Hang on!

[Danny River Valleskey]

My daughter loves to ride on the C650, she will do damn near anything for a scooter ride! Trouble is, she won't hang on. She is "special needs", the old word is - retarded. About as smart as your average 4 year old. But she is a big girl, over 200#, 17 y.o..

If I stop, read her the riot act, or threaten "no more scooter", she will hang on to the side handles for a few blocks. Never wants to grab my belt. She will occasionally grab my shoulders, but that feels constricting to me, harder to lean the bike. And her balance is also compromised, I occasionally need to remind her to sit still.

Never having been the pillion on our scooter, I am not sure how secure she is back there. Are there any experienced scooter passengers out there that can comment on the chances of her toppling off the back?

We tried my GS last night, but it is just too tight a fit.

I am also a little concerned about making the bike work too hard. Her 200#, plus my.... ah, um, not inconsiderable weight, must be putting some strain on the bike. Seems to take it well, and I try to use a light touch on the throttle most of the time. I have the rear preload jacked up all the way, we no longer scrape the pegs. Is my fear mostly groundless? Reality is, this bike will not see more then a couple thousand miles a year.

TIA-

-Dan

 

[Sparkrn]

The bike can handle the wight fine, adjust the preload accordingly, but someone not riding with you properly is super dangerous. Someday you will lean into a corner and if she leans the same way, we’ll you know the result I would buy a Can am or a trike if you want to continue riding with your daughter. Be careful!

 

[Danny River Valleskey]

Ya, more I think about it, scares me some. Maybe a sidecar.....!!


-Dan

 

[spacepuppy]

Scary but I understand the desire to do something fun and cool together. You ever look into, it's like a belly band with handles? Not sure if this link is the best version but it gives you an idea what I'm talking about. Thinking if there were handles it would be natural to use them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DJTmSO5ZYU

 

[Danny River Valleskey]

Still want to ride

Scary but I understand the desire to do something fun and cool together. You ever look into, it's like a belly band with handles? Not sure if this link is the best version but it gives you an idea what I'm talking about. Thinking if there were handles it would be natural to use them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DJTmSO5ZYU

That must might work, thanks. She is pushing me hard, since school has ended, to go for scooter rides. Understand, she has few really fun things in her life. A scooter ride with daddy is way up on the scale! And a scooter is way smoother, then a regular bike- my GS is way jumpier, that is why I like it better then the C650. It is impossible to take off super fast with a scooter! That cuts the chance she could fall off the back.

Not sure what is right, talking about what you can do with a special needs kid is a whole different discussion then if she were normal. Hey, if she were normal, I'd have bought her a red Miata by now!

-d

 

[Danny River Valleskey]

Still want to ride

Not sure what is right, talking about what you can do with a special needs kid is a whole different discussion then if she were normal. Hey, if she were normal, I'd have bought her a red Miata by now!

-d

I asked dear wife to snap a few shots while we cruised the driveway. You can see how well she fits. That is one happy kid. We skipped the motorcycle jacket and gloves, but long pants and lace up shoes/ socks are always present.

 

[justscootin]

Get the back rest or the top box and this will reduce the chance of her falling off the back

 

[Danny River Valleskey]

Still want to ride

Get the back rest or the top box and this will reduce the chance of her falling off the back

Yes, I had thought about a top case anyway, we do small grocery store runs with it. Wish I could find one that would match the brown.

-d

 

[exavid]

I recommend the top box too. My wife doesn't like to ride our GT without the box on the scooter. With the box the pillion rider is pretty well wedged in. The only thing I'd worry about would be slow speeds like coming to a stop at an intersection. A good sized fidgety passenger makes coming to a complete stop kinda hairy. My wife isn't a great bike passenger. I keep telling her to pretend she's a great actress that's emulating a sack of spuds. In other words sit still when we're going slowly.