How do you treat new pillions?

[SPman]

Badly!......

[Lou Girardin]

No. 1, anything more got me a punch in the kidneys. She's better now though, just the odd squeal and slap upside my head.
Lou

[BigB]

I take it easy, you never know when you may end up on the back of there bike!!

I pillion the Girlfriend all the time and she's great, as it's actually her bike but she can't ride anymore.

The most interesting pillion I've have had was coldkiwi back from Tokora, he rode his old bike down, it must have been really hard for him to then get on the back a bike for the ride back to AK. The weather was shit and I was so used to having the girlfriend on the back it took a bit of getting used to. But only one scary moment and that was due to the rain.

cheers

[magnum]

be as smooth as possible so they can enjoy it without shitting themselves.

[wkid_one]

Something to remember - a new pillion has an awesome ability to bin the bike if they panic......why bother increasing the chance by riding like an idiot.

When I have a pillion on the back - it is about the only time I use the rear brake to reduce the feeling they can get of sliding up and forward.....which can be quite unnerving for them.

[phil_elvey]

Something that was really interesting a while ago. I had my two cousins who are sisters out on the farm a couple of years ago. These two are like chalk and cheese. One is a typical tomboy. Plays contact sports, not very shy etc etc. The other is a girly girl. Loves fashion, boys etc. etc. They both went for a ride on my trailbike one day. I took the tomboy one and I had to slow down cause she was a bit scared. Then I took the girly one and she loved it. I asked her after a couple of mins if she was scared at all and she said not at all. So I upped the pace a bit then asked her again, and still she wasn't scared so I rode as fast as I dare with a pillion - as fast as I would with my mates on the back.

Also, I think the younger they are better they are [at being pillions]. They don't tend to get scared as much.

[wkid_one]

This should be expanded to include the likelihood of the pillion putting out or not?

[Coldkiwi]

that would be a new thread I think!

There's definitely scope for speeding up once the pillion is happy, after all , biking is about having fun and if you have to fart around well under the speed limit the whole time, you're probably not having fun.

I get lots of satisfaction from having a new pillion on the back that gets off with a grin and wants to go out again. Most of mine ask to go out again.
I agree with the 'no gear-no lift' rule. helmet/jacket/gloves/jeans are a minimum for my pillions. Small chicks get to use my fiance's riding gear

[pete376403]

I took an older neighbour (late 60's early 70's) out for a ride one day.First time ever on a bike and she loved it. just riding quietly round town, and I could hear these "woo hoo!" noises from the back. She couldn't stop laughing when we got back. Made me feel good. too

[Big Dog]

#1 and if they ask for it, #2

I wouldn't try #3 with anyone because I don't want to take that responsibility.

Ditto, Virgin pillions cannot be trusted to have the neccesary skills to hang on but as they get more confidence with me I trend back to my normal riding style.


Managed to touch my pillion pegs down with the preffered pillion on the back the other day, which she thinks is kind of special (especially being as we did not bin), and gives her something to spout of about. It also goes a long way to explaining why my chicken strips are so thick. With us on bourd it the pillion pegs touch before we run out of tyre. with just me the front pegsgs do the same.

[Coldkiwi]

Pillion pegs scraping!?!?! AIEEEEEEE!!! thats one scary idea when you've got a gsxr!

[Two Smoker]

AAAAAAHHHHHH pillion scraping ....... now thats a scary thought, it would be impossible on my bike

[Big Dog]

Pillion pegs scraping!?!?! AIEEEEEEE!!! thats one scary idea when you've got a gsxr!

Yet to have the pleasure of an R

[Grumpy]

When I was at Tech, about a hundred years ago, I dumped my bike and dislocated my shoulder.

My mate used to work at the dockyards so he offered to give me a lift into the city on his way through and deliver me home afterwards. I hated the bus so I took him up on his offer.

He scared the shit out of me. I only had one hand to hold on with since I was in a sling and he rode like a f**kin' idiot. Last time I ever rode pillion and that was probably about 24 years ago.

I would hate to think that I was responsible for scarring somebody else to the same degree so I'm especially careful with new pillions.

It doesn't take long to work out how somebody new is reacting to their experience so you can easily adjust your riding to suit.

[LB]

I can't remember the last time I took a pillion, but would certainly ride very smoothly and carefully, esp if they were first timers.

Ah, that's right, about 3 years ago I took my 84-year old Dad for a blast. He was a very nervous pillion, you could feel him tensing up - I don't think he'd ever been on a bike before. I took it pretty easy, didn't go too far, but got up to 140kph on a straight just out of Morrinsville just so he could tell the people at his "oldies group" he'd done 85MPH on a motorcycle! He's never asked for a second ride.

When I had just gotten into riding I took my cousin (male) for a ride. Being 16 and knowing it all (yeah, right!!), I decided to show off and go fast. Came up to a right hander, he got scared (he was about 13) and leaned the other way. We ended up going straight ahead. Luckily there was plenty of grass berm before the power pole that we hit - though had scrubbed some speed off by then. I wasn't too keen to take him back home to his mum and dad (my aunty and uncle)!

Also don't forget to tell your first time pillions to keep their bloody feet on the footpegs - it's amazing how much it upsets your balance at lights when they put their feet down!

I occasionally pillion with Hamish (hubby), who I trust implicitly. He's very smooth and doesn't take risks.

I would be very selective about who I chose to pillion with.