For those of us who have kids and motorcycles we have to realize that the same inner pull that drives us to the biker lifestyle very often is in our kids as well. If you have kids you know what I am talking about, you can barely get away for a ride by yourself because they always want to go, right? I enjoy taking them out anyway but we do have to remember that there are special precautions we have to take for them before we take them for a ride.

The first thing we need to do is be sure that we equip them with protective riding gear just like we wear beginning with protective clothing such as long heavy denim or leather pants and jackets, full gloves, good quality heavy shoes or boots, and of course last but certainly not least a helmet that fits them properly. You can't just have an extra helmet that anyone wears, your kids need to have their own that fits them properly. You should also be sure that they have a pair of good quality high impact resistant sunglasses to protect their eyes from the damaging UV rays of the sun.

Make sure that your kids know the rules of the road before you take them out, such as no quick movements and staying seated on the bike at all times. You also want to be sure that they are comfortable and have a sturdy safe place to rest their feet. You may have to get something customized if your kids are really small.

You have to be aware that having a kid on the back of your bike is totally different than having another adult riding with you. Kids move around a lot more, just like they do any other time! They don't think about the dangers as much as an adult and may tend to stick their hands out to play in the wind and things like that. Just watch them and keep them safe.

Another issue I have noticed with my kids, especially when they were smaller is that the sound and vibration of my bike would sometimes make them sleepy, you don't want them falling asleep and falling off the motorcycle! Just be aware that this can happen so that if and when it does you are prepared for it.

Riding your motorcycle with your kids can be a very pleasurable experience, just be cognizant of the fact that with that experience comes some additional responsibilities that you have to take into consideration.

A lot of the motorcycle gear on the market today; clothing in particular is being made more for looks than protection. When you are sliding down the asphalt at fifty miles and hour it's not about the looks!

In the United States it is pretty much "caveat emptor", or let the buyer beware. There is no governing body watching over the manufacturers of protective clothing like they have in Europe where they have to go through extensive testing before they can me marketed as protective clothing.

In contrast to popular belief the vast majority of motorcycle accident injuries are to the lower portions of the body, especially the legs and feet. So in consideration of this you should definitely make sure that you have a good quality pair of riding boots along with a good pair of quality leather protective pants. When shopping for motorcycle pants make sure they have extra reinforcement in the knee and hip area and that they have an option to be connected to your jacket which also adds to protection.

When choosing riding boots, they should be made of thick but flexible leather and the sole should be made of a material that is resistant to oil and other petroleum based products as you ten to put your feet down on the road quite a bit.

Although leather is the material of choice by most serious bikers there are now other synthetic fabrics on the market that do a good job of protecting you in an accident. One choice is the new Kevlar reinforced jeans which have been tested to last more than five seconds in ana abrasion test as opposed to jeans with last about a half second!

Take the same care and precautions when choosing a motorcycle jacket as well. Many of the motorcycle jackets on the market today are for looks only and use thin leather which is not suitable for a protective motorcycle jacket. All contact points such as your shoulders and elbows should be reinforced and contain extra impact padding.

When it comes to your hands, they must be protected. A good pair of leather gloves is a necessity to keep you from tearing the palms of your hands off in even a minor accident. It is just natural to put your hand down to protect yourself when you feel your bike going down or if you get thrown. I have seen people with horrible injuries to their hands from a minor accident, injuries they would have never received had they worn gloves.