No doubt about it, the best way to put all those worries to rest is to show them you’re making safety and education a priority. It’ll go a long way toward making those in your life who care about you comfortable with your decision.
We’ve got training opportunities you can look at right here. You can find courses that focus on the exact kind of riding you’ll be doing — the Motorcycle Safety Foundation® offers award-winning street bike courses coast to coast and they’ve graduated over 8 million students. The Foundation offers courses for dirt bike riders, too. There’s also the ATV Safety Institute, providing classes for all terrain vehicles. The Recreational Off-Highway Institute is your go-to source for ROV drivers.
Through all of these courses, you’ll be learning from experienced, professionally trained instructors. They’ll teach you the ins and outs of proper gear, safety, some basic maintenance and they’ll share a lot of great tips they’ve picked up from a lifetime of riding.
Once you’re trained, you’ll be a lot safer on the road. You know this. We know this. But as the title of the article suggests, other people need to know it, too.
This is the part where you get to do something you’re probably already pretty good at, and that’s sharing what you know about something you’re excited about. You’re on your way to becoming a knowledgeable motorcycle rider, and the people who love you need to know about it.Talk to them about what you know. Share what you learned about safety. Tell them all the benefits of riding. Be ready to dispel myths that they might throw your way. Give them a few pointers that they, as motorists, can use so they can safely share the road with riders.
Once they begin to see you as an authority on riding—which you’re on your way to becoming—they’ll begin to trust your decision to pursue the lifestyle of a motorcycle rider.
You’ve taken the course for the kind of riding you want to do. You’ve shared what you know at dinner with the family. Now it’s time for the rubber to meet the road, literally. It’s time to take a ride with those who expressed misgivings at the beginning of this journey.
We’re not saying have grandma jump on the back of your bike for a full-throttle road trip to the nearest rally, but there’s a lot of things you can do to show them you’re a safe rider. For instance, you can plan a day trip where you all ride out to a destination together — the fam in their cars and you on your bike. That way they can see you in action. They can watch you being smart and cautious. Nothing dispels the myth of danger like the sight of you arriving safe and sound.
But most of all, this will give the people who love you the chance to see you in your natural element. Once they see the joy that motorcycle riding brings you, they’ll find it a lot harder to criticize your lifestyle. If you’re happy, they’ll be happy. And that’s a win/win.
Sure, you may encounter some push-back from loved ones about your new lifestyle. That’s okay, and to a degree, it’s to be expected. Just follow the steps here and you might find that your mom ends up loving motorcycles as much as you do. And who knows? Maybe she’ll end up joining you in Sturgis after all.
