New research has revealed that motorcycle-loving British parents typically let their child ride on a powered bike of some kind, either alone or pillion, from the age of five years old, with it taking just seven weeks before they’re confident enough to know what they’re doing. Over half of the youngsters will give up riding motorbikes after a short while, though, with just under one in five entering races and competitions.
British parents who allow their children to ride motorbikes of some kind and enter races and competitions find themselves forking out £1700 on the kit, including the bike and the safety clothing – yet most who let their children ride on motorcycles confess that their youngsters lose interest in riding after a short while.
The team behind a premium range of motorcycle cleaning products (www.wmbpride.bike) undertook the research as part of an ongoing study into Britons’ attitudes towards riding motorbikes. The poll quizzed 2095 British parents, all of whom stated that they had a keen interest in motorcycles and at least one child under the age of 13.
To begin with, all respondents were asked at what age they had let their child first get on a motorcycle, either alone or pillion; although 48% said “never”, the majority had, and the average age was five years old. When asked the type of bike, the answers were “a dirt bike” (46%), “a mini-moto” (24%) and “a moped” (22%). Those parents who had never let their child get on a motorcycle of any kind cited “health and safety” (53%) and “the cost” (28%) as the main reasons.
All relevant respondents were then asked how long it had taken for their child to learn to ride the motorcycle, parents replied “seven weeks” as the average answer.
When asked why they chose to let their children ride a motorcycle of some kind, and provided with a list of possible options from which they could select all those that applied, the top reasons why were revealed to be:
• It’s a family hobby – 61%
• They asked to be taught to ride a bike – 49%
• We wanted to give them a hobby they’d be good at – 26%
• We were gifted/offered the bike – 19%
• They tried it elsewhere to begin with – 7%
When asked if their children had stuck at riding bikes, or if it had merely been a short-lived hobby, 58% of the relevant respondents confessed their children had given up after a short while; the remaining respondents stating that their children either “continued to ride in their free time” (24%) or “continued to ride, entering races and competitions, etc” (18%),
Those who stated that their children continued riding and had entered races and competitions were asked how much they had invested on a bike, safety clothing, helmets and so on, and the average was £1700.
Tony Davis, director of WMB Logistics, said: “Motocross in particular is a great sport for young children, offering them a fun place to race their bikes against other children their own age. It’s an adrenaline-fuelled hobby, or even career for some, and is a unique way to get children involved in something they could love. It’s no surprise, therefore, that biker-loving parents are allowing their children as young as five to try out a motorcycle of some kind, particularly if it’s a family hobby and they’re surrounded by bikes and the motocross scene. It’s worth taking all safety precautions, though, as it is a dangerous sport with a high risk of damage to both the child and the bike.”