The Natural Progression

If you enjoy motorcycles as much as I do then you’ll live for the idea of your son or daughter ripping at the track or down a wooded trail. Teaching your child the basic skills necessary to handle a motorcycle can be challenging and down-right frightening. It may take some time and patience, but using the correct tools and letting your child progrss at their speed will create memories that last forever. I like to call it „The Natural Progression.”

My son suffered as a child with a condition called SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder).  Getting him to put on a shirt with the tag still on it was a major chore let alone a helmet and goggles.  We spent day after day putting his helmet on and taking it off.  His reward was being able to sit on the Yamaha PW50 or taking a ride with dad on the big bike.  As much as he loved motorcycles, he couldn’t get past the noise and the feeling of control as it relates to balance.  What I would have done for a tool like a STRIDER bike to help him out.

I call STRIDER a tool as it’s been proven to improve balance, coordination, and confidence in children. Don’t believe me?  Read for yourself here as a research study was done by the University of South Dakota.  The study found that the STRIDER bike significantly improves a child’s gross motor skill development as it relates to balance.

We started him off on a PW50 with a bicycle helmet which worked well until age six.  It was at this time he wanted to go faster and learn to jump so we bought him a KTM 50SX Senior.  For all you parents out there this was a huge jump in performance and maintenance and should only be done for hardcore racing.  Racing was something he really wanted to do, but just couldn’t get past his sensory issues.  Finally, I sold the KTM and settled on a Honda XR70 which served us well for several years.