Topic: Juggling time between kids and bikes

[Prospect]

I've been into bikes for a long time and always had a lot of time to work on them and ride them.  I like to restore one a winter and have been doing that for the last couple of years.  Now we have an 18 month old son and there just isn't that much time to do ANYTHING besides household duties and raising him.  The bikes always fall last in the priority list.  I love him but I just wanted to hear from others about similar time management issues and how you find time for hobbies.  You always hear stories of guys giving up riding and coming back after 25 years due to lack of time and kids. No offense but I just don't want to be one of those guys. 

[srbakker]

Heh, I hear ya.  I have a 4, 2 and not-quite 1 year old.  I work on my bikes when they're asleep but still.  I've budgeted 3 years for my build for that reason.

Just remember - your kid absolutely needs you, and if you put the time in now it will pay off in spades later.

The bikes, on the other hand, are inanimate.

[FuZZie]

You always hear stories of guys giving up riding and coming back after 25 years due to lack of time and kids

20 years here... 

[anotherCB]

I have been into bikes since I was 13. 32 years later and looking back there were only 2 years where I did not have a motorcycle, that was when my older son, now 11, was born. Kids come first for me, but I always find an hour here or there to spend in the garage. My wife knows that I would not be fun to be around if I did not have my "outlet" 

[Gordon]

I have a 2 year old and 4 year old, so I get very little time in the garage these days.  Luckily I had both the bikes in very good mechanical condition before I started losing garage time, so I can keep them both going with just the regular maintenance for now.  I finished and sold the last two project bikes I had a couple of years ago, and don't plan on getting another one at least until both kids are a little older and in school. 

[bert96]

 Samething here i have one of 4(almost 5) and 2 years old,and my bike is in pieces in  the garage for almost 5 years now...

 I don't have time to work on my bike,BUT i buy/bought parts,so one day i will have every parts and time to rebuid it....


Bert

[scrapvalue]

Bring the play pen,(or buy one for the purpose), in to the shop and put the little monkeys in there.
Then communicate with them.
You may very well end up with a couple of little gear heads, but that's a chance you have to take.

[Gordon]

My son is already well on his way.  He already knows most of the tools by name.  The set-up at our house in Denver was much more conducive to having the kids in the shop with me, though.  We had a detached garage and I built the fence to enclose the garage and driveway within the back yard, so I could have the garage open and keep an eye on my son while working on the bikes, and he could come in and hang out with me when he wanted. 

Now we have a more typical set-up where the back yard is separate and the garage and driveway are open to the alley, so I can't keep an eye on them if they're in the yard, and I can't let them run free if they're in the garage with me. 

Luckily, by the time either of the bikes needs a major overhaul again my son should be old enough to actually help, if he wants to. 

[bluezboy]

 My wife made me wait until my kids were 16 and 14 before she finally gave in and let me get my first bike two years ago. Next year both of them will be in college and out of the house, I think I earned my riding time by always being there for them and raising them to be great humans. Don't worry, when they hit 13, the years really start to fly by!

[70CB750]

I sold my CB750 when we were moving to USA - my first one was less than year old.    I am back at motorcycles now, when she is 15 and there are two more - 13 and 11. 

Juggling family, bikes, hunting, bicycle, vineyard, guns and work on the house as best as I can.

Here is the important point - there will always be a motorcycle, but your kids will never be little again.

[bluezboy]

I sold my CB750 when we were moving to USA - my first one was less than year old.    I am back at motorcycles now, when she is 15 and there are two more - 13 and 11. 

Juggling family, bikes, hunting, bicycle, vineyard, guns and work on the house as best as I can.

Here is the important point - there will always be a motorcycle, but your kids will never be little again.

 well said, cherish every moment you have with them!

[Prospect]

A lot of good points all around.  I think this cb750 that I'm working on will be the last project for a couple of years.  My son always takes priority and like someone said "they're only kids once". 

This brings me to my next point.  Do you guys want your son or daughters to ride when they reach riding age?  I started riding at 16 but that doesn't mean it was the smartest thing to do.   

[kirkn]

Oh absolutely on the 'riding with you'.

My kids had little dirt-bikes when young and we all went riding together.

When they were about 10, they were 'old enough' to ride with me on the street.  Just local errand running and quiet rides through the country. 

First son is a real gear-head, just like me.  2nd son can take 'em or leave 'em.  Daughter can take 'em or leave 'em as well, but has many other hobbies first.  Mine are 20, 17 and 15 now. 

Kirk

[DavePhipps]

Oh absolutely on the 'riding with you'.

My kids had little dirt-bikes when young and we all went riding together.

When they were about 10, they were 'old enough' to ride with me on the street.  Just local errand running and quiet rides through the country. 

First son is a real gear-head, just like me.  2nd son can take 'em or leave 'em.  Daughter can take 'em or leave 'em as well, but has many other hobbies first.  Mine are 20, 17 and 15 now. 

Kirk

My son will be 15 this summer when I teach him to ride. There are plenty of riders on the trackes younger than that. I remember when I was in Washington state there were mini moto races for kids.

[bert96]

 I start to ride at 8...on a QA50!
 but i would never let my childs ride at that age!!


Bert

[kirkn]

I started when I was 6 or 7 on a Benelli 'Buzzer'.  A 50cc thing with 8" wheels.  Got a Honda MR50 at about 10.

Both sons started around 9 or 10 - First son on a Yamaha PW80 and 2nd son on a resurrected and lowered Kawasaki KE100.  Daughter was around 11 or 12 on a Honda XR100.  We've always lived on acreage, so they all started riding around trails through the woods in the backyard.

[kirkn]

When my oldest was only a year or so, he'd keep me company while I worked in the garage.  He'd be in his little push-car, and it was tied to the garage wall.  He had about a 15 foot tether and he'd push himself all around and around.  He'd stay happy for at least an hour at a time. 

No wonder he's such a gear-head!   

[kirkn]

Here you go - they'd have been about 9, 7 and 5 at the time.

[72 yellow]

Divided my time when my daughter was growing up.  Always made sure she came first.  Now I am the primary babysitter for my grand daughter who just turned 3.  Not a lot of garage time, but having a lot of fun.  She will start pre-school next year so garage time will return.  Enjoy them while they are young.

[Really?]

When they get older, it is done by letting them get involved.  My eldest daughter and son.






A Short Video
http://youtu.be/02mbjwbehNU

[srbakker]

One of my three boys on the Tiger, and his bike on bike washing day.





 

[Don R]

I've got pics of my 3 girls helping service my old front engine dragster. I sold my 750 when they were little and built a street rod. They know all the 50's music from car shows. When they invented jr dragsters we started racing. We had two at once and won lots of trophies, runner up at the nationals. Good times. We still race a big dragster and my middle daughter drives most of the time. My youngest was the only one in her shop class that could name all the tools on the board the first day of class. She never told the teacher or the boys in class she knew how to mig weld. Kids are grown, now I'm back into bikes again, I offered to help clean out my brothers junkpile of course there was enough to build a bike. Now there's five in the garage.
 My girls know about mechanical things, I never made them race but they did have to help work on their own cars. When Softball or something else came around it was OK to not race. I've spent time with them money can't buy and don't regret it for a minute.

[Really?]

Here are a couple more.  In short, they can still be involved.

My Boy



My Daughters



They brought their own bikes out


At a museum in the Hill Country

[sopo400f]

Heh, I hear ya.  I have a 4, 2 and not-quite 1 year old.  I work on my bikes when they're asleep but still.  I've budgeted 3 years for my build for that reason.

Just remember - your kid absolutely needs you, and if you put the time in now it will pay off in spades later.

The bikes, on the other hand, are inanimate.

Work when they sleep was also what I do. I often wake up around 4am with a headache, so I use that to my advantage.   
As far the kid riding when she grows up..um pretty sure the wife won't let that happen. Plus I wouldn't want to feel responsible if she got hurt.

[70CB750]

The problem is its not just kids, wife is very close. If I spent evenings with Dorothy - my Honda - she does not take it lightely.

 I, Your Wife, Is  A Jelous Wife - you know the rest