Pillion advice wanted.

[Clubbie]

I'm about to start carrying a pillion for the first time. :eek5:
I'm looking for advice both for me as a rider, and to give them in terms of a 'passenger briefing'.

I NEED to get this right, my intended passenger is the wifey and I really want to share my love of riding without terrifying her.

End goal - a happy wifey I can sneak away for the odd overnighter.

I'd very much appreciate your advice. :scooter:

[MSTRS]

Having a pillion on the back means the bike will not behave as you are used to. You must compensate by...
Tell your pillion to pretend they are a sack of potatoes. You do not want them moving about on the seat or leaning counter to the bike in corners.
You need to tell them to keep their feet on the pegs - you will hold the bike up.
You must have them 'ask permission' before they get on or off. You have to be able to hold the whole lot up by yourself.
It may help your pillion to put one arm around you and the other with hand pressing against the tank. That helps them to not slide forward/back.
You must be gentle on the throttle and gentle on the brakes.

Get it right, and it is a very rewarding form of biking. And it will make you a better rider.
But get it wrong...

[p.dath]

Have a signal if they want you to pull over (such as toilet break). Like tapping on your leg or helmet.

Have a signal for you to give them to hold on if you intend to brake or accelerate hard. Otherwise their helmet might dong your helmet, or you may frighten them.

[EgliHonda]

As above, tell her you will tap helmets together occasionally. It's no biggy, as she won't anticipate every move, but will learn to minimise contact in time. Being gentle on throttle/brake as already mentioned will help here...

Tell her also not to freak out if the lean angle seems too much. My wifey doesn't like a particular left hander that I can really drop into (safely) on the way home. It probably feels worse on the back, than at the controls, to be fair...

Went through a similar exercise a couple of years ago with my missus, who had never been on a bike. If you are gentle and ride safe she should learn to trust you and enjoy the experience, good luck...

[jim.cox]

I tell them to "look to the inside of corners"

It naturally starts to get the leaning right - although novices will still tend to sit rather upright

[Duke girl]

On your 1st outing with your pillion just make it a short journey to see how things go and then if all is ok with your pillion then your remaining journey's can be as long as you want them to be.

The info you have been given so far is there for you to put into practice and like the saying goes the more practice you do the better it will become for both you and your pillion.

Goodluck and I hope you both have many enjoyable journeys together.

Enjoy.

[Gremlin]

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=107983&highlight=pillion+advice
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=66905&highlight=pillion+advice
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=40341&highlight=pillion+advice
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=11536&highlight=pillion+advice

[vifferman]

Thanx, Gremlin. :niceone:

[Hanne]

Also make sure you know exactly when she is hopping on and off, check with each other before she does this that you are both ready. Can make bike quite unstable if you are not expecting the extra weight on one side as she hops on!

In terms of holding on, knees are good to help with this, or her hands on your hips/ one hand round you one on grab rail. Will differ from pillion to pillion as to what they prefer :)

[Reckless]

Advise her if she has to reposition herself, scratch her arse or move on the bike do it while your riding not when you stop at the lights and are trying to keep the balance! Common mistake by newbie pillions.

Oh and when its safe, talk to her make it fun and ride to a place you can have coffee she'll probably like it more than the ride the first few times!
Don't just take her for a 10 min hack around the block she will need time to relax and get used to it! The stuff you find Boring is best here.

[Clubbie]

Hey thanks so much guys, that's a wicked amount of info in such a short time! :2thumbsup I really appreciate your input.... (This is not a signal to stop posting to this thread) :)

[PrincessBandit]

Yes, some great advice here already. I would really advise you work on the bracing point (I use the backs of my fingers against the tank, being a little short person when on the back of a bike). Otherwise you might find yourself with some bruised bitsys from a forceful slide into the tank on sudden stopping... Hopefully you will be paying even more attention to your stops anyway so that should minimise the issue.

[sunhuntin]

Advise her if she has to reposition herself, scratch her arse or move on the bike do it while your riding not when you stop at the lights and are trying to keep the balance! Common mistake by newbie pillions.

yep! my ex did that as i was slowing for some lights. nearly dropped the lot! needless to say, she got a strip torn off when we stopped.

another good one is tell her to keep her boots off the exhaust if theres a chance they may meet. boots will melt and can be a real bitch to clean off! best way if you have pegs is to put the toes on the peg and hold the rest of the foot up.

[Clubbie]

So the general consensus seems to be have a hand on the tank? What's up with pillions holding on behind their backs to a grab rail? Good? Bad? Pros and cons please.

[Clubbie]

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=107983&highlight=pillion+advice
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=66905&highlight=pillion+advice
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=40341&highlight=pillion+advice
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=11536&highlight=pillion+advice

Awesome thanks mate! I clearly had a 'man-look' when I went hunting for this info! :)

[The Pastor]

when in doubt, power out.

[MSTRS]

So the general consensus seems to be have a hand on the tank? What's up with pillions holding on behind their backs to a grab rail? Good? Bad? Pros and cons please.

I think holding the 'grab rail' forces them to sit a bit too far back, or at least their upper body is. Holding this way against acceleration and braking would be hard on one's arms and shoulders. And the upperbody seperation between rider and pillion makes for less stability.
One arm holding around rider helps with acceleration. Other hand against tank helps under brakes.

[Reckless]

Na you guys got it all wrong! :eek5:

Tits in your back, arms around your middle, fanny on your tail bone!! :gob:

The only way to transport a pillion!:woohoo:

Oh and BTW if its a guy, he's on the pack rack! LOL!!! :angry2:

Have a good day!!!

[PrincessBandit]

Oh and BTW if its a guy, he's on the pack rack! LOL!!! :angry2:



There's a certain world-famous-in-kb group here who might disagree :msn-wink:
Closer the better mano a mano for dem.

[MadDuck]

I think holding the 'grab rail' forces them to sit a bit too far back, or at least their upper body is. Holding this way against acceleration and braking would be hard on one's arms and shoulders. And the upperbody seperation between rider and pillion makes for less stability.
One arm holding around rider helps with acceleration. Other hand against tank helps under brakes.

I had the opportunity to be a pillion on Tuesday with two different (loverly) Wellington riders. With both riders I held on to the pack rack or rear of the bike and have to say I agree. My arms and shoulders were blimmin sore at the end of the day.

I guess as a rider I was trying my best not to interfere with the riding of either. If that makes sense.

Didnt help I didnt have a step ladder to assist getting on and off!

[Maha]

I had the opportunity to be a pillion on Tuesday with two different (loverly) Wellington riders. With both riders I held on to the pack rack or rear of the bike and have to say I agree. My arms and shoulders were blimmin sore at the end of the day.

I guess as a rider I was trying my best not to interfere with the riding of either. If that makes sense.

Didnt help I didnt have a step ladder to assist getting on and off!

Did neither of them park close to the curb...........like I do :scooter:

[Hanne]

I think holding the 'grab rail' forces them to sit a bit too far back, or at least their upper body is. Holding this way against acceleration and braking would be hard on one's arms and shoulders. And the upperbody seperation between rider and pillion makes for less stability.
One arm holding around rider helps with acceleration. Other hand against tank helps under brakes.

Does depend on the bike though.
On the back of the DR650 I find it much comfier to have one hand behind as the position is very upright.
On the Tl1000 though, definitely arms round the waist, as you are sitting so much higher up and leaning forward.

[Reckless]

There's a certain world-famous-in-kb group here who might disagree :msn-wink:
Closer the better mano a mano for dem.

Good come back LOL!! bling sent!!

[pritch]

Clutchless upshifts are smoother - if you already use them. That should help eliminate helmet clonk, and is better than the usual alternative which is to frighten the pillion stiff :devil2:

If the pillion needs to adjust her nether garments, or anything else, that must be done at road speed. Any movement at low speed will create big problems.

If she must move, move straight up and down. No wriggling.

She only gets on or off on your say so. That may or may not be how the relationship usually works, but any other arrangement will probably eventually have both of you, and the bike, on the ground in a heap. That usually doesn't help the relationship either...

Once she becomes proficient as a pillion, tell her to look over your inside shoulder as the corner approaches.

Enjoy.

[nunesvaz]

No riding handling pointers as they have all been covered and in better detail than I ever could.
But thinking back to the first time my wife got on the back of my bike.......she hated it and not because of my riding skills or lack of.
Or sliding on the seat or knocking heads .
.....BUT because she got very cold and that in its self took all the enjoyment out of the ride for her.

Maybe just wearing some jeans and a t shirt under her jacket didnt help but I don't think she realized how cold that wind can get.

Jim

[yungatart]

I am gonig to suggest that you practice with an experienced good pillion first....they won't do anything that will unsettle the bike and you can learn about being smooth without worrying about them...then take wifey...she will be well impressed and fall in love with you all over again!

[Rob Taylor]

Seems like a lot of info to take in....Keep it basic.Make sure she is wearing good protective clothing,tell her to hold on to you ,not the tank,and go for a short 50kph ride round the block & see how she feels...If all good your away.Remember pillion comfort level is not as good as rider so short rides to start...Good luck

[varminter]

As a newbie I found the wife on my Katana 250 felt like the front wheel was off the ground, made the steering very interesting at low speed (no, she's not a big girl) also we fell off when testing a v-strom on a tight corner into the bike shop, excuse is going too slow and a steep camber. It's an interesting experience, banged helmets just once. Make sure she has all the gear.

[CookMySock]

It can be stressful for both of you. Take short rides and regular breaks until she is up to it.

Your passenger WILL move around. The bike will respond similar to being hit by a gust of wind. Simply conteract with pressure on the bars to hold the bikes' position or line.

It goes without saying, don't be an arse. It's just too tempting to give a little demo, but there is nothing more horrible than chix skin, hair, and bone, on the road. Even just a little "zoom" might leave her wondering if she likes it - not what you need.

She must know that she can ask to stop, and that it is no problem. Tap on shoulder, then flat palm upwards - "stop."

Watch the slow speed balance stuff. Approaching stop signs and so on - you must not rely on putting your feet down and holding any substantial bike weight, or it will pull you over.

Don't drop the bike into neutral and coast to a stop. If you have to manoevre, you will have no power and this gets bad, quick.

I love pillioning chix. That warm soft girlie crotch wrapped around me is about the best thing in the world. :love:

Steve

[Clubbie]

Thanks so much guys and gals. I took her out for a quiet ride after our wee briefing and a sit on the bike in the shed.
She didn't say much but was grinning when we got home! The following weekend, she asked if I could run her to an appointment on the bike.... needless to say I took the long way home.
Last night I got a "we should have done this much sooner, like before we had kids"

YAY!!!!!!

She's not terrified of it :-)

Should I be practising stuff like emergency braking with her on? Starting a slow speed and building it up?

I figure that way if she sees a situation developing in front of us, she'll know what to expect.

[Murray]

the next thing will be she will be wanting her own bike and bored with being pillion!!! Thats what happened to me

[Clubbie]

the next thing will be she will be wanting her own bike and bored with being pillion!!! Thats what happened to me

Just quietly.... that's kinda what I expect and hope will happen.

[MSTRS]

Good news! And yes, you should.

[glegge]

whatever you tell them, keep it short and simple - or they may well just worry more that they are doing it right or get confused.
1. feet on pegs.
2. hang on to me (ideally for first rides) or bike (as confidence gets better).
3. sit back, relax, enjoy the ride, you dont have to do anything, corners or nuffin.
4. if ANYTHING is wrong or your worried or whatever - punch me in the back or hit me, i'll stop - we can talk.
as for the ride.
first time out, ride smooth and take it easyier that you would on your own.
just think that the pillion may do something silly - so ride well inside your envelope so you have room to correct for them if required.

enjoy the feeling of yet another life in your hands.. sigh...

[crazyhorse]

So the general consensus seems to be have a hand on the tank? What's up with pillions holding on behind their backs to a grab rail? Good? Bad? Pros and cons please.

I've had my kids on the back heaps when they were younger.

Make sure She gets on gently and not jumps on the bike.

Holding on is her preference, but Princess Bandit was referring to slowing down or braking suddenly - and she will slide forward on the seat in a hurry, so this is a good idea to get her to have one hand ready to lean back from the tank in order to prevent this from happening.

Make sure you teach her which way to lean for corners - had that experience with my son in a gorge!!! not nice feeling...

Do not procrastinate about it too much either - or you will worry about having her on the back. Enjoy and have fun :yes:

[neels]

I was fortunate that my wife came pretrained as a pillion.

I prefer it if she is cuddled right into my back, keeps her weight with mine and keeps my back warm. She's not very tall so find it easier if she gets on first with the bike on the sidestand, upright the seat is a bit high.

She likes being on the bike but has no interest in riding herself, although I wonder if that might change if she came across a little bike that she could comfortably ride. I've been told that if I go shopping for another bike then she gets to test ride too and has the right to veto if she doesn't like it

[I GS 1]

whatever you tell them, keep it short and simple - or they may well just worry more that they are doing it right or get confused.
1. feet on pegs.
2. hang on to me (ideally for first rides) or bike (as confidence gets better).
3. sit back, relax, enjoy the ride, you dont have to do anything, corners or nuffin.
4. if ANYTHING is wrong or your worried or whatever - punch me in the back or hit me, i'll stop - we can talk.
as for the ride.
first time out, ride smooth and take it easyier that you would on your own.
just think that the pillion may do something silly - so ride well inside your envelope so you have room to correct for them if required.

enjoy the feeling of yet another life in your hands.. sigh...

I agree - keep it short and simple . "Don't feel afraid to lean against me to get the feel of how to move" may be enough. Then go slow enough to cope with anything they may want to try out - and discuss it afterwards. If you are going to be a control freak, setting all the "rules", they will more than likely find and enjoy some other activity where they are able to remain more in control. Touring together can be great fun - and when the children have grown up and left home, even better.

[I GS 1]

I was fortunate that my wife came pretrained as a pillion.

I prefer it if she is cuddled right into my back, keeps her weight with mine and keeps my back warm. She's not very tall so find it easier if she gets on first with the bike on the sidestand, upright the seat is a bit high.

She likes being on the bike but has no interest in riding herself, although I wonder if that might change if she came across a little bike that she could comfortably ride. I've been told that if I go shopping for another bike then she gets to test ride too and has the right to veto if she doesn't like it

Be careful test riding a boxer GS then, it could end up the only bike she would agree to. They are really great for two up touring around NZ

[crazyhorse]

the next thing will be she will be wanting her own bike and bored with being pillion!!! Thats what happened to me

..............And the problem with that is?????????????????

Occassionally (and very occassionally) I like to be a pillion.

[Murray]

..............And the problem with that is?????????????????

Occassionally (and very occassionally) I like to be a pillion.

absolutely nothing!!!. Its great and a lot of fun