child safety in sidecar

timo, we've introduced smaller children to the sidecar in a parking lot, where they can learn the basics like sitting mostly  still and don't get up until instructed after full stop.  A seatbelt is good to help children from fidgeting/getting up.  We've only had one neighborhood child "graduate" to riding a few local rides at age 7, but she's since moved. :o:-( Hopefully someone can show pics of adapting a 4-point harness in the sidecar.

I use a simple lap belt I bought from a local auto store. I don't know if my daughter is safer, but it makes me feel better.

It's an uncertain situation. Many folks say that any sort of a seat belt is a bad idea and that in case of an accident it's better to be thrown clear. The Minnesota statues are a little muddy. They say that motorcycles don't require child seats but that all passengers under 18 years old must wear DOT approved helmets.

All that's pretty clear but there's a regulation that requires foot rests [that can be reached] for any passengers, that's problematic in a sidecar and there is a requirement that all passengers ride with one leg on each side of the motorcycle and there's no specific exception for sidecars [there's little attention paid to stuff that's impossible]. From a legal stand point, if a LEO wants to stop you, he will and then he may find something wrong. Also, you'll find that most LEOs don't know anything about laws that are specific to sidecars.

Personally, I'd pay attention to the helmet law and use a lap belt to make sure that all the little ones stay seated.

Does your hack have enough room for an adult to ride with them? A lap belt and an adult are prolly the best option. Lap belt alone otherwise. Maybe a convertable cover if you have one?

Great idea to test 'em out in a parking lot first to see how fidgitty they are.

I haven't tried this, but for kids that young, you might want to consider getting a toy steering wheel so they can pretend to be driving the car themselves. Would help to keep their attention away from moving around too much. An intercomm system might be a good thing too so that Grandpa can keep an eye... er ear... on what the presious cargo is doing.

Timo, in most ststes a sidecar is a motorcycle accessory and the passenger is treated as a motorcycle passenger. Helmet laws apply and most states have a provision for passenger footrests, handled by the floor of the hack. Eye protetions is usually mandatory as well. A seatbelt encourages a small passenger to stay in place and should not really be thought of in terms of crash safety. As a retired LEO, if I saw a child wearing safety gear in a sidecar belted or not I wouldn't give it a thought.

Al Bond
05 V-Star 1100 with Texas/Ural hybrid

I have a grandson who just turned 3 on 31512 last July I bought a sidecar just so I could continue riding since he lives with me full time. I use a lap belt with his standard car seat and I attatched a redneck Hanns device to his helmet to prevent neck probems from braking and when he falls asleep. I used some key rings hooked to the helmet and a breakaway neck lanyard for the straps, he is able to turn his head to look around but not move to far forward

That is a good cuestion. If I for myself am not happy with the weight of helmets avialable for adults. Where to find helmets with low weight for children?
All extra small helmets I found were standard adult helmets with more styrofoam stuffing. Means the neck of these small kids have to withstand the same weight as an adult... that is nuts and nothing good for the neck of a kid in growing process. My kids now are close to be grown ups. But still I would love to find an apropiate helmet for kids for the day there might come grandkids.

Several friends tell me, that if they would have known that grandkids are such a good fun, they would have had them first....
Sven

up here, kids need a car seat in the car until about 6 or so, and a booster from there,..when my daughter was 4yrs old,..I installed her child seat in the hack with the lap belt, and secured the top teather to the luggage rack, this give her a 4 point harness to hold her in,..I also secured her helmet( Haans device) with a short cable ( quick clip) to her seat to prevent serious neck injury with the helmet weight,...see Dale Earnhart, and this proved effective until she grew strong enough to hoild up the helmet,..as she turns 10 this week,..our little hot-rod has faired well,...good luck,...crawf.

my kid offen asks me for a riding. but i worried about his security.
Maybe you can ask for sidecar manufacturers nearly by to make helmet and lab belt for your kid! but you'd better to take a large sidecar which including one adult and a child.

You know that security is most important

I Have been going back and forth with this same thought process now for weeks. Im in the process of mounting a Harley tle ultra sidecar to a 1998 Harley ultra classic. Im trying to think of ways to secure my two yearl old in the sidecar. So far I think ive settled on using a four or five point harness out of a Jr. Dragster. Still considering some type of Hanns device. Any one have photos of child restraints in thier hacks ? WVSporty Aiden seems to really enjoy riding in there

manufacturerers will run as fast as they can away from giving the ok to anybody under 18 in a sidecar

just the way it is

to

with a child that young,..I would certainly use an automotive car seat, it would keep the child secure and supported around corners or in an accident situation...good luck, crawf.

Hey guys don't take this the wrong way, If you keep going back and forth over the issue aabout taking the kids out for a ride or not then don't if you are not able to make a decision and be happy with it then its not for you.
I have to work on my Hanns device my first one was just a quick fix for a sleeping 2yo , now that I have had time to think . the connection was on the top front of the helmet , not good for braking it pulled his head up and back . I will re do the mounts for the sides , maybe near the temple area and see how that works. I will keep yall updated as I go

What if the child's helmet were restrained in the center of the back? It would allow the head to turn to look to the side, but still stop forward motion during a stop.