Just curious:  Am I the only one here who has to hide the GS (and all of my gear) whenever family comes in to town to visit?  No one in my family knows that I ride.  I raised the topic with my sister months ago (when I was thinking about getting my license) and she did NOT seem happy.    My father is in bad health, and would not approve, either. 


For the record, I'm 27, single, and pay my own bills.

I figure that they'll find out sooner or later, but I'd rather have it be later- like when I'm 35... 

Am I completely nuts, or is/was this act of "hiding my riding" fairly common among younger riders?

It's not unheard of to hide your riding from family. It rarely lasts long though.
I wasn't hiding it from my family, I just didn't go out of my way to tell them.
It took them about 7 months to notice. I guess it all depends on how close your family is.

I was planning on keeping riding from my dad because I know he doesn't like it.  I managed to hide it for maybe 12 hours, until he came to visit the day after I got it and went into the house through the garage 

I'm 29 and told my mom about a week after I bought the bike.   I could have kept it from her since she lives out of state.    I kind of wish I wouldnt have told her she started crying on the phone when I told her.   She is convinced she will be coming to my funeral.     I dont think you should have to go to the extreme of hiding your bike etc.   Your grown, they will just have to accept it.

I didn't want to tell them, but my dad happened to call me when I was on my way to check out a bike for sale, and he asked me where I was going, and I wasn't going to lie.  I thought they would freak, but they didn't.  They weren't thrilled, but they didn't give me too much flak once I told them I'd already taken a riding course and had been researching them for over a year.  I wound up buying that bike too, and my dad went to help me load it.   

Nope... I told my parents long before I got my license that I was going to buy a motorcycle; and ever since I got my bike my dad keeps bugging me to ride it up to their place so that he can take it out for a ride (I think he misses having his motorcycle... except for the time he was riding past a golf course and got a ball in the eye - but that's another story).  My mom always rode with my dad when they were younger, so she's cool with it too. 

As bsj177 said "Your grown, they will just have to accept it." I didn't tell anyone, other than my wife of course and her parents as I went to their house for lunch later after picking it up. But they found out pretty quickly anyhow, mom wasn't very excited/happy about it at all, Dad just asked how big it was, 400cc. He says, well that ought to be powerful enough for you. That was about it. Every now and again one of the family will bring up the fact that they knew someone who got hurt/killed/etc and won't touch a bike anymore. Of course when I ask well, were they wearing any gear, what happened, and the answer is uhhhh I don't know, probably a helmet......
Tony

yeah, i'm in a delicate situation in that respect. i haven't told my parents yet that i ride a motorcycle, but they live on the opposite coast and haven't visited. i'm about to get married in a couple of weeks, and my fiancee told her parents that we have a bike. and i told my friends that i have a bike. so i'm sure that if i don't tell them they'll find out. i probably should tell them now to give them a bit of time to digest it before the big event, but they are paying for quite a bit of the wedding ...

if i had to do it again, i'd do what admiral crunch did, only even more so. tell your parents the minute you start thinking about it. then continue to talk them through the entire process so you know you're getting gear and taking the msf class etc. i think it's a lot harder to explain after the fact!

I asked my parents over the phone not long ago (I'm 21). My mom didn't say anything, my dad said "why didn't you ask earlier?"

I guess I'm lucky.

My parents were actually the ones who pushed me to get a motorcycle in the first place...So I guess in that case I would have to borrow someone's bike and gear so they thought I followed through with it (that is...if I didn't already have a bike and whatnot)

Dad owned a few bikes in the Philippines. He was supportive. My mom, a nurse, was not thrilled... but she knows I'm responsible etc. She was more concerned about be spending money and potentially making another project. She has seen me with my car and others and knows stuff like that can consume all of my attention for days at a time. Perhaps she was anxious I would lose a degree of focus on school.

BTW- They knew I was looking for years now. Even before I bought my car I was looking at bikes.

I'm 27 and married, btu I stay in contact with my immediate family fairly often. My brother and sister weren't very thrilled at the thought of me getting a bike, but my mother wasn't all that against it ... surprisingly! I guess since my step-father has a Honda Shadow and a Harley, she's kind-of used to them.

I've found that everyone was much more willing to accept the idea once I showed them everything I wear and explained the courses that I've taken. They seem a little more excepting of the idea knowing that I'm not out to race around in shorts, flip-flops, and my ball cap turned backwards.

My wife on the other hand is still trying to get used to the idea .... 

As for me ... I'd tell 'em. 

I was tempted not to tell my old man that I was sitting my test but i gave in and did. I figer honisty is the best policy! 

everyone in my family rides . mom,aunts, grandparents meeeeee

yo i stated to ride my dads bike when i was 18, he really didnt notice until one day he realiced that his bike was low on gas and he got a lil suspicius. so i told him.. well some time later he signed me up for the msf sold my car, bought my gs and havent look since that.

The only reason I was able to get a bike was because my dad has one, and my mother rides with him.

My dad has a Harley and has been riding on and off for the last 30 or so years.  When he got his current bike about 15 years ago, he didn't tell his parents.  They found out when my little brother mumbled something about it (he was about 3 or 4 at the time) and they went nuts, even though he was in his mid 30s. 

When I decided to get a bike a couple years ago, my dad was supportive to an extent, but everyone else was quick to remind me about the time my dad took a spill on his bike a week before he married my mother (and was only wearing shorts, boots and a helmet...not too bright).  I take that opportunity to remind them that I'm not my father, and will be wearing all the protective gear I can and will be on constant alert as to what drivers are doing around me. 

After I finally picked up my bike, but couldn't even ride it yet, I debated telling my grandparents, but ended up doing the honest thing and telling them up front.  It turned out a lot better than I thought it would, and I'm really glad that everyone knows about it.  They're as supportive as I could expect them to be (some more that I expected) and it really helps me, knowing that they'll be there for me if something happens.

Good luck in whichever route you wanna take.

My family knew long before i got my bike.  Mom wasn't thrilled but accepted it, Sister was about ready to break my legs, and this is the conversation that me and my dad had.

Dad: Where you goin?
Me: To get my learners permit.
Dad: You already have a license.
Me: No, a motorcycle learners permit.
Dad: Well, what are you doin that for?
Me: So i don't get a ticket for riding without a licence.
Dad: Your gunna ride that ugly ass dirtbike on the road?
Me: No, I'm going to get a street bike.
Dad: You already have a bike.
Me: Not a street bike.
Dad: I don't know if that's a good idea.
Me: Dad, how long have you known me... If the idea is in my head do you think its gunna go away?
Dad: :pause: :chuckle: Wanna go look at bikes this weekend?

Now everyone in my family loves my bike, including my extended family.  I'm kinda suprised by the fact that out of my 50 or so extended family none of them have motorcycles... which is probably why they call me the harley man 

There's a reason honesty is touted as the best route.

I've been honest about my intentions to buy a motorcycle from the start.  I didn't tell them about the RD200 I bought when I got to college, but that was a terrible impulse buy which I'll be fessing up to in several weeks.  Dad's been privvy to my hunt for a street bike, helped me take the GS home, bought it a new battery and a service manual.  Last week he mentioned something about wanting to take it around the block.

Not everybodies parents are as nice about it, but then again, I feel very lucky for having awesome parents.  Never get rash or angry when discussing it.  Always stay calm, take the high road at every opportunity and know your shaZam! about safety gear, and if they aren't down with it... shame, that.

Hello. My name is David, and I'm an alco... errr... I also hide my bike from my family.

It's been pretty easy for me to do since I'm at college, away from home. My mom is STRICTLY against me riding a motorcycle. But since stubborness ran in my family, I secretly bought a gs500. Now I have no idea how I'm going to break the news to her when I have to go back home during the summer.

I kid you not, my mom will DIE if she found out I got a bike. Only after she kills me first