How should a pillion act?

[FROSTY:Me]

Pillions as far as I'm concerned are like a sack of spuds. --or should I say like kids are sposed to be. Seen but not heard/felt.

[pritch]

If you have a regular pillion they can be taught to look over your inside shoulder when cornering. Other than that "sack of spuds" is good.

[CookMySock]

I have pillioned my daughter, son, wife, and a few others. Usually they vary between wriggling around trying to see the speedo, turning around looking at the car following, or trying to get the bike upright again coz they think its going to fall over. I had my mate Flo' on the back the other week and he was fucking LEGENDARY!! Fuck knows what he was doing but I cut another 5mm of chickenstrip off that I had never seen before - the bike just wanted to corner big-time! He's a biker though (currently no bike), and I think he was having fun back there - even the very first corner he was ready for me and we tipped in real deep. Awesome.

DB

[blacksheep]

If you have a regular pillion they can be taught to look over your inside shoulder when cornering. Other than that "sack of spuds" is good.

sack of spuds is good,although i would never ever attempt to say that she was

[Nagash]

Had a few pillions.. the one's that just follow me have always been the best.

I just tell them straight away, just look at the back of my helmet, don't move around too much, and don't lean against me.

Every girl i've taken has been great, they hug up close and just sit there.

I once took my male mate.. never again.. such a pussy! Leaned against me on every corner of a very tight section of rode. Almost leaned us off a cliff..

[boomer]

tell the pillion to stay up right and then just corner by counter steering... makes things soooo much easier

[CookMySock]

If you have a regular pillion they can be taught to look over your inside shoulder when cornering.

This works really well, and gets them past that falling over feeling. Tried it myself too, and its much easier and feels better. Pillions are "learning to ride" as well and its not fair to just ask them to trust you.

Things I tell my passengers -
"look past the inside of my helmet when cornering"
"if you want to slow down then tap me on the shoulder"
"if you want to stop then keep tapping me"
"if you are getting weirded out in the corners, just sit there and put you hands in your lap and look down at them and dont move."
"dont touch me or move suddenly when we're cornering"
"sit very still when we are cornering slowly, like at roundabouts"

DB

[Bandit Rider]

I always say one important thing - just keep yourself in line with the bike - don't lean in more or less than the bike is leaning. If they do that it's all good.

[dwnundabkr]

I was talking to a friend other week, and how he was feeling with a riding with a pillion on board (previously this was a very rare happening), he said it was good, since she helped him corner better, by applying pressure on her pegs thru corners, helping lean etc.

I told him, she shouldn't be doing such things. But last time i took a pillion on the open road was 5+ years ago, so i am not really one for taking pillions so don't really know ins and outs that much, i am lead to believe pillion should just stay relax and just move with the bike. Now this is normal road stuff.

His new pillion has been pillion on bikes for years, but never a rider.

Anyone got any ideas or thoughs?

Neil try Aunty Donna on a gn250 lol

[Cajun]

Neil try Aunty Donna on a gn250 lol

hahaha don't think so Dave.

it some friends down here

[cowboyz]

I pillion a bit and put in a vote for the neutral staus. Much much more predictable that having cargo that moves around.

[rottiguy]

well if it's a nice girly ( not keen on guys for a pillion ) I just tell her to press her nice front end into my back and lean when I do.
That's right baby lean right into it

[banditrider]

I vote for neutral. I had 1 guy on the back who lent the wrong way - not good. Agree with the majority that chicks are much better - they seem to just sit there and enjoy the ride and not worry too much about what's going on up front. Personally I'm a shocking pillion - doesn't help that I hate it and am even quite nervous when someone else has the con.

[crash harry]

I've only pillioned one male - that was my Dad, and he was not good. My favourite pillion has her own bike now, so I don't pillion much at all. But I think in general chicks maybe make better pillions (for male riders at least) because they aren't afraid to hang onto you around your waist. It seems a bit gay for a guy to do, but natural for a chick to do, and it really is the best way to make sure that your bodies move together. If the pillion moves with you then it's just like wearing an extra heavy backpack (did that once - 25kgs of kumara - and it was remarkably like riding with a pillion), and that's about the best it can be as far as I'm concerned. Oh, and as mentioned previously, the random hugs while riding are cool too, if you have that kind of relationship with your passenger...

That and not sliding forwards too hard under brakes and mashing my goolies against the tank. That is much appreciated.

[Livvy]

As someone who's mostly been pillion, I've always been told to look over the shoulder in corners and stay close to the rider's back. But pillions have problems too, and this is my experience, mostly from sports bikes:

You break hard, my helmet meets your helmet, and I get yelled at. Not my fault!

I can't see past your helmet to the road ahead. Sometimes corners just appear and I feel like I'm slipping off. I have to readjust midcorner, I'm sorry, I don't want to, but I don't want my arse to meet the tarmac at 100kmph either.

I won't always hug you because you like to own healthy testicles. If you look down, I'm bracing my weight on the tank and yes it hurts my wrists so be thankful.

Your seat is about three inches too long, and I don't like falling into the gap when you break so I will readjust constantly. So either sit further back, get a different bike, or get used to it - or don't take me pillion.

I always try to be a good pillion. All pillions try to be good pillions because they like to keep their skin, and everyone likes their pillion to act differently - limp, or to move with the bike. I suggest to you guys you have rules which you tell all your pillions before you take them pillion, and if you have a problem, pull over and explain it, nicely. We'll try and do better, promise, but don't yell, sometimes we just didn't know.

/rant