Child on motocycle.

zracer-Mark- I ask, Why is it ok for your 6 year old to race hare scrambles? What makes hare scrambles less dangerous than road racing? I'll take speed, leather, and run off room over trees, speed, and jumps anyday.

What is dangerous is sheltering your kid until you have an 18 year old who is "technically" and "legally" old enough to make "adult" decisions but has no experience but still has a chip on thier shoulder and thinks they are invincible.

Two of the possible results include:

1) have a hand-heart-making emo who wants to go to college for Art appreciation and hangs out with his veggan hippy non-deodorant wearing pot smoking buddies.

2)A huge Tool that becomes one of the S.Q.U.I.D. motorcycle owners that eveyone on here likes to complain about. The kind that like riding their flip-flop wearing girlfriends around on the back of.


Now granted, those are only two possible outcomes.

Me, I'll take my chances by raising my kid to appreciate and respect motorcycles while he is still under my care.

...just sayin'

 

r6boater...

With respect...There is a huge difference. I have been doing them since 2007 (when I ended my 12 years of road racing)...I have NEVER heard of a death in the years I have been doing it OR in any conversation. I think the worst injury I have HEARD of (not seen) in all these years has been a femur break. And that was an adult. PeeWee racing? That is another subject. Even safer.

Hare scramble racing is not on the same level. Especially PeeWee racing.

I also don't know many (say ANY) young kids that are into motorcycles, etc. that have much or any fear. They certainly have no clue in regards to life altering or changing events.

Basic difference? NO DEATHS.

BUT like I said...I am not here to judge anyone. Everybody makes their own decisions for their kids. I was just surprised that many people were criticizing the OP for putting his kid on the back when many probably think it's fine to sign them up to go 130 mph on the track. Still have the adult making a decision that could alter a child's life forever...Or end it.

 

Like deciding to drive them to school in the car? What about deciding to allow them to ride their bicycle in the neighborhood, or deciding to take them swimming in the pool? Parents make daily decisions that have the potential to kill or maim their child due to uncontrolled circumstances.

 

Sure K. Same risks involved.

Again, all parents should do what they feel. I was only surprised so many judged the OP.

 

Oh really? Have you forgotten the phone thread already?

 

Pat. That's right! Lol. I guess that's what makes this board fun! Lol.

 

Agreed!

 

i remember being 3-4 years young. i had NO CONCEPT of the consequences associated with impacting anything with blunt force even while i was downhill skiing. if a three year old takes a dive off a motorcycle, you might as well have tossed them out the back of a moving pickup. they will have NO UNDERSTANDING of what's happening or about to happen, how to protect themselves and even less have the capability to hang on for dear life in a potentially life threatening situation.
the OP may be going about it as safely as he can, but...

two-up racing is for sidecars. i'm sure the "monkey" has a grasp of what the hell is going on.
a three year old? not.

i'm sure valentino rode around the paddock as a passenger on dad's scooter or whatever, but i'd be hard pressed to believe he went on street rides at three. nonetheless, he was riding his own bikes at four. THAT would be an ego trip.

the good news is, kids tend to bounce. given the proper personal protective gear, any "offs" could meet with giggles and "can we do it again?" provided their momentum isn't cut short.

sorry, i just don't get it. i have a high risk tolerance but the dangers involved with my enjoyment of life are calculated risks based on MY abilities. not the abilities, or lack thereof, of others.

 

How many of the naysayers in this thread have kids?

 

All three of my kids were riding their own motorcycle by the age of three. They certainly had a healthy dose of fear and an appreciation that they could get hurt on the bike. That's why they didn't go wide open and run into things. They learned early that the throttle goes both ways. You see, children learn very early that when they fall down or run into things it hurts and that they don't want to do that. They usually learn this when they are learning to walk. Believe it or not, the self preservation instinct is real.

 

i guess i should have made a point, in my first paragraph, to refer to the kids as passengers.
when THEY are in control, they can exercise their instincts...not so much when someone else is at the wheel.

 

I spoke with my son about this and he said not to listen to a bunch of sewing circle bitches. He said let them hide under the bed and wonder the "what ifs", he wants to ride!

 

Child on the back

I used to ride on the back of my dad's Honda goldwing when I was 4. Never had a problem except sometimes I would fall asleep which was not good! It would scare my dad to death. I would use chatter boxes so you can talk to each other at all times.