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Pillioning? All aboard!
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:16 pm
by Cath
I've never had a pillion on the back of my bike. I've been talking about learning how to do it for ages, and reckon I should stop talking about it and just bloody do it.
Why haven't I just already done it?
Well, partly because when stopped, I rely on balancing on my toes, so while I feel secure doing that with just myself on the bike, the additional weight and balance changes of having a pillion is a little concerning without the ability to have at least one foot flat on the ground - I'm not sure if I would be able to hold the bike up when stopped until I can figure out a way to do it using balance or leverage.
Also partly because no small skinny bastard wants to be my crash test dummy (and I don't blame them). I want to first learn how to do it with someone lighter and smaller than me, as when Dave sat on the back of my bike it felt so wrong and completely unstable and unmanageable.
I usually think about giving it a go down at the Supers, because there's plenty of people willing to jump on the back, and I figure I'll be going slow and the grass will be kinder to my fairings if I drop it. Then again, I'm more likely to drop the bike on the grass I reckon - plus with a crowd watching, it's almost certain I'll stuff up! So I still haven't done it.
So, I really don't want to drop my bike. I don't think I'd hurt the pillion, as I reckon it's much more likely I'd drop the bike from a standstill, or under 10 kms/h than when riding normally, but the risk is still there, of course. But it's a skill I want to have up my sleeve, in case I ever need to get a friend home on the back, or something like that.
Does anyone have any tips, or suggestions?
Has anyone pillioned someone bigger and heavier than them?
Re: Pillioning? All aboard!
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:22 pm
by Strika
Just throw Dave on the back. If you can manage carrying him around, you can pillion anyone !!!
Cath, it's just like having a full gearsack and camping gear on the back. The steering alters more with accelleration and decelleration. It lightens a lot when on the gas and loads up heavily under brakes. Inputs need to be firmer, but also smoother. Changes of direction take more effort and time. Stopping distances increase also. HTH
Re: Pillioning? All aboard!
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:26 pm
by ijuschill
You need a unsuspecting child to pillion, offer them some candy as a reward. Does any one want to offer up one of their offspring as a sacrifice?
Re: Pillioning? All aboard!
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:27 pm
by Disco
Cath wrote:Has anyone pillioned someone bigger and heavier than them?
I pillioned wayne home after a breakdown that was an effort
....The Zed was bottoming out all the way with our combined weight of @ 230+ kg's....
I was surprised how well the bike steered though but the mental scar's from having wayne's arm'e around me will haunt me forever
Re: Pillioning? All aboard!
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:01 pm
by 6maniac
Don't think this counts as it was only about 500 metres, but the Boss accepted a ride at the Supers back to KSRC central (
but he's a little buggar )
I'm with you Cath ... unless both feet are on the deck, I'm outside my comfort zone. As you imply it's a learned skill. Marty is right about the weight transfer - you need to brake and accelerate more moderately than when solo.
Re: Pillioning? All aboard!
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:07 pm
by kevindinho
HAHAHA @ disco!!
Re: Pillioning? All aboard!
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:09 pm
by red_dave
You could pick someone with long legs that can help hold the bike up when stationary...
Re: Pillioning? All aboard!
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:22 pm
by UncleChopChop
get that little poof pinchy on the back..he's a featherwieght wimp that needs a good feed of fried chicken and a muggacino of htfu, you wont even notice he's there..just watch that he doesn't stitch his man dildo onto the pillion seat, he has a habbit of doing that shit.
.
Re: Pillioning? All aboard!
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:28 pm
by tim
I'm 65kgs and tall we can try Friday of you'd like Cath.
Re: Pillioning? All aboard!
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:33 pm
by waynemorgan
Disco wrote:
I pillioned wayne home after a breakdown that was an effort
....The Zed was bottoming out all the way with our combined weight of @ 230+ kg's....
I was surprised how well the bike steered though but the mental scar's from having wayne's arm'e around me will haunt me forever
Actually I was trying to reach the tank.....but couldn't for some reason!
Plus I needed a step ladder to get on the bike.
Cath if you want to try riding with a pillion you're welcome to use the 500 to see how it goes. It's probably a little lower and less worry about dropping it.
I've ridden with my rack bag fully loaded but it doesn't move around like a pillion - and a pillion will move around.
Re: Pillioning? All aboard!
Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:12 am
by Six Addict
my only advicE is to just do it. It becomes much more pleasant and less nerve wracking the more you do it. I do understand the feet issue tho... I've been blessed with two good pillions, so Ive been lucky
Re: Pillioning? All aboard!
Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 7:14 am
by Mel
I'll be your bitch Cath!
I have had someone on the back three times, the first time was my ex, who was a fair bit bigger than me on my 95 ZX6, he was being a fuckwith, hanging off the side and everything, turned me right off ever having a pillion. I was cranky at him by the time we got to my place and he was very well behaved when I took him home and then that wasn't so bad. Though we lived in the same suburb so it wasn't exactly an extended trip. The only other time I ever had someone on the back was a dude who had run out of petrol, and he was *alot* bigger than me, I sat on my 636 then he climbed on and suddenly my feet were firmly on the ground and my knees were quite bent. I was very wobbly taking off and stopping but it was fine at speed. So that doesn't help you much! I should probably ask someone to jump on the back with me too so I can learn too.
Actually - calling ZXRobyn! She's had people bigger than her on the back!
Re: Pillioning? All aboard!
Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 7:58 am
by Ratmick
I'm with you Cath, no-one's been game to get on the back of mine except my kids down the driveway. They're all teenagers at the moment and giving me the shits so feel free to borrow one
.
FWIW I've been pillion on a mate's ZX-9R when dropping my bike off for a service and he tells me that motorcyclists make the best pillions as they instinctively know what the rider is doing and will tuck in behind the rider and also lean with them when going around corners. Non-riders have a tendency to sit up on corners and move around a lot more. I found it to be a hoot, nearly as good as riding but with the benefit of being able to look around a bit more.
Mick
Re: Pillioning? All aboard!
Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:06 am
by DaBigfella
Cath wrote:I've never had a pillion on the back of my bike. I've been talking about learning how to do it for ages, and reckon I should stop talking about it and just bloody do it.
Why haven't I just already done it?
Well, partly because when stopped, I rely on balancing on my toes, so while I feel secure doing that with just myself on the bike, the additional weight and balance changes of having a pillion is a little concerning without the ability to have at least one foot flat on the ground - I'm not sure if I would be able to hold the bike up when stopped until I can figure out a way to do it using balance or leverage.
Also partly because no small skinny bastard wants to be my crash test dummy (and I don't blame them). I want to first learn how to do it with someone lighter and smaller than me, as when Dave sat on the back of my bike it felt so wrong and completely unstable and unmanageable.
I usually think about giving it a go down at the Supers, because there's plenty of people willing to jump on the back, and I figure I'll be going slow and the grass will be kinder to my fairings if I drop it. Then again, I'm more likely to drop the bike on the grass I reckon - plus with a crowd watching, it's almost certain I'll stuff up! So I still haven't done it.
So, I really don't want to drop my bike. I don't think I'd hurt the pillion, as I reckon it's much more likely I'd drop the bike from a standstill, or under 10 kms/h than when riding normally, but the risk is still there, of course. But it's a skill I want to have up my sleeve, in case I ever need to get a friend home on the back, or something like that.
Does anyone have any tips, or suggestions?
I've had a few people on the back of the 9, but no-one is bigger and heavier than me.....
Has anyone pillioned someone bigger and heavier than them?
Re: Pillioning? All aboard!
Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:04 am
by Ali600+150
HART at St Ives used to run a 'learn to take a pillion' course. Not sure if they still have run it though. A few of the girls I used to ride with did it to get their confidence up in a 'controlled' environment and said it was a good experience.