| Author |
Message |
    
Djkaplan
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 02:42 pm: | 
|
My first ride on a motorcycle was on the back of Triumph 500 way back in 1968 when I was only 6 years old. I'd like to think that you could still give a kid a thrill like that these days, but a horrible incident involving a friend keeps me from putting myself in that position. I'll spare the details, but suffice to say, that's one mistake by another person that I learned from. Plus, I know from my own experience, even neighborhoods can be fraught with peril. |
Johnnylunchbox
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 03:05 pm: |
|
My first ride was on the back of my uncle's Moto Morini 3 1/2. I was probably about 6 and I thought it was the fastest thing in the world. What a thrill. I have loved motorcycles ever since.
But I personally would not ride with a three year old nowadays. It's asking for trouble. |
Davegess
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 04:11 pm: |
|
Around the neighborhood up to the ice cream stand can't be too dangerous
yes... it can...
So can walking, crossing streets without stop lights along the way. It all comes down to how you want to define "too dangerous" I have no problem with riding a motorcycle but wouldn't touch a cigarette  |
Charlieboy6649
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 08:16 pm: |
|
I'm with George Carlin on this one, we shield our children way too much these days and were raising a nation of sissies!
I'll be taking my kid for a ride as soon as he/she is old enough to say, "Daddy I want to ride." I grew up jumping my bike over canals, drinking water from the hose, swimming in questionable reservoirs, and eating food that had been on the floor WAY too long. Where was the 3 second rule back then! LOL! We can't be immune forever and risk is what LIVING life is all about.
Anyway, I say go for it. I'd use the strap while my child was that little. If I got hit by a car, hell, chalk it up to natural selection. |
Kccyclone
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 09:31 pm: |
|
George Carlin is a funny guy, but I don't think I'll take his comedy seriously about raising my daughter. I've just let her start riding with me for little trips here and there never more than 50 miles. Before it was trips around the block. I can't imagine the guilt of dealing with something bad, or worse living without her. We all know the risks involved and take them willingly, but we are all adults The only thing the kids are thinking about is the fun and excitement, not the risks. |
Steve_mackay
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 09:35 pm: |
|
I don't want to be perceived as an uncaring/reckless father, but I agree whole heartedly with you Charlie.
He got his helmet today, but says it's not fast. It need flames. 
So, I'm gonna get him some flames 
http://www.reflectivedecals.com/flamedecals.htm#
http://www.streetglo.net/streetglo_files/helmet.flame.decal.htm |
Bigdaddy
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 10:44 pm: |
|
I'm a fairly successful parent. I've teamed up with my wife of 24 years and we've raised 3 -- all 3 will be in college next semester -- 'normal' kids. We've had go karts, little motorcycles, learned how to drive cars, full-contact Tae Kwon Do, bungie jumping, you name it, and they've never been shielded from 'life.' I have no "sissies" and that goes for the girls too.
My job as a parent is more like a risk-mitigation facilitator and I take that job very seriously. I cannot imagine the pain/guilt a loving parent would live with if they were a party to the loss of a child. I fully believe the old axiom that there's only two kinds of folks riding motorcycles too. You've either been down or you've got an appointment to go down. I've been down, a few times actually, and some of them have been my fault and others I had some assistance. I've been blessed that every time I went down I was solo.
Please be careful and if you don't believe anything I've said or you believe me to be a bit anal about protecting children we'll never agree on this subject. I do know one thing (all the 40+ something Badwebbers will know this) kids grow up really, really, really fast. If you have a 5 or 6 year old don't worry! In about 2 or 3 weeks they'll need $15K+ for tuition, a reliable car, insurance money, university meal card, $400.00 parking permit sticker, etc, etc, etc -- it goes really fast.
Greg |
Kccyclone
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 11:07 pm: |
|
AMEN Bigdaddy |
Buelliedan
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 11:08 pm: |
|
In 5 or 6 years they are going to need a lot more than 15k for tuition!! |
Bigdaddy
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 11:44 pm: |
|
Buellidan, I was only speaking for one semester :-) Yes, the price of education will continue to increase -- just wait, you just wait, until you get one in grad school. My freaking goodness; "Excuse me Ms. Financial Aid Lady, but where do I send my left gonad to and what exactly do you do with it? Do I get it back at some point?
Kccyclone, Thank you and I wrote that straight from the heart and meant every freaking word.
It's all worth it or so I'm told -- I don't really know because none of mine have decided to exit academia and enter the job market, but on some fine day they will.
Greg
PS George Carlin may be a comic genius (debatable point) but his world is so far removed from the world I live in that his input has ZERO value.
(Message edited by bigdaddy on February 09, 2005)
(Message edited by bigdaddy on February 09, 2005) |
Charlieboy6649
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 09, 2005 - 12:15 am: |
|
As you said agree we won't so I'll agree to disagree. By the way, I don't think we should throw our children into reckless situations either...risk mitigator as you put it is a good term. But for me, I think a ride with dad is just too cool to be warded off by the what if scenarios. |
Lindamlly2
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 09, 2005 - 01:58 am: |
|
Steve,
I've been buying reflective decals now for a while. We have 8 helmets in our family. We tried both of those brands. Which one did you buy? We like the Streetglo ones mainly because they give you more decal material.
My son has the biohazard on his helmet but I have the Speed Stripes decal My husband has the flames, we like them all.
You are getting reflective, right?
Mine: http://www.streetglo.net/reflective.products/
look at the third one down less the nude lady! Likewise, I didn't buy the naked lady. |
Hanses25
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 09, 2005 - 10:15 am: |
|
George Carlen really is funny and to an extend that quote about raising sissies is somewhat true. Another way to look at current parental trends would be some of us are currently showing our children the paths of irresponsibility. I think R.Lee Ermey said it better when in the movie Full Metal Jacket he stated that God has a hard on for Marines, because Marines keep heaven stocked with fresh souls. Don't make the mistake of adding your toddler to that stockpile. Wait till he's old enough to actually absorb what your showing him, for now let him be a little, don't mistake his youth for being a sissy. You wouldn't smack him around to get him used to falling down would you? |
Bomber
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 09, 2005 - 11:16 am: |
|
wrt college expenses -- when I was fresh outa my post grad work in SE Asia, and working in an office for the first time, an elderly gent (maybe 50!) asked me if I'd started saving for my kid's college yet -- I laughed, and said I wasn't even going steady, much less having kids --
he said that, over the years, a school year at a state school (Illinois) had added up to just about the same as a full sized, fully loaded chevy -- I've tracked this in a non-formal manner over the years, and his comparison rings true to this day -- I've bought TWO impalas in the last two years, but without the depreciation ;-}
child rearing is very much an individualistic thing when it comes to specific actions and risks one family might view as acceptable -- so long as it's done with love, and the parents are of a reasonable intelligence level, I think it's all good (lord knows MY folks had no idea what I was getting up to most of the time, yet here I am!) |
Midknyte
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 09, 2005 - 12:52 pm: |
|
I'm not against kids as passengers. I just think they ought to be old enough to at least begin to grasp the concepts and be able to absorb & retain instruction and cautions. i.e., be a responsible and well behaved passenger.
My oldest is 10 and I felt pretty good about taking him out last year and look forward to doing so again this year.
On the buy short list is another pocket-bike (for myself) this year, and a go-cart for the younger one (5). The majority of our ride time will be in a parking lot.
One more thing to consider. About the age of 3-4, children's imaginations are coming around. Scary movies that were sat thru with blissfull ignorance before are able to stir up some real fears & nightmares. Depends on the kid. My littlest is real hardy. Would hate for him to be spooked by a [perceived bad] experience on a bike. You of course know that he'll probably do ok. |
Newfie_buell
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 06:30 am: |
|
I have actually had all 4 of my kids on bikes since the age of 3.
Teach them how to properly ride and they will love it. My daughter was actually riding a Blast on a closed, fenced compound at age 11. She commented on how it went around the turns better than the Honda CB125s.
 |
Mr_grumpy
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 07:21 am: |
|
Steve, this might sound far out but I don't think anyone has mentioned it, have you thought about a sidecar?
I have a very good friend who won't drive his car unless he has to, he's got 3 bikes,
an old R80GS with 100 motor that him & his wife tour on,
it's now got well over 200k on the clock,}
a Guzzi Le Mans that he's had for 20 years,
& a K100 outfit for family transport,
his boy's been on bikes since he was born!
I'm sure you could spare one of your Buells to put a chair on, it'd have rarity value if nothing else. |
Steve_mackay
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 07:27 am: |
|
It's ironic you mention it. But we're picking up a sidecar bike this weekend. One of those russian bikes with the driven sidecar wheel my brother got off ebay for $2600 for a 2003 model
We'll see how he likes it. We're loading the trailer with the XB9R and heading down to South Carolina Friday night after I get home from the IMS show in Chicago. Should be some nice, WARM riding down there |
Mr_grumpy
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 07:42 am: |
|
What model did you pick up, the civil or the military spec? the military spec with the knobblys on will go just about anywhere, not quickly tho.
just remember not to ride it like a solo or you'll end up in trouble.
I'm currently trying to persuade the wife to have one but she fancies a germanstyle trike with a VW motor.
Have fun with it, I guarantee you'll get just as much attention as with a Buell.  |
Steve_mackay
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 07:46 am: |
|
I think it's the military version.
Yeah, I know how sidecar bikes ride. My father-in-law has an FLH with a sidecar that I've ridden a few times. Quite a different experience. |
Newfie_buell
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 11:21 am: |
|
I want one of those Steve!!!!! |
Thunderbolt3
| | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 10:40 pm: |
|
 buell with sidecar not mine though but i like it |
Tucsonxb9s
| | Posted on Friday, February 11, 2005 - 12:45 am: |
|
I know I'm a little late with the reflective decal thing...but do these look familiar?
 |
Shawn_9r
| | Posted on Friday, February 11, 2005 - 12:50 am: |
|
Mine rides better than me and he is 7 yrs old |
Steve_mackay
| | Posted on Saturday, February 12, 2005 - 09:16 pm: |
|
Newfie
sorry for the crappy quality but its from my camera phone, since I forgot my card reader for my laptop. |
|
