Kids on back of big motorbikes ....???

[MrsEricBana]

It is DH birthday today and for his "birthday treat" he is hiring a big motorbike for next weekend. He not ridden for 14 years but back then he did have a big bike for 2 years or so and rode it a lot with no mishaps.
So he wants to take ds (11) and dd (9) out on it next weekend and I am not at all happy about it.
The plan is that he picks it up and rides it for a couple of hours to get the hang of it then he takes them out, round the block at first the further afield, on country roads, if they are comfortable with it. The man at the (reputable) bike place who will hire it to him said not safe for dd as she cannot reach the footrests properly but ok for ds. Dh has some plan to reverse the footrests so she can reach them.
I am not at all happy about this and have tried to put my foot down re the dcs going on it but dh is just not having it. I am not keen for dh to do it either but obviously no leg to stand on there, it's up to him. I would be less worried if he was a regular rider now (and dd could reach the footrests).
WWYD, dh thinks I am far too risk averse generally?

MaryHansack, you're right. The weight distribution is odd, the steering geometry is downright peverse, the suspension is awful and the brakes don't.

Plus there's all the time you have to spend combing out the leather tassles on the ends of the handlebars, polishing the numerous "Live to ride, ride to live" badges, and finding enough volunteers to help you push it to the petrol station because the tank only goes for 70 miles and it's way too heavy to push by yourself.

Do you know what - I know the risks dh takes - and I accept them as a part of him - but threads like this really ram home how high those risks are.

Dh has single seat bike now - so at least I know he has accepted how I feel re DCs.

I spent years on them - seems like a whole lifetime ago.

combing out the leather tassles
@ snorbs
ps I am from snorbens too!

Pantah, I bow to your experience. I haven't ridden an Ultra Glide myself - I'm allergic to enamel badges of bald eagles and American flags attached to radio aerials bring me out in a rash - but a friend of mine has and I recall him saying that the huge fairing and top box added a lot of high-up weight to an already incredibly heavy bike.

Pantah

Why does anyone ride a Charlie Ferguson anyway

They're just so shit.

Wonder if he's getting a clip in pony tail for the event!

Pantah

I am an ex-biker (no longer, due to a leg full of metalwork that was badly done and won't take the strain - accident was on a train not a bike btw!). I had a Bonny (Meriden of course) amongst other things and never fancied the Hardly Davidson experience. I think the earlier poster who likened riding one to a "wheelbarrow full of mud" probably had it spot on to what I thought the handling must be like

DS (13) wishes I still had a bike and would take him out on one and always has, but 20 years out of practice - I Don't Think So!!

The worst thing I ever heard about taking a child on a bike was someone I knew in the 90's when I was a biker. He had his 4 year old DS for access visits (dad lived in London, his DS in Scotland) and when it was time for his DS to go home he rode him back to Scotland, always non-stop, with the child sitting in front of him on the petrol tank, between his arms. Words failed me at the time, and still do

Mandy I have a close friend who used to do that with his dog

This was in rural France as far as I remember - not quite the M1.

Jealous of your Bonneville

In Greece I have seen whole families on a moped....(again, not the M1)
but worst of all was the guy with a tiny baby under his arm setting off on a moped! unbelievable.

DH currently has a Bonnie and a Streetbob, he has ridden virtually every day for 30 years. He won't take DC out even with all the right made to measure gear because of 'all the other twats on the road'.
(I grew up riding pillion on real Tbirds, Beezers, Ariels and the odd bit of Japanese rubbish, I wouldn't now, traffic has changed so much, our county is prime biker country, there are lot of deaths )

I seem a monkey on a moped in Malaysia.

I seen.

Or should it be saw?!

Is he still going on about it? Just don't meet up with him when he's got the bike. Round a carpal at slow speed is worse than doing 40mph as it takes a lot more skill to ride and corner at slow speed as the bike is less stable.

Would he be happy to just find a group ride out near you. Or go to your local bike cafe and talk crap with other bikers for a few hours.

You could pay for a refresher course for him for his birthday.

I'd also ring the hire company and ask if they allow minors as pillion as their insurance would probably not cover children. Also do they make him do any kind of test to see if he can actually ride it before letting him take off?

I ride a big bike - BMW R1150GS - both off and on road and it has taken many years of riding to become skilled.

I have ridden hundreds of thousands of miles but hardly at all in the last 2 years. I have just declined an evening ride to London with DP to see tower bridge illuminated because I know that being rusty I will not be able to safely filter through the traffic - and I know what I am doing.

The fact that he hasn't even thought about full protective gear for DS is madness.

Anyone who says they will not have an accident is a complete twat. He may not be the cause but it only takes one person "not seeing" him and pulling out of a junction and with his inexperience he will be unable to take avoiding action.

If you really can't face another row just take the kids somewhere else. Get up tomorrow morning, pack overnight bags and go stay with someone.

If he really doesn't see your point of view then maybe you need to consider your future with him at some point.

But take heart he cannot forcibly make your children get on the back and if you don't meet up with him there will bee no opportunity,

Good luck. Have been thinking of you and how hard you must be finding it. You are doing the right thing. And I say this as someone who will take DD as a pillion when she is old enough and if she wants to, and when I have recovered my skill.

Snorbs I wouldn't be seen riding one of those fully dressed monstrosities, have had to move them around in our workshop though. Don't see the appeal of them at all, I've based it on fact though, having ridden my fare share of Harley's and Cruisers, etc up for MOTs, the only one I like is a friends stripped down Evo but even then the sitting on it gently revving the engine is the best experience of it ;)

I'm an Italian Cafe Racer and Jap owner, though the next bike I'll buy will be an old Brit, preferably a Triton but possibly a Scrambler. I own many bikes and my job is working with them so I get to play on anything, which is great but then I've got the experience to do it. Do get frustrated with the amount of tassels on the HOG riders bikes, it's all image and then not such a good one but each to their own. Apologies to any Harley riders amongst us, there will be some, lots of girls women ride them.

I've always taken my DS's on my bikes but I wouldn't allow anyone other than myself, DH or eldest DS to take DS2 and then if I'm there I have him. 90% of riding and driving is anticipating every other user on the road, they're all out to get me is my motto and I ride accordingly. None of the buggers have got me yet but it's not for want of trying :(

I like the wheelbarrow full of mud analogy, all the big cruisers ride like that. Our favourite expression is they're off for a ploughing match, I'd rather be driving a real tractor though.

Very jealous of the Bonnie owners, they're lovely to ride. I used to get to ride an old friends one and coveted it greatly. My everyday ride is a muscle bike, not ideal for the commute but has a big grin factor, it's my ugliest bike but I don't have to look at it when riding and it's the most comfortable for DS2. I only bought it to take him to the Bulldog and hung onto it as its great fun and slowed me down from an old sports bike. The rest of mine are now classics so only come out for high days and holidays.

Pantah there's a sweet looking Trident at the garage down the road, I keep eyeing it up but having just sold a Guzzi and baby is due in a few months I cannot justify

What is your Italian one?

I'm new to the riding scene but the phrase that my OH uses is that they are Hardly Rideables!

The OP is hiring from Bristol. I used to live around there and if I still was there I'd be more than happy to go and give her DP a piece of my mind!

OP - sounds like you have a lot to deal with, and glad you've had the benefit of some good advice from the riders on here - good luck and I really hope your DP comes to some sense and doesn't cause a family fall out...

emilie can't you tell from my name? It's a Pantah based TT2 - I'll just out myself to anyone who knows me ;) she's gorgeous, a work of art and handles beautifully. DH has more than one and DS has one and another he's building, we're very greedy! I used to commute on her many years ago but she's getting on a bit now an needs tlc not to be thrashed daily.

I'm lucky I didn't need to get rid of any of mine or stop riding when I had DS's, nice big age gap and very supportive DH who babysat so I could still get out. Was still riding my 550/4 until two weeks before DS2 and back on 2 weeks later, was a tad sore mind. Then I drove myself to and from hospital, am such a control freak, I hate anyone else riding or driving me :)

it was a daft question I suppose. She sounds lovely.

It's wonderful not to have had to stop riding. I've been managing with weekends, and that would only be half an hour while my folks were around - hardly worth it really.

I shall miss my old girl and doubtless get another once this baby is older...not for a few years though.

Any progress op?

I have let all of my nieces and nephews go around my close on the back of my old bike (Zephyr 550). No further than that. I had the bike 15 years and pretty much knew it inside out.

My ex has just got a Ducati 998 and I cannot actually sit on it and get it up right. My short legs are at full stretch just to touch the ground on the side stand side of the bike and cannot lift the weight.

There is no way I would be able to take the bike out with me on it alone and it wouldn't even cross my mind to think about taking DS 11 and that is with 25 years of riding behind me!

I would consider taking him out on mine as I was only however DS does not want to.

Two weeks ago twice in the same week I was coming around a roundabout in the left hand lane when once a car and the second time a van decided they wanted to come into that lane from theirs without indicating or looking. A rider on a new bike not having ridden for 14 years may not have been as lucky as me!

Your H is a fool to consider this after so long off the bike.

Thank you for all your advice on this. Tomorrow is the day. We have not spoken of it tonight but he said to ds that once he had got the hang of it we could go off at same time (us 3 in car) and drive to a particular National Trust place and go for a walk. Dcs asked if they could sit on the bike (and dd said "But I'm not ridin' it Dad") and he said yes - which is fine. Dh knows I am not at all happy about any aspect of this scheme, let alone the dcs involvement, so is not discussing it with me. I was talking to a rl friend about it today who knows him well and she said that whatever he is thinking now, he will not want to back down, so even if he has rethought he wouldn't admit it.
He is going on his own to get the bike so I think by default he will not be able to get them kitted up so there will be no option for them to go on it anyway - at least this is what I am hoping.
I have to say I feel very flat as whatever the outcome - and I suspect it might naturally resolve due to lack of kit, the dcs knowing my views etc etc - I have seen dh in a very worrying light this week.
Thank you for all your support and advice (and thank you for your very kind pm Pantah) - I really appreciate it, and it has made me feel that if it comes to it I will put my foot down and will feel 100% justified in doing so, whatever he says. I'll let you know what happens.

He has gone to hire it and I said we would go out and he said "Don't sneak off anywhere".
I did tell him about the 5 year thing with helmets and asked him to hire one and he said he would discuss with the hire guy.
Kids have not gone so will not have any gear to ride in though there is the adult pillion helmet downstairs.
Oh joy.

Do you know if he had any sort of trial run on the bike before booking the hire? I have a sneaky suspicion he won't be able to handle the weight, and the hire will be off.