MY son Adrian Ghani is licensed to ride a motorcycle of any cubic capacity by the age of 17.
He first learnt to ride a clutch bike at the age of 14, under the mentorship of motor racing legend Oh Kah Beng at MFG (Most Fun Gym).
Adrian's friends, Raja Normaisara Iman, 20, and Raja Annatasia Mikyle, 17, started riding lessons at MFG two years ago and are now licensed to ride on the road as well.
Their mother, Norliza Affandi said: "They were exposed to the big bikes that their father rides, and have always shown an innate interest. Instead of riding pillions, they wanted to handle the machine themselves."
As mothers, both of us are fully aware of the risks involved in allowing our children to handle high-powered motorcycles on the road. Yet, we have allowed and encouraged them to do so.
A motorcyclist is exposed to the elements and to danger at all times. I would be lying if I said there wasn't a moment when I didn't worry about Adrian when he was out on his bike.
As a biker myself, I am well aware of the dangers and risks involved. But I would be naive to think that my son will never ride a motorcycle in his lifetime or to ride it in an unsafe manner.
I have been riding the big bikes for 28 years and had my fair share of mishaps - as did my husband, the late Capt Ghani Ishak who was also an avid biker.
The best I can do for Adrian is to arm him with the right knowledge, awareness and understanding of how to handle the big machines safely.
I also remind him of the importance of wearing well fitted and rated protective riding gear - ATGATT (All The Gear, All The Time).
Norliza said: "My daughters' lack of experience is always a concern. Despite being careful, there are careless road users out there. It takes only one mistake to get into an incident. That is why it is important to make sure my children receive the proper rider's training," aside from what is compulsory to pass your motorcycle license test."
Adrian, Iman and Mikyle attended the two-day "Big Bike 101: Basic Riders Training Course" by Rusydi Razali of BigBoys Adventure, even before they started formal lessons for their motorcycle licence.
"The training gave me more confidence in handling and manoeuvring the bike, how to anticipate dangers and be more defensive than aggressive," said Adrian.
"It's most important that new riders be given the right guidance from the start, not only to learn the right techniques on how to handle their vehicles well and safely, but to control their emotions when on the road," said Rusydi, who is a qualified DRE (Ducati Riding Experience) instructor.
Silas M. Martin, the principal of DYRT Academy and a certified BMW Motorrad International Instructor, said they equipped riders with skills and knowledge to enable a safer and more exciting riding experience.
"We aim to improve rider safety through proper and qualified training and this is beneficial to riders of all experience levels.
"We hone their skills further while working on any weaknesses or bad habits in order to establish better control and a stronger command when riding in traffic," he added.
Kelvin Anthony is another biker who is proud to have his 19-year-old son, Shawn, ride alongside him.
"From the time he was 9 years old, Shawn had shown an interest in two-wheelers. He wasn't allowed to ride any of my bikes, though, and I was never afraid that he may take the bike out for a spin in my absence as he was always disciplined."
As soon as he turned 16, Kelvin started training Shawn on a moped, showing him the skills and techniques he learned over the years.
"Shawn attained his B Full licence on his first attempt. However, I started him on a 100cc bike while gradually working his way up to a 250cc. Now he confidently rides my BMW F800GS.
"While I am proud that we share a great passion, I will always worry about his safety. As such, I have enrolled him for Silas' Dynamic Rider Training to equip him with more skills for the real biking world."
There are pleasures that come from riding a motorcycle that are hard to explain. Being on a bike, you are exposed to the elements, the noise, the smells and, of course, the road. When you travel by bike, you become a part of the landscape and I am glad to be able to share the joys I had riding alongside my late husband with our son now.