MORE: Somebody Hit Me a Month After Buying My First Bike | RideApart
Photo: Joseph Scherschel
