STACYC: THE NEXT GENERATION

By Mark Lapid

My path to motorcycling is much like other riders my age (almost 50), except it took place 8,000 miles away in the Philippines. When I was 12 or 13 I started hanging around kids from my church group who rode various small minis...Honda CT70s and Mini Trail Z50s, Yamaha QT50 Hoppers, and the like.

I typically rode pillion, eventually scraping up enough money to buy a clapped-out QT50. There was plenty of youthful stupidity involved, and a pretty big crash that led to my parents saying enough — and that bike got sold.

Photos by Matt Munsell Photos by Jen Mueke

I returned to riding in my late 20s, starting with a dirt bike and then taking an MSF course. Today I ride with a little more skill and a lot more confidence. Part of that is time and experience, but most of that is having opportunities to ride and push the limits at the right time and place.

My early days of motorcycling weren’t the recipe for success. My parents were indifferent to the sport. “Just don’t die,” they said, until I almost did. But what of the next generation for whom my siblings and I are responsible?

For my daughter, it was tooling around the grounds of the AMA campus and cruising at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days on her Yamaha TTR110.

Nowadays, my nephews and niece are quite a bit younger than my daughter, so I have this whole new opportunity to pass my love for motorcycling to the next generation. Armed with two STACYC 16eDrive Brushless push bikes, I set out to see how my niece and nephews would take to them. Gabriel

Gabriel, the oldest son of my brother Jedd (a 13-year AMA member), is 8 and already really comfortable on a bicycle. He took to the STACYC right away. Just a quick check that he knew to close the throttle on command and he was off — weaving around trees, standing on the pegs and challenging me to races on my mountain bike.

There was one critical moment. Gabriel rode over to his mom for a quick chat. While sitting and fidgeting around he absentmindedly grabbed a handful of throttle. The bike, which was pointed into the garage, took off and tossed Gabriel onto the concrete.

Next came the tears and then the words I feared, “I hate this thing!” A quick kiss and a hug from mom and he was, thankfully, back on the bike. Lesson learned: respect the throttle!

A few days later he was ripping on the bike’s high setting, laughing out loud at the speed and torque. Hearing him laugh when he gave it a big handful reminded me of my first

Bennett

Gabriel’s brother Bennett is 5, and quite timid compared to his older brother.

He can’t ride a pedal bike yet and had, up to that point, refused to practice on his balance bike. Maybe it was seeing his brother riding around, or maybe he wanted to impress his favorite Uncle, but Bennett diligently went through the steps with me. At first using the STACYC like a balance bike and then duck walking with just a little bit of throttle. Within a few days he was putting his feet up on the pegs for longer and longer periods.

About a week later he graduated to the medium setting and spends more time riding than Gabriel. In addition to building his confidence with balance in a way that a bicycle could not, Bennett uses the STACYC on family walks. “It keeps him engaged and he doesn’t get tired after just a mile or two,” my brother reports.

Sage

Sage, the daughter of my older sister, is 7 and already good on a bicycle. But she was reluctant to try the STACYC. For the first few minutes I would stand at the opposite end of

the yard and have her ride towards me. When she twisted the throttle the bike leapt forward and snapped her head back, and you could tell she was scared. She was also frustrated that she hadn’t instantly mastered the machine and set it aside after a few more minutes.

The next day, she and I rode our bicycles around the neighborhood and down a gravel path when I said, “hey Sage, let’s do that exact route but using your STACYC this time.” She reluctantly agreed.

A month later, Sage rides every day. “Riding the STACYC unlocked her enthusiasm for getting physical, going outside and exploring the outdoors,” my sister reports. “It’s also been such a happy thing for us as parents to see Sage develop this confidence and want to be outside, away from screens.”

Just the Beginning…

The STACYC delivered on the vision I had…kids learning how to ride motorcycles in backyards, sidewalks, neighborhood streets and bike paths. Learning throttle control, correct body position and with the low penalty for making a mistake, it’s a great way to introduce the next generation to our sport.

What’s next for the Lapid gang? The first to move on up will be Gabriel and I think he’d do well at the motocross track. He likes going fast; kind of competitive. He will be outgrowing the STACYC pretty soon, though, so I’ve been looking at the KTM SX-E5. If the bug bites hard enough into their adulthood I’m glad there are laws, processes and training in place for becoming a motorcyclist. While I value my introduction to riding, my experience with STACYC has me convinced: For kids today, options like the STACYC are the better way.