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?

Hope so!! (no trial ride - I am v surprised the shop would allow him to hire it on this basis)

Me, too. I think dh has fallen for the Harley marketing vision; that HDs are the best and sexiest bikes in the world, and that the UltraGlide is the best and sexiest HD. I suspect he'd be horrified to know that actual bikers piss themselves at sofas on wheels...

I know several guys who worked with Harleys for many, many years in a local franchise. They all take the piss and say they are rubbish bikes.

And they have their pick of what to ride, what to repair etc...all except the Sportster, they laugh out loud at harleys.

sportsters are apparently quite good for racing but they have a class of their own iyswim.

Oh and the really old iron headed ones are quite nice too, so I'm told.

Good luck OP - let us know what happens.

I know a lot of bikers. They all say he'd be mental to take inexperienced kids on the back in these circumstances, and most mentioned minimoto.

He needs to ride t for quite a few days and in varied weather (and a load of stuff I can't remember now). Good luck anyway!

I think he knows ugs are sofas on wheels but thought it would be safer for the kids. He's going to look a bit daft on it on his own.

at sofa on wheels

One of my mates is a bike instructor and has an UG with the whole shebang on it, including extra lights and LEDs. Rides along with the radio blaring, like a Goldwing, piss myself laughing whenever he brings it in. All is not lost though he has a much nicer other bike but the Harley is the only bike his wife will go on and they do a lot of touring. Apparently it's very comfy, probably as it was upholstered at DFS

MrsEB so long as he's not taking the kids, hide the adult helmet my DS2 who's 12 just upgraded his this morning to an adult large, mine is XXS. He DB, now 21, has been in an XL since he was 14, let him enjoy his trip. Hopefully he won't be too disillusioned when he hands the keys back. Pretty sure he won't be admitting it anyway. Have a lovely day.

I've heard the Harley V-Rod is quite good even if it does have a ridiculous name. But it is a very different proposition from the full-dress Ultra Glide of course.

I did have a Buell (a "tuned" 1200 Sportster engine in a sporty-ish frame) as a loaner for a few days. It was hilariously awful.

Or hope all is well your dh's attitude is worrying, especially the bloody mindedness.

Incidentally my ds had his first ride on the back of my dad's bike today. He just went round the block and listened to every word my dad had to say. I was very proud! But like I've said earlier my dad's been riding for 40 plus years continually and I trust him explicitly.

Snorbs the only Buells I've ridden have been unicycles, neither wanted the front wheel on the ground, a tad disconcerting. Bloody uncomfortable too, no good for any more than 50 miles and I have lots of padding on my behind! One was a firebolt, the other a lightning but both had been aftermarketly tuned. The only Harley I'd fancy is the old 70's flat tracker or a ww2 45, like you see in the war films.

So it's nearly all over.
He picked the bike up yesterday early and rode it round small roads near the place then back to our town and round the car park and service roads at the uni for a bit. Brought it home to excited kids and lots of photos taken. Ds asked to ride it but I said no as no appropriate kit and dh not experienced enough on it. Dh did not disagree with me.
Followed dh out to NT place and spent afternoon there, back here then dh off for another long ride. Dh said he wasn't confident to take ds on even if he asked but perhaps today up at uni IF ds asked (he hasn't - phew).
Today dh went for really long ride this morning then we followed him out and back this afternoon.
Dh had loved it and says he is satisfied and doesn't want to actually get a bike (phew).
So it is over at least as far as the dcs are concerned, thank goodness, but the whole episode has left me feeling very and not trusting his judgement at all, and particularly sad at the way he treated me in order to get his point across (including this morning when he accused me of being obtuse when I said, on finding him in the kitchen in his biking gear in the middle of a raging thunder and lightning storm, that it was good that he was waiting till it dried up a bit, as he maintained it was hardly more dangerous that driving any other time - erm slippery roads, spray, poor visibility?).
Anyway, thank you so much for all your help and support on this, I really appreciate it.

Glad everyone is in one piece, and (for your sake) that he doesn't want to buy one. But he doesn't respect you much, does he?

No it seems not, sadly.

No more dangerous? Short of ice, rain after a dry spell (dust and oil build up on the road) is about as slippy as it gets. O think I learned that on CBT.

All still in one piece then!

I wouldn't worry too much about the strops ( unless he pulls a hissy on a regular basis when thwarted ) he was probably expecting you to go all swoony at his manliness and leap on him after and tear his tassels off - then you quite sensibly point out that he's way older and slower than he was in his glory days and has hired the two-wheeled equivelent of a cow on skates, his willy shrivelled and he had a tantrum.

Arf at riding in a thunderstorm being no more dodgy than any other time ... He really HAS forgotten how these things work!

cant read all posts , got to go , but ! if not mentioned ,altering a bike , IN ANY WAY cancels the ins.