Riding with kids

[zip]

Loved all these stories and tips. I'm looking forward to Spring. I've told my my tall 5yo daughter that she and Daddy are going to get out on Saturday mornings together to breakfast, and maybe try tennis, and that we'll take the motorcycle. Bought the kids a street bike helmet for Christmas, so she's excited. All this, I said, will happen once there are leaves on the trees, so she's watching the buds growing.

She will easily reach the pegs, she follows directions well, and I will have the top case on when we ride. May even buy or build something like a buddy belt as shown by others.

 

[RollOn1]

I began riding with my dad in the neighborhood and on short rides around town when I was about 5-6 years old. This led to longer and longer rides with him as I got older. Riding early gave me a few advantages as an adult rider. First is that my dad was a safe rider and quite skilled. I learned very early there was plenty of challenge and excitement in riding without having to create any on your own. Second would be the balance I learned. This came not only through cornering but also in slow speed maneuvers as well. He challenged me to see how still I could stay when we were coming to a stop and he would try to keep us up without touching the ground while waiting for the lights to turn green. Finally the time we spent together the two of us was the most important. It created an environment for him to share more than just motorcycle lessons with me.

It has been about 18 years since my dad and I have had a chance to ride motorcycles together. My purchase weeks ago and him having access to a friends motorcycle will give us a chance to ride this summer. Something I am very much looking forward to.

Thanks for bringing this thread, hadn't really thought about it like this before. Of course what I normally think about is what a great time we had that lead to the itch I get every spring when bikes start to hit the street!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dr. Rich]

He stated to ride on the back of my bike when he was about 7. At the age of 8 we went down and bought matching bikes. The picture was taken at Pismo Beach in 1989 where he learned to ride on the hard packed sand. We took our time and over the years spent many weekends riding off road and exploring the canyons of Central California.

This is him two years ago. He now has his professional license and tries to race every weekend possible. He is at Willow Springs today.

My advice is to start slow and be patient. If you scare a youngster they will fear the entire activity. I was lucky that my wife supported me and the kids. Everyone in our family rides their own bike.

 

[Scoobyvroom]

I don't have kids....

However I have ridden in group rides with a guy that had this: Linky

Works really well he has been riding with his daughter using the above set up since she was 5.

Thats all I know....

 

[EXPDSGT]

He stated to ride on the back of my bike when he was about 7. At the age of 8 we went down and bought matching bikes. The picture was taken at Pismo Beach in 1989 where he learned to ride on the hard packed sand. We took our time and over the years spent many weekends riding off road and exploring the canyons of Central California.

This is him two years ago. He now has his professional license and tries to race every weekend possible. He is at Willow Springs today.

My advice is to start slow and be patient. If you scare a youngster they will fear the entire activity. I was lucky that my wife supported me and the kids. Everyone in our family rides their own bike.

That is great that he has come that far --how did he do at Willow Springs?

 

[HotRodZilla]

Well I guess my official answer is now 6. My 6 year old has been going on, non-stop for the last couple of months about going on a ride. She gets little rides up the street or around the block, but nothing over about 15mph and never onto a main road. I told her she could go on a ride when she could touch the pegs. Every now and then, I catch her in the garage doing every type of stretch she can from the seat trying to make her feet touch.

On Sunday, she had been home for probably 3 days straight because she had this awful cough. She was going stir-crazy and went out and measured herself. I heard a scream and found her on top of my bike with both feet touching the passenger pegs. I geared her up and we went for a ride. She had a blast...I think she's hooked.

 

[Cdogman]

Ehh ATGATT

and hang on,, Then ride reasonably...

Three pairs of pants! and two shirts under that jacket

Then off we went for a 4 hours ride. She LOVED it!! a true convert!!

and i got my reward.... She loves hangin out with pops!! (not because I bribed her with hot Chocolate either!!)

Kids will remember those times..

Just be careful!

 

[Scoobyvroom]

I don't have kids....However I have ridden in group rides with a guy that had this: Linky

Works really well he has been riding with his daughter using the above set up since she was 5.

Thats all I know....

I was checking out that website, and they don't do a very good job explaining that thing. Its a harness that attaches to the child. You set them on the bike, then get on then attach the waist belt. The thing has a foam block between the Rider and Child. This foam block has a handle bar going through it for them to hang on to. With the foam block in there it seperates them a bit to stop their head from hitting your back. It's a pretty nifty deal.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Well I guess my official answer is now 6. My 6 year old has been going on, non-stop for the last couple of months about going on a ride. She gets little rides up the street or around the block, but nothing over about 15mph and never onto a main road. I told her she could go on a ride when she could touch the pegs. Every now and then, I catch her in the garage doing every type of stretch she can from the seat trying to make her feet touch.
On Sunday, she had been home for probably 3 days straight because she had this awful cough. She was going stir-crazy and went out and measured herself. I heard a scream and found her on top of my bike with both feet touching the passenger pegs. I geared her up and we went for a ride. She had a blast...I think she's hooked.

That's great...you gotta like that enthusiasm. :clapping:

 

[FJRay]

When I lived in Wa. it was legal for kids to ride on the back at 5 years old. There was nobody cooler at school than my daughter when she got delivered on the bike.

Once she got hooked at an early age it forced my wife to learn how to ride because they both couldn't ride at the same time. They have both turned into quality riders and now I don't carry passengers.

 

[PapaUtah]

My youngest has been riding with me since he was 4. He was also riding his PW50 at 4. Depends on the kid.

 

[HotRodZilla]

Hey Cdog...That picture made me laugh out loud. I can picture my daughter looking at me just like that thinking, "Why are you taking my picture now d-a-d?" I always wanted a boy, but I really love my 3 girls.

 

[Meltdown]

My son got his 1st ride with me at the ripe old age of 4 on my Kawasaki ZZR600. I work retail and when I had a weekday off, I'd take him to school on it, 5 miles away.

He's now 11 and probably has 10k miles under his belt as a passenger.

Of course, it all depends on the child. My daughter is 8 and just recently sat on my bike for the 1st time. She simply isn't interested. My ex-wife (their mother) never rode with me either but to her credit, never complained even once about my son's rides even though she expressed to me that she wasn't comfortable with it. My new wife has ridden with me exactly 3 times but her step-father was killed on a motorcycle so she's gun-shy and I offer, but never pressure. She has 2 wonderful kids from her previous marriage and her daughter (11) has ridden once and liked it, her son (7) has stated flatly he does not want a ride.

My son has the passion but more than that, he repeats the phrase I've said to him 1000 times whenever he sees someone else acting stupidly on a motorcycle. "Dad...they don't respect the bike. You HAVE TO respect the bike."

Of course, as a parent even though I ride I'd like to see him in a nice, safe cage....but I'm content with the fact that once he gets his own street bike, he has the proper foundation and respect for the bike he needs to limit his risk.

 

[MsLilly]

I love that picture of your daughter on the bike! My daughter wanted to ride all the time with my husband and I. I have pictures of her sitting on her Dad's RC30 trying to reach the handlebars and have her feet on the pegs. It was her goal to ride that bike herself. Unfortunately, he sold the bike before she was old enough (and big enough) to actually ride that bike. We did get her riding with her Dad on our other bikes as soon as she could reach the pegs. I even took her to school a few times on my bike. She did get a few looks from the other students. She loved the fact that her "MOM" was a rider too! Now my daughter rides and I enjoy those moments when we ride together!

 

[RadioHowie]

If they don't fit n the sidebag, they don't come along.

 

[Checkswrecks]

A riding buddy takes his daughter and the little pink jacket with the blonde hair coming out from under the helmet looks almost identical. What he's found is that their intercom is the most fantastic father-daughter bonding device ever made by mankind. He said that they have long conversations that they both absolutely cherish.

 

[FJRGuy]

My daughter was 8, and a tall 8 at that, when I took her out for the first time last year. Her mother an grandparents were furious with me. I don`t know if I`d have thought about taking her out sooner even if her mother was OK with it. My daughter has a quad and has ridden dirt bikes but the streets are, IMO, pose too many risks to have done it sooner.

...What he's found is that their intercom is the most fantastic father-daughter bonding device ever made by mankind. ...

+1 ... and it`s an awfully good safety device too!

-1,000,000 on any type of harness system. I think it should be illegal to harness people together on a motorcycle. Sure it holds them on while riding but it`s the unintended get-off where it will cause the harm. And if you argue that this is highly unlikely to happen, would you wear your helmet?

 

[Old Bear]

For what it's worth, this month's AMA magazine noted that in Missouri they have just passed a law prohibiting anyone under 10 from riding on a motorcycle.....Ya may wanna check and verify that it's LEGAL where you live...

 

[mcatrophy]

QUOTE (zip @ Aug 20 2008, 07:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

... Are you aware of age minimums for motorcycle passengers?...

All of a sudden, I now take a great interest in this topic.

My daughter



(Click on image for larger view)

has just turned me into a grandfather.

Anyone know where I can get a VERY small safety helmet?

(Picture taken August 2005 of daughter, then aged 31, just before her one and only ride with me. After the 100 or so miles, said "it was boring". Oh, well ...)

 

[pehler]

My daughter started riding at age 6 on a PW50 and started riding on the back of my VFR at age 8. She has a good head on her shoulders and is calm and listens well. She is now 11 and I bought the FJR for our trip to Texas this summer. We have a V46 Givi with backrest that we are going to move from the VFR to the FJR when the parts get here (ordered from twisted throttle and expected next week). It has been great for us, lots of fantastic trips together (drop her off at school every fine day on the bike).

Cheers, safe travels.