I finally took a real road trip with my SS

    I finally got to try out the SS on a real road trip. Best part about it was I got to take my youngest daughter on her first road trip with dad. Something that I loved doing with my older daughters but for some reason had never gotten an opportunity to experience with my little girl. Not because I didn't want to, that's for sure. At any rate, she decided to join dad to go visit her big sister in Colorado and I was happy as "fill in saying" to have her on this small adventure. @Slingshot Garage knows this all too well. I, like many of you, watched and, in part, traveled with them as a father and son went on an adventure of a lifetime. They brought back memories of the times my older daughters joined me on a few of my excursions.
    Anyway, back to this road trip, we took off early to try and avoid as much of the desert heat as we could. On this trip I decided to bring all my extra rain gear and both sets of helmets, jackets etc just in case we got caught in rain storms, which we did. I got to really put the Wycked hitch system through its paces as I towed it through good and bad weather fully loaded. The only thing I didn't like about the whole trailer pulling experience was the loss of fuel economy. I went from the 30s to the low 20s in mpg. Other than that, the Alpha turbo never faltered or even felt the weight. Had the cruise set on 83 most of the way and passing, even into the triple digits, :D was no issue. Trailer tracked beautifully the whole way. Kudos to @RichArlt for the hitch design.
    Another item I wanted to make note of is the bullet top I have on my sling. I know some of you aren't too keen on tops, but on this trip with temps reaching the 100s and mostly in the 90s, it was a godsend. @Slingshot Garage and even you @MiM, you guys need to get a top. @MiM, I know that you're looking for your next mod, this is one that I highly recommend, especially since you live in the heat as I do. Anyway, that's my report on those items. Other than the heat and the occasional thunder shower, we had a blast and I got to spend some special times with my little girl. Something I love doing but seems to get less and less as they get older. So, enough of my rambling, but before I leave you all, a word for those of you with younger children. Spend quality time with them, do crazy things with them and form those special life memories that only a parent and a child can experience. Have a great weekend ya'll :thumbsup:

    As @Tripod said, that's awesome Jorge!


    I'm guessing your daughter, though the youngest, is an appropriate age for the Sling?


    What are people's opinions on this? I just mentioned this and @Slingshot Garages adventure to my wife and she said she wouldn't approve of taking my daughter on a trip because an accident, God forbid, would be likely very consequential.


    So? Is there really an appropriate age? Not trying to hijack the thread, but it seems along the lines of @jorgebri60s moral - - to spend time with the kids!


    Most of the time I ride alone... ;(


    Edited once, last by MiM ().

    @MiM, I've been riding my girls around since they were old enough to sit up, literally. Not on long trips, obviously, but small local rides should not be an issue. The one daughter that's ridden with me to sturgis (twice :thumbup: ) has actually been going on road trips with me since a very young age. Her first long trip was El Paso to Albuquerque and back for a weekend family gathering.... She was 10 :P . She's always been my little trooper though. Let's be honest here though, the SS is closer to a car than a bike and, in my humble opinion, would be safer for a smaller child than the bike would be.
    ;)

    Agreed totally awesome. It's stuff they will remember for a lifetime. Some of my favorite memories of my dad involve veichles. I remember him looking over at me, winking, put the pedal to the floor to open the four barrel up and then say ya know sometimes you gotta clean out the carb. Lol. :whistling::thumbsup:

    Heh, ever since I have gotten my SS I have given about as many rides to the little kids as I have the big ones, lol. Quick jaunts are no issue at all in my opinion, but road trips, my only thing I would say is they need to be tall enough to see over the dash to fully enjoy the experience. Staring at the "POLARIS" on the glove box would get old fast.


    At that point, for them, the side exit is really just another window. They need to feel the joy of the open cockpit and be able to see everything that you do.


    As for safety. Yeah, you are not in a car. There are no air bags. But to be perfectly honest, looking at the build of the SS, I think a child in the passenger seat would fair better in a (god forbid) roll over. I'm 6'4" and can absolutely see where it would not end well for me if I was dumb enough to find a way of flipping my SS.


    But, this is an old argument. Question, does your wife own a motorbike, or ride regularly? I have found people are less concerned if they have actual 'riding experience' than those who do not. It is a comfort thing. Ha, perhaps she is more comfortable with your demise than those of her children :evil:

    @MiM, have you tried taking her out on a nice night ride? Dinner maybe. At a time when its not hot and miserable. Maybe really early in the morning for breakfast or something. Let her experience it. See if you can convince her. Don't race it around, be Considerate Of the fact that she's probably scared so no speeding or racing it.

    My five year old grand daughter loves the Sling Shot. She has her own helmet and during the school year after school I pick her up near about every afternoon and bring her home with me to hang out. Her mom works and so does her Me Ma. She is the 9 th grand and the last one.

    Thanks all for the advice!


    @jorgebri60, the Misses has been on a ride... We had a chance when the girls were out of town at grandma's house. She really liked it!


    She's just a constant worrier and doesn't trust my driving... Never has, probably never will... :(


    Also, I was concerned about laws though with the young ones? I had thought about strapping the car seat in @Slingshot Garage, but not sure that will fly in the USA?


    @FunCycle, what's your experience? I've considered taking her to school in it, but I'd need to get on a highway...


    ?(

    Short runs on the highway and around town so far and I do not use a car seat. Took my son to Fla. for 9 days on the Gold Wing in 1975 when he was a small 5 years old. Life is short, enjoy them while they are young. MEMORIES that they will never forget.

    Common sense plays a huge roll in everything we do. Other than that, it's all about how we each choose to handle Fear. Me....I choose to Bitch Slap the living shit out of Fear and live life to the fullest!!!!
    Others maybe not so much....but that's their choice and I can respect that......as I spin around and back-hand Fear a few more times just for good measure :00007555::00007555:

    Those who will give up essential liberty to secure a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety


    2016 Slingshot SL Vin# 8855 (born in September 2015) w/ Alpha Stage 2 Turbo @ 7.5psi

    Quote from roadog1aj

    Common sense plays a huge roll in everything we do. Other than that, it's all about how we each choose to handle Fear. Me....I choose to Bitch Slap the living shit out of Fear and live life to the fullest!!!!
    Others maybe not so much....but that's their choice and I can respect that......as I spin around and back-hand Fear a few more times just for good measure :00007555::00007555:

    Quote from Tripod


    I completely agree... But the wife calls it "stuck in my teenage years" syndrome...


    I guess for every Ying there's a Yang? That's yang, not wang... 8|

    You Rock Jorge! Father-daughter trips are a real blast. I took Meggie to Sturgis last year and we had a blast! She's already planned our trip for the kick-off of Slingshots Across America. We'll head down to California mid August and then go with the gang from there to Vail Colorado before turning around to come back to start the school year off. Hoping we can meet up with you sometime soon! Thanks for the cudo's and for the posts!