Carrying Children...

[RiderzRagzGuy]

Hey Michael.

In case you are interested I have one of these Child Riding Belts on auction in E-Bay again with Bidding at $150 (Canadian Currencey), they retail at $ 165 on the Riderz Ragz web site. Here's the link if you want to check it out:

eBay.ca: Child Riding Belt (item 160109641470 end time 29-Apr-07 19:30:20 EDT)

Thanks.
RR Guy

[isaksonra]

Those Child restaints look like a great product! My wife told me yesterday that it would be nice if I could take my nephew out but he's only 6 and way too short to be a passenger. With this I could take him out without him losing focus or getting sleepy. I love the idea!
Rob

[Clint]

Not if he's too short. He needs to be on the pegs.

[robertc729]

My 8 yr old reaches the pegs very well, my 5 yr old however does not, so she hasn't gotten to ride yet. Looks like time to put a backrest on the wife's S40, the little one fits on it really good.

[battypup]

I haven't taken my kids for a ride yet. I have riden with my wife as a passenger a few times and I totally agree. My focus is way more and the stress is alot higher. I find myself gripping the handle bars tighter and have to tell myself to relax a little or I might over react to any situation that comes up. It is a bigger responsibility when other peoples lives are in your hands.

[DragonRider]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

Not if he's too short. He needs to be on the pegs.

In Washington state it's the Law. No passenger under 6 and that can't reach the pegs. Not sure for all the others.
Even if it's not,50lbs swinging off your waist might be all it takes to fling you both off.
I wouldn't even try unless they can reach. I'm still debating taking my grandkids,even with something like this. I'm not sure if I can handle the stress and responsibility. Two of whom can reach,other granddaughter not quite 5 yr.

[IntruderCruiser]

It boils down to what you are comfortable with -- I personally don't mind taking a passenger - we do a little pre-ride first - I don't go as fast 2 up unless my wife is on the back as she is a good rider and likes the faster pace and tells me to step it up -- I have taken one son(his first ride was at 2 1/2) and daughter on the bike and I don't worry as they enjoy it -- and know the risks -- but there are risks in sitting in your own house

I do agree that most people need a bunch of experience riding solo before taking a passenger -- so you will know what to do in an emergency

[DWM50]

Your buddy Daniela needs counseling. Anyone who rides two up with a child on these dangerous roads seriously needs help, the end.

[bajaraider]

I take my sister for rides every once in a while. It basically depends on if she wants to put on her gear (last years Christmas present) It does take more concentration for sure, and I feel that I have coached her well enough now. I should have started with many more small pointers, but over the dozen rides she has gone on, she has picked them all up (at least all I can think of). I am more releaved after the last ride: for the first time 2-up I had someone turn left in front of me, at the light though. As usual I was expecting it, and got down on the brakes, but her reaction was flawless IMO. She just tightened up her legs (to put the pressure lower on me and not at my shoulders) and that was not enough for her, so she set her hands on my lower back and held herself off of me. Exactly what I have instructed her to do. She asid it scared her a bit, but she is begining to recognize these situations and was laughing about it when we got to her house.

As far as children, my buddy has two small sons that LOVE the bike. So I will set them on the tank and walk the bike down the side walk while its running. They love it. I would never dream of taking it any further as they are way to small.

I think my biggest concern with children passengers, is they would not be able to see ahead to watch for the type of situations that may require reactions from them. Having never riden with anyone that small I have no idea.

[inspiron]

Originally Posted by DWM50

Your buddy Daniela needs counseling. Anyone who rides two up with a child on these dangerous roads seriously needs help, the end.

Well, where we live (northwestern Switzerland) isn't all that dangerous.

[POE-BOY SAMICH]

Originally Posted by DWM50

Your buddy Daniela needs counseling. Anyone who rides two up with a child on these dangerous roads seriously needs help, the end.

There's a fine "How do ya' do"!
How's that for a 1st post?
Quick and to the point prescribing counseling for a complete stranger

And when DWM50 posts "the end", they mean it! No other post since...

Gosh, DWM50, we hardly new thee.

[SVTEAL]

Well, it was great reading all these posts...

It is amazing how the level of fear tolerance changes according to the situations...

Coming from one of the poorest country of the word, I can tell you the motorcycle experience is completely differently... And yes, there are some fatal accidents, but it is also a great deal of fun growing up in such enviroment.

Here a motorcycle is a toy, a very expensive one, I could buy 4 tires for my geo with the price of a rear tire of some bikes here. In the island is different, people ride motorcycle because they are a lot more inexpensive and most people is the only thing they can affort for transportation...

So, what do you do as the head of house hold, recently wed and with a new child... Well, you take your whole family where ever you need to go on your only method of transportation, your motorcycle.

The wife, wearing skirts sits on the back side ways, if the baby is too young she would hold it between the two of you, and if child is old enough that he can sit and hold himself, the he would ride on the gas tank. Of course, I am talking about standard bikes, where the seat and the tank are a flat line, this setup would be impossilbe on a GXR with that ackward shape gas tank...

No body wears any gear, including glasses, roads are very dusty, and people do not obey road sign, and there are no road lighting during night, and the lights on these old motorcycles are very poor... So one must have 150% concentration at all times, but it is daily living, nothing out of the norm...

I started riding my brother motorcycles when I was still too short to reach the floor while one the bike, so everything I had to stop, I had to plan the stop so that it would be next to a side walk so that I could make use of the much needed help in height.

So, coming from such a culture, I absolutely had no fear in giving my son his first rides... When he was only a few months old, I took him for a ride on the scooter Zuma that we had. I can't say that he enjoyed because he didn't know how to express it, but he didnt show disconfort either...

Now that he is 3, it is very normal for him to hop on thank and go for rides around the block with me, no fear and no worries from either party except that if I ever get caught by a cop, I could loose the custody of my own child in the name of having fun together...

The same goes for people who come from very small town, when they arrive in the city they are all paranoid about everything... People who live in the city are num, the can't feel any fear, the city environment is all normal...

It all depends on where you are and the situation...

My dad tells me that, when he married my mom, he only had a bycycle, then when they had their first baby, they use to commute all three in the bycicle... which had a rear grill as a seat for my mom who would hold the baby while my dad sweated on pedaling... It is all fun... I think!

[DR-Z125L]

Originally Posted by SVTEAL

Well, it was great reading all these posts...

It is amazing how the level of fear tolerance changes according to the situations...

Coming from one of the poorest country of the word, I can tell you the motorcycle experience is completely differently... And yes, there are some fatal accidents, but it is also a great deal of fun growing up in such enviroment.

Here a motorcycle is a toy, a very expensive one, I could buy 4 tires for my geo with the price of a rear tire of some bikes here. In the island is different, people ride motorcycle because they are a lot more inexpensive and most people is the only thing they can affort for transportation...

So, what do you do as the head of house hold, recently wed and with a new child... Well, you take your whole family where ever you need to go on your only method of transportation, your motorcycle.

The wife, wearing skirts sits on the back side ways, if the baby is too young she would hold it between the two of you, and if child is old enough that he can sit and hold himself, the he would ride on the gas tank. Of course, I am talking about standard bikes, where the seat and the tank are a flat line, this setup would be impossilbe on a GXR with that ackward shape gas tank...

No body wears any gear, including glasses, roads are very dusty, and people do not obey road sign, and there are no road lighting during night, and the lights on these old motorcycles are very poor... So one must have 150% concentration at all times, but it is daily living, nothing out of the norm...

I started riding my brother motorcycles when I was still too short to reach the floor while one the bike, so everything I had to stop, I had to plan the stop so that it would be next to a side walk so that I could make use of the much needed help in height.

So, coming from such a culture, I absolutely had no fear in giving my son his first rides... When he was only a few months old, I took him for a ride on the scooter Zuma that we had. I can't say that he enjoyed because he didn't know how to express it, but he didnt show disconfort either...

Now that he is 3, it is very normal for him to hop on thank and go for rides around the block with me, no fear and no worries from either party except that if I ever get caught by a cop, I could loose the custody of my own child in the name of having fun together...

The same goes for people who come from very small town, when they arrive in the city they are all paranoid about everything... People who live in the city are num, the can't feel any fear, the city environment is all normal...

It all depends on where you are and the situation...

My dad tells me that, when he married my mom, he only had a bycycle, then when they had their first baby, they use to commute all three in the bycicle... which had a rear grill as a seat for my mom who would hold the baby while my dad sweated on pedaling... It is all fun... I think!

Where do u live?

[inspiron]

Originally Posted by SVTEAL

Coming from one of the poorest country of the word, I can tell you the motorcycle experience is completely differently... And yes, there are some fatal accidents, but it is also a great deal of fun growing up in such enviroment.

SVTEAL, Location FL

So, you are either in Florida (the poorest country of the world? nah, just the oldest), or Federation Lichtenstein (FL) which isn't poor either...

[Clint]

That is quite a difference, SVTEAL. I think there are drawbacks to either situation, though.

[USAF_rider]

I won' be driving my oldest around for a while (he's eight). Mostly because when I took him to the bike shop the other day to try on helmets he completely wigged out with the helmet on his head. Guess he's a little claustrophobic. Mostly I just wanted to get him a lid so I could drive him the 150 or so yards to school.

[Boston]

I took my son on a group ride one time back in 98. I wasn't watching him for a few minutes on a stop and he somehow dumped my goldwing into the next bike and the domino effect knocked over 6 of them. ouch!! I was never popular again.
Boston

[DR-Z125L]

OO that sucks!!

[TechJD]

Well I hadnt had my bike but about 6 months when My kids just had to ride
so I started slow and short rides at first
I was scared to death LOL and they are in their late teens
I've only had my bike for alittle over 1.5 years now but I have put about 7000+ miles on it locally mainly, 1 Road trip to my sisters 100 miles one way
my oldest boy also rides and I wouldnt let him ride the others till he had 2000 miles of experance himself, about what I had when I started doing it.
I have had my niece on mile once in the yard she can barely reach the foot pegs. My youngest girl weights about as much as I do which puts the bike at it's limits, I have a 650ft gravel driveway. Not fun with passenger.
I have yet to ride my wife as she weights more than my daughter.
I need a bigger bike or atleast one that can handle over 600lbs as
I weigh about 250lbs.
I also have noticed I hold the bars a little tighter with one of the kids on the bike with me. I have to tell myself to relax some.
They ride great now and it's a blast to have them along but I still dont ride as hard as I would by myself.
Wife is starting to ask if I might could ride her if we were on pavement to start and I really want to take her for rides with me, but I dont feel my bike can handle the weight and we cant afford anything else for a while. So I love riding my kids and they enjoy it too the daughter the most.
But my Sweetheart has to wait.

in case you want to know I have a 1981 Honda GL500I
max weight for total bike is 945lbs - bike weights in at 470lbs - leaving 475 for rider and passenger - I push this with daughter and dad weight in at 500lbs, need atleast another 50+lbs of clearance for wife

[Rickster]

I saw a woman the other day riding a step through scooter, with a child of about 4 years of age sitting on her right knee. The police didn't seem all that interested when I called to report it.