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[Hugh Janis]

I picked my 11 year old daughter up from one of those school parties where they eat pizza, play basketball, dance, and go swimming on a Friday night a few weeks ago on the bike.  They end at a specific time so there is a line of 100 cars going out the parking lot.  I roared by all of the cars and stopped right in front of the door where 200 kids were waiting to catch a view in the night of their parent's car.  Out of the crowd appeared my daughter.  Without saying a word, she opened the TP to get her helmet and climbed on.  We roared away to cheers from all of the middle schoolers still waiting outside.  Her cool factor went WAY up that night.  She has about 4,500 miles as a BSR and I love having her there.

[hossdog]

I always start em out in a wheelbarrow

[ccr]

I don't personally have a story of children on bikes, but I was, and my sister and brothers were even younger than I.  We rode horses, skidoos, and little mini bikes all over the 20 acre home place in Northern Saskatchewan where we grew up some.  In a past HOG chapter, there was the King family.  I think there were six kids.  From diapers all the way up to about nine - this is now at least six years old - they rode with Mom and Dad.  Dad had an ultra with side car, at least three littel ones could fit in there, one behind him, and one behind her and one at home.  They still all ride, although now she has an ultra and a side car too.  Where there is a will ...... there is always a way. 

[JoMo]

Since I got my scoot, my two nieces 7 & 8 years of age have been asking me for a ride.
I must admit that Ive been a little apprehensive about giving them a ride, they being so young.
After reading these post I think that I just might do it, provided there mother says yes !!!!!
                                            Thank you

                                                  Jo Mo

[courter]

All of my kids ride with me and my wife.  The youngest two are 5 and 7 years old and tend to fall asleep on long rides (anything longer than 1/2 hour is a long ride to a little one), so I usually use a belt on the Ultra (not on the RK) to hold them there on longer rides.  Our youngest just had her first long ride this spring and she really had a good time. 

[Sean M Cary]

All of my kids ride with me and my wife.  The youngest two are 5 and 7 years old and tend to fall asleep on long rides (anything longer than 1/2 hour is a long ride to a little one), so I usually use a belt on the Ultra (not on the RK) to hold them there on longer rides.  Our youngest just had her first long ride this spring and she really had a good time. 

What kind of belt?  Them falling asleep is my greatest fear - hell same with the wife.

Sean

[hard10]

I was just thinking about this and it brought back memories of my first ride. It was my tenth birthday and a friend of my parents came over to the house with his son. He then gave me a ride on his Harley to the end of the road (about a mile). I can remember being scared to death.

[ccr]

I was just thinking about this and it brought back memories of my first ride. It was my tenth birthday and a friend of my parents came over to the house with his son. He then gave me a ride on his Harley to the end of the road (about a mile). I can remember being scared to death.

But in that excited way that you feel when you go on the rides at the fair.  Scared, adrenaline rushing, sweaty palms, but forcing yourself into a confident swagger you don't feel.  When the ride is over, you feel like you own the world.

It is great.   

[Keats]

The littlest is my primary rider now!

[Keats]

A piece of work this one is....

[Capo]

I was just thinking about this and it brought back memories of my first ride. It was my tenth birthday and a friend of my parents came over to the house with his son. He then gave me a ride on his Harley to the end of the road (about a mile). I can remember being scared to death.

I was 7 the first tim e I think. My babysitter's husband took me on his brothers hydra glide must have been 1963 or so. Turquoise/Blue with the giant solo seat and the chromw ring-I thounbt I was going to be pulled off by the wind! My son was 3 on the gas tank on a Honda 175 scrambler with the cross bar on the handlebars as the perfect hand hold. He's 31 now and has a custom 1200 and we ride together whenever we can. Now his daughter is 31/2 and is asking all the time to ride. Of course she needs to talk mamma into that. Thanks for the memories!

Ride Safe!

[courter]

What kind of belt?  Them falling asleep is my greatest fear - hell same with the wife.

Sean

Size 38 or 40, depending on the day  -- seriously, whatever I have on, but my belts are usually 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" wide leather.  I just take it off and loop it through the TP rack, up under the armpits of the otherwise unsuspecting lil'en and away we go.  They can't fall over or off, and I have peace of mind.  If I did this all the time I would probably want to get a nylon or cotton army type belt with infinite adjustment, rather than a buckle and holes.

[Twolanerider]

Size 38 or 40, depending on the day  -- seriously, whatever I have on, but my belts are usually 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" wide leather.  I just take it off and loop it through the TP rack, up under the armpits of the otherwise unsuspecting lil'en and away we go.  They can't fall over or off, and I have peace of mind.  If I did this all the time I would probably want to get a nylon or cotton army type belt with infinite adjustment, rather than a buckle and holes.

That's what I've commonly done too.  Just looked with no luck but somewhere here on the site is a discussion from a couple years ago on this topic.  Someone posted a link to a vest/harness rig with straps on d-rings that connected rider to little passenger.

It would not keep the small BSR from going to sleep or teetering one way or the other.  Though it could keep them from teetering too far I suppose.  And would certainly let you know if something was going on.  It's advertised benefit was for the time a bike might be put down.  The passenger comes off with the rider rather than staying with the bike.

Quite frankly was never sold on the concept as I recall.  Should such a thing ever happen the kid is likely to come off the pillion and away from the bike anyway.  If that's so a little one would probably be safer (I know, a very relative term in this case) bouncing along on his or her own rather than getting tied up against me.

Basically there is no perfectly safe way to do this.  Lots of "talks" can help.  Reminders of what's hot and what's not when they're little so it sinks in and stays sunk in (Parker reminds me now).  Do what you can to make the naps that will happen a non-event.  Then just decide if you're really willing to do it or not.  If you are then don't dwell on the potentialities in front of the little one.  If that scares them they won't want to ride again.

[SPIDERMAN]

All of my kids ride with me and my wife.  The youngest two are 5 and 7 years old and tend to fall asleep on long rides (anything longer than 1/2 hour is a long ride to a little one), so I usually use a belt on the Ultra (not on the RK) to hold them there on longer rides.  Our youngest just had her first long ride this spring and she really had a good time. 

When my girls were little, ( 2 & 4 when I had my 84 EG ) I'd put them in front of me. They'd usually hold onto my sleeves. I didn't let them ride behind me till I felt they were old enough to hang on. The passenger grab rails I gave to a site member recently went from bike to bike till the turned teens and wouldn't ride behind Dad anymore. (if you've never had girls, they go through a phase where they won't even give Dad a hug, thankfully as they get older they grow out of it ) I love em to death and am so proud of the young women they've become, but sure do miss those two gorgeous little girls who thought Daddy could do no wrong.

B B

[BIGDOG]

When my girls were little, ( 2 & 4 when I had my 84 EG ) I'd put them in front of me. They'd usually hold onto my sleeves. I didn't let them ride behind me till I felt they were old enough to hang on. The passenger grab rails I gave to a site member recently went from bike to bike till the turned teens and wouldn't ride behind Dad anymore. (if you've never had girls, they go through a phase where they won't even give Dad a hug, thankfully as they get older they grow out of it ) I love em to death and am so proud of the young women they've become, but sure do miss those two gorgeous little girls who thought Daddy could do no wrong.

B B

Amen to that . Guys who are all caught up in I gotta have a son have no idea what they are missing !