• Age/Size: Before a child can ride on a motorcycle, they should be old enough to understand the importance of safety and large enough to ride on the seat. Children who can not comfortably hold the rider in front and rest their feet on the foot pegs should never be a motorcycle passenger.

• Positioning: The only place a child can ride on a motorcycle in behind the driver. Never ride with a child in front of the driver.

• Safety Gear: Children should wear the same safety gear as any other motorcycle rider. Protective motorcycle gear comes in a wide array of sizes for children. Most importantly, make sure they have a child sized, DOT helmet.

• Duration of the Ride: Long rides are not suitable for children as a general rule. Children can fall asleep and slide off the bike; even on a custom cruiser or a Honda Goldwing with full passenger setup.

• Back rest: Ideally, children should ride on bikes that have a bike rest or sissy bar on the rear of the seat. This added support makes it easier for the child to stay in place and minimizes fatigue.

• Test Ride: Before hitting the streets or the highway, make a couple of test runs on a deserted street or a large parking lot. A little practice can make sure the child is truly ready to be a motorcycle passenger.

Riding on a motorcycle for a child can be an exhilarating experience and can be the spark to the start of a lifelong love of motorcycling. Experienced bikers should help insure that the new generation of bikers understands safety is more important than the thrill of the ride. By helping children understand and respect the need for safety at a young age, the entire motorcycle community will benefit greatly.

By following a few night riding essentials, your next evening ride will be both fun and safe.

• Clean your lights: Dirty headlights, tail lights, turning signals, and running lights can greatly impair how visible they are at a distance. Make sure to clean all lights a minimum of twice per week to insure maximum visibility.

• Reflective Motorcycle Gear: Reflective gear provides extra, highly visible illumination that motorists can see at great distances. Make sure your gear has reflective material on it. There are also options to buy additional reflective material and add them to your bike or helmet.

• Helmets and Goggles: Make sure visors and lens are clean and free of scratches. Scratches can cause glare from headlights and impede clear vision. If your goggles or helmet visors have scratches, replace them immediately.

• HIDs or Standard Headlights: HID or High Intensity Discharge lights produce 300% more light than halogen headlights. While this is great for providing the best vision for the motorcyclist, HID lights can sometimes have the opposite effect on other motorists.

• Speed: Always obey all posted speed limits but make sure to use extra care at night. Since your vision will be less acute than during the day, slower speeds will help you see and anticipate potential problems better and allow for maximum reaction time.

• Eye sight: Since motorcycling requires great vision, make sure to have an annual vision check up to see if corrective lens are needed. Night vision can sometimes be more impaired than day vision so make sure to tell your doctor that night vision is important for you.

Night motorcycling is all about seeing and being seen. Make sure that as you head out for an evening ride, all the necessary precautions have been taken so you are not in the dark.