Didnt miss this opportunity...

[YamahaMAXdRPMs]

Well i was out getting ready to wash the bike up... pulled it out and got it on the center stand... about 5 neighborhood kids came running up.. "is that your bike... i like that bike.." yada yada... and im like great... a bunch of snot nosed kids are gonna get finger prints and jello all over my soon to be clean bike... so i answered their questions very briefly and tried to get them to run along (not that i dont like kids... but i like expensive things better than i like kids who like to destory expensive things...)

So anyway... after a few minutes i got to thinking "these kids are not going to leave me alone are they.." so i thought back to the thread about a missed opportunity and figured what the hell... gave them all a chance to sit on there and give it a feel.. then their dad came out and pulled em all inside. I felt a little good about being nice. but still wonder how long it will be before i have a police man at my door telling me that a bunch of kids were climbing on my bike and dropped it and now im being sued...

 

[PatrickS]

I read somewhere a long time ago, that 95% of kids dream about having a motorcycle when they grow up, and only 5% of these kids end up with one

Its nice what you did, i would have done the same !!!!

 

[wrightme43]

You know man it has its upsides and downsides. A few of the nieghborhood kids come by for bike problems, air in tires, chains that pop off, silly stuff like that. I could be real private and not help out, or just take a minute and help out.

Here is how I try to look at it.
When I was a kid I had a neighbor. I have no idea what his name was right now, but I remember it from time to time. It doesnt matter. Here are just a few of my memories of him.

He had a auto shop he ran out of his garage. As a kid he had shot the fingers off of one hand, and so he used that hand as hammer. He had a english springer spainel named penny that was just awesome, she was a well trained bird dog too. He showed me how to get worms out of the ground to go fishing with a battery charger and two gutter lenth nails, he showed me how to catch grubs out of old trees to go fishing, he always helped me with my little kindergaten, and first grade bigwheel and bike problems, he was this big old dude that was nice and would talk to me.

I try to be like that to kids. Hell its stupid man, I dont even remember his name, but I sure do remember him, and the things he did. We just never know what kind of impact a small bit of kindness can have on a kid. My home life sucked growing up. Thats just the way it was. Some of my clearest memories of good things are things that took about two minutes of his, while he was already doing something and would of done it with or with out me there.

Anyway, good on you for taking the time. :thumbup:

 

[blchandl2]

There is a kid that hangs out by the training site. It started one day when his chain came off his bike so I helped him get it back on. He likes to watch the students on the motorcycles. Now, he knows what time we end the range exercises each day so he comes by to help pick up cones.

His parants are split and mom does not keep an eye on him. He is a good kid and wants a motorcycle someday. When he first started hanging around we would have to remind him to stay off the range. Now, he is the one who tells the other kids to stay off the range.

 

[Red Wazp]

If the kids like you they will respect you and your bike. If you get a chance just ask them to keep an eye on it and let you know if anyone gets near it because it means a lot to you. They will bird dog for you.

 

[kinderwood]

Well, I'm 23, and I have a 13 year old brother, and an 11 year old brother and sister (twins), so they're a lot younger and in that pre-teenager group fixated on stuff like motorcycles. So one day while visiting my parents I stuck them on the bike and took pictures of them. I even stuck all three of them on at once, haha. All good till my mom comes running out. "Oh great now they're all going to grow up and get motorcycles" she said to me! But I say ya gotta start em young, right? :rockon:

 

[YamahaMAXdRPMs]

yeah, i know what you all mean.. but being 5 and 6 year old kids... running around the neighborhood... i can see it plain as day... one day im gonna come home and park the bike go inside.. they are gonna come running over and either try to get on it and tip it over.. or just grab it in general and burn the crap outta themselves... then its all about lawsuits... and thats the F'ed up thing about it... a person cant even do something nice without having to worry about getting sued anymore... it was like as soon as the rainbow of joy seeing kids sitting on the bike going vroom vroom was there... here came the dark cloud of.. what if they touch it while im not around...

 

[kinderwood]

Hmmm, those are valid points of concern you have. I guess if you keep it covered or in the garage most of the time you could avoid it. Or put a disc lock or alarm with a motion sensor that'll scare the crap out of em of they try to get on it when you're not around.