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Kids as passenger

19K views 38 replies 28 participants last post by  Grunt 
#1 ·
Hello,

I have made a search in this forum but didn't find anything, so I am going to ask my question.

I wanted to know if those of you who have kids, dare taking them as passengers for more or less long trips. I wonder if you are travelling with your kids, from what age, what kind of trips (school trips, short travels like 100 miles, long travels like over 400 miles) and most importantly what accessories you have installed if any on your bikes (and what bike btw) to do so.

Any feedback or experience is interesting to me. If you did it and decided for instance to never do it again, I am interested in reading why. If you have done it for long without any trouble it is good to know.

On my side, I have 2 kids: one is 12 and the other is 5.
I have not purchased my Harley yet but I am working hard on it! :) Hopefully it won't be long now.

Thanks.
 
#2 ·
I take my kids for short rides on the back roads. They like to ride, but get bored after 20 -30 min.
They have their own helmets and gloves, always wear long pants with full shoes. The oldest (11) has her own Harley jacket she wears, and the middle one (8) wears a jacket fitting the weather.
Check the laws in your state, some states requires a passenger to be a certain age.
 
#3 ·
I don't have kids...
However, when i was 11 my dad took me for a couple short rides. It was my uncles 1997 Fatboy (the same one I bought from him years later, and still own and ride) and we only went around the block a couple times. I kept bugging him that I wanted to go for a ride, so he took me. Completely stock setup, going slow as hell. I could tell he was afraid I would fall off.
I've ridden with little cousins on my bike, again just for short rides. My rule of thumb for children riding with me is....if they are big enough to reach the passenger pegs and wrap their arms around me they can go.
 
#4 ·
I used to take my kids for rides before they could walk. Hold them on the tank between my legs. Some folks (including myself) question the wisdom in that.

The big concern with kids is falling asleep. If they're old enough to stay awake for the trip, there should be no problem. But if they fall asleep in the car on trips, it's probably not a good idea to be putting them on the bike just yet.
 
#5 ·
My little girl (4 at the time) used to love to sit on my lap while cutting grass on a lawn tractor. Noisy and uncomfortable but she will usually fall asleep in 20 mins or so and I had to hold her real tight when I noticed it. I bet my daughter WILL fall asleep on the back of my bike if I take her on a long ride. I'd take her for a short ride around town to get a ice cream or something but not a long rides.

She is now 13 and keeps begging me to pick her up after school on my bike. Such a show off like her dad... 8) 8)
 
#8 ·
I wanted to know if those of you who have kids, dare taking them as passengers for more or less long trips. I wonder if you are travelling with your kids, from what age, what kind of trips (school trips, short travels like 100 miles, long travels like over 400 miles) and most importantly what accessories you have installed if any on your bikes (and what bike btw) to do so.

The law in my state, is that in order for any child to ride on a motorcycle as a passenger, their feet must touch the pasenger pegs, while seated correctly on the passenger seat. I have to agree with this 100%. Kids aren't strong enough to hold themselves on with their legs like adults, and upper body strength and hand grip is limited.

I also advocate a sissy bar to keep them in place. I add a small pillow to my sissy bar, to keep my 6 year old closer to me, and not be able to "wander" around too much. One wrap of tape holds it in place, and it's easily removed.

Good fitting helmet and proper clothing, including boots is a must. An adult can brace for impact, but a kid is a living ragdoll that will just tumble down the road, if something bad happens. You're always taking a risk going out on a motorcycle, and it's even more of a risk taking a child with you. That's just the cruel facts.

We did have a thread, where one member had a "harness" that had velcro that kept his daughter tied to him, safely. It was a neat idea.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I wanted to know if those of you who have kids, dare taking them as passengers for more or less long trips. I wonder if you are travelling with your kids, from what age, what kind of trips (school trips, short travels like 100 miles, long travels like over 400 miles) and most importantly what accessories you have installed if any on your bikes (and what bike btw) to do so.

The law in my state, is that in order for any child to ride on a motorcycle as a passenger, their feet must touch the pasenger pegs, while seated correctly on the passenger seat. I have to agree with this 100%. Kids aren't strong enough to hold themselves on with their legs like adults, and upper body strength and hand grip is limited.

I also advocate a sissy bar to keep them in place. I add a small pillow to my sissy bar, to keep my 6 year old closer to me, and not be able to "wander" around too much. One wrap of tape holds it in place, and it's easily removed.

Good fitting helmet and proper clothing, including boots is a must. An adult can brace for impact, but a kid is a living ragdoll that will just tumble down the road, if something bad happens. You're always taking a risk going out on a motorcycle, and it's even more of a risk taking a child with you. That's just the cruel facts.

Texrod has a "harness" that has velcro that kept his daughter tied to him, safely. It was a neat idea.

The thread is here: http://www.harley-davidsonforums.com/forums/off-topic/10347-riding-kids.html

 
#11 ·
I have a 12 year old son that thinks the Road king is his. Can't hardly pull out of the garage without him on the back. We take long and short trips together. Mom follows us in the car on long trips. The rules are that the little guy must always wear his helmet(full face) gloves, boots, leather chaps and jacket if he wants to ride. I think I have about talked Mom into getting her own bike.:)
 
#14 ·
FYI: The farthest I've taken my daughter on the bike has been through our development, and once down into town, totalling about 3-4 miles at the most. Not comfortable with her on the bike beyond that, or in traffic.
 
#15 ·
Granddaughters 5 & 8 Sunday afternoon 1 rides to Ice Cream and 1 rides back. Their dad (my oldest) rides beside on his ninja compoop style Duattia.

The ride is a bigger treat than the ice cream. The 5 year old can only tippy toe the floor boards I guess I can duct tape a block of wood on them (the floor boards) this year if I want her feet touching.
 
#16 ·
I took my children when I rode Hondas and Kawasakis. That was 30 years ago. Now that I have a Harley Ultra, I take my grandkids, the longest ride for one of them being probably 150 miles. I've found that as long as they have the intercom in the helmet and can talk with papaw all the way, they're good and they love it. They are constantly asking me when the weather will let us ride. Minimum legal age here in Arkansas is 8 yrs. I don't think the kids would fall off the Ultra if they went to sleep, what with the arm rests and my back rest. Just my experience...
 
#17 ·
My daughter is 5 and rides all the time. Not only with me, but also with my father in law. She went on her first long trip this summerwith my father in law. We both have ultra classics so there is really no where for her top go when she is on our bikes. She puts her feet on the crash bars for the saddle bags and rides forever. She rode from where we live to copper harbor michigan and thats about 200 miles. She loved. I would say its what you think you and your kids can handle. I am not sure if there is a certain law here for kids riding, but I wouldnt make her stay home if she wants to go.
 
#20 ·
I would say its what you think you and your kids can handle. I am not sure if there is a certain law here for kids riding, but I wouldnt make her stay home if she wants to go.
Thanks for your feedback, you and all the others.

I think I get the picture now and obviously it will depend quite a lot on the bike I eventually get. I see that you all agree on being tall enough to be able to rest the feet on the bike properly. So, it is all clear on these points now.

I have checked on my side about the law and it seems that there is nothing stopping me to take any child of any age on the bike, but before 5, the security must be such that the child cannot fall. So, obviously, it would be easier on a touring than on a ...say Sportster for the sake of the argument.

You might be surprised that I ask questions about all that without having a bike myself yet. The idea is that a Harley is quite an investment and my rule is that nothing can replace experience. So, rather than fooling myself into something unrealistic, I prefer to ask and build a reasonable picture of the situation.

So, thanks for your time and information. It helps me quite a lot.
 
#19 ·
Agree with what most have stated .. Had 4 Children, 2 really loved riding 1 was okay now and then but not really into it, Oldest daughter never had any desire to ride and still doesn't ... Totally agree with reaching the footrests and proper gear .. My oldest Son Rides his own now and Youngest Daughter still loves Riding with Dad when she can, even at age 35 as seen in the pic ..

 
#21 ·
By us its the same as Dave. The child has to be able to reach the foot pegs / floorboards when seated. And anyone under 18, regardless if they have a valid driver's license or not has to wear a helmet and eye protection.

When I got together with my current wife, her kids were 9 (son) and 13 (daughter). Both loved to get on the back and ride. I have a smaller full face helmet they could wear. The boy would love to just go for rides through the country, 20-30 miles at a crack. The girl never understood the desire to just ride to nowhere. But if we had a place to go; school, ice cream, gymnastics practice, etc., then she loved to see me pull up to pick her up on the bike. Now he's 15 and she's 19 and gone to college. So for him, its not as cools to ride b!tch, but he does talk about getting a bike himself once he has his license. And she's just not around to ride.

Only problem I ever had was that the boy liked to look around alot, and wasn't very good at just turning his head to look. So I had to remind him a few times that when he whips his whole upper body around to see something he missed, he makes the whole bike move and I have t react. He eventually got the hint from me elbowing him in the knee a couple times......:laugh
 
#22 ·
Hi Sylvain
I hated the idea of taking my daughter on my bike. When she got to be a teenager I finally gave in but - she always wore proper full leathers (jacket and jeans which zipped together), leather gloves, motorcycle boots and full-face helmet. I also took an advanced riding course to correct any bad habits that I might have acquired in 35 years of riding (in my case the Institute of Advanced Motorists exam) which was an eye-opener. Was I happy about it even then? No! but happier than I would have been otherwise.
I highly recommend some advanced training - I learned a new trick or two, one which saved me from an almost certain accident in the following months. It gave me that little bit of extra confidence and security when I had the most precious cargo in the world on board.
My daughter has ridden on my RoadKing and my FXD; there is really no difference in passenger security between the two. Provided that there is something to stop them falling off the back (a sissy bar) and the child is properly seated with feet securely on footrests I don't think it matters what you ride. It's more important that you ride confidently and securely. Personally I found a 360Kg RoadKing a bit of a handful at slow speeds; I feel safer with the Dyna.
 
#24 ·
When I was about 4 or 5, my 2nd stepdad (don't ask) used to take me to my mother's work on his bike...

I was too little to ride on the back, especially with no sissy bar, so I rode on the tank.

I used to sit there and yell "Faster! Faster!" until the point where I'd start falling asleep, and sliding off of the tank....I remember him constantly waking me up yelling something at me...that I couldn't understand, since he was wearing a helmet, and so was I....but it was something like "staty f*cking awake!" or "wake the f*ck up!"

Apparently I'd do that every time, cuz he'd kind of bitch about it to my mother once we got to work, where she would take me home in the car.

All and all I think it was probably a half hour to an hour ride, but I dunno.
 
#25 ·
I didn't have a bike when my son was little, if I did have it I wouldn't have taken him out on it. I had all I could do to keep him still in our canoe.

I'm sure it would have been the same on the bike, depends on the kid.
 
#26 ·
I know this is an old post but It reminds me of when I was a kid and my dad would take me out on his plum coloured FXDX, and also the first day when he got the bike he did a 3 or 400 foot wheelie. At that point I knew I wanted to ride someday. No wheelies for me though.
 
#27 ·
I dunno,,,for Little kids,,
I would not be comfortable out In traffic.
Around the hood like dave does,,ok

If I tear myself up thats my jelly roll
But if I tore up a young child,,,,I just couldn't handle that.
Not even a teenager.

I'd prefer to get em started In the dirt and let them come up like me,
on their own bike.
 
#30 ·
My daughter rode with me around the block starting at 4 years old. Allways with a helmet, boot's and a leather jacket. She's 19 now and still loves to ride. It's still the same, helmet, boot's and a leather jacket which she does'nt have a problem with.

I hear ya Osco, If I tear myself up thats my jelly roll
But if I tore up a young child,,,,I just couldn't handle that.
Not even a teenager.

This goes through my mind everytime she rides with me and I think about it all the time. She loves to ride.

She's allready talkin about getting a Honda rebel to learn on and then getting an HD. I had two early 70's mini trail's that she grew up with so she has a little experience.
 
#29 ·
Don't know if there are any size parameters for Texas like the one's Dave mentioned (PA), but I believe the law here is that the child must be 5yrs old at a minimum. Don't have a clue about where you're from in Europe.
 
#32 ·
I never had a bike when 2 of my kids were young. but my youngest two have grown up around them. I never take them for a ride without a sissy bar and without them wearing a helmet ( iknow, contradicting myself)
When my oldest daughter was 13, I would take her for rides alot, well, she would take me for rides..... I rode bitch, I would have to help her take off, but once we were rolling in 1st gear, it was all her. I was only there to put my feet down when we stopped, she could reach the ground, but only 1 foot at a time, bike slightly leaned, and she couldn't hold the Fatboy up.
that all ended when I put my ape hangers on, she cant reach them
 
#33 ·
Strat,,the Honda trail 70,,,yup mine was blue...

That Little bit of experience makes all the difference XD

there was a kid who also rode the trail 70,
Always on the back wheel,,,only,,lol
taught me to Pop a wheelie,,

His Name was Frank Popavic, Also had a Honda 350 4cyl street bike,
could ride It In the dirt or street for miles on just the back wheel.
 

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