Learning To Ride With A Pillion

[booze]

hi ppl
my lil sis i VERY keen to come riding with me as pillion, cept ive never had a passeger before. i was just wondering if anybody had any good tips or ideas for me while im learning?!?! cheers

[icebreaker]

don't fall off.. and don't hit the throttle hard..

I just started last Friday, so i'm learning also..

[mfzx6r]

Dont ask me
My wife won't get on the back with me
something about going too fast and no brains !



mario

[Smitty]

booze
I regularly carry a pillion.....as most Vic members know....
and its hard to explain in a few words, so i went looking
found this..its long! but very helpful (from Motorcycle Mag)

but a cupla points to start with....
Riding with a passenger requires more skill than riding solo.
The bike is heavier and won't steer as nimbly or brake in as short a distance.
and it is more difficult to balance when stopped


Before You Ride

If you have never or rarely ridden before, the rider should go through a number of details with you. He should show you how to get on and off the motorcycle. This should include whether he wants you to get on first (usually not, but more common on big bikes with passenger backrests), whether the rider expects the pillion to use the passenger peg as a step or simply throw their leg over the seat , which side you will approach from, whether you can use his shoulders or arm to steady yourself, and most importantly, how to confirm that the rider is ready for you to mount. If you catch him by surprise, you could cause the bike to fall over. When the ride is over, will you get off first or will he? Which side and will you use the footrest as a step? He should warn you about any hot parts, normally the exhaust system, to avoid touching.

He should show you where to put your feet while riding, which should be on your own footrests. If they can fold up, he should demonstrate this and make sure they are folded down. He should warn you to keep your feet clear of the wheel and drive system, even though problems are rare. At a stop, he should be able to support the bike without your help, so he should tell you to keep your feet on the pegs when stopped. If he can't do this, I'd be reluctant to ride with him. You should warn him if you want to put your foot down at a stop.

You should establish what you will hold on to. This will not be much of an issue on a motorcycle with a large passenger backrest, but on other bikes you should hold on to the rider at the waist with at least one hand. If there is a large grab rail around your seat, you can hold onto this with your second hand if it's comfortable to so. Otherwise hold onto the rider's waist with both hands. There are belts available with handholds to make this easier, though they are rare. Do not hold on to his shoulders or arms, which can interfere with control, and do not bother trying to use any strap attached to the seat, which provides an unsteady anchor and will affect the motorcycle's stability.

Leaning for Corners

The rider should explain what he wants you to do when leaning into corners. Your body position will influence steering and lean angle, so what you do will affect the rider's control of the bike. I normally tell the passenger to stay neutral--that is, to lean neither with or against the motorcycle--and to look over my inside shoulder. It is important to not shift your weight suddenly in the corner. You should also know that if you are uncomfortable about how far the bike is leaning, that leaning out of the corner and trying to straighten the motorcycle up will probably have just the opposite effect. The rider will have to lean the motorcycle deeper into the corner to maintain his arc.

Braking and Acceleration

During heavy braking, you may be pressed against the rider. If you have a grab rail and can take up some of the pressure, that's fine, but the rider, who has an easier time of supporting himself, should be able to support your weight against him, even under very heavy braking. You may want to hold yourself off the rider's back with your hands of simply lean into his back. Some riders (usually male) with passengers (usually female) who are trying for cheap intimacy may brake harder or more frequently than they need to. This practice is known as the "boob jam," and if you feel you are being subjected to it, feel free to confront him

Motorcycles can accelerate more forcefully than cars, which may cause problems if there is no passenger backrest. It may not be possible to get a firm handhold on the rider for a variety of reasons, and you can hold on only so tight by gripping with your legs. If this is a concern, be sure you tell the rider about it so he accelerates more gently or provides a secure hold point. He should also transition from steady speed or slowing to acceleration somewhat gradually, so you have time to react. However, you should pay attention to the traffic situation too, so you can anticipate what might happen.

It's not uncommon for your helmets to bump when accelerating or decelerating. Don't apologize. This is not causing a problem, and it's normally the rider's fault because he isn't riding as smoothly as he should.

Communication and the First Ride

Before you leave on a ride that's longer than around the block, you should set a few basic signals to communicate your needs. One tap on the right shoulder, for example, might mean "I want to stop when it's convenient." Two might mean, "It's kind of urgent." And three means, "Stop right now!" A tap on the left shoulder might mean "Look at this" or what you are pointing at. Tapping both might mean "I have a problem." A thumbs-up means "I'm having fun," thumbs down the opposite, and
sideways means the jury is out. You may be able to communicate vocally at low speeds or when stopped but the wind will probably prevent it at speed. A patting motion in front of the rider might mean "Please slow down."

You should plan to stop a few minutes into that first ride to discuss things and every 20 or 30 minutes thereafter. You should also have established how long and far the ride is going to be.

As I mentioned before, the first ride should be short with a provision to opt out of any further riding if you don't like it. It should also be just your motorcycle, since riding in a group of motorcycles puts pressure on rider to do what the rest are. Other riders and bikes also create distractions. Ideally it should be where there isn't much traffic, though a stint at highway speeds is probably a good idea if you are contemplating longer rides in the future.

You should assert yourself any time you aren't comfortable or enjoying the experience, even before you get on. If the rider or the bike make you feel uncomfortable, it's best to stop things before they get worse.

The Motorcycle

A woman recently told me about being invited to ride on a motorcycle for the first time and being surprised that there was no backrest for the passenger "or anything to keep you from sliding off the back." I suspect it was more of an issue because she didn't want to hold onto the person who invited her to ride.

Certainly there are aspects of a motorcycle that can make it more suitable or pleasant for a passenger or make it unpleasant or even unsafe. Backrests are the most desired feature for a passenger, and the bigger the better. However, only a minority of motorcycles come with any passenger backrest at all, so don't expect one. Normally the biggest passenger backrests are those that are part of a trunk assembly, which may include armrests and speakers (with controls for the stereo). Smaller backrests may simply provide a barrier to sliding off the seat and not actually be a place to rest your back.

The seat itself is the next most important item. The ideal saddle is deep and comfortable, wide enough to support you and roomy enough front to rear to give you room to adjust your position without crowding against the rider. A narrow seat is not only uncomfortable, but it makes you feel less secure. It should not slope rearward, and any slope to the front should be very small so that you don't tend to slide into the rider. Many cruisers and touring bikes provide a raised passenger saddle, which permits the passenger to easily see over the rider. The passenger's section of the saddle is something you should consider on any preliminary check-out ride. If you are developing a long-term riding relationship with somebody with an uncomfortable passenger seat, ask if it might be changed. Virtually any motorcycle can be equipped with a more comfortable accessory saddle or just a nicer passenger section.

Footrest position can be an issue, if it bends your legs in an uncomfortable way or doesn't allow you to support yourself on your legs (which can be important over bumps). Floorboards, wide flat plates that provide a roomier perch for your feet, offer more flexibility and are available for many cruisers and touring bikes.

Normally the rider will adjust the suspension to accommodate the added weight of a passenger, but even this will do little to improve a poorly calibrated suspension or one with limited travel.

Any of these aspects of the motorcycle that concern you should be mentioned to the rider, who might be able to make an adjustment or at least change it before his next outing with a passenger.

[Quarkz]

Damn Yoda, that thing should have chapters! I had to pillion my sister the other day on the ZZR. Ok, I think I got hit in the head about 12 times whilst changing gears because she couldn't seem to hang on and keep her head lurching forward Make sure your suspension is good! Mine wasn't, first corner, scraped about 1cm off my centre stand, yay! Take earplugs if they are female, they seem to scream every corner you go around and then when you stop you get a verbal beating about how fast you were going and you shouldn't have done this and that. Make sure you can touch the ground too, with her fat arse on the back it was the first time in history I have ever been flat footed on a motorbike and it felt safe! I wouldn't have taken her on the 6R because she would have offbalanced my little tippie toes and we would have gone ass over tit. Good luck

[Musty]

so how many volumes that got Yoda?
Pillioning is simple, on a reasonable condition bike the hardest part is doing it for the first few times. A few simple points, Ride the same as you have always ridden, when going into the corners take it a bit slower until the pillion gets used to the feeling, and dont expect to stop in a 10c piece.
I carry the wife almost everywhere and yes she is a good pillion to the point i actually forget she is there even through the twisties. I've also had bad pillions to that have tried to crash us

[spekt-r]

Thanks for that, ill be making Hayley read it before she starts riding with me.

[icebreaker]

Boob Jam... that's Gold!!

I had to email that paragraph to the misses... hahaha

along with the communication one.. wish the bitch could stay in 1 spot on the seat... keeps sliding forward... had her bro and a mate on and they didn't move at all.. me thinks she's not holding on quite right.. hopefully a few more rides and she'll have it sorted.. or else she can walk..

[MickLC]

I reckon it's important to build a bit of a trust relationship with your pillion. My wife and I have been together for years and done some different activities together. She knows she can trust me, for example when were diving together she was happy to follow me around, and as a result I made sure that I didn't lead her astray.

The same goes for when she's on the back of the bike. She trusts me not to do anything stupid, and I try to make it as comfortable a ride for her as possible.

I also had to pillion a mate from our accomodation to the GP cause he wasn't feeling great (long story that doesn't involve alcohol) and wasn't confident about himself riding in the mass of bikes. We've been riding together for years and he knows that I won't do anything too stupid, so he was relaxed and that made it easier for me. I also knew I could get away with sillier riding with him on the back than when my wife is there.

Although that brings up another point...remember on a sportsbike the pillion is sitting higher than you and if you go under a low sign while dodging cars to get to the track quicker, make sure there's enough room for them as well

[MickLC]

Boob Jam... that's Gold!!

I had to email that paragraph to the misses... hahaha

along with the communication one.. wish the bitch could stay in 1 spot on the seat... keeps sliding forward... had her bro and a mate on and they didn't move at all.. me thinks she's not holding on quite right.. hopefully a few more rides and she'll have it sorted.. or else she can walk..

hehehe

On the issue of sliding, my wife puts both her hands on the side of my hips towards the back. That way she can brace herself against me when I'm braking without putting too much weight on me, and the grab on if she needs to while accelerating. Having the Ventura rack on behind her helps her confidence as well, even though it isn't a backrest, it's a psychological as well as physical barrier.

[mattyv74]

He should show you.....
his shoulders or arm......
If you catch him by surprise..........
first or will he?.........
He should warn you about any hot parts.........
He should show you where to put your feet......
he should demonstrate this......
He should warn you.......
he should be able to support the bike............
he should tell you to keep your feet on.....
If he can't do this, I'd be reluctant to ride with him.
You should warn him........
Do not hold on to his shoulders or arms......
explain what he wants you to do when leaning........
....and mor of the same.

Next question Ian, What should a lady taking a pillion do?

[icebreaker]

face the other way.. cause we want Boob Jam!!

[Colette]

I have been legally able to do this for ages, but the opportunity hasn't yet come up.

The longer I leave it, the more concerned I am that I'll actually be able to do it!

What worries me most is my height - i.e. the fact that my feet just touch the ground (not flat footed though) and if a pillion were too restless, I worry that I could drop the bike.

[Musty]

What worries me most is my height - i.e. the fact that my feet just touch the ground (not flat footed though) and if a pillion were too restless, I worry that I could drop the bike.

I hear that comment alot, but think of it this way normally with a balanced bike your feet just touching the ground keep it very stable. Now picture a strong cross wind how do you cope then? one foot stabilises your bike does'nt it... now change the strong wind for a pillion and you have the same result.

I'm 6 foot 3 and with the sheep skin on the GPX my feet are just touching the ground to when i get pushed to one side the foot becomes flat on the ground and all is well, so dont stress to much about that

[Blackzxr]

Dont ask me
My wife won't get on the back with me
something about going too fast and no brains !

mario

Or doing wheelies with her on the back over a certain freeway overpass, in the wet.

You wouldn't do that, would you Mario.