The Great(ish) Pillion Post

[NC]

ZX6R - Uncomfortable
VFR400 - Uncomfortable
TR50 - Very Uncomfortable
ZXR636 - Cumfy
ZXR250 - Uncomfortable
XJ900 - Not too bad
That's all I can remember for now

[Beemer]

I was a pillion for way too many years to remember - never thought of getting a bike myself - duh!

My brother had bikes in the 70s and he got a sweet deal, I'd polish them for him (lots of chrome in those days) in return for a ride around the block! He had a Honda 360 and then a Yamaha 650 I think. I also had boyfriends with bikes over the years (one guy's father owned a motorcycle shop, wish I'd held onto him!) so had lots of back seat rides, but I can't remember the bikes now. Since getting my own bike in 1998 I've continued to be a pillion at times, mostly on my husband's BMW R100RS, which is reasonably comfortable - my knees tend to ache after an hour or so on the back of just about anything though. A friend's FJ1300 was great. Worst bikes to pillion on? A ZX6R (I'm only 153cm but it felt like my knees were around my ears!) and a couple of Harleys that vibrated so much I thought my kidneys had come loose! I wouldn't recommend the RG150 for longer than minutes, and I certainly don't fancy trying the pillion seat on the Goose - someone described it as a bitch pad! My BMW F650CS is really comfortable on the back, the pegs are just perfect for me.

I love riding, but sometimes I love being a pillion - is that wrong? I must confess I hate being driven though, I much prefer to be driving myself!

[vifferman]

Has anyone else been on a bad pillion seat? Or even a good one?

Both. I did an awful lot of pillioneering before I got my first bike, but very little since. While I enjoyed it then, I hate being a pillion now (and I'm not too keen on being a passenger in a car either...)
I've been on the back of numerous trail bikes - some were OK, but having the pillion pegs on the swingarm wasn't too good, especially off road. Also the seats were quite small.

Some quick highlights/lowlights:
Doing numerous miles on the back of a BSA 250 Star (very comfy). Discovering that if I held on under the seat, I got a small electric shock whenver the brake light came on. Having the rider suddenly lie down on the tank at >80 mph (luckily I'd developed a sort of PillionTelepathy by then, and it didn't blow me off the back).

On the back of a Suzuki Titan 500 (good pillion seat = about 5 metres long) with my sister's boyfriend, when he was trying to crack the imperial "ton" down our street, on a busy Saturday, during the day. He 'only' managed to achieve 65 mph over the limit...

On the back of a Z900 (same rider as the BSA), when he opened it up going up our street. Luckily, the aforementioned PillionTelepathy helped again, and when he hit around 160-ish, I wasn't left lying on the road...

Pillioning on a motocross bike around a farm.

Pillioning on a farm bike around a farm.

And some highlights pillioning others:
Seeing some sand on the road when pillioning a mate on my CB175, and doing a very nice feet-up slide through it going around a corner.

Pillioning (well, one was in front) my 3 boys around the garden and neighbouring grassy bits on the XBR500RS Mutant.

Having my wife give my back a pounding for doing ~160 on my VF500 when riding around Lyttelton Harbour.

My VFR750 suddenly developing automatic self-steering around corners when my middle son was being helpful on the back.

The mixed pleasure of my second ride with my wife on the FahrtSturm: Nice having her join me for a ride, but getting my nads squished when braking because we were both wearing jeans and sliding around on the seat.
Riding a Honda Lead (I think that's supposed to be "leed", but it was more like that dense grey stuff..) two-up, and having to paddle furiously to get it moving.

Having to use some Body English to steer the FarhrtSturm with my wife on the back because the front tyre was having a rest.

Getting a hug from the pillion when out riding.