AIBU to say no to my 8y.o travelling on the back of a motorbike?

[MissWimpyDimple]

DDs dad has had a change in his working hours that mean that he now can't drive to work.

In turn this means that for his weekly overnights with DD, he wants to collect her on his motorbike.

She is a skinny lightweight 8y.o and we are talking about half an hour in rush hour traffic for each journey.

I have said no. Apparently I am being unreasonable. There are easy alternatives but he doesn't like the thought of them because it would mean he doesn't get home in time to bath his other kids. (But we are talking about once or twice a week at the most).

I'm sick of him bullying me into things I don't think are right- but am I being overprotective here?

[squoosh]

I didn't know children were even allowed on the back of motorbikes?

It would be a 'HELL NO' from me.

[ShesAStar]

I wouldn't let my child do this in a million years. Don't let your child ride on the back of a motor bike.

[Salene]

Hmmmm hard one

Both myself and my husband are bikers

I'd not allow my son on the back ever and I'd discourage him from ever getting a bike

They are dangerous , 25% of deaths are bikers but only 3% of road users are bikers

It's other drivers that are often the problem but still biking is risky

I know of a man and his10 year old son where killed

So personally as a biker it's a no from me .

[QueryQuery]

Oh that would be a hell no from me. What the fuck is he thinking?

[Fairyfuckingprincess]

YADNBU
Just the thought of it. No.

[Floggingmolly]

No, no, no.

[mollie123]

amazingly the rule is there is NO RULE about age for pillion passenger:

you can be a pillion passenger on a motorcycle at any age, providing the following conditions are met:

You must wear a correctly fitted, safety approved helmet.
You must be able to comfortably reach the foot-pegs (and if that means raising the foot-peg mounting points to accommodate a child on the pillion seat, that is perfectly legal).
If the rider is under the age of 17, they must have a parent or guardian's consent to ride as a passenger on the motorcycle

not sure if point 3 is in your favour OP as parent?

[pinkdelight]

My dad used to pick me up from junior school on his motorbike. I liked it then but as a mum now the thought terrifies me. We never had an accident but I know he came off it a couple of times when I wasn't on board so it could easily have happened. Yanbu!

[Seeyounearertime]

It would depend entirely on the type of bike and the type of rider.
An under 10 would be safe on the back of a Goldwing, they have an armchair on the back lol. A cruiser with sissy bar too wouldn't be awful. You'd obviously need a decent rider too. I would say a child wouldn't ever be safe on a pure sports bike even with a decent rider.

Personally I'd go with your gut OP if you're uncomfortable with it then its a no go.

[Salene]

Me and my husband prior to our son who is1 year old being born pretty much spent all our free time biking in uk and mainland Europe

So so many times did we have incidents , close calls etc

In last two years in our bike club of around 20 men and me there has been 1 death and 5 serious accidents

Since becoming parents it's hit home to us how risky it is and currently we have taken both our sports bikes off the road for winter to see how we feel and most likely come spring they will be sold and we give up completely

I also went on a bike as a kid, but the roads were a lot different place 30 years ago. There is so much traffic now a days and rush hour is most common time to be hit

Even when I say my test my teacher told me please remember it's not if you have a accident but when..

Too risky for a child in my eyes

[madmotherof2]

If it was my boys..... NO CHANCE

[x2boys]

well i hate motorbikes and hate the thought of my boys on them i remember at primary school one boys dad used to pick him up on his motor bike he was a policeman this was late seventies early eighties however and traffic and times have changed.

[MrsEricBana]

NO WAY.
I started a previous thread about this three years ago when my dh, who used to ride a motorbike, hired a big motorbike for his birthday weekend and wanted to take dd (then 9) and ds (then 11) out on it. The consensus was a resounding no with me and other posters seriously doubting dh's sanity if he would even consider it (admittedly not own bike and hadn't ridden regularly for ages) and the hire place advised against it on the grounds of their size alone. Definitely don't agree to it.

[trixymalixy]

Absolute NO from me. My DS is 8 and the thought of him being on the back of a motorbike terrifies me.

[Salene]

OP just asked my hubby if he would take a 8 year old on a bike if any kind in rush hour traffic ( we live in NE Scotland so traffic not too bad)

His reply was

Are you fucking crazy.. Go get your heed examined Quine.....

Tell your husband that's a response from a life long biker from a biking family.

[treaclesoda]

Not being unreasonable at all. No way would I let an 8 year old on a motorbike

[Junosmum]

When I was 8 my dad used to take me to school on the back of his bike. I had my own helmet and wore jeans and a leather jacket over my school uniform!

[squoosh]

Genuinely surprise it's legal. Have never seen a child as passenger on a motorbike.

[Imustgodowntotheseaagain]

More info please...centre of London rush hour or small village rush hour? Goldwing or sports bike? How does she feel about the idea? Has H done advanced riding training?

Winter is not a good time to start being a pillion. If she's skinny, she's very likely to get cold.

[coffeeisnectar]

A child's feet have to reach the pegs for them to legally ride.

If your ex is an experienced biker and if he was to provide your child with a full set of kevlar kit or leathers including gloves and boots I'd say yes.

But if he's a knob, expect a her to ride in normal clothes and won't spend out the money getting her protected then it's a no.

[PoptartPoptart]

A million times NO from me. Our family have sadly seen the death of two children killed on motorbikes/scooters. Way too risky.

[TheExMotherInLaw]

My dad was a biker - I never went pillion, I was in sidecar with mum, elder sister didn't get to go on the back until she was about 14. I got my own bike when about 18, but stopped riding when my kids showed an interest, as it's too damn dangerous.
Just No.

[Hurr1cane]

No. I ride on the back. I've let my DS (9) on the back down the very very quite estate road and back very slowly just because he wanted to. But I would never have him on the back of the bike, in rush hour, which is in the dark now too.

Also, DP has a sports bike and I haven't been on a different one so don't know about other bikes, but I have to hang on tight over bumps to stop myself flying off

[hunibuni]

It depends on what rush hour traffic entails where you are and distance to be travelled. DD (8) goes out with DH on his Bandit but it's not a sports bike and never when the traffic is heavy or more than 20mins one way. He decided the distance etc and she has full kevlar gear, boots, gloves and helmet and he wears love handles so that he can feel what she's doing. The roads are pretty quiet where I am but he'll never take her if it's raining or road conditions aren't optimal. I do worry when they are out.