My new bikes 1st.. 2nd and 3rd crash were not what i envisioned.
Got my 1st minibike about a month ago, a fairly pristine Coleman CT200. I've rode it on the trails behind the house and in the surrounding fields for hours and even though i've come close a few times, i hadn't wrecked. Have kept it clean and lubed up right, it looked good, runs surprisingly excellent and i have to say its a powerful little thing, the 196cc motor can pull a wheely with less trouble than my old honda XR200 anyday...short wheelbase i guess. I've gotten more used to a tiny 2 wheeler and overall was really proud of my tiny, inexpensive but capable minibike.
My Brother in law caught pictures of me on the trails, with his deer cameras. He caught me out in the garden today, and first thing ask me what i was riding...that orange thing. His eyes lit up when i told him it was a new minibike and that it was on my front porch. He ask me to ride it over to his house 1\4 mile away...he REALLY wanted to see it. As the proud new owner..i couldn't help but to quickly agree..soon as he headed home i made my way back to the house and with 2 practiced pulls cranked the bike up. Shot up the driveway, across the big field and through BIL's property, to where was just changing out of his work clothes..and meeting me on the front porch. .. this guy is a 220lb 50yo City police officer. He always struck me as a common sense guy..very capable, responsible ...he was like a kid at Christmas..just wanted on that bike. I moved, he jumped on. Revved it up..looked it over up and down and told me that "i've never been a 2 wheel kinda guy, but i love this!" I quickly ran down what was throttle, what was brake..and he was gone. He pegged it wide open right off the start and did the scariest wheelie you've ever seen across his front yard. His feet came off the pegs and his whole body draped off the seat..the bike flipped upward completely and he finally let go of the handlebars..face planted and the bike laid down on its side, still idleing perfectly. He jumped up, laughing and quickly picked the bike up. Jumped on it and gingerly burned the clutch all the way back to me. He was a bit red faced but laughed it off and once again told me he had never rode 2 wheelers much. I checked the bike out and it was pretty much without a scratch.
All was ok..but then..his wife and 18yo son stepped out on the porch to see what was going on.
TJ! ( my bro in law bellows) "get on this thing boy!", my nephew looks nervous and says "no". Unlike my side of the property, everyone over here is kinda sheltered from things on wheels, aside from cars. Good internet connection is more up their alley. TJ wants no part of it but dad bellows again and the big kid comes over. Before long hes talked into it and i stupidly run down the basics of a minibike, all the while thinking i really should go get these guys helmets. I really should have. lesson learned.
TJ takes off, floors it and does an exact rendition of his father, wheelie, faceplant, bike on side idling. He does get up slower and starts just walking to the house, making funny breathing sounds. his mom ask him if he's ok and he nods yes all the way to the front steps where he sits down and refuses to look at us. I think right then that i have no blood ties to these people. :biggrin: Dad runs over to the bike and picks it up ( "ITS STILL RUNNING" he hollars), and once again exclaims over its power as he again limps torward me at 2 or 3 mph. I check the bike out and while its carrying a bit more grass and dirt in places..all the body parts look straight. Running good. Stupid me and BIL exclaim over how powerful it is and again he mounts the little beast. Inwardly i cringe and again go over everything with him..he nods and takes off. Hes very slow at first and does good. He went around his house twice took off down his driveway, roostertailing once in the gravel. His fat graying self shot by me and my sister in law..grinning like the devil. I bummed a cigarette off sis in law (i don't usually smoke) and nervously watched BIL make it to the big field between our homes. He hit the trail at full throttle.. about 15-20mph..very fast on the rutted gravel road.He had just gotten to the big dip when he disappeared from view, right before a cloud of dust appeared. My nephew says.."i think daddy wrecked" I think...what 18 year old calls their daddy daddy? Sigh...sure enough, a head pops up and we hear the motor again. BIL comes straight back to us..when he arrives i see the blood running down his arm. "I didn't crash" he announces as he comes to a stop. "Did too" his son announces. BIL get off the bike unsteadily and turns sideways...he is a streakmark from shoulder to knee on his right side. Blood is running from his elbow and forearm. Shirt is torn and he was limping. lol.
Me and sis and law laughed till we almost cried..sorry to admit. (is that sadistic?) Brother in law finally laughs too, says he'll pay for parts and limps off inside proclaiming hes gonna be hurting tomorrow. My "new" minibike has a bent footpeg and plenty of new scratches. Runs and works fine but i think i just learned my lesson concerning new riders. Some people either need serious training, or shouldn't be riding on two wheels. Some other people, (me) need to recognize this
I am hoping for stories far worse than mine to make me feel better about my bike (glad nothing really bad happened)
Got my 1st minibike about a month ago, a fairly pristine Coleman CT200. I've rode it on the trails behind the house and in the surrounding fields for hours and even though i've come close a few times, i hadn't wrecked. Have kept it clean and lubed up right, it looked good, runs surprisingly excellent and i have to say its a powerful little thing, the 196cc motor can pull a wheely with less trouble than my old honda XR200 anyday...short wheelbase i guess. I've gotten more used to a tiny 2 wheeler and overall was really proud of my tiny, inexpensive but capable minibike.
My Brother in law caught pictures of me on the trails, with his deer cameras. He caught me out in the garden today, and first thing ask me what i was riding...that orange thing. His eyes lit up when i told him it was a new minibike and that it was on my front porch. He ask me to ride it over to his house 1\4 mile away...he REALLY wanted to see it. As the proud new owner..i couldn't help but to quickly agree..soon as he headed home i made my way back to the house and with 2 practiced pulls cranked the bike up. Shot up the driveway, across the big field and through BIL's property, to where was just changing out of his work clothes..and meeting me on the front porch. .. this guy is a 220lb 50yo City police officer. He always struck me as a common sense guy..very capable, responsible ...he was like a kid at Christmas..just wanted on that bike. I moved, he jumped on. Revved it up..looked it over up and down and told me that "i've never been a 2 wheel kinda guy, but i love this!" I quickly ran down what was throttle, what was brake..and he was gone. He pegged it wide open right off the start and did the scariest wheelie you've ever seen across his front yard. His feet came off the pegs and his whole body draped off the seat..the bike flipped upward completely and he finally let go of the handlebars..face planted and the bike laid down on its side, still idleing perfectly. He jumped up, laughing and quickly picked the bike up. Jumped on it and gingerly burned the clutch all the way back to me. He was a bit red faced but laughed it off and once again told me he had never rode 2 wheelers much. I checked the bike out and it was pretty much without a scratch.
All was ok..but then..his wife and 18yo son stepped out on the porch to see what was going on.
TJ! ( my bro in law bellows) "get on this thing boy!", my nephew looks nervous and says "no". Unlike my side of the property, everyone over here is kinda sheltered from things on wheels, aside from cars. Good internet connection is more up their alley. TJ wants no part of it but dad bellows again and the big kid comes over. Before long hes talked into it and i stupidly run down the basics of a minibike, all the while thinking i really should go get these guys helmets. I really should have. lesson learned.
TJ takes off, floors it and does an exact rendition of his father, wheelie, faceplant, bike on side idling. He does get up slower and starts just walking to the house, making funny breathing sounds. his mom ask him if he's ok and he nods yes all the way to the front steps where he sits down and refuses to look at us. I think right then that i have no blood ties to these people. :biggrin: Dad runs over to the bike and picks it up ( "ITS STILL RUNNING" he hollars), and once again exclaims over its power as he again limps torward me at 2 or 3 mph. I check the bike out and while its carrying a bit more grass and dirt in places..all the body parts look straight. Running good. Stupid me and BIL exclaim over how powerful it is and again he mounts the little beast. Inwardly i cringe and again go over everything with him..he nods and takes off. Hes very slow at first and does good. He went around his house twice took off down his driveway, roostertailing once in the gravel. His fat graying self shot by me and my sister in law..grinning like the devil. I bummed a cigarette off sis in law (i don't usually smoke) and nervously watched BIL make it to the big field between our homes. He hit the trail at full throttle.. about 15-20mph..very fast on the rutted gravel road.He had just gotten to the big dip when he disappeared from view, right before a cloud of dust appeared. My nephew says.."i think daddy wrecked" I think...what 18 year old calls their daddy daddy? Sigh...sure enough, a head pops up and we hear the motor again. BIL comes straight back to us..when he arrives i see the blood running down his arm. "I didn't crash" he announces as he comes to a stop. "Did too" his son announces. BIL get off the bike unsteadily and turns sideways...he is a streakmark from shoulder to knee on his right side. Blood is running from his elbow and forearm. Shirt is torn and he was limping. lol.
Me and sis and law laughed till we almost cried..sorry to admit. (is that sadistic?) Brother in law finally laughs too, says he'll pay for parts and limps off inside proclaiming hes gonna be hurting tomorrow. My "new" minibike has a bent footpeg and plenty of new scratches. Runs and works fine but i think i just learned my lesson concerning new riders. Some people either need serious training, or shouldn't be riding on two wheels. Some other people, (me) need to recognize this
I am hoping for stories far worse than mine to make me feel better about my bike
(glad nothing really bad happened)
