First of all, when is it safe to let your kids ride with you, and how should you do it? Your child needs to be old enough to ride safely behind you, and be able to hold onto you tightly. It’s a good idea to wait to have them ride with you until their legs are long enough to touch the rear foot pegs, so they can sit without wobbling around when you go around a corner, or need to put your feet on the brakes. They also need to be able to hold on to you tightly, with their arms around your waist. They should have the arm strength to hold on. If they can’t reach around your waist, it is probably not a good idea to let them ride with you.

You sometimes see people put their children in front of them and have their kids trying to hold onto the gas tank. Usually they are wearing a helmet, but one that is way too big for them. You should never allow your child to ride in front of you for many different safety reasons. One of them is that if you have to put on the brakes quickly, your kid is going to lurch forward, and you are subconsciously going to reach out to grab them. This is dangerous because you let go of the controls, and are paying more attention to them, instead of traffic. This holds true if you go around a corner and your child starts to slip off, your gut reaction will be to grab them, instead of executing the turn safely. You should always have your child wear protective gear, and wear gear that fits them. If a child’s helmet is still to big, then you shouldn’t let them ride with you. In addition, goggles are important, as the child will be more exposed to any weather or debris from the road due to their height.

One of the ways you can safely have your kids ride with you is by using a side car. There are many different styles, and finding one that fits your motorcycle won’t be hard to find. They have seat belts, windshields, and some even come with fully enclosed canopies. Having one of these for riding with your kids is probably the safest method. For one thing, because of the safety belt, and the fact that they have extra protection, there is very little chance your child is going to fall out. Secondly, since they are secure, you can concentrate more on the road, and if you need to see if they are doing all right, you can simply look over at them for a brief moment.

There are some bike rallies that cater to families. There is the Cascade Family Motorcycle Club, and they are just that, a family club. They hold events that you can bring the wife and kids to, without worry. They have their own website, and give listings of when and where rallies are being held. There are many rallies that you should never bring the kids to, one of them is the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. This is an adults only rally, and many people are partially nude, drinking, and are doing activities that children shouldn’t be a witness to.