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.    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.   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." 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. 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.   How the heck they going to stay on the bike if they are sat side saddle??   'Women riders may straddle a bike' It'd be bloomin difficult to ride a bike side saddle if you're the pilot   Would you take a pillion if they sat side on?                                                                                                                                                                                 

  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                                                                                                                                                                               

I dont think i would feel safe and am sure Mr Ken would have palpitations if i did it lol                                                                                                                                                                             

  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

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02430/Delhi_2430247b.jpg

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?????

This makes me so angry!!
                                                                                                                                                                             

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                                                                                                                                                                             

clearly the government are all MEN! and therefore following that to its natural conclusion.. fckwits!                                                                                                                                                                              

its to ballance the scooter up the engine is on oneside of the machine
                                                                                                                                                                             

it seems a bit if'e riding sidesadle but people manage to do it OK on an horse and do jumps like that so maybe it's not so daft after all,                                                                                                                                                                              

  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