Riding with children

[NightNurse]

You could also use a Buddy Belt..or if your kids fall asleep a lot on the back (A lot of them do!) you can go with something like the child riding belt which allows you actually strap the kid to your back. Then you don't have to worry about them falling asleep and falling off. as much.

There's a lot of great tips in this article: http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/street ... with_kids/ and has links to sites with kids gear like http://www.familymotorcycling.com/ and http://www.babybiker.com/.

These look great!

My bf takes our dog on his motorcycle, dog loves it!! He did with his other dog before she died. She used to lay on the tank. Our little dog stays in his button up shirt, and puts his paws on the tank. I would like some kind of harness to put him in though!

[CycleOpsUSA]

This may be an older post, but I felt a need to chime in here having read through this entire thread, and having a 5-1/2YO daughter myself that I take out riding on occassion. Many were wondering what age was OK, but most places don't gto by age, they go by size. If a kid's feet can read the pegs, then it is usually acceptable for them legally. Some states do however have minimum age restrictions.
A few points I have to make regarding child riders:
1) Kids' attention spans suck! They get easily distracted by something, or they get complacent and sometimes simply let go. Not a good thing! This is why a BUDDY BELT IS BAD NEWS for kids. It requires attention on their part, and if they let go, well, you know what happens then...
2) Kids tend to fidget around some, hampering the rider's balance, obviously the more the kid weighs the more this can be a problem. It also causes the rider to take some attention from the road as you simply can't not pay attention to a kid moving around.
3) A small child leaning back on a sisy bar is usually positioned too far back for the rider to 'feel' them, and ultimately what they're doing back there, not a good thing. A kid holding a sissy bar itself and not the rider is simply foolish and irresponsible.

There is a solution, and one that is simpler, and 1/2 the price of the Child Rider Belt.
You can find them available at http://www.CycleOpsUSA.com on the Accessories Page for only $75, a very small price to pay for your kid's safety. It consists of two extra heavy military spec webbed belts, attached together by a smaller 'loop' of similar material. This loop allows a little freedom, yet still allows you total control of the passenger. There is a handle positioned for the small passenger if they choose to use it, or they simply hold on to you, or not even hold on at all, with no fear of you losing the feel of where they are in relation to you, and no matter what kind of defensive maneuver you need to do, they stay right where they belong.

One last note... ever have a kid fall asleep while on a ride? Don't laugh, it happens more than you'd imagine! This belt even aloows a kid to nod off, with no fear of falling. For these kids, simply place it higher up toward their armpits and let 'em nod off!

Here's a few pics of it. I cannot endorse this absolutely must have safety item enough!

[Lion_Lady]

...There is a solution, and one that is simpler, and 1/2 the price of the Child Rider Belt.
You can find them available at www.Cycle___USA.com on the Accessories Page for only $75, a very small price to pay for your kid's safety. It consists of two extra heavy military spec webbed belts, attached together by a smaller 'loop' of similar material. This loop allows a little freedom, yet still allows you total control of the passenger. There is a handle positioned for the small passenger if they choose to use it, or they simply hold on to you, or not even hold on at all, with no fear of you losing the feel of where they are in relation to you, and no matter what kind of defensive maneuver you need to do, they stay right where they belong.

One last note... ever have a kid fall asleep while on a ride? Don't laugh, it happens more than you'd imagine! This belt even aloows a kid to nod off, with no fear of falling. For these kids, simply place it higher up toward their armpits and let 'em nod off!

I'm sorry. But if a child is unable to stay awake on a ride, then they're too young to be on the back. OR you're taking too long of a ride. A belt that ties ANY passenger to the rider just strikes me as a horrible risk. Especially if that passenger is a child.

If the worst should happen, what is the chance that an otherwise uninjured child will be crushed by their parent on impact with the ground (or anything)? Or have their neck or back injured by the greater weight/force of a parent being flung off the motorcycle with them attached by that narrow belt around their waist?

Just makes me shudder to think about. Sorry, but if a child is too young to HOLD ON for themselves, then they are too young to be pillions.

P

[ofblong]

...There is a solution, and one that is simpler, and 1/2 the price of the Child Rider Belt.
You can find them available at www.Cycle___USA.com on the Accessories Page for only $75, a very small price to pay for your kid's safety. It consists of two extra heavy military spec webbed belts, attached together by a smaller 'loop' of similar material. This loop allows a little freedom, yet still allows you total control of the passenger. There is a handle positioned for the small passenger if they choose to use it, or they simply hold on to you, or not even hold on at all, with no fear of you losing the feel of where they are in relation to you, and no matter what kind of defensive maneuver you need to do, they stay right where they belong.

One last note... ever have a kid fall asleep while on a ride? Don't laugh, it happens more than you'd imagine! This belt even aloows a kid to nod off, with no fear of falling. For these kids, simply place it higher up toward their armpits and let 'em nod off!

I'm sorry. But if a child is unable to stay awake on a ride, then they're too young to be on the back. OR you're taking too long of a ride. A belt that ties ANY passenger to the rider just strikes me as a horrible risk. Especially if that passenger is a child.

If the worst should happen, what is the chance that an otherwise uninjured child will be crushed by their parent on impact with the ground (or anything)? Or have their neck or back injured by the greater weight/force of a parent being flung off the motorcycle with them attached by that narrow belt around their waist?

Just makes me shudder to think about. Sorry, but if a child is too young to HOLD ON for themselves, then they are too young to be pillions.

P

not only that but the belt to me is something that doesnt teach them the proper way to ride. In my mind it actually is more likely to make them lazy and not properly learn how to ride. Ever heard the saying cant teach an old dog new tricks. thats what this belt reminds me of.

[Gummiente]

I'm sorry. But if a child is unable to stay awake on a ride, then they're too young to be on the back. OR you're taking too long of a ride. A belt that ties ANY passenger to the rider just strikes me as a horrible risk. Especially if that passenger is a child.

If the worst should happen, what is the chance that an otherwise uninjured child will be crushed by their parent on impact with the ground (or anything)? Or have their neck or back injured by the greater weight/force of a parent being flung off the motorcycle with them attached by that narrow belt around their waist?

Just makes me shudder to think about. Sorry, but if a child is too young to HOLD ON for themselves, then they are too young to be pillions.

P

I'm with you on this one. I got into it with a guy a couple years ago on another forum over the issue of children riding on bikes and the "buddy belt" in particular. He figured that if he ever got into an accident, he'd be able to defeat the forces of gravity and physics, positioning his body between his child and the ground on impact.

Anyone who has watched a crash on the racetrack or any number of bike mishaps on YouTube can easily figure out that the rider has NO CONTROL over his body in the critical first few seconds following an accident. Arms and legs are flailing all over the place, torsos are sliding and spinning and rolling... imagine what a child would look like after bouncing off the front fender of a minivan and then sliding 100m down the road, pinned underneath Daddy. Being a father does not give one superhuman powers, no matter how strong the love for a child may be.

If a child cannot reach the passenger footpegs and cannot hold onto the seat rail (or grab strap or whatever) on their own, they have no business being on the back of a bike, IMO. My own son did not get his first ride until he was 10 years old... and he was in full ATTGATT when he finally did.

[badinfluence63]

25 years ago when my kids were little teeny tiny I would put the youngest on my wifes lap (1yo) as she leaned on the tall sissy bar, the 2 oldest (3yo and 4yo) between me and the handlebars and off we'd go to any number of destinations via the back roads 40 minutes away. Never had a problem, never had an issue and it wasn't luck.

The bike was an FLH and I never went over 15-25mph and always took the back-back roads. Sometimes we went to buckle berry swimming hole sometimes we go to the club house. Hell I'd even strap the vaccum cleaner on the luggage rack and vaccum the club house whilst we were there. If it was me and one of them I would put a regular size bed pillow a little under me and lay the long part on the gas tank and put which ever child in front of me, on my lap between my legs and arms. If they got tired they'd just lay forward and sleep on the pillow.

They all had helmets.

I have 100's of rides like that and I never felt remotely in danger. That was 25 years ago. Today they'd take my kids away and incarcerate me. And I would have to hurt someone. My have times changed.

Now that I am older I am realizing I am a different person with more physical weaknesses then strengths and that you can't beat the cranky over bearing paranoid system, I have a sidecar bike and my 5 yo grandson loves it(he sits in it with grammy).

I don't feel I have what it takes at 50 as I did when I was 25. The sidecar seemed the way to go. So far me, him and my wife have 2 toy runs under our belt. We are going to the Myrtle Beach rally in May 2008.

I have another grandson on the way in May.

[jeremybear]

I dont think children belong on the back of a bike.I have a son but he has been told from young that bikes are for adults only so he does not ask.

[erbgottie]

I dont think children belong on the back of a bike.I have a son but he has been told from young that bikes are for adults only so he does not ask.

+1, but small dirtbikes are different

[ofblong]

I dont think children belong on the back of a bike.I have a son but he has been told from young that bikes are for adults only so he does not ask.

+1, but small dirtbikes are different

yeah cause you like dont have a chance of dieing on a dirtbike like you do on a motorcycle..........

[erbgottie]

I dont think children belong on the back of a bike.I have a son but he has been told from young that bikes are for adults only so he does not ask.

+1, but small dirtbikes are different

yeah cause you like dont have a chance of dieing on a dirtbike like you do on a motorcycle..........

You have a chance of dying doing anything bro , do you really want to go there????