Motorcycle age limit?

[DevinB]

So I'm heavily considering buying a motorcycle soon. One of the major things holding me back right now is that I have to take my two-year old son to the babysitter's three times a week. I can take back roads and never have to get above 45mph, but is it legal to sit the little guy in front of me (on the gas tank, more or less) and drive around? He'd for sure have a helmet on and he'd be between my arms, so there's no way he'd fall off.

Or, legal or not, is it a bad idea in the first place? Anyone else do this? Am I asking for trouble? I'd like to think I could handle it and we'd never have a problem, but...

 

[Herzog]

I would assume that it follows somewhere along the same laws that require your child to be in a car seat / booster up to a certain age / weight. But I really have no idea.

 

[Cody]

I used to ride on the gas tank when I was just a pup. Always on dirt roads though.

 

[Zombie]

Legal or not, I think it's a bad idea, and I'd never ever consider taking a chance like that with either of my kids. There is just WAY too much CHANCE in that.. and most of it comes from other people, not you, your arms, or your son's helmet.

 

[Vonski]

Yup, I fully agree with Zombie. However, I remember being really young and my Dad taking Me around for rides in the neighborhood the same way you've described.

Also, I would bet that sooner or later someone would attempt to turn you in for "reckless endangerment of a child".

 

[XT Utah]

I say it's a bad idea. :sick:

You may be a very good rider but you never know what the jackasses in the other vehicles will do. There will always be "points of no return" when you pass a car which may or may not cut you off, or may or may not rear end you, for example. At those brief moments you are completely at the mercy of the other person.

Even if riding by yourself you could avoid some close calls, it would be next to impossible to do that while also hanging onto a child.

By the way, I have a motorcycle and ride as much as I can... and yes, I have wrecked on it (car turned left into me). OUCH!

 

[ricsrx]

I have ridden most of my life, I have taken my Kids on the "Tank ride" and all of the mentioned above statments run thru your head while doing it, I have had the police drive up to me while my son " 3 years old at the time" sat if front of my on the seat, he look at me, saw my son with a hemet, and moved on.
Now with that said, MY kids are 10- 15 years older, all of the same thoughts still run thru my head every time they are on the back of my bike.
So does it make any diference if your child is 2, 15 or 20, siting in front or back, when that car pulls a left in front of you??????????????

I love to ride and will every day to work when the weather is good.

I dont take my kids for rides very often.

 

[snccoulter]

even if there are no vehicle codes on the issue the state could bring charges for reckless endangerment on you. it is not safe. if you are charged it will cost you dearly in legal fees just to prove you were not reckless.

 

[Greg]

I wouldn't chance it, s**t happens to motorcycles and it's usually going to be bad if it involves a car. I ride & know that each time I go out, I could get hit/injured/killed. I took out a hefty life insurance policy with my last motorcycle purchase, just because I understand that something fatal could easily happen. I couldn't commute with a kid feeling like that. I have a hard time putting my wife on the back when going for a cruise around the neighborhood. If I got injured, thats one thing... if I were responsible for getting my wife/child injured, I'd feel horribly bad.

 

[Tacoma]

It's one thing to take a tank ride around the block, quite another to get even CLOSE to 45mph... Not a CHANCE I'd ever risk the possible outcome....

 

[gijohn40]

I personaly would never do it but if you do take a large belt or rope and tie your kid to you so if you do have to react to something you don't have to worry about that and holding onto your kid...

 

[Caleb]

I'll tell you what, after being the "little one" on the motorcycle that wrecks, I will strongly suggest against it. Infact, we were only in a parking lot, hit a little loose gravel and the bike went right out from under us. It landed on top of me...it hurt...particularly the exhaust pipe melting into my thigh . My dad has had bikes his entire life, was a VERY experienced rider and this still happened. You never know what could happen. Like I said, I wouldn't even consider it, infact I find it nuts you'd even consider it. :-\

 

[Spork]

Sidecar :greg:

 

[Dominic]

Get a sidecar and some tiny eye wear.

 

[jamesgeologist]

I have been seriously considering a sidecar, but what do you do when they try to unbuckle and exit the sidecar? I can't hardly keep them contained in a five point car seat!! There are pretty decent sidecars though. I would look for one that pivots so you can roll into corners. Rigid sidecars are wicked scary to turn and emergency stop. BTW, I give the 2 and 4 yo tank rides super slow on our block, but after watching a dodge dakota run two stop signs through 26th and 25th at 50+mph, I might never let them do it again.....My wife would hate to see half the family gone in one fell swoop.

Here is some of my research:

http://sidestrider.com/leadingfork.html

http://www.sidecar-industry.com/techpages.htm

http://www.armec.com/sidewinder.html

 

[DevinB]

Yeah, I guess I was just trying to justify buying a bike too much, thinking I could pull this off. Thanks for all the advice, it looks like the wife will be running Jr to the babysitter's if I get a bike.

 

[ryslc]

bad idea!
life is too fragile!
stop what could happen today!
no regrets tomorrow