to think that taking dd on back of motorbike would be completely STUPID FFS

[DHisBARKING]

DH loves his bike. There is no age requirement by law to take a pillion rider on the back. No matter how big or powerful the bike. As long as the pillion can touch the footpegs (a 4 year old could on most) and wear a fitting helmet, they can ride!

DH thinks its OK once dd (now 3) is about 6 to ride on the back "just a short way, taking it very steady".

I am livid. Is he F'ing brain-dead or what?!?!

I hate seeing kids on the back of bikes as well, especially in heavy traffic. Down cycle paths isn't so bad but I hated doing it with mine, as the weight distrib. made the balance v dodgy especially when lifting the front wheel for kerbs etc.

I was riding on a motorway once in the snow, heavy lorries going by to the channel tunnel, and found a layby and got off and put my gloved hands on the pipes to warm up. The gloves melted!!

My dh is a safe,slow rider. Going round a bend in august, the bike skidded on gravel. He fell, the bike fell on him and he skidded down the road. If he had fallen the other way he would have been hit by cars coming up the hill. He had full protective gear on. It took 4 months before he could walk without crutches and his shoulder still has limited movement. The bike was a write off. I hate to see children on the back off bikes.

am a biker (well, not at moment as pg and have small dd).

prob with bikes is, you can be a safe, brilliant rider but there will always be things beyond your control: other crap drivers, diesel, cow in road on a bend. in a car you have a lot of protection: seatbelt, airbags and a box of steel but on a bike you only have leathers and a helmet.

i would not let my dc on my bike until quite a bit older than 6, and even then i'm not sure. they would have to have good leathers and a really good helmet. so that'll be at a bare minimum when they've stopped growing!

in short: no frigging way.

You are definately NOT being unreasonable. for you. It doesn't matter how careful a rider you are, you can't control other road users. Nor can you assume that a young child will hold on tight all the ride IYSWIM.
I would draw the line and agree that he can sit on it stationary with the engine off, or being pushed by DH with no engine running. That way he still gets a go but no danger.

Not a chance I would allow DD, almost 6, on the back of a bike. Not sure I would ever let her on the back TBH - not until she was old enough to buy her own and take a test - don't care if I am being unreasonable. Have heard too many bad stories about bike accidents.

My parents didnt have a car until i was 11 and our only mode of transport was a z1100 and sidecar, my dad would let us ride pillion for a treat once we got to around 10. I can remember him taking me to school on my 1st day of highschool on the bike without the chair and gaining instant kudos!
My dd1 is 6 now and i dont think i would let her ride pillion yet.

VS's point about her ds is a good one: there isn't a particular age where it's appropriate, the important thing is that the dcs understand what's involved and can be trusted to ride safely. And I agree with other posters that the danger from other drivers is similar to being on a pushbike.

That said I do sympathise; both dh and I ride and I know that he will want to take dd on the bike earlier than I'll be comfortable with. So I'll be crossing that bridge in a few years too.

[waves to all the other MN bikers. Nice to see there are quite a few!]

YANBU. I would never allow my child on a motorbike, my uncle had my cousin on the back of his, driving very responsibly and slid on oil? something on the road. My cousin(12 at time) was on life support, then in hospital for nearly 2 years and is now paralised from the neck down (same spinal injury that christopher reeves had). Police said that from markings on the road bike was def not breaking the speed limit. Sorry to be so doom and gloom but i would ban all motorbikes if i could.

gawd nancy that's terrible.

have realised that I'm being totally hypocritical as he DOES take her on the back of the pushbike and I don't bat an eyelid! jeeez, now i'm worried about that! mind you, he IS sensible when it comes to that. He'll only take her down the local back streets to the park and back again. He avoids other parks that might involve main roads. I guess it's just the fact that it's a big, heavy, fast machine and of course coming off it and the weight of it on top of a small person would be horrendous.

thanks for all your messages. really interesting actually, so many varied opinions and experiences. But on the whole, I'm not going to let her for a LOOOOONG time yet.

By then will have derren brown'd her into having a fear of them