Alaska Village tale of woe Teens and Honda's

[Rex in OTZ]

Last fall I bought a decent used Honda Forman (98), ran all right and I was happy................till I let my teen borrow it, next time I went to drive it the 5th gear wouldent stay engaged, kept jumping out, Talked with a village Honda mechanic and the first question was did I drive it or let a teen drive it?
Turns out teens like driveing the Honda Forman like a race car, raceing up roads jambing gears, pulling wheelies and other fine bits of expensive to fix fun.
 This abuse leads to either busted clutch, bent shift forks or busted gears (all require major engine disassembly)
In the last 2 years he had fixed the clutches and transmissions on 14 honda ranchers and formans due to teens ripping on them,
One village father of 3 teen boys had to have his Forman repaired 3 times.
 In the end I had a busted 5th gear.
Ive yet to pull my engine to have it worked on they quoted $500 to fix + freight/shipping in my case.

[Lloyd Smale]

I cant give you much sympathy. If i did id be a hypocrit. I think my father thought he had a steady part time job putting back together snowmobiles and dirt bikes i trashed when i was young. He was a stern man but never once complained about my trashing his toys. he told me later that he kept his mouth shut  because he would have much rather had me beating on his toys then doing drugs or getting in trouble. Only thng he insisted on was that if i did break something id tell him so that he wouldnt find out when he wanted to ride. I was the same way with my kids and believe me I got paid back for all i did!

[Ron 1]

well as for me tearing up stuff i did it real good
i was made to help fix what i broke or i could not use (tear it up) it again
at about 14 years old dad said that i had helped him fix it once already so it was up to me to fix it this time i learned a lot as a reckless kid and i thank him very much for this
as now i am quit handy and i love to fix things.    THANKS TO MY DAD  AND MUCH THANKS IT IS
   RW

[Old Syko]

I think kids are getting a bad rap here.  You see, it ain't just the kids that want to use things to their maximum ability.     The thing is as we get older and gain more experience we learn just exactly what those limits are and how to stay more within those limits.  My 35 year old son is a big time rock racer with a reputation as a throttle jockey.  He has had manufacturers give him parts to test because they know that is the only way to determine their breaking point.  I can do everything he does and never break a thing but that comes from experience.  I guess it's all about growing up and gaining experience, and getting tired of slinging wrenches rather than doing what we enjoy.  We all have to learn.    

[Sourdough]

I can relate.  My wife had a Honda 300 that she had bought new in 1988.  She was the only one that ever rode it, and I maintained it myself.  It looked and drove much like it did when she bought it.  In 2002 Sky turned 13, his buddy Eric turned 14.  Eric's Dad gave him a used Wolverine (I think it was a Kawasaki) so the wife let Sky drive her Honda.  In four months both machines were totally trashed.  Busted shocks,  blown clutches, shifting forks bent, grinding CV Joints, Eric even lost a front axel, no idea where it went.  Teeth missing on gears, and fenders and cowlings gone.

The next summer they rode bicycles.

[charles p]

Got a Honda 300 when my son was about 14.  He rode it home one day with the front rack totally destroyed.  You wouldn't believe how slow he claimed to be going when he colided with a "very small" tree.

On another occasion, he was racing another kid in a pasture and went over a hump causing the ATV to pictch pole end over end.  Fortunately he was thrown clear.  Knocked the breath out of him and he was sore for a week.  No helmut either.  He told me this story about 15 years later.

His last accident that I know of occurred one day when he was running full speed down our snow covered street.  One side was in the ice and the other side was on pavement.  The Honda flipped throwing his passenger into the cement curbing.  Bent the handle bars but we were able to straighten them ourselves.  No helmut that time either.

I still have the Honda and it runs like a dream.  Why he never destroyed it I'll never know - but I do know he gave it a good try.

Come to think of it, my daughter threw a friend out of our golf cart and ran over his ankle, breaking it.  Darn kids!

[Old Syko]

Come to think of it, my daughter threw a friend out of our golf cart and ran over his ankle, breaking it.  Darn kids!

A buddy of my son did this also and they were almost 30 years old at the time and stone sober.  Like I said earlier, it ain't always the kids.

[hillbill]

kids are dumb!a year or so ago i was walkin back to where my normally resonsible and safe 15 yr old son was sighting in his 06.he was chekkin targets with my 350 polaris.he put it in reverse and at about 30 mph cut the wheels.threw him off and rolled over him.i was scared to death, ran down to him and got him up. seemed fine but then kept askin what happened over and over agin. took him to the doc, concussion!he is fine but the polaris is gone. it was a very pwerfull machine and i just didnt need it.when i was at the hospital i stood ther listening to the docs wondering if they shud call the cops on me.i had never let him drive anything without a helmet but i walk away for 5 min and he leaves it on the shooting table.kids are dumb, thats all ther is too it

[Justin10mm]

.kids are dumb, thats all ther is too it

You won't hear me arguing.

[Ron 1]

just go ahead and pick on the kids  some of us or them do some what grow up
i was already sapostto  have dont that           we as elders have to teach our kids to fix what they break or tear up...   how else dose a child learn? if they are not tought the broken cycle will continue ...
             rw

[Empty Quiver]

We try to educate our children with the wisdom we have earned over the years. " A lesson bought is a lesson taught " A gal told me that when I was about 17 and danged if it isn't true. You just can't explain pain or expense it is something that must be experienced to appreciate.

The wife  questions some of my parental decisions and what outrages me vs. what gets a shrug. Occasionally I'll admit to having done the same darned thing, and that I understand what leads up to such decisions. The wheels will break clean off of a IH Scout. If caught at precisely the right time one person can balance said Scout on two wheels. Dirt bikes do not float, as a matter of fact they get at least nine times heavier under water. Properly ballasted a trash dumpster is a fair boat, for a while. Canoes are not whitewater kayaks, they won't tolerate being bent around a tree either (broken clean in half) I got religion on fast water that day.

 Enough reminiscing I need to get an Aleve.

[markc]

"Next summer they rode bicycles." Sourdough that cracked me up  I bet they learned a lesson.