carrying a pillion.

[cowboyz]

Got the little woman on the bike for the first time on Friday. I have spent the better time of a lifetime trying and finally she agreed. Had a great trip out to the beach. She was pretty well behaved on the back of the bike and it went well, but (you know there is always a but).... Once we got back into Palmytown how do you check what is behind you? On my own on the bike I can slide half off the seat and check behind me. With someone on the back I can't. Mirrors are a bit of a joke. Is there a technique useful?

[yungatart]

Umm, get her to sit backwards and then she can tell you.

[cowboyz]

In the risk of 10 characters or less....


huh?

[aff-man]

get better mirrors.... or a smaller woman.

But seriously there is no technique. Try fiddling with the mirror angles you might be able to just see passed here if you widen the range.....

[bugjuice]

or just go faster than everything else on the road, then you don't need to care about what's behind you..

[Karma]

Why do you need to see what's behind you? Didn't you see them on the way past when you overtook?

[cowboyz]

but I like my mirrors. They are bloody hopeless but look cool. For that matter I am quite fond of the woman too...

[bugjuice]

well, if you like your mirrors, point one at yourself, and the other at your missus.. makes you both happy..

[Holy Roller]

Take a physical look behind by turning your head like we did in the old days or get some bar end mirrors.

[Ixion]

or just go faster than everything else on the road, then you don't need to care about what's behind you..
Unless what's behind you has pretty flashing lights !

[oldrider]

Serious question deserves serious response. Are your mirrors adjustable or are they fixed in the stork out from the fairing. Most of them have an adjustable mirror in the end.
Without using too much force see if you can move them. Even better ask at your nearest dealer if they are adjustable.
They look as if they stick out far enough unless you are one big mother.
Good on you for being careful in introducing your most significant other to the world of biking, there is a lot of fun to be had together if you do it right.
You don't want to scare her off unnecessarily. Cheers John.

[Fatjim]

Well done, next task, get her to start riding her own bike.

Now, other solutions to your problem.

you can get spacers to move your mirrors out further, or you can get aftermarket mirrors with longer stalks quite cheaply.

[cowboyz]

Serious question deserves serious response. Are your mirrors adjustable or are they fixed in the stork out from the fairing. Most of them have an adjustable mirror in the end.
Without using too much force see if you can move them. Even better ask at your nearest dealer if they are adjustable.
They look as if they stick out far enough unless you are one big mother.
Good on you for being careful in introducing your most significant other to the world of biking, there is a lot of fun to be had together if you do it right.
You don't want to scare her off unnecessarily. Cheers John.

The mirrors do move by I just couldnt get them right. I am not a customed to using mirrors and a rule anyway. when by myself I dont use them at all. If I do want to know what is behind/beside me then I turn and look. Maybe that is why I am having so much trouble.

It was great to have her on the back of the bike. I did do the nice thing and sat on 110k all the way to the beach. I had one very minor "oh fuck it" moment where I leant into a 65k corner (nicely like) and the corner was a little bit longer than what my wife thought it should be and sat up striaght half way round it. This caused my little 600 to have a little hissy fit and twist a bit but I dont think she noticed to much. I politely asked if she would stay with me when cornering cause I don't want to fall off either. All good after that. Hoping to spend more time 2up this summer and look at getting a smaller bike for her to learn how to ride on. All good really.

[lia]

a comment from the backseat rider ...

just get her out more and let her get used to it. when she learns to trust you gets comfortable with riding you wont even know she is there.

its when your pillion feels ok to "nap" on long journeys that you know you got it sorted! ;)

[boomer]

a comment from the backseat rider ...

just get her out more and let her get used to it. when she learns to trust you gets comfortable with riding you wont even know she is there.

its when your pillion feels ok to "nap" on long journeys that you know you got it sorted! ;)

Is your man putting you to sleep is he? ;)


The world is spinning too fast
I'm buying lead Nike shoes
To keep myself tethered
To the days I try to lose

My mama said to slow down
You should make your shoes
Stop dancing to the music
Of Gorillaz in a happy mood

Keep a mild groove on

Ba ba ba
Day dee bop

There you go!
Get the cool!
Get the cool shoeshine!
Get the cool!
Get the cool shoeshine!
Get the cool!
Get the cool shoeshine!
Get the cool!
Get the cool shoeshine!

There's a monkey in the jungle
Watching a vapour trail
Caught up in the conflict
Between his brain and his tail

And if time's elimination
Then we got nothing to lose
Please repeat the message
It's the music that we choose

Keep a mild groove on

Ba ba ba
Day dee bop

OK bring it down yeah we gonna break out
Get the cool!
Get the cool shoeshine!
Get the cool!
Get the cool shoeshine!
Get the cool!
Get the cool shoeshine!
Get the cool!
Get the cool shoeshine!

Ah Ah Ah Ah

Day doo de bop

:ride:

[lia]

only when he is in top form ...

but shhhh he might think he is some demi god or something :stoogie:

[boomer]

only when he is in top form ...

but shhhh he might think he is some demi god or something :stoogie:


Lia, I must therefore assume you must be deaf as a door nail, cos those zorsts are noisey as fork! :mega:

[lia]

well that was back in the days when the TL1000 was in one piece. although she was a bit of a talker too ...

when i said 'long journey' i meant chch to akl. after a while the noise is like a lullabye :zzzz:

[boomer]

:sunny: Happy days

In response to the original post, get your partner to be your rear view mirrors for ya, make up a little sign language between the two of you.. seen it done and very effective:niceone:

[oldrider]

Cowbyz, I don't want to talk down to you but picking up a comment in one of your posts about pillions reaction to corner.
Are you steering or counter steering your bike?. If you are steering the bike you will get out of sink with both the bike and the passenger every now and then and you wont really know whats causing it. More noticeable on long sweepers, you will be taking too many swipes at it instead of a lovely long sweep that feels so good. Look well ahead to where you want to go, not where you are going. Press the inside grip down and gently pull the outside bar in gently but firmly. If your eyes are fixed well out in the line where you want to go you will automatically adjust your bodyweight, seat and power, into position best for the maneuver.
Its the same principle as riding a horse in a circle, if you get it right it feels great for everyone. (including the horse)
Phew I just let my self go through that hope it makes sense to you.
If it doesn't, ask someone else. Words get in the way sometimes. :spudwhat: Cheers John.

[Mental Trousers]

CCTV!! Camera under the back seat and screen in a tank bag!! Ok, not totally practical but way cool.

[cowboyz]

Cowbyz, I don't want to talk down to you but picking up a comment in one of your posts about pillions reaction to corner.
Are you steering or counter steering your bike?. If you are steering the bike you will get out of sink with both the bike and the passenger every now and then and you wont really know whats causing it. More noticeable on long sweepers, you will be taking too many swipes at it instead of a lovely long sweep that feels so good. Look well ahead to where you want to go, not where you are going. Press the inside grip down and gently pull the outside bar in gently but firmly. If your eyes are fixed well out in the line where you want to go you will automatically adjust your bodyweight, seat and power, into position best for the maneuver.
Its the same principle as riding a horse in a circle, if you get it right it feels great for everyone. (including the horse)
Phew I just let my self go through that hope it makes sense to you.
If it doesn't, ask someone else. Words get in the way sometimes. :spudwhat: Cheers John.

Good advice really. It is a bit of a long story but I will see how short I can make it. My wife hasn't got aon a bike because she is really nervous of the bike being lent over. So to start with that is why we went out himitangi. Long striaght roads to start with, Then I was trying to keep the bike as upright as possible which is actually a really unnatural way to ride but I was doing my best. Then as she got more comfortable I was laying it down more a little at a time on each corner so she could get used to the feel of the bike rolling from one side to the other. It got to the stage where I could start riding properly counter steering where the bike will lay itself down nicely into the corner and stay there. This "incident" only happened one one corner out of the 140k we did for the day so it was a minor. Just a little tight and her getting used to the way the bike turns. Its all good. Might be a few rides before I take her over the sadle road but we have to take these things slowly or she will just give up on the idea. It has only taken 10 years to get her this far. Don't want to go rushing things.

[FROSTY]

cowboys--Mate My advice--tis well worth the effort.
Pillion had never been on the back of a bike before she met me and now she just loves it.
I'd suggest you make the rides short and explain what you'll be doing during the ride.

The odd reassuring squeeze on the knee wont go astray either.
Ya adjust YOUR riding to suit the pillion but the amount you need to adjust it gets smaller as the pillion gets comfortable and relaxes.

[pritch]

or get some bar end mirrors.

Good thinking batman. Rizoma and CRG do these, a Google search should be enlightening. If there is a manufacturer does "cheap" I haven't found them yet.

[gman]

hopefully shes got the same protective gear as you or better???theres nuffin worse than seeing a loved one the ground after a crash.been there done that never ever wana do it again.

[Waylander]

Use corners to your advantage. Not sure if this has been posted in here as I really didn't read the thread.

Anyway, I only have one mirror on my bike wich shows me not much other than my shoulder and what is in the next lane about to pass me. But what I do is on corners that I don't need to concentrate to hard for is glance in my mirror for a bit. That shows me what is behind me perfectly well.

[Sniper]

Buy one of those campervan mirrors that you can stick onto the side of the fairing :devil2:

[Grahameeboy]

My SV has a similar problem without a pillion and you can get mirror spacers which bring the mirrors out. Not sure whether you can get for your bike but I am sure you could get someone to make something up out of hard rubber with holes.....

[emaN]

hate mirrors on bikes, especially sports/sports-tourers...spoils the look.
removed them for a while, put those lil' round "blind spot" ones on the inside of my fairing, but they fell off.
left one's folded in, only use r/h one (occasionally). mostly rely on turn of the head.
BUT,places like the Isle of Man/Nurburgring...you're very grateful for 'em!

[cowboyz]

hopefully shes got the same protective gear as you or better???theres nuffin worse than seeing a loved one the ground after a crash.been there done that never ever wana do it again.

not a good look. She is wearing my "commuter" jacket at the moment which has armour in the shoulders and arms and back. It is not a bad jacket. Steel cap work boots which haven't got alot in the way of ankle support and no pants.. Well she does wear pants but...

I think if I do drop it I hope I don't drop it in a place where there are any large bat-like objects handy otherwise I may fear for my safety.


It will probably come to the stage (realitively quickly) where she will get her own bike and gear which will be good.

[Maha]

Sidecar......problem solved..... ok she could wear the :stupid: sign but when you way up the pro's and con's like............. and eski full of piss in the sidecar with the good lady things dont seem soooooooooooo dorky....:lol:

[cowboyz]

sidecar huh.. I wonder if I can get a "clipon" sidecar for the gsx and then if she complains about the speed too much I can unclip it?

[Mattyc]

i make my pillon do most of my leaning for me, i just told the mrs - lean with my head, i just move my head, she leans, we corner.. the good thing about that is if she sits up (which she did once, and only once) i still have plently of "lean" in reserve to get round the tigher corners. I got my mrs her first bike about a year ago - a big wheel cr 80 - she had never pillioned til then, within a month or two i had her doing jumps and big powerslides, i reckon that its the best way to learn to ride - on the dirt... i learnt on the dirt from when i was about 10

I recently replaced my mirrors and the storks are a tad longer, does make it easier seeing past the mrs (shes only like 50kg anyway) i use my mirrors a lot , but for lane changes always give a over the shoulder check.

[Quartida]

i make my pillon do most of my leaning for me

Really? Cause I get in BIG trouble if I lean. I keep being told I'm pre-empting the corners by leaning too early, but I don't feel like I am. So now I'm really careful to try not to tip my hips at all, and to not lean around the corner (if in doubt, I close my eyes and let the bike take me). I'm so paranoid about leaning now that sometimes I don't feel as though I'm leaning enough.

It's all so complicated :confused:

EDIT: sorry to post on an "old"-ish thread but this issue came up this evening so I'm interested.

[quickbuck]

[QUOTE=Quartida]... (if in doubt, I close my eyes and let the bike take me)....QUOTE]

I have it on good authority (ex pax) that this is the easiest way to work out when to lean.

Some riders turn into a corner very late, and very quickly. Some corners also demand that too, so the easiest thing ti do is move as soon as the bike moves.

I used to pillion with a good mate years ago, in my 2 smoke days, and mine was always blown up. Got quite good at it. Got a ride from a mate a few months back, and it was... well... very interesting. He made me very nervous. Not because he is a bad rider, but it it was my old bike, and he ride it different to me. And the fact I wasn't in control had a bit to do with it (I think).