We may moan about the latest EU laws affecting how we ride bikes in Europe, but a proposed change in the law in Aceh in Indonesia may see female pillions having to ride side-saddle only. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
In the Islamic law stronghold of Aceh, it's been proposed that women pillions must sit side-saddle with both legs dangling off to one side of a motorcycle. This is instead of straddling bikes as normal when passengers, which is being deemed improper by the local administration.
Apparently the new law is to restore fading local values and make it easier to differentiate the gender of a passenger.
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Mayor Suaidi Yahya told news agency AFP "Women sitting on motorbikes must not sit astride because it will provoke the male driver. It's also to protect women from an undesirable condition. It's improper for women to sit astride. We implement Islamic law here." <o:p></o:p>
Women riders may straddle a motorcycle, but only if dressed appropriately. According to the Lhokseumawe Legislative Council this means no denim, and without showing any curves. <o:p></o:p>
Many Muslim and women's activists have condemned the planned law, which is due to be assessed by the local government in the coming weeks.
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<o:p>How the heck they going to stay on the bike if they are sat side saddle?? </o:p>
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<o:p>'Women riders may straddle a bike' </o:p>
<o:p>It'd be bloomin difficult to ride a bike side saddle if you're the pilot</o:p>
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<o:p>Would you take a pillion if they sat side on?</o:p>
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I wouldn't personally Sandi
But from memory I'm sure I've seen pictures of girls in Italy riding "side saddle" on scooters
It does look a most unstable way to transport a passenger to me
But some obviously like it and have "learned" how to keep control of their machine
Although we've also heard the stories of mad Italian scooterists
Tearing through the streets of Rome and Milan and other cities
Em I imagine a scooter is more stable, than a motorbike, to start with, and still can't see how riding side on has any merits whatsoever.
Should we start the petition now, 'No to compulsory side saddling' before the new rule is put in place in the UK? lol
Jackie I reckon most pilots would lol
its the norm for traditionally dressed ladies in India to pillion sidesaddle.. bikes for the Indian market come with a saree guard to prevent said garment getting tangled in the rear wheel
Why would they need to differentiate the gender of a passenger??
And how would it restore 'fading values'?????
...and isn't it an assumption that it's a MALE rider - why couldn't it be a female rider???
This is not about how to ride bikes, it's yet another subversive attempt to dominate women, and using the fact that being women it's their fault....in case they PROVOKE the bloody men!!!!
Annd - what is the 'undesirable condition' that these women need protecting from......freedom maybe?????
That exactly wat i was thinking PB.... "It's also to protect women from an undesirable condition.
What the does that mean!!??...... do bikes carry soemthin i dont know about then??
It's disgusting and im sooooo glad i dont live in that country and im sooo in awe and respect for the lasses that put their lives at risk to fight this ridiculous controlling scarey regime...
Another example of people thinking they can rule peoples lives in a manner that is totallky wrong
Bill, riding a horse sidesaddle is a completely different thing to riding pillion on a motorcycle
Being able to grip the pommel of the saddle ( specifically designed and in some cases "tailor made" by a saddler ) between the legs
Which affords the rider a degree of control over their balance and stability
Plus being in control of the horse through the reins with both hands
Sitting sidesaddle on the back of a motorcycle, does not give the passenger any secure seat to anticipate the braking and acceleration forces which are generated as the bike makes progress along the road
Very sedate riding on smooth tarmac roads may well be possible without too much instability
But on roads which have uneven surfaces, (which many rural roads in these "third world " countries have) the passenger may well be thrown around or bounced off the seat causing problems both for them and the rider
Sandi, a scooter is a lot less stable than a bike, due having ( in most cases ) much smaller wheels which generate less "gyroscopic" force
Which is the force that keeps the machine upright and traveling in a straight line
And in answer to HF's observation
That could have been a moot point but for the fact that ( to the best of my knowledge ) it was only the Vespa which had a pronounced "offset" engine, although the Lambretta was slightly too
And they were "offset" to the left or nearside, which is the side that the passenger seems to adopt mainly when riding sidesaddle
Thereby increasing the weight on that side of the machine
Although in countries where they drive on the right
One would expect the pillion to sit with legs on the other side, away from oncoming traffic
Just my extra two pennorth
Which may or may not provoke some comments
surely they would be more secure on a bike holding on to the rider or the seat with one foot on a footrest than holding on to a set of reins on a horse Emzed
The "reins" are not for holding onto Bill they are for "steering" and "controlling" the horse which will have been "bit broken"
( correct me if I'm wrong you "horsey people" )
The saddle for sidesaddle riding is specially shaped to allow the rider to sit that way in a firm "seat" with, as I said, the special pommel which is gripped by the leg and of course the "free" leg in the stirrup, which allows the rider to "brace" themselves especially when executing jumps
I dont think you would see any experienced horse rider attempt to ride sidesaddle "bareback"
Which would be the horse riding equivalent of what is being propsed for these women on PTW
I may well be wrong on this and will eat copious quantities of humble pie if I am
But, IMO, horse riding sidesaddle, is a lot safer than just "sitting" on the back of a PTW, with a "standard" pillion seat and hanging onto whatever you can
Think i would take my chance on a motor bike Emzed rather than an horse, the trouble is they have a mind of there own, so its alright telling them to go left but if thy want they can go any which way they want!!!!!!!!!!
I agree with you on that Bill
I wouldn't want to be on anything that weighs near a ton and has a "mind of its own"
But thousands do ride them sidesaddle on traditional hunt type days
as I said on the previous page, its the norm (but not compulsory) on the indian sub continent..also women are excluded from their compulsory helmet laws
but going back to the original post, as others have pointed out, that is more about backward thinking religious bigots trying to control the population.
Emz & Bill ...the saddle used on a horse for women to side saddle is designed so that they can sit sideways ...it is shaped and built in that way.. Its not like a conventional saddle ..The lady riding can hook her leg around a specially designed part of the saddle.. Have tried to copy a link but wont work ..just google side saddle ..then image. So its nothing like a bike seat ...what a stupid idea say I .. Not so bad doing 20 mph on a scooter but would be impossible on a propper bike doing national speeds I guess .... Maybe they should make the male chauvinistic pigs test ride it first on the back of a normal bike ....I would gladly take a few round the twisties on mine to show then that its not practical and NOT safe
i know what there are like Int. as i have had to make storage racks for the saddles, one of the ladies i work for compets in and teaches side sadle riding
Malc, see my previous posts where I explained all that in some detail
I know the saddles are "special"
I even pointed out that some are "bespoke" (tailored) for the individual rider
But I agree
IMO it is neither sensible nor safe to ride a conventional motorcycle sidesaddle as a "pillion" passenger
I'm sure that I'm not the only ''mature'' rider that can remember having to 'bump start' the bike due it having an extremely ''mature battery .
The technique was ... 2nd gear , clutch in . RLF down the road leap in the air and as you land on the seat '' sidesaddle'' let the clutch out . Then you rode off sidesaddle . Then you stand up on the footpeg and cock your leg over , job done . X . As long as your weight is centered over the bike , I can't see what difference it makes . On a bike , cornering forces push you down into the seat , there is no force pushing you sideways , off the seat . Dusty x
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