16-Year-Old Dies From Motorcycle Stunts At School

Motorcycles don’t kill people anymore than guns are responsible for people being killed with one.

Er, were you ever a teenage male at the controls of a high performance machine?

So just like the murderous SUV”s, motorcycles are responsible for people getting killed on them?

Maybe I should have excerpted all of your post instead of just that part. Your post seemed to indicate we should not blame the motorcycle or the parents.

It is against the law for anyone under 21 to own a pistol. Does that mean we are blaming the gun for crimes? No, it means we don't trust people under that age with a certain amount of responsibility or skill level. As many people pointed out it was really stupid for these parents to give their kid this bike. You argument of ‘Who are we to judge? We don't know his skill level.’ is clearly moot as it is obvious he was unable to handle it.
Even if he was good with dirt bikes... so what? If a kid is good with a .22 rifle you don't guy buy him a grenade launcher.

You are correct -- all 16 year old kids are idiots and should not be allowed to own grenade launchers. Since we are probably going to have a "citizen of the world" as our next President then we should just go Euro' and remove all freedoms to be stupid if we want to be.

At the moment, the European Union (more popularly known as “Brussels”) has been trying to make rules and regulations which should be able to be applied in all the Union’s countries. Unfortunately, the countries are free, to some degree, to apply these rules. This means that in the case of motorcycling all rules are either not enforced or not applied, depending on the country. An example of the above is the so-called stepped licensing scheme, which allows 16 year olds to ride a bike with a maximum capacity of 125cc. Or if between 18 and 21 years old, a bike with a maximum power output of 25kW (35 hp; see the list) or with a maximum power to weight ratio of 0.16kW/kg (0.1 HP/lb). These people are required to ride with the restricted license for a minimum of two years before they can apply for a “full” license, this means that if you got your motorcycle license on your 18th birthday, you can upgrade on your 20th. Alternatively, if you get your license a day before your 21st birthday, you can only upgrade on your 23rd. Older “adults” (We’re all children at heart aren’t we? :-)) who only have a car license are allowed to commute on a 125cc motorcycle in some countries. People with a “full” license or above 21 years of age can get a full-power bike. In the following I’ll try to give a global view of rules and regulations across Europe with some notable exceptions. Motorcycles Essentially subdivided into two categories (leaving the mopeds out of the equation for the moment). Bikes suited for the restricted license (sub 25kW bikes) Full power bikes (notable exception here is Germany which subdivides these again into Amax 100hp and actual full power bikes) Bikes that fit into the first category are, amongst others: all 125cc bikes, 250-400cc bikes, as long as their power output does not exceed 25kW or 0.16kW/kg/kg, selected larger models that have been detuned. (For the posers, a few years ago a Kawasaki ZZR1100 could be bought which only produced 25kW, the looks of a big bike, but......) All other bikes are considered Full Power. NB: If the engine size does not exceed 49.9cc, and 3kW the bike is classified as a moped. Thus you can have a 50cc motorcycle.... Mopeds are further classified according to their maximum allowable speed. If it is restricted to 30km/h (in some countries 35km/h) you are allowed to ride it without a helmet. With speeds restricted to maximum 50km/h a helmet is required. If it goes faster it is classified either as a motorcycle or if it does not sport a license plate it’s illegal. (NB: countries like the Netherlands require mopeds to only have an insurance plate, motorcycles require to be insured and have a license plate) In France motorcycles are limited to max horsepower limit of 106bhp. Tuning is illegal if it takes the bike above this. Licensing Has already been mentioned above, but to list them separately: 16-18 years: moped or maximum 125cc (the Netherlands, allows only moped. Until a few years ago only insurance was required, now one also requires a moped license) 18-21 years: maximum 25kW or 0.16kW/kg (A list of bikes that comply has been added at the end of this document) 21+: unrestricted license (Germany's motorcycle manufacturers had a voluntary restriction to 100hp, but that has expired. In Germany, and perhaps under the new UE rules, the age for an unrestricted license is 25. Between 18 and 24 you're limited to 25kW for two years, or get approved training and you're unrestricted.) 21+ with only a car license: maximum 125cc (the Netherlands does not allow the operation of any motorcycle (50cc+) without a motorcycle license) In the UK, 16 year-olds can’t ride 125s. If you’re over 21 you can take your test on a bike bigger or more powerful than 33bhp and go straight onto bigger bikes.

Granted this was too powerful of a bike for most 16 year olds, but we do not know his skill level. He could have been a very accomplished rider on dirt bikes and he did show enough sense and responsibility to practice in an empty parking lot with a helmet on.
Accidents happen and who are we to second guess when it is our time to go?
We buy our kids old beat up cars that can still go fast enough to get hurt or killed in but somehow this is different because he was on a motorcycle and we blame the parents.

Motorcycles don’t kill people anymore than guns are responsible for people being killed with one.

Oh man...I hope you aren't reproducing...virtually anyone else posting that would include a (/sarc) tag.

You're serious.

Why the personal attack?

you are way too naive.

Humans using machines cause the injuries.

Your position might as well argue that SUV’s kill people.

Drive a car irresponsibliy, you die
Drive a motorcycle irresponsibly, you die

Personal attack? Your post is so far off the wall it can't be satirized...it's satire proof. I had to read it twice, to see you weren't kidding. You exhibit no judgment whatsoever.

Granted this was too powerful of a bike for most 16 year olds, but we do not know his skill level. He could have been a very accomplished rider on dirt bikes and he did show enough sense and responsibility to practice in an empty parking lot with a helmet on.

This is too powerful a bike for most riders, much less a 16 year old. It's an appropriate bike for those with 10+ years of street experience, which a 16 year old could not possess.

I read an interesting statistic that stuck with me. The majority of fatality accidents involving motorcyclists happen in the first year of ownership. There's a reason most bikers understand.

It's not even so much a question of skill as a question of judgment and maturity. Granted, some 16 year olds are more mature than others, but a 16 year old is still a 16 year old. You don't hand 16 year olds keys and whiskey, much less the keys to a superbike that's quicker from 0-100 than a Corvette.

And no, performing 'a variety of stunts' on a superbike is not made a responsible act by doing it after school hours, wearing a helmet.

Where were the adults? A 16 year old can't buy a vehicle without parental consent. Where were the parents? What posessed them to think this was acceptable? This was predictable to the point of being inevitable.

I'd be amazed if he was insured...I can't picture an insurance company writing paper on this combination. What is wrong with his parents?

Accidents happen and who are we to second guess when it is our time to go?

ACCIDENTS HAPPEN???

This boy and vehicle were an accident waiting to happen. The parents are not deserving of sympathy; they're unfit, and they're accomplices in the death of their son. I hope they have no more children.

We buy our kids old beat up cars that can still go fast enough to get hurt or killed in but somehow this is different because he was on a motorcycle and we blame the parents...

Of course, a Smart car would provide infinitely more protection than a bike. What sane parents would buy a Smart car for their 16 year old son that would require a Vette motor to approach the same lb/hp ratio as that R1? This bike makes the old "Hot Rod Lincoln" seem like Grandma's Buick.

Riding a motorcycle on the street is one of the most dangerous acts many of us will ever commit.

Motorcycles don’t kill people anymore than guns are responsible for people being killed with one...

I have no idea what you're talking about, or what you're alleging I said. I think buying that youngster that vehicle was vehicular Russian Roulette.

His parents share responsibility for his death. Oh, they probably won't be charged with anything, and most gullible folks will view them with great sympathy. Not me.

Chutzpah has been defined as shooting your parents, then throwing yourself on the mercy of the court because you're an orphan.

This is a more twisted version, losing your son because you showed spectacularly poor judgment and bought him the most dangerous vehicle possible, and he killed himself with it...then throwing yourself on the mercy of the court of public opinion because you've lost your son.

There's a reason why minors are second class citizens, why most can't in most situations consent to sex, why they can't enter into contracts. They aren't adults dressed in funny clothes. Minor status is for their protection, not to make them miserable. They don't have the judgment of adults, and they don't have the experience. We limit what they can do for their protection, especially young men with more testosterone than sense.

They've earned the Hell they will undoubtedly experience. What would have happened if they had just said, "No?"

Drive a car irresponsibliy, you die.

Drive a motorcycle irresponsibly, you die...

Well, not exactly. If your first car is Grandpa's old Toyota, you'll probably survive the inevitable irresponsibility. That's because it takes so long to reach what I now think of as "terminal velocity."

Terminal velocity (which is defined as top speed, but in this case refers to the amount of speed it takes to end your life) is a lot lower on an R1, and it's acheived a lot quicker.

The R1 is basically a racing motorcycle that happens to be street legal. Think ~185 HP on two wheels with a top end approaching 190 MPH, with acceleration quicker than Corvettes and Ferraris.

A vehicle for a 16 year old? I don't think so. I'm amazed anyone does.

At 16 I enlisted in the Marine Corps -- they made me wait until the day after I turned 17 before they said I was capable of carrying a weapon as if magically at 17 I would be more responsible.

Heck I even was handed a grenade launcher during Infantry training.

You attacked me by asking if I was reproducing!

I'm done with this thread, It's like dealing with a bunch of castratee's wanting to keep us safe from ourselves.

Good luck in your nanny state of mind.

What next car drivers must be 25 years of age and wear helmets and fire suits to keep our insurance rates down?

you’re forgetting also that to be perfectly honost, 90% of riders will never come close to finding out what a litre bike is truly capable of. its rare to find someone who will fully utilize even a 600cc bike. especially if they’re only riding on the street.

Believe me, I do not forget that. Many years ago, I had a WERA license, and I know what it's like to fall off a bike at over 100mph on a track.

The best thing about today's bikes is that there's rarely a limit on the bike's capabilities, but instead, the limit is all on the rider. The downside is that most of the riders don't realize that. To put it bluntly, NOBODY should ever try to find their own limits, or the limits of their bike on the street. That's how people die. When you want to see how far over to the edges you can scuff your tires, you do it on a track, where the conditions are much more controlled. There's an old saying: "When riding on the street, you should limit yourself to about 35% of your own, and your bike's ability. So that when there's an emergency, you can expand that to 50% of your and your bikes ability. That was you give yourself plenty of leeway." If you're pushing yourself to 75% of your own ability, then when that emergency time comes, you run out of ability pretty quickly.

I'm a big believer in education: If you haven't already done so, you should try to attend a riding school. Even if it's the only time you ever ride on a track, you'll love that you've done it, and you'll really begin to appreciate how wonderful ridong can be. Plus it WILL make you a better (and safer) street rider. The best known "traveling" schools are Keith Code's California Superbike School, Reg Pridmore's CLASS, and Jason Pridmore's STAR.

Mark