Kids Like to Ride Motorcycles Too

January 2, 2010 at 12:18 pm · Filed under Bikes + Bits

Roaring up on a motorcycle has a strong draw for all of us who have adopted the biker lifestyle. This draw often hits our children too. I know that for me my kids love to ride and probably want to do it as much as I do. I love taking them for rides and sharing the experience with them. But there are some additional considerations that have to be taken into account when loading them on the back of your motorcycle.

Protective Clothing
Just like for us, kids have to have protective clothing on. It’s really great that several of the leathers companies have started producing good quality leathers for kids. I always make sure that they are properly dressed. This means that they have long pants (denim or chaps), long sleeves (denim and leather jackets work best), full finger gloves, good sturdy shoes, and a properly fitted D.O.T. helmet. All of these items can be obtained through a multitude of sources on the internet, local bike and leather shops, and at swap meets.

One other piece of protective clothing is a good pair of sunglasses. Recent studies have shown that the earlier children start wearing eye protection while outdoors the better their chances of avoiding major eye health problems later in life.

Damage to the eyes is cumulative, increasing from year to year. The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation can be very harmful to unprotected eyes and almost half of a person’s total lifetime UV radiation exposure occurs before age 18.
Young eyes let more UV rays inside and normally get more exposure because they spend more time outdoors, usually without eye protection. Exposure to sunlight at an early age appears to be a critical factor in the development of eye cancer.
The good news is that high quality children’s sunglasses (kids aged 3-12) are easier to find than ever. Modeled after adult versions, they feature high impact-resistant lenses with sturdy, durable frames and lots of great colors.

Look for polycarbonate plastic lenses since this is the most shatter-resistant. Always make sure to buy sunglasses that block 99% to 100% of both UVA and UVB.

Passenger Comfort
Often the passenger pegs or floorboards are set for a normal height passenger. They are definitely not set for riding around kids. Make sure that you have a good solid support for them to put their feet on. My son uses the highway bars on the back as his foot rests, since they fit just about right. My daughter has now started using the regular floorboards since she’s gotten tall enough to reach them. I’ve talked to people who have gone as far as rigging up adjustable floorboards on their bike to adjust to the height needed by their passenger.

Passenger Rules
Make sure that your kids understand the rules about being a passenger. Make sure they know where they need to be holding on to. Make sure that they understand not to make any sudden movements. Make sure that they know to keep their bottom flat on the seat at all times. These really are the same rules that would apply anytime you carry a passenger, but with kids you have to make sure that you explain them in a way they would understand.

Rider Responsibilities
When you have a kid on the back of your motorcycle you have to be more aware of what they are doing. They may have a tendancy to move more than an adult passenger. They may play games by sticking their hands out in the wind (like we don’t ever do that do we?). I find with my kids that they generally want to talk more than an adult passenger and they get more excited over things they see from the back of the motorcycle.

Be aware that the steady rumble of your motor can have a tendancy to lull passengers to sleep. There’s been more than once that I’ve had passengers fall asleep when riding with me (must be my stellar personality). With adults this usually doesn’t present much of a problem since it’d be harder for them to fall off. With children it’s a completely different situation. Since there is generally more room for them between the rider and the sissy bar, if they do fall asleep, there is a greater chance for them to flop over to one side or another. When they do this they increase their chances of falling of to the side. When you have a kid as a passenger stay alert of this and be prepared to hold them up and stop, if this situation occurs.

Riding with kids can be a very enjoyable experience. But please be aware that with that comes some additional responsibilities.

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Be Safe … Enjoy the Ride

Tools

Jeff Sinason aka “Tools” is a long time motorcycle enthusiats. Being a motorcycle nut, he has run into all kinds of conditions and ridden through them unscathed. He is the owner of http://www.bikerwares.com which is a site dedicated to Enjoying the Ride.

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A Awesome Summer

August 9, 2009 at 11:49 am · Filed under Adventurous Life, Bikes + Bits, Traveling

It?s been an impressive summer up to now. We went on an amazing mountain bike mountain bike ride through the Sequoia National Park. Everything about the trip was grand except for the drive up . I had my bike on the back of the car and gear all packed up the night before. I left work early Thursday and started the drive alone. My meet up time was set for eight pm where I was to meet with my friends on the mountain since I didnt know where exactly the campsite would be. I knew my window of opportunity was about 30 mins. If I didnt make it in time, they would come back the next day to find me. The only logical outcome of there is that I would be taking a long nap in my car alone that night if I didnt make it in time

Turns out I made it through traffic and up the hill in time to unhook my bike, crack open a beer and bike ride up and down a couple of little hills before dark and before my buddies would arrive. The fresh air was brilliant and it was nice to be away the city. My Santa Cruz Heckler was in tip top shape and ready to tear up some rails and free riding, fresh out of the shop. The crew arrived to pick me up and show me where our spot was.

We began our mountain bike ride the next morning, each if us carrying 40lb packs ensuring enough food and water to last at least 12hrs of long hard riding. The first hill was killer and was a rude awakening to a very long bike ride. We pedaled over 10 miles uphill, that took over 2hrs. Making it to the summit was awesome. I chugged nice clean water out of my water bottle.

The next 8hrs was spent jamming up and down hills, over fallen logs, off huge hits and hucking over big rocks. A couple of breaks were in order throughout the day where we drank a bit of booze and shared treats we had packed away. The terrain was spectacular and just right for some summertime riding. It was nice to see just a bit of snow left on the ground in certain spots.

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