Mini-Me Pillions

[DieMonkeys]

Exactly!

I don't remember where I saw them but I've seen them before (probably at Bob's BMW). My dad never had them, but I thought they were pretty cool.

[bok]

four seems really young to me, but i don't have kids so who knows maybe they are smarter than my friends and i were at four.

I'd suggest 6or7 is "okay" but i'd say 9or10 would be around the right age.

ultimately as a parent you have to decide whether you are a good enough rider to let your child ride with you and make sure your child is geared up really well just in case.

[CYLax]

My Dad would take me riding when I was as young as 4. I think he had both of my sisters on the back of his bike by age 5 at least.

Me personally...I don't like to carry passengers. When I do, I prefer they be a little bit older and understand what's going on (i.e. hold on, lean with, stay forward, etc). If I had a different bike I might change my tune a bit.

[Loonette]

I face this question for myself all the time. I want to have the kids on the bikes, but wanting something more for myself is not such a good idea. They aren't begging for rides, so I'm not pushing it yet. And I don't want either child on the back of my husband's bike unless he has a back rest installed. Then there's the issue of gear... I would insist on good road gear, and that won't come cheap (and then they outgrow it).

So we're still on the fence with taking the kids for now. If they begin to show a stronger interest, then we might pursue it more aggressively. If you believe that your little one is ready to hang on for a ride, maybe just start real small - going around the neighborhood a bit, going over the rights and wrongs of being a passenger (keeping in mind that their memory banks take up until about the age of 7 to be totally solid - might have to repeat certain safety instructions before each ride). But you know him best - might turn out to be the best activity that the two of you share. Keep us posted!

Cheers,
Loonette

[spinner]

Much of my early childhood is hard to remember, but my dad had a kawasaki dirt bike when we lived in Colorado and he took me for a ride one day (I was maybe 5 or 6). He hit some gravel, while we were going straight (which must've been alot of gravel to go down like that on a straightaway... or maybe I was too young to remember.) and lowsided into a ditch on the side of the rode. We weren't going fast so we just suffered from scrapes and bruises. Neither of us wore helmets. I am guessing when my mom found out about it she really gave it to him because my dad sold his bikes and never rode again.

[DieMonkeys]

Loonette, my dad would take my brother and I out all the time where we were around 6-7 years old. He used to be an MSF instructor, so he'd make us wear a helmet (which if I recall correctly didn't exactly fit) and all our snow gear (lots of big poofy crap mom's make you wear) when we went out. Though we never really went very far, mostly around town, to the video store or something like that. I don't remember too much except holding on for dear life when he accelerated.

[dr_bar]

Well I was a strapping five year old before I was ever on a bike, there was room in front of the rider for me to grab onto the tank. If there was a back seat to that harley, that's probably where I would have been.

My God Father was a professional rider, (Courier rider/instructor during WWII, a racer of Indians, and a stunt rider as well.) and he was ever so careful with me on the bike. In later years I rode pillion when the bikes had it, and that continued on, especially with the Electra Glide, (which I believe was launched in '65) until I was a young teen. Lots of fun for a kid...

I say, if he's old enough to understand that he has to hang on and can hang on tight, if you only travel at low speeds locally, then sure, go for it. And by the way, those handle grips look like a sweet idea...

[VermilionX]

fetal stage.

[Bachstrad37]

I was born in Nam. My family didn't have a car. We had scooters and Honda CBs. I was placed in front while sitting on the gas tank. My Dad was next and then my Mom rode in the rear. My Mom told me we rode as passengers as early as we could run. Not sure what age that is (3?).

Anyways, it wasn't a choice for us. That's how our family commuted. I do recall one time riding on the handle bars of my brother's bike and was curious what the spinning wheel would feel like on my bare feet. Being a dumb arse kid, I wanted to find out so I reached down and shoooosh, ARGHHHHHH!!!! My foot got caught in between the fork and tire. It wedged so hard that it flipped both my brother and I over and we endo-ed over the handle bars.

My curiosity caused me a ton of pain! I was hobbling for like 6 months. Curiosity really did me in.

My vote? 8+.

[DieMonkeys]

I was born in Nam. My family didn't have a car. We had scooters and Honda CBs. I was placed in front while sitting on the gas tank. My Dad was next and then my Mom rode in the rear. My Mom told me we rode as passengers as early as we could run. Not sure what age that is (3?).

Anyways, it wasn't a choice for us. That's how our family commuted. I do recall one time riding on the handle bars of my brother's bike and was curious what the spinning wheel would feel like on my bare feet. Being a dumb arse kid, I wanted to find out so I reached down and shoooosh, ARGHHHHHH!!!! My foot got caught in between the fork and tire. It wedged so hard that it flipped both my brother and I over and we endo-ed over the handle bars.

My curiosity caused me a ton of pain! I was hobbling for like 6 months. Curiosity really did me in.

My vote? 8+.

A guy I work with hit a truck on his bicycle and his little toe went into the spokes and shot out the other side. It's very freaky looking and he did it when he was around 8 years old. Or so he says.