Small passenger

[LLSailor]

Looks like I'll be taking my grandson on more of my rides. He is only 9 years old, not real big and I'm a little concerned about him sticking on the back. Any experience with children as passengers or suggestions. His feet do not reach the passenger foot rests.

[redflasher]

Looks like I'll be taking my grandson on more of my rides. He is only 9 years old, not real big and I'm a little concerned about him sticking on the back. Any experience with children as passengers or suggestions. His feet do not reach the passenger foot rests.It's illegal in Minnesota to have a passenger if their feet do not reach the footrests. I realize you are in Kansas, but I believe footrests aid in balance for the pillion rider.

[Flanker]

If his feet don't reach the pegs, or hands can't reach the grab bars.....................he's too small to be riding.

[Oldmanzues]

I am not sure I agree with the whole idea, maybe old age. Yes I do remember riding babies on the gas tank.
If you do, I would say, a minmum of armrest, back rest or Rt and some kind of blocks so his feet reach the pegs. then kind of slow speeds only.
I will let other withmore recent experience go from here.
Good luck
Oldmanzues

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Same thing with my Grandaughter......I bought some nylon webbing and buckles at the sewing store ( you can also get this thru AMAZON ) and made her a HARNESS that would attach her to me......She liked to ride backwards because she said she could see more :hun:...:roflblack: :roflblack: :roflblack:.....Mike :thumbup:

[rogerb]

My granddaughter rides with me all the time. She has even gone to Maggie Valley with me two years ago. She has done The Tail of the Dragon. I installed the Corbin arm rests on my RT (She spotted them on line and asked me to get them) Best thing I could have done. She can't fall out because there isn't enough room between my back and the arm rests. She even puts her feet in my lap and takes a nap or plays on her DS. I have trouble leaving her home. She wants to go to Spyderfest with me but she would have to miss a whole week of school. She thinks Spyderfest should be during school vacation.:thumbup:

[Bob Ledford]

It must be a great feeling to accommodate the little people in ones family tree. But thinking safety has to be first and foremost in your mind over hurting their feelings by saying NO to TAKING AND PUTTING THEM IN DANGER OR HARMS WAY.

Sometimes it gives me great sadness not to be able too. Then there are times when I get great delight in not having too.

If it were my kid I think I would be looking for a parachute harness maker to sew up a adjustable safety harness that would safely secure them in place behind the driver. Then you could relieve some tension knowing they at least would not be tossed like a guided missile off the Spyder.

[Gunkandpudge]

i recently installed "spyder gliders" which will move the passenger foot rest an additional 8" up. My wife is very small and she is just fine with the installation of the gliders. It is from Spyder Specialities. The web site is spyderspecialities.com if you want to see them and any info you need.

Tom :clap:

[Motorcycledave]

First let me say I have well over 56 years motorcycle riding exp. and have 3 kids and
all have kids of their own. All are in their 40's and ALL ride Motorcycles
I have taken each and everyone on motorcycles many thousands of miles as children,
and never had any trouble, however I did make sure all were tall enough
to reach the foot pegs or pass. floor boards and each had the correct size helmet, if they
were young and prone to falling asleep I would use a kind of belt I made up with velcro
to strap them to me so I would know when they drifted off to sleep and to keep them from
falling off. All that being said A Spyder IS NOT a motorcycle it does not lean into the turns
you don't get the feeling "on a motorcycle" that you are about to fly off when cornering hard
the Spyder is all that, you must be aware that the force of cornering is like a car, in a car you
are strapped in or should be on a Spyder you are not. If your grand kids are not old enough
to have the knowledge that they MUST hold on tight at all times, they can and will fall off.
I have seen in the past some people have put seat belts on various motorcycles and Spyders
in the passenger area I am not sure that is a good idea but that is for you to decide.
I know one thing for sure.... children have a short attention span and will forget to hold on
so you must watch them way more than you think... BE SAFE maybe try the belt Idea I used
but remember the Spyder does not lean, when a motorcycle leans it plants you down in the seat
you dont ever have the feeling of flying off when turning fast or slow.
Just saying Think and be safe....
Enough preaching from good olde Dave :D









Looks like I'll be taking my grandson on more of my rides. He is only 9 years old, not real big and I'm a little concerned about him sticking on the back. Any experience with children as passengers or suggestions. His feet do not reach the passenger foot rests.

[mcaccamise]

Ive been a an avid Harley rider for over 45 years and when my Daughter was three she was riding with me straped to my back in a harness we have traveled many a mile as a divorsee when i went she did also.
Now years later and with grandchildren they have started at an early age enjoying the open roads on my Spyder, Safety first enjoy the ride with the the kids they will also.
Mike

[Motorcycledave]

DITTO !

Ive been a an avid Harley rider for over 45 years and when my Daughter was three she was riding with me straped to my back in a harness we have traveled many a mile as a divorsee when i went she did also.
Now years later and with grandchildren they have started at an early age enjoying the open roads on my Spyder, Safety first enjoy the ride with the the kids they will also.
Mike

[Bob Denman]

I don't envy the psotion that you're in... :shocked:
You certainly don't want to put your grandson in danger; yet we all know how much excitement and fun it could also be...
I would want to err on the side of caution; the stakes are just too great...

These might help with his footing...
http://www.spyderspecialties.com/
A properly-fitted helmet, and some help in the "hanging on" department...
The best of luck to you; show us what you come up with! :thumbup:

[NancysToy]

Passengers riding pillion on any type of motorcycle should be old enough to be situationally aware, and big enough to reach the footpegs and hand grips, and wear an approved helmet that fits correctly. If you value your grandchild, wait until he is old enough to ride safely. Think of how you would feel if he was hurt if you got in an accident or hit a deer. JMHO

[ARtraveler]

I am also going to recommend against riding a youngster on the :spyder2:. Their immature age and unfamialiarity with the machine can result in safety issues. A quick stop, a turn when they were not ready, and God Forbid--contact with another vehicle are all distinct possibilites. A youngster who is not strapped down, touching footpegs, holding on to handgrips, etc., is likely to be ejected from the machine.

Strapped down is also not good if the vehicle is hit in the area of the passenger. I know that I would not like to be in a place of responsibility if any of the above happened.

Your call of course.

[oldgoat]

Lots of very sage advice for "not" doing it. I wouldn't do it.

My 2 grandchildren (9, 5) want to sit on my Spyder every time they visit. Last week it had 3 children sitting on it in a row, each wearing one of my many helmets.

That's as far as it goes & I dread when the time will come when I will be pestered by them for a ride. Hopefully I will be past riding myself by then & the matter won't crop up.

Just my opinions.

[MouthPiece]

I let my grandkids ride with me all the time up until a year and a half ago when I had my accident. Had any of them been riding on my spyder at that time, they would not be here today. I could handle my kids being killed on my spyder, but not my grandkids. Consequently, they, my grandkids, no longer ride on my spyder.

Chris

[mtdoragary]

If you are concerned about safety, you shouldn't be riding at all.One driver texting is all it takes to kill you or cripple you for life. If you've decided riding is worth the risk, at least you're on the safest possible vehicle you can ride on top of!

[Bob Denman]

:agree: But... :oldpost:

[ARtraveler]

If you are concerned about safety, you shouldn't be riding at all.One driver texting is all it takes to kill you or cripple you for life. If you've decided riding is worth the risk, at least you're on the safest possible vehicle you can ride on top of!

You may have missed the point of the thread. It was questioning should we let children ride as passengers on the :spyder2:.

We do make choices as to safety issues, when we as adults choose to ride or not to ride. Children passengers are not consciously making that decision. We as adults make that for them. I stick with my post from over a year ago. No youngsters riding on my :ani29:,s.

[flaggerphil]

My daughter rode with me on the back of my Yamaha XS 500 when she was 7 (we lived in Key West at the time). She had her own small-sized helmet and she held on to me. I also had a sissy bar on the back so she wouldn't just fly off.

That was 34 years ago, though, and today I wouldn't take a 7 year old out on my Spyder except for a short ride around the block. For longer trips they'd have to be at least 10 and be able to reach the footrests.

Times change and so do how we think about things.

[2Paw]

When I visit the younger Granddaughters every time they climb on the Spyder to see if their feet reach the floorboards, even if I was just there the day before, because they know I won't let them until they do.

[SpyderAnn01]

:agree: But... :oldpost:

I know, seems to be a lot of old posts being resurrected lately.

[Bob Denman]

Who's doing all of the digging?? http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/3/3_11_5v.gif :dontknow:

[Dan McNally]

I am not sure I agree with the whole idea, maybe old age. Yes I do remember riding babies on the gas tank.
If you do, I would say, a minmum of armrest, back rest or Rt and some kind of blocks so his feet reach the pegs. then kind of slow speeds only.
I will let other withmore recent experience go from here.
Good luck
Oldmanzues

:agree:

[Mets79ST2013]

Looks like I'll be taking my grandson on more of my rides. He is only 9 years old, not real big and I'm a little concerned about him sticking on the back. Any experience with children as passengers or suggestions. His feet do not reach the passenger foot rests.

I ride with my boys also, what I did is to add the backrest to my ST, they are not riding with me now but that is for another thread....

[Bob Denman]

http://www.spyderspecialties.com/

Apparently; these folks are on the right track! :thumbup:

[Denny B.]

Your guideline here is the feet touching. I would rig up something so his feet could touch, and someone, somewhere, makes some sort of belt you wear around yourself that gives them a built in handle to hang onto.

[ARtraveler]

Who's doing all of the digging?? http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/3/3_11_5v.gif :dontknow:

Mostly newer members perusing what's on file in various topics. I think that most of us have resurrected an older thread file either intentionally or not. Here, it was interesting to see what we said the last time the thread was active.