Kids on Motorcycles: What Age & What Circumstances

[OMGSelenaGomez]

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Personally, I won't even ride with a fully grown passenger but that's me.

If you're taking your kid as a passenger, just having them reach the pegs isn't enough. They should be coherent and obedient in following instruction (ie "hold on").

Your telling me if the girl in your av. came to you and said it would be her dream come true for you to take her for a ride, you'd turn her down?

I'd even turn down Megan Nicole or Selena Gomez. Riding with passengers, even if they're as hot as Megan Nicole wouldn't be enjoyable.

 

[mksliao]

Good discussion, i thought about having my 8 yr old on the bike too but just wasnt' sure if he could legally sit. I will probably only be droppping and picking him up from school, no longer than about 7 min. ride. I guess i will start with getting him and myself comfortable around the neighbourhood before going on the main streets plus there are so many idiots early in the morning rush hour.

 

[mksliao]

Any tips from all u riders with kids, pls post.

 

[Griffin]

I do hope that thing is a joke. Although I have seen pics of kids strapped onto the back of a bike. What an insanely stupid idea! There's a reason they don't put seat belts on motorcycles. When you fall you do not want to be strapped to a 200 kg projectile.

Actually I gonna have to disagree with you. I think kids are the absolute best at falling. Most kids that take a fall generally get up and continue going about their business after a few minutes of making a poopy face...hell I remember my sister pushing me down a flight of stairs on my tricycle and I just got up to chase her down to exact my revenge....mean while you have adults that slip one step and break everything. Proper gear and a childs understanding are important. Only you know the mental capacity of your child and whether they are capable of being on the back of a motorcycle.

Falling off a bicycle at 10 - 20 kph and falling off a motorcycle at 80 kph are very different things. Does your child realize that if they are sliding they should be getting as much of their protected skin onto the ground as they can to slow themselves down? Do they know not to try to get up until they stop slidin? Do they realize that if they start to tumble they must pull their arms tight to their body to reduce the risk of fractures and dislocation (or at higher speeds dismemberment)? Do they know that if they are sliding towards an object they should be moving their body so that their feet will hit first, if at all possible? Do they realize that if they go airborne they are in for a world of hurt and pretty serious damage? Mine didn't until I trained them and they could understand - which was around age 10.

And if the answer to any of those questions above is "no" then why are you taking an unprepared person that doesn't know the risks onto your bike?

I think most people taking kids on their bikes are doing so with the presumtion they WILL NOT crash. I thnk that's unwise.

 

[Major]

An interesting article. Nicely re-iterates many of the comments here.
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/howto/street_savvy/122_1204_riding_two_up_with_a_child/

A link to a child harness. I'm still on the fence about this one. I don't know if tying the child to you is safer if involved in a crash where both rider and passenger come off the bike.

http://hatchventures.com/Safe-Grip-Jr.html

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