Kids as pillions. Who does it?

[MD]

That's a rhetorical question by the way just to kick off a thread (for those not so bright sparks out there that means I don't really care for a list of names...OK)
I've entered a new dimension of riding. Taking my Kids aged 10 and 12 for rides. You think commuting in heavy traffic jammed between 2 big rigs is scary, seeing your speedo max out at 299kpm at the sprints is scary, locking up both wheels entering a hairpin on a track.. nah, that's a walk in the park next to carrying your children on the back.
Now I've done heaps of primary school gala day motorbike rides carrying other folks kids from 4 yrs up. Easy stuff at walking pace around a school playground. I've given my Kids and their friends rides up and down our quiet street. You know the drill, a dozen houses down then back again before any cars come along.
But now that I've changed bikes my Kids really like sitting on this seat compared to the sportsbikes before, which had no where to hang on and an elevated bum pad (6 inches sq) perched high above the rider. The beemer seat is ideal with a scuptured one piece that separates and secures the pillion from the rider. So now they want to go out further in real traffic!'
Thanks to Kerry at TSS he got in a selection of childrens helmets so we could try out the sizes. Bought a beaut looking HJC Phantom no less. And cool mx gloves (it seeems there's no such thing as girls gloves apart from the smaller ladies sizes)
It's a buzz seeing how much they enjoy the rides but so stressful. My eyes are darting everywhere, every object is a threat, every texting Mum in her midlessly swerving 4x4 even more disliked than before :angry: . Every vehicle doing over 45kph is a bastard who should be shot with a ball of their own dried shit. Did I fight the local Council over their proposed 40kph limit..?
The whole time they are on the back my mind keeps going over how soft and easily damaged young childrens flesh is. THAT is the most scary part. Knowing how, even a small fall on seal, could cause so much damage and leave life long scars to young skin. Imagine how easily their flesh would burn compared to an adult if it touched the exhaust.
I know Frosty has carted his young baby biker for years but I can't see me being able to venture onto anything above a 70kph zone.
No bloody way would I let my Girls go out with a motorcyclist! :nono: Vicious dangerous scumbags the lot of them. What's involved in getting a gun licence?
So how have others found the experience of carting really young children? Any tips?

[Smorg]

Kids heal quick few grazes here and there will harden them up.....

[lb99]

Kids heal quick few grazes here and there will harden them up.....

dead right, I do it, I have two 9y olds who prefer the bike to the car, but I make sure they wear a leather jacket, jeans, gloves and tough shoes.
Both are rapidly becoming good pillions, and like nothing better than to be picked up from (ballet, soccer, netball......) on the bike, it impresses the hell out of their mates.

although I took my daughter for a lap on my mates KDX a while ago, I don't think she'll be keen to do that again- too scarey LOL

[Insanity_rules]

I have a 12 and a 14 and I havent taken them any great distance on the back. When I do take them on the road I'm EXTRA careful, eyes in the back of my head and the like.

I know how you feel but have no answer except to ride safe.

[TerminalAddict]

been for short rides with my 10 year old. but my 12 year old has been all over the north island

[Highlander]

I'm always extra alert and almost on edge when I have my Wife or kids on the back.

Our kids are a bit older now (13, 15, 17) but our youngest is quite small so I have been reluctant to take for a blat because I couldn't see her in the mirrors or feel her sitting behind me. Until I put the pack rack on I thought I had lost her over the back a couple of times.

If you could say there was any style to my riding, you would have to say it is quite a different style with any pillion.

I have reached the point where while I don't mind having someone on the back, but would rather be riding by myself.

[Hailwood]

Took my 14 yo to college on her birthday last year on the Harley...she loved it. My son came on the Wgtn HOG toy run last year and also had a ball.....they both now want to come on club runs.

They both wear full gear (helmet, boots, gloves, jacket) and I hope to keep doing this until it's no longer cool to be seen with Dad!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nasty]

Friend of mine has taken his kid riding for years ... when she was 10 she was so relxed she fell asleep on the back and almost went sideways at a corner .. but being a great dad he caught her ... :)

[The Pastor]

Bro the extra weight at the back make wheelies easier!

[FROSTY]

baby bikie has been on the back of my bike forever. We did a big tour of the north island a year or two back

[jtzzr]

As long as you don`t do what`s happening in your avatar ,just taking it easy should be fine , Iv`e taken my daughter on a couple of blats and she loved it . Be Safe

[ManDownUnder]

Yup - my little man (7) has his own kit, Helmet and Gloves. Got out and about - did 150 kms yesterday with him on board... he loved it, and so did I.

I unzip my jacket pockets and he reaches around and holds on to the fold of leather at the rear of the opening (1/2 the zip if that makes sense).

Happy to compare notes anytime

[riffer]

Frosty and Baby Bikie were the reason that Gini relented and as of a year ago, Timothy, now aged 7, was allowed to go on the back.

It's been a slow process, starting almost like a basic handling skills course, teaching him slowly how to get on, sit right, and hold on. Moving from then to moving with the bike, around obstacle courses so he got the idea of the bike leaning, and not trying to lean for the corners; just sitting there like a sack of potatoes.

Now we're doing Wallaceville Hill, 70-80 km/hr open roads, and I'm trying to make sure that its as safe as possible. I'm still concerned that, although he has a decent Shoei helmet (Baby Bikie's old one), he still doesn't have all the protective gear. I'd like him to have leathers and decent boots and gloves as he currently wears an old vinyl WWII fighter plane style jacket, jeans and McKinlay boots, but the budget just won't swing for it. Hell, I'd like leathers myself.

Personally, I think he's ready for open road speeds, and I've done them a few times with him on the back, but I'd like Gini to be happy about it, and until we can get him some decent gear she's still going to be a bit wary of me taking him over the Rimutakas.

Best advice I can give anyone wanting to take their kids on the bike is make sure their mother is comfortable with it first, and start slowly. Teach them the basics of bike handling first.

[kiwifruit]

i have fantastic memories of being pillion with my Dad.

the first time i was on a motorcycle with him was before i saw my first birthday, he would ride around the house etc with me perched infront... apon some sort of land and surveys issue machine...

it basically went from there.... its a trust thing..... my first time on the road was when i was bout 6 years old, aboard his rz350. what a blast!

i remember when i was 11ish being pissed off when he bought a 1988(?)ducati 750 sport,traded in the pop up katana.... we did did the south island (with home made saddlebags which went over the rear seat, made of slippery shit) remarkables rally etc..... best days of my life

poor old fella never got to ride alone..... "DAD, can i come??????"

now when im pillion with the old man i cant go 2km without falling asleep

you're kids trust you MD.
show them how it is.

[Lissa]

My daughter has just turned 6 and commented tonight that she wants to go for a ride on the back of my bike, wasnt sure what age is a good age, but if I do I would certainly get her some proper gear.

[Mom]

Yepper taking kids out is special in a way that scares the shit out of you for a couple of reasons. I took my step daughter out a year or so ago, she was 15 and it was the first time on 2 wheels for her. I am an experienced pillion taker (or used to be) but still had more than a few OMG!!!!!!!! moments going round the block, with her gripping on for dear life, or refusing to lean at all, and me worried we would get a real close look at the road........LOL all good fun.

Your young'n did well yesterday, just go with the flow........my Mom hated bikes....(my first set of wheels)......now she says GO FOR IT!

[Clivoris]

I'm just about to start pricing some gear for my 10 year old girl. She's determined to come to a Cold Kiwi too but I told her she has to wait till she's 14. As soon as that came out of my mouth I was conflicted. Maybe I'll have less to worry about if she's 10? It might put her off motorcyclists before she starts looking too grown up. :shutup: Smelly dangerous lecherous bastards all of them.

[FROSTY]

Um --riffer--Im having a big ol sort out of BB's gear --doing the BB/BBB thing
I might have a spare leather for timbo--and Im darn shore Ive got spare gloves

For anyone concidering this path a few bits of fast advice.
1)LID-- HJC now have kids size lids --as in the shell is smaller/lighter than an adults lid.
2)Jacket/leggings --the ideal/perfect world would be leather I guess
Mostly baby bikie has worn SKI gear -second hand ski gear--its usually well padded /warm/dry and abrasion resistant
3) boots--second hand Motocross boots work well
4 gloves --first off BB had MX gloves --then into xtra small womens gloves

[Blondini]

I take my kids around the garden and they pester me every day as to when I am getting my full licence and can take them out on a bike:gob: "we will have to have our own leathers aye mum? :yes: My dad used to take us for small rides but mum hated us being on the back.I cant wait to be able to take my babies on the back with me:love:

[FROSTY]

My opinion
Ignoring the ever present danger from cagers.
I believe the earlier a kid goes on a bike the better.
The limit to me has always been the childs neck
with a full face helmet on a kids head can double in weight --not an issue normally but in a crash situation not so good.

[MD]

Clivoris- yeah I know where you're coming from on the 10 vs 14 age thing - a whole different set of worries is going to face us then! Good to see we agree, all bikers are bastards- stay away from our daughters.. ha ha..
Like frosty said HJC make a ýouth' helmet which is much lighter to reduce the chance that the weight might break their neck. That bit of advice frokm Kerry sold it to me! I hadn't thought that bit through. There is bugger all clothing available and the cost to buy what is around for the odd short ride puts people off.

Kiwifruit- that's the worry mate, Kids have absolute trust in their parents, so the ideal of letting them down would be hard to live with (no matter how minor or how much it was beyond your control). I bet you had total faith in your Dad and knew he was a great rider but he may have had doubts at times himself.
Riffer/MDU- thanks for sharing. Sounds like MDU has overcome the parental fear barrier
Nasty- that's the sort of thought that goes through my head. My 10 y.o. is small and I can't see her well in the mirrors or feel her behind me.
My wife used to ride pillion years ago and often fell asleep but just hung in there somehow?

[Oakie]

Ummm, my children and now my grand-daughter (but only up and down the drive so far as she's only 16 weeks old...and dammit, she doesn't fit in the tank bag anymore).

[sidecar bob]

My daughter first went on the back of my old Katana as soon as she turned five, & i had to stop her earlier because she was so keen.
Now age seven, she is the perfect pillion, 22kg cute, & my best mate, i can hardly imagine riding without her.
she regularly decides which bike we take & knows exactly how to behave at the Okirorie.
I dont alter my riding style with her on the back, i always ride with maximum effort on not binning & having small friend on the back dosent alter that.
Just like her dad, if she dosent get a ride most weeks her mood deteriorates sharply.
I think i may have created another addict, which is ok, aint it?

[SwanTiger]

I take my 14 month old daughter pillion (wedged in between the tank and myself) and have done since she was around 6 months old. Now that she is getting older and is capable of holding on by herself (instead of me with one arm) I am going to get a little strap to tie her to me, custom leathers and a propper road helmet so that we can go on longer rides.

Fuck knows if it is legal but I'm doing it anyway, aside from that she has her own quad too.

[oldguy]

The most important thing I do is change my riding style, slow down, don't do shit I do when I'm on my own.
With my daughter on back on long trips I'm constantly checking to make sure she still on the back, but she is an excellant pillon, then again she started riding motorbikes when she was 5 being the baby of the family she is spoiled. I love her company, sad she's not coming to Paeroa this weekend.

[Mom]

sad she's not coming to Paeroa this weekend.


:Offtopic: hope to see you there Sunday!

[terbang]

My oldest Daughter (when she was between 7 and 10) and I rode Darwin, Alice Springs, Ayres Rock and then back to Darwin (go figure the Kays). Rode from Zurich across France to London, around the North Island of NZ and Christchurch to Queenstown via the West coast. All on a 1200 Bandit.
She doesn't ride with me that much now (at 16) cos it aint cool but she still talks proudly of her motorcycle travels.

[NighthawkNZ]

The most important thing I do is change my riding style, slow down, don't do shit I do when I'm on my own.
With my daughter on back on long trips I'm constantly checking to make sure she still on the back, but she is an excellant pillon, then again she started riding motorbikes when she was 5 being the baby of the family she is spoiled. I love her company, sad she's not coming to Paeroa this weekend.

I change my style when I have any pillion... but with smaller kids extra care... I make sure they are holding on to me so I can feel they are still there...

I use to pick up my friends daughter after school and he would pick up his other daughter on the bikes... (they were about 8 or 9) there friends though it was cool... :scooter: but both of them were bought up around motorcycles and were comfortable riding...

I remember once taken one of my ex's son for a ride, and he was scared shittless and first... just took it nice and slow and slowly built his confidence, by the end of the ride he wanted more...

[DMNTD]

I take my 13y/o daughter pillion and have bought here a full set of Quasimoto armoured leathers and back protector.
Have to say that since having my random bin a couple of saturdays ago I'm more than a little concerned.
One thing binning on one's own but...armour or not it sucks and I'd never forgive myself ever even though it wasn't caused by me...was road surface related and speed or riding style had nothing to do with it.
Will I pillion her or any of my other kids again...more than likely but will be sorting my routes prior

[BarBender]

I love riding with my children. Have a done a ton of miles with my son - who is now 12. I've found that working with them to build their confidence levels at the initial stages has helped them...like making sure they are comfortable, protected and informed. Slower and shorter rides are good when they first start pillioning. A good 2 up bike and suspension can make a hell of a difference to providing a positive first experience also.

As a rule of thumb I try not to ride on unfamiliar roads, never push around corners and avoid riding in the rain with the kids on the back.

[mstriumph]

carried the daughter pillion from very young - to and from school [South Africa] ........ she loved it

it sure makes you ride CAREFUL though :yes:

[FROSTY]

yea- thanks to quazi BB has a full set of body armour he wears under his gear
actually thinking about it--short people will love sprotsbikes pefg positions

[Fub@r]

This is the next hurdle I face in a few months time once I get my full............my 9yr old son is busting to get on my bike. He is costantly counting the weeks until I can legally take him.

For starters I would never consider it unless I got him all the proper protective gear. I would love to take him on the back but it worries me given the state of cagers driving these days. Then of course there is the ex to deal with when she finds out :)

I'm still in two minds :(

[jim.cox]

So how have others found the experience of carting really young children?

I'm looking forward to the day when my son - age six - can reach the pillion pegs.

To be fair his big sister - age 8 - does not get a go until then either

But both enjoy being carted around on our four wheeler - although on that I have them in front of me.

=mjc=
.

[slimjim]

gee's like a lot of dad's ,most of my kids were riding with me by the time they could hold on, mind you not all could touch the pegs but now most are in their older teen's, and they are better for reading and giving way when in cages, youngest one 10yr travells some real long distances with me, and she loves the riding, so safety first, their enjoyment second, and dad's smiles lasting,:innocent: :sunny: :Punk:

[riffer]

So -

how many of us who are pillioning our children, started out as pillions ourselves?

My father pillioned me from the age of about 8 upwards, starting out on a GS550E, then to a GT750 Kwakka.

After that, once I hit 14 I was riding his spare bike.

Oh, the good old days, when you could actually ride a bike on the road with no licence and never get stopped...

Wouldn't do it now. Oh no. I'm far to responsible to let my children do that. Naughty dad. :nono:

[PuppetMaster]

Personally, I would not pillion a child under 13. Id be scared they would fall off. Possibly on a Cruiser, with a pussy bar.


This subject did remind me of some neighbours we have down the road a bit. I reguarly see their 13-14 yr old boy riding a bike (SUZUKI BOULEVARD M50 I think) without a helmet, up and down the street. Im very tempted to call the cops just to teach the parents a lesson. Its going to end in tears at some stage.

[Wolf]

My boys are 3 and 4 so they're still at the slow ride 'round the section stage (as they can't reach the pegs) but they're being taught the basics of how the bike moves, how to hold on etc so that when they're big enough to reach the pegs and go on longer rides the "learning curve" won't be so great.
The moment they're tall enough to put their feet securely on the pillion pegs, they'll be ready to go for more serious rides - they should already have helmets by that stage as I'm planning on getting them a minibike to learn on.

[jim.cox]

as I'm planning on getting them a minibike to learn on.

I've told Josh (6) he has to buy his own bikes.

Its bad enough feeding my habit - let alone someone else's

=mjc=
.

[Wolf]

I've told Josh (6) he has to buy his own bikes.

Its bad enough feeding my habit - let alone someone else's

=mjc=
.
C'mon, you know how it goes: The first one is free, then you have to buy your own...

:devil2:

[MD]

when they're big enough to reach the pegs and go on longer rides the "learning curve" won't be so great.
The moment they're tall enough to put their feet securely on the pillion pegs...
Yeah I think that's essential Wolf- when they can reach the pegs so their legs aren't swinging about (imagine going into the spokes..horry or burnt on the muffler)
They need to be able to secure themselves with their legs if they are too big to sit in front of the rider.

[Guitana]

Kids bounce extremely well they heal quicker and are lighter,best type of Pillion as far as I'm concerned the misus just moans and whinges about the speed but the kids love the throttle!!!!
As my son would say go hard or go home!!!!
Danger is the spice of life!!!

[Guitana]

This is the next hurdle I face in a few months time once I get my full............my 9yr old son is busting to get on my bike. He is costantly counting the weeks until I can legally take him.

For starters I would never consider it unless I got him all the proper protective gear. I would love to take him on the back but it worries me given the state of cagers driving these days. Then of course there is the ex to deal with when she finds out :)

I'm still in two minds :(

Get him suited up then live a little!!! Tell him it's your little father son secret and not to tell mum cos we all know mums are wet blankets when it comes to having fun!!!
You will find you are more aware of the dangers when you have the little tacker on the back as long as you keep your eyes moving around looking for cagers she'll be right!!!!!!

[HDTboy]

I took my baby brother out on the track for a thrash, the weekend after his 13th birthday, and have taken 3 others of a similar age out on the track as well.
I've only ridden with a pillion on the road once, so can't really comment on that

[davereid]

So - how many of us who are pillioning our children, started out as pillions ourselves?
:nono:

When I was a kid, we couldn't afford a car, so my Mum got a scooter - a little Benelli. No speedo, no indicators, no helmets, but me and my brother learned to ride it, round and round the back yard, and down at the park.

When I turned 15, I got my licence on my birthday, and started riding my own scooter. My mates all got cars, and were always broke, but my scooter cost nothing to run, so I could go where ever I wanted, when ever I wanted, and I always had some spare change for the movies or whatever.

And I still go to work, 200km a week on a scooter some 30 (ish dont be cheeky) years later !

[sunhuntin]

dont have kids, but dad used to drag us kids around on his bikes. i cant remember what he had...all suzukis i think. me on the tank, brother on the back. just around the backyard. great fun!
cant remember how old i was my first open road pillion, but got told off for turning around all the time. lol. learned after that to sit still.

[Fat Tony]

I've been taking our (now 11yr old) daughter out pillion occasionally since she was about 6. She loves it... especially the sparky knee slider shows.. don't tell my wife!!

At first, I really changed the way that I rode, riding much slower and far more cautiously than I normally would... it got me in to situations that I didn't feel comfortable with, and I found myself concentrating on the wrong things.

I now ride 'normally' with her on the back. Not the weekend thrash pace, but a happy medium and I find it far safer that way. I try to forget that she's there and just concentrate 100% on the riding, the road and the traffic around us.

The other thing I do, which as far as I'm concerned is the important thing, is insist that we both wear hi-viz jackets... not often seen on a gixer :lol:

[megageoff76]

[QUOTE=MD;933699]
No bloody way would I let my Girls go out with a motorcyclist! :nono: Vicious dangerous scumbags the lot of them. What's involved in getting a gun licence?QUOTE]

Totally agree, although my daughter is only one. By the time shes wanting to go out with boys, ill have a big ass mean ZZ Top beard, ride a big loud harley and be wearing a 30 year old megadeth t shirt. They'll be too afraid to ask her out. Well thats my plan so far anyway :yes: