Good job Mike, another sane member!!!

 

Don't worry about the engine heat. A two mile ride in 1st or 2nd won't do any damage. That WAS your question, right? (Before the nannys arrived)

My 3 boys are in their 30's now, and yes......gave them many rides on the bike starting at about 4-5 years old. My dad did it with me when I was about the same age.

My kids still talk about our rides even though it's 25-30 years later.

Memories are what makes life worth living and brings families closer.

I was born in the early 1950's................my mom smoked and had an occaisional drink while I was in her womb. Ohhhhhh Nooooooooo say it ain't sooooooooo!!!!!!

I started riding a dirt bike in 1958 when I was 7.

I'm 61 and still kickin......and have a lot of fond memories that will be with me for the rest of my life.

 

Answer to OP question: No harm for bike.

Daughter: Enjoy your time with her. you did fine and I don't think any less of you for that. Quality time with your kids is a good thing.

I am so sick and tired of this PC world where it is unthinkable for a kid to ride a bicycle without a freakin helmet in his own driveway.

We middle-aged and older folks rode in the backs of pickups...in backseats without seatbelts...in front seats without seatbelts. My grandad had an old mail truck as a delivery vehicle. I rode on a stool that was not bolted down and had to hang on by the dash board. I rode my bicycle without a helmet and did stunts that way too. I ran with scissors and drank sugary drinks as well as out of the water hose. I do not remember the USA losing an extrordinary amount of children to these horrible conditions.

Rant off.

 

Thank you to those of you for your posts. The following is one of the quotes I try to live by:

"Any full functioning man can be a Father, but it takes a real man to be a DAD."

A salute out to our DADs and our Troops. Come home soon.

 

Buckingfitch....Man, you just described my childhood to a tee.

 

Damn, thanks for the rehash of old memories... I started taking my 5 year old neice to the mall on my 88 softail when I was "trolling for chicks" she loved the rides but not so much the trolling and would "scold" me in that funny child way LOL, Then I started taking my wifes kids, we moved one time and the daughter said "Dad, the other kids don't talk to me, I don't think I like it here" Next morning she was delivered to her middle school in her helmet, leather jacket, on the back of a custom (Non-visa card custom) Harley! That week she made all kinds of friends and at 29 still talks about it.
Four years ago I started building a Bad Boy I got at a good price with the intention of giving it to my grandson, however we have since learned he is severely autistic and its highly unlikely he will ever ride.... his sister however is another story LOL she's the 4 year old tiny-terrorist! So who knows, grampa-motorcycle (what my grandson calls me) may just have to build one more bike??? Maybe a lowered evo FXRT in pink LOL
As for your bike, its fine, as for your daughter, she's happy, as for you GOOD JOB! as for the nanny's, F**K 'EM!

 

Crack on, mate, if you/Mom feel OK with it.
Riding in the bed of a truck, riding the running boards of my Dad's car while hanging on to the roof rack, climbing trees (and falling out of them), getting chased by dogs/swans/the orchard's owner, setting my pants on fire with a magnifier, getting bit by snake 'cos I poked a stick at it: memories of being a kid in summer. In my fifties now, and all the good stuff is stuff the nanny state wants kids not to do.

Stupid is SUPPOSED to hurt: do it anyway, take responsibility, and don't look to sue anyone for the consequences of your actions - it's surely about freedom of choice.

 

 

Actually, a lot of it has to do with how litigious society is these days. I'd bet my house that somewhere, someone has sued a motorcycle manufacturer because no one told him that it's illegal & that he shouldn't put his toddler child on his bike and the child got hurt.

No doubt that OP loves his daughter and can raise her however he wants, whether it makes sense to anyone else or not. But I'm pretty sure that he also understands that he'll have to accept the consequences of his actions, IF something should ever happen (ticketed, an accident, etc., etc.).

 

I had the same reaction!!