[moralfibre]

The boy was 18 months old. Just recovered from severe health challenges. Our favorite pasttime was standing on the window while holding the grill and watching cars and bikes passby. The moment one would go by, he'd promptly emit random sounds. Just as vague as "vroooomm" denoting a loud exhaust. But, this time it was different, he had inherited some muscle memory to mimic motorcycle throttle and clutch controls. Watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jbvy2x95xw

And thus began a long standing bond. We'd go motorcycling around town in a safe environment. This would be the weekend city loop or that lone stretch where we'd get some wind on the body experience.

Posing on the Z800:



Taking delivery of the GS:



As he grew, we'd watch motoGP together and just dream about riding together on a race track someday. And thus, time flewby. That 18 month old toddler turned into a 11 year old boy. We filled our lives with enough motoring memories to fill a 500 page book.

[moralfibre]

Luckily a career move got us to the US. He had heard from me about motorcycle parks, car shows and all the opportunities that he saw ahead. We gradually started visiting motorcycle showrooms, bike shows, et al. The goal was to keep ourselves connected to motorcycles. However, getting saddle time on one kept eluding us. We planned, analysed, paralyzed and parked our thoughts repeatedly.



Conversations graduated from thoughts to videos on Youtube. Questions up-levelled from "whether I could..." to "What is the shift pattern on motorcycles?"



And then to, why disc brakes are better than drums. Oh and those KTMs seem aggressive, should we settle for reliable Hondas. But their kits don't include discs, bleh! These Kwackers seem fully up-to-spec for a real VFM deal.



And to all those boyhood dreams of pushing your motorcycle around canyons with your knees and elbows giving you that hotlap MotoGP banger feel:

[moralfibre]

Our motoring conversations continue. We have moved on to quoting manual trannys to turbos. Our imaginary whiteboard has a calendar where we keep crossing out years until he turns 16 to get a license. Our plans keep shifting from Civic Type Rs to VW GTIs. Occassionaly swerving to dropping the car's ride height to plonking on a rear wing. And then we embark on ambitious thoughts that go like "Why don't we get a junk Beetle and put it together".

We all have to plug our generation gap. I learn new words every other week. This time it was "Flex". Proper use: "If you get me from school in a Super Beetle, I'd have so much ** Flex **". For us, it starts and ends with with wheels. Sometimes four but many times two. He likes Marquez, I'm an old hog who still believes Rossi is the GOAT!

Your passion rubs on to others. The energy you generate transforms into wonderful opportunities like this one at Sonoma Raceway when an owner threw doors open to his 360 Modena for the young tyke to get an experience of a lifetime to get some "Flex":




I always keep Paulo Coelho's quote close to my heart: "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

Or as my good friend Karl says "If you haven't gotten it yet, you haven't wanted it bad enough"

We were picking up my friend's Diavel from service. It had to get some warranty repairs. I offered to drive him up to the workshop. Hauling your gear in an Uber is quite a task. We hung around at the reception. I saw a small sticker that my eyes locked on:



I grabbed one and took it home. Fired up the website, "Certificate error". But heck, it is worth getting past. So we did. I couldn't believe that we could have a program that starts with Free and is actually Free.

From the website:

"FirstRides.org is a non-profit organization aimed at increasing the number of safe motorcyclists in the world and reducing their risk. We serve the San Francisco Bay Area and can help others get set up around the country.

We do this by offering full scholarships to kids. Since the program is aimed at those who cannot afford to start riding on their own, no fees are charged at any time for children ages 6-17. We supply the bikes, gear, and training."

We could very well afford this one even if was a paid program. But, the fascinating part was not the cost aspect. It was the passion. Some stranger, advertising a program that caters to hooking up kids to ride motorcycles. He'd get the gear, he'll get the bikes, figure out a course that would eventually get kids hooked on to two wheeled passion.

And then, we don't have to spend thousands of dollars only to realize that the passion was damp squib. Without wasting any further time, I quickly signed up via the Google form on the website. This was in Dec-2024. I got a prompt response to my application with a rather long email.

Thank you so much for applying to have Arihaan learn the love of motorcycling through FirstRides! We supply the bikes and all of the gear, including helmets, boots, pads, pants, gloves and jerseys. So have your child wear shorts and a t-shirt or tank top they can readily slip into all of this gear as the only changing facility is the restroom.

On that note, as it is missing from the form:

What is their approximate height and waist in inches? What is their shoe size?

Our next open class will be in mid 2025. We will target May and will keep you posted if you proceed. You can claim a spot by sending in a deposit (see below) and replying here. Classes are held at Metcalf Motorcycle County Park at: 300 Metcalf Rd, San Jose, CA 95138.

Please do make sure both you and your child are interested in motorcycling. They must be proficient on a bicycle as a foundation. It is safer to have a 10lb-bike fall on you than one that weighs 100lbs or more. On the day of the event, bring water, snacks, chairs, and sunscreen.

To secure a spot in one of our classes, please reply with your intent and have a Venmo payment (see our site) or deposit check of $50 for each child to “FirstRides” including their first names in the Memo field to the following address:

****************

This payment is refundable and will be returned to you the day of the training. We simply need to minimize cancellations, as the cost of each spot is great. The class remains free. That said, we are entirely volunteer-based and would appreciate you considering donating to the program. See the Donate section of the www.firstrides.org home page for options.

And if you frankly cannot afford the deposit, reply saying so and I will give you a call to discuss. Once you’ve sent the deposit, reply to this message so we can keep an eye out for it. Also let us know how you heard about us. :-)

Please show up at 8:30 a.m to sign waivers and get the students geared up. Classes run until 2:30 p.m. Look for a large white van in the parking lot with FirstRides.org logos on the side. Can’t miss it. If we are not there, we have made our way up the trail from the lot to the beginner oval, visible up the hill from the lot. Find us there.

Please note, you will be required to attend the class with your child. I promise, you’ll love it. :-)

We will have a waiver and other forms you must sign the day of the event for your child to participate. We will also have an optional photo release if you are willing to have pictures and video of yourself and your child used to promote the program.

Again, the photo/video release is totally optional and will not affect your enrollment whatsoever. Our photographers will be careful yet tactful in not capturing images of your child if desired.

Thanks for entrusting us to introduce your child to the world of motorcycling. It is both fun and functional, one of the best ways to get around.

My work commitments were quite full in January. I couldn't respond immediately. I only got to it in Feb'24 but, it was too late. The May-2025 class was full. The next one would be in August-2025.

Our May class is now full. We can get your child in our August class if that works for you. Date and details to follow.

This one seemed far away but still quite something to look forward to. But then came another bummer:

I have a spot for you in our November 1st class. More details to follow. Please let me know if that date doesn't work.

Is the August class full as well?

Sadly, others confirmed for August since Tuesday morning. We've had a huge number of applicants.

If November 1st doesn't work for you, I will refund your deposit.

Sorry. We offered May in December and then August this past Tuesday but got no response. so it was unclear when was going to work for you. Just needed confirmation as folks are jockeying to get in classes right now.

No Problem Clay. You are doing great work. We are confirmed for November.

Let us know if you need volunteers for any help during your training sessions.

A lot of back and forth ensued until last two weeks of March when we got propped right back up for a class in April-2025!!



I signed all the waivers. Registered for an AMA membership and was all set. We just had to show up! Is this for real? Where's all the capitalism in this age?

[moralfibre]

The plan was set, we were supposed to meet the First Rides team at Metcalf motorcycle park in San Jose, California at 8:30am. Metcalf has been that evasive place that you wish to visit but your stars never align. This would be a great opportunity for me to do a recce of the place and plan our long term dirt biking plans.

A little bit about Metcalf:




Metcalf is a dirtbiking / ATV trail park spread over a massive 445 acres in the southern part of Santa Clara county. The park hosts 17 miles of trails for dirtbikes, a nice motocross track, ATV trails and a nice quarter track for budding motorcyclists like my son. The park is maintained by funds from the county as well as the state department of OHV (Off highway vehicle). It has restricted vehicle usage which means your vehicle has to meet certain specs. You can't drive your jeep or ride that electric cycle on these trails.

As someone who gives punctuality absolute priority over anything else, we decided to reach before time. Made it to the park a full 30 minutes ahead of schedule although we were a mere half an hour drive from my home.

The park was just getting started with enthusiasts pouring in from across the county and beyond hauling there motorcycles. The buzz wasn't much but was enough to get us excited for what lay ahead. It's always great to start early. It gets hotter as the day progresses and more crowds come in later at their leisure. Things really get crowded and bustling with activity around 10am to 11am.










Coach Clay was stuck due to battery issues impacting his van. He notified us via his team and volunteer team. Meanwhile we met a few folks who had made it there and exchanged pleasantries. Jean and Rebecca guided us to a lot where we would be parked up as a team. Simon got us coffee. Thank you Simon!

Coach Clay and Devin made it sharp on time and pulled up in the van at 8:30am. Remember, this is a non-profit and fully run as a program by Mr. Clay's enthusiasm and the vibrant energy attracting other volunteers. As enthusiasts it is only fair that you give back to the community by sharing a bit of the workload and effort it takes to put together a training program like this.

Quick hellos later, we started putting out all the boxes full of riding gear, equipment and tables for the trainees. The bikes were pulled out as well and setup.





There were three kids: A 7 year old, a 11 year old and a kid in his teens. We had ample gear combinations to run through. About 10 boxes of stuff had enough to mix and match the right fits. We started with elbow and knee guards, got pants moved on to get boots, chest guard then the helmet, glasses and finally gloves.

All geared up:



A lot of smiles inside the helmet. Excited and nervous at the same time:



Looking at the equipment laid nicely on a tarpaulin sheet and packed in boxes sorted by size. Coach Clay is quite an organizer:



The bikes were out:



A lot of biking talk followed as other kids geared up:

[moralfibre]

We pushed our bikes to the beginner's Oval. This one was cordoned off for the rest of the day by the rangers.



We were quick to do a pose with the bike before lessons begin.



The kids lined up and the parents stoodby as coach Clay got into the basics of motorcycling. Bicycling is the first step, all kids were quite adept to cycling around. As coach Clay repeatedly shared on email as well as in person: "Better to have a 10lb bicycle fall on you than a 100lb motorbike".



The kids introduced themselves and instructions flowed. Every important part of the motorbike was explained. Given our prior motoring escapades, it was quite a proud feeling to see the kiddo go full clip at identifying practically everything.

The first set of practice was as basic as kids learning to stop the motorbike. Instructors would push the kids around the track, they had to steer the bike and practice braking. This was one exercise that would exhaust the instructors. I jumped in to help and kept pushing the bike around for the kiddo to balance and practice braking in a straight line. Also taught him how to anchor the rear brake for pitching the bike in a straight line. While the speeds were as best as we could push, building muscle memory to stop a bike was important.



Ensuring that body positioning is correct:



A quick look at the beginners oval in wide angle:




Here's how the pushing around and braking went:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctqHrb353OM

[moralfibre]

After a lot of pushing and braking with the engines turned off, it was time to move on to the next step. We had already spent a good hour or thereabouts pushing the kids around to get accustomed to braking and putting their foot down without dropping the bike. I had never thought about this as a stepping stone that would lay a good foundation for what was in store ahead.

It was time to kickstart the bikes. I was glad that these motorbikes came with a kickstarter and not an electronic one. What more do you want for kids to learn as basics? We also picked the Honda because it had a clutch. I really wanted the kiddo to get started the hard way. The Kwacker in the background had a clutchless transmission.

As a kid watching Youtube videos to learn, he would always be curious if using a manual transmission was difficult. My response would always be that every skill has a learning curve, it starts with training, learning, unlearning and perfecting it. He was anxious, and so was I.

Coach Clay, Devin and Jean had their own ways to teach kids. First was the theory. How to engage, disengage, shift to neutral, validate where you stand. The smaller tricks like walk and push the bike into a slight momentum before gradually releasing the clutch. How to avoid stalling by finding the right point at which the motorbike trudges forward without accelerating.

Then came the hard part, playing this in practice. The goal was to only ride in 1st gear. I admired the fact that there was no compulsion or urgency from the coaches to perfect everything on day # 1. It was about getting a feel of riding, experiencing the various aspects of a motorbike and most of all, having fun.

In this lesson, the kids had to engage 1st gear and gradually trudge forward to the other end in a straight line. By this time, I was running up and down the track with the kiddo to ensure that he gets this right. The focus was also about holding the revvs in a constant without giving the bike too many jerks. We've all been there as kids, it all comes to you with practice.

I was glad that the kiddo didn't stall the bike as many times and slowly and steadily built the muscle memory to kickstart the motorcycle as well:



Not many pictures here because I was quite engaged in this activity from here on. But, the one close to my heart was when he rolled forward the first time without a stall:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYk3yMoKw-k

[moralfibre]

The most important skill involved in handling a machine is to focus on where you want to go than where you are. Given our bias towards fighting a fall or that aversion to have narrow vision immediately ahead of the vehicle, we forget that it is incorrect to do so. I used the famous line by Anthony Hopkins from my all time favorite movie, "The World's fastest Indian" -- "If you don't go when you want to go, when you do go, you'll find you're gone.". A cone was placed on the other end of the straight. It helped to distract the kid from looking down. He gradually started looking forward:

https://youtu.be/J_DCKYaHAuw

A few breaks later, it was time to ditch the up and down runs and switch to going round and round. Now the kids had to slowly put all the learnings from the day to collective use. Starting the bike, engaging 1st, rolling forward, body positioning, turning and eventually good throttle control. Kids just came in naturally. Initially slow as they got a hang of their machines but eventually started rolling in fast laps. The instructors switched them to go clockwise as well as counter clockwise. The first few runs included doing half a lap and stopping before they moved ahead. This would give them ample braking practice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKqZ2HjZ0U8

And finally, there it was, going solo and giving it the beans. The video below is a slow one from the initial runs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPjqVP50V10

I was glad that the kiddo wasn't interested in too many breaks. He'd take a few hydration stops and hop right back on the bike to make the most of the day. We broke for lunch a little before these solo runs. I hadn't packed anything as I had thought of driving out to pick something. However, we didn't have enough time. Coach Clay had a lot of sandwiches to share. Thanks Coach.


After the solo runs, it was time to uplevel the game. We tried shifting to second. It took some false neutrals, stalls and look downs to get it but gradually he did do laps in second and switched back to first.

The instructors then decided to teach the kids how to stand on the bike. There was a small section of the track that had an incline and a small offroad strip at the back of the oval with a few bumps. The kids went over it and gained increased confidence of handling the motorcycle.

It was getting hotter and by then the only student eager to keep going was my son. I coaxed him into calling it a day. He had enough energy to keep going all day. It was a Saturday and I am truly thankful to the First rides team that helped us go from an absolute beginner to someone who can roll forward a motorcycle, stand on it and ride it through bumps and a few gears.

We called it a day, thanked the coaches and the staff. Helped put together whatever we could. Coach Clay was insistent on letting him handle the loading bit as he had a fixed process that he indulged in to put everything back together.

My favorite shot of the day. Getting to learn from the experts:



And the highlight of the day was a signed certificate from First Rides.





Thanks again for a wonderful start. Next up, we'll get a pair of dirtbikes and make our way to Metcalf every other weekend to cut down on screentime.

Until next time, Cheers!

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[amolpol]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

Thanks again for a wonderful start. Next up, we'll get a pair of dirtbikes and make our way to Metcalf every other weekend

Congratulations on the first step! It’s important that you get your son in the right frame of mind to enjoy the dirt bikes. Reduced screen time and fitness are both important factors. I got my daughter hooked on when she was 10 and then built her into a racing machine over the next year during Covid lockdowns.

Some important things to consider:

- its an character building sport but an unforgiving one
- there is no substitute for seat time so the more you can spend time at the track, you’ll see the skill improve
- injuries are a part of the game, both you and your spouse have to be mentally ready for bone fractures
- buy the best gear you can afford, don’t rely on the rental stuff
- training for strength and flexibility are what will prevent serious injuries, these should be a part of daily routine even if you’re planning to do weekend runs
- focus on posture and body positioning right from the beginning, controls as next, speed comes last
- if they need to wrestle with the bike, let them do it, don’t help in anticipation

Enjoy your weekends, these are precious memories!

This is my daughter’s first bike, a mad KX100 with 6-speed gears, she couldn’t even reach the other footpeg when standing on one side but she was sold on the idea that as long as she can stand on the pegs while riding, it doesn’t matter if she can’t get her feet down.

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by amolpol

Some important things to consider:

- its an character building sport but an unforgiving one
- there is no substitute for seat time so the more you can spend time at the track, you’ll see the skill improve
- injuries are a part of the game, both you and your spouse have to be mentally ready for bone fractures
- buy the best gear you can afford, don’t rely on the rental stuff
- training for strength and flexibility are what will prevent serious injuries, these should be a part of daily routine even if you’re planning to do weekend runs
- focus on posture and body positioning right from the beginning, controls as next, speed comes last
- if they need to wrestle with the bike, let them do it, don’t help in anticipation

Great tips amolpol. I'm glad that I found someone who has been there, done that. My son is now reading these as I type a reply. You have any recommendations on brands that we should stick to for gear? I can see Fox, ONeal, Alpinestars among others but it is quite confusing.

This is my daughter’s first bike, a mad KX100 with 6-speed gears, she couldn’t even reach the other footpeg when standing on one side but she was sold on the idea that as long as she can stand on the pegs while riding, it doesn’t matter if she can’t get her feet down.

Wow! 2-stroke beast, looks like. How tall is she in this picture? Is this a full size bike? We are looking at the CRF110/125 Big wheel at this time but still open to options. I could either get a used mid-size and let him get going before upgrading. That way, those falls won't hurt so much.

[amolpol]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

You have any recommendations on brands that we should stick to for gear? I can see Fox, ONeal, Alpinestars among others but it is quite confusing.

Wow! 2-stroke beast, looks like. How tall is she in this picture? Is this a full size bike? We are looking at the CRF110/125 Big wheel at this time but still open to options. I could either get a used mid-size and let him get going before upgrading. That way, those falls won't hurt so much.

On the brands for the gear:

- oneal or fox for the jerseys and pants, they have enough variety and sizes for kids and not too expensive
- boots are best with alpinestars, fox also has some decent ones for kids
- armour is really good with Leatt including helmets which have a much smaller outer size than most other brands
- get the chest armour that fits over the jersey, elbow ones that go under
- invest in a good pair of knee braces when you’re regularly going to the track- expensive but worth it
- goggles there’s plenty options but for smaller sizes oakleys had a good option
- gloves are also good with fox or leatt
- get a gear bag that fits everything so u don’t leave things out, theres something amazon was selling as a travel bag with wheels which worked well and was relatively cheap

On the bike:

- she was less than 4.5 ft when she started riding the KX
- more than the size of the bike it was the power that was a bit too much to start as a beginner
- the crfs are 4stroke trail bikes and won’t have the suspension travel of MX bikes. If you want to go the MX route, don’t waste money on it, buy a KTMSX85 and it will go a long way with wheel options. Kawa has the sx85 and now the 110/100 2strokes.
- Japs are better on maintenance than the oranje
- KTM85 or KX85/100 or the YZ85 are all youth bikes so they’re mid size. Once you go 125 and above, its a full size frame mostly. You can run the mid size bikes until they are 14-15 depending on how tall they get. Above 5.5ft might become problematic for the mid size frame.
- buy used if you know someone who’s selling, don’t buy if they were racing with it
- all these bikes are a money pit with oil changes every 8hrs of riding and piston changes every 18-24hrs so be ready to spend and get your hands dirty. My daughters KX costed me more than my GSA1200’s maintenance on a monthly basis.

Hope this helps but don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help.

[Traveller_Pop]

This is so good to read. To both moralfibre and amolpol, Thank you. This is inspiring for a young parent like me.

My son is 2.5 years old and I hope to generate interest for motorcycles in him. For now he sits on my stationary Himalayan 450, clutching the tank and does vroom vroom orally. Enough to get me as excited as him. He sees me getting geared up and ride in/out of the parking and the smile on his face is priceless, never mind if it is for me or the motorcycle or both.

I hope to get him started on his first bicycle on his 3rd birthday which is just a few months away. I want him to be super comfortable riding his cycle/s before anything else. I remember my father teaching me to ride the cycle very early on in life. It did build a solid foundation.

Also, I do hope there will be more dirt parks and other accessible and safe trails for our kids than we have now in India in the next few years.

[amolpol]

Originally Posted by Traveller_Pop

My son is 2.5 years old and I hope to generate interest for motorcycles in him.

I hope to get him started on his first bicycle on his 3rd birthday which is just a few months away.

Also, I do hope there will be more dirt parks and other accessible and safe trails for our kids than we have now in India in the next few years.

There is an option to buy a proper dirt bike for kids starting 4-5yrs with the KTM lineup that’s opened in India. But spending 5-6L on those bikes is what makes it harder to swallow for most aspirants. Before this, a lot of people used to bring these 50cc bikes in baggage as personal CKD units.

Cycling is a must have skill, you also have ebikes that can help younger kids. Idea is to make them comfortable taking falls because otherwise the fear holds them back. The younger they start, the better!

Bangalore has more than one option for SX style tracks, so you are already well placed if you’re living in Bangalore. I don’t think the sport will grow big though because its just not affordable for most and the dangers are higher than most other sports which is against the default parental thinking.