Take your daughter, you will both remember it for the rest of your lives. I took my 16 yr old daughter to Washinton DC from Atlanta last year for the Rolling Thunder ride, we had a great time, a year later and she still talks about it. We even rode the entire way home (650 miles) in one day with no problem.
Just remember a few things, she is female, she will complain at some point, but both of you will get over it and have a great time. Remember to bring her IPOD and charger, even though my daughter and I like some of the same music, she had to have her IPOD. Bring a camera and extra memory cards, my daughter stayed busy on the back snapping pictures while we were riding. Lots of great memories!

Let us know how it went after the trip!!!

 

Grab a Hold of these times when she Wants to be with you - cherish them - soon she may reach that age when you are no longer 'cool' to be with. My daughter is now 35 and hasn't spoke to me in over 14 years???????????? When she was 13 I was cool - then I divorced her mom... I won the battle and Lost the war...

I would love to trade places with you - Please take her and enjoy every min..

My only advice would be Not to push the miles... if she wants to stop - stop and again, enjoy your time with her - even at the cost of maybe making the trip longer - even better.....

 

Thanks for the responses. I do greatly appreciate how brief this time where it's "cool to be with Dad" is and I know this is a good time for me. I took my daughter on a "warm up" trip Memorial Day Weekend (had to miss Rolling Thunder which is just down the road from me - oh well, next year for sure!). We went 850 miles in 3 days and she was fine with it, although of course there were times when she was asking when we would "be there". But breaks for smoothies and such made it OK. Good advice on bringing her own mp3 player even though we have the H-D audio system with XM too. I just bought the J&M Elite headsets so we'll have it good in the helmets as well as the speakers. I'll make sure she has the chargers for her mp3 and camera, and her curling iron and make-up. Thanks for the advice on taking Loveland Pass, I've heard of it and will try to go that way. One thing a couple of you brought up is falling asleep and I wonder if she would fall out of that pillion seat if she dozed off. I know she would be adamantly against the child strap. I'll just keep tapping her knee and talking to her like I do. It will be hard to get her to wear ATGATT because it will be hot. I'm just going to be careful as shi%%.

Thanks for all yor encouragement.

 

I remember when my son was 5 or 6, he fell asleep on the back of my '84 Gold Wing on Baltimore's 695- no problem at all, the passenger is kind of wedged in back there. Even if she does doze off, she won't fall off... as soon as her balance starts to go, she'll wake right up.

When are you departing? I might just have to escort you west for a while...

 

My daughter is 12 and rides with me all the time. She loves it. She is already talking about getting a bike when she is old enough. I take her sometimes to a local bike gathering place where Sun mornings there are usually a hundred or so bikes. She is partial to the crotch rockets though. Wants to get a Ninja because they are "Pretty Green". She loves riding with me and thinks she is the coolest kid because she rides on Dad's Harley. My 8 year old son took his first ride recently and loved it too. Now I am worried they are gonna fight about who rides with me. Good problem to have iff you ask me.

We have not taken long distance rides yet. 2 hours has been the most sadlle time she has had. But like someone else said your daughter will remember her trip on Dad's harley forever.

 

Yeah Keith, we would certainly welcome your escort, and anyone else out there who might be along the way! We're departing on July 18, first stop is Stony Ridge KOA in Toledo, OH.

Here's our entire itinerary -

7/18 - Frederick MD to Toledo OH
7/19 - to Rock Island / Quad Cities IL
7/20 - to Grand Island NE
7/21 - to Denver CO (2 nights)
7/23 - to Moab UT
7/24 - to Salt Lake City UT (2 nights)
7/26 - to West Yellowstone MT (2 nights)
7/28 - to Red Lodge MT
7/29 - to Hill City SD (2 nights - checkout Sturgis before madness!)
7/31 - to Sioux Falls SD
8/01 - to Des Moines IA
8/02 - to Crawfordsville IN
8/03 - to Washington PA
8/04 - to Frederick MD (home)

 

You'll be walking her down the isle and giving her away to some guy soon enough, enjoy this special time together. XM is great, but you are right to keep her ipod going too, they do have their own taste in music!! Can she be a participating team member? Put in charge of logging each days milage, gas, locations and taking photos etc. Can she keep a detailed trip diary either on a laptop or hard copy to blog or share with others. Keeping in touch with her peers is huge. Have a wonderful, memorable adventure.

 

Well, from another perspective...as a DAUGHTER myself, there is nothing like being Daddy's Little Girl...I'll tell you that. I would have loved such a trip...esp to have had my dad all to myself! (4 siblings!) I loved hanging with my dad at that age and went with him to our ranch on mosts Saturday's growing up. I'll never forget the memories. We always stopped at the same burger joint in Normangee TX and I'd get a plain hamburger, Morton's BBQ chips and a Large Dr Pepper. (he always let me get L, even though I was a kid)

Your daughter is at an age where she actually still likes you , so take advantage because there is a good chance she'll go through the dreaded "parents suck" stage in the near future and won't want to hang with you (don't worry, she'll grow out of it!). Sounds like both of you can and will handle that ride very well. The memories will be irreplaceable and your bond will be stronger after the trip. Very cool stuff!

Anyway...please report back to us after you're back home! Have a great time!

BTW...I was on a trip (in Italy) 4 years ago with my father, mother and 16 yr old niece (I was invited late in the planning) and my dad had a massive heart attack in the Catania, Sicily Airport where he died. Seemed fit as a fiddle and had more energy than the other 3 of us put together. Came as a huge shock to everyone who knew him. I miss the heck out of him, but am grateful to have been on that trip and spend those last, wonderful days with my father.

 

I have been watching my granddaughters facial expression everytime my wife and I are going riding so I decided to take her on a trip in the next couple days. My suggestion is to buy her a new camera and let he document her perspective of the trip, you will be blown away. Have a safe journey and be safe.

 

Good advice Biker Oma and Pops - she will have her laptop so I'll ask her to keep a blog going, and she has a nice pocket camera for pics and videos. Keeping mileage sounds like a good idea too.

Thanks, monstead, for the moving story about your father. I'm sorry for your loss, and appreciate your sharing your memories. My daughter likes to stop at Starbucks, which I know is expensive, but oh well, she loves to get a decaf white chocolate mocha. Maybe my daughter will ride too when she's older, although I worry a bit about her safetly. But is she learns to ride it sure would be fun to take some trips together when she's grown up.

Thanks again all, and I will let you all know how the trip goes.