Advice invited on taking a pillion passenger

[melpotter]

Hi All;

I'm going to be taking a pillion passenger soon and, as I've never done that before, I'd appreciate the advice of those more experienced than I.

Any tips?
Things to watch out for?

Cheers Folks

[gn2]

My thoughts would be to take someone who is an experienced pilion passenger first so that you get an idea of what it feels like to ride two up.
When you are used to that then you can take other passengers but brief them to relax and go with the bike and make sure they know to hold on to the grab rail.
This is very important under braking because you don't want to have to brace their weight as well as your own if you have to slam the anchors on hard.
Also make sure that the spring preload on the back suspension and the tyre pressures are suitably adjusted for the extra weight.
Other thing to remember is confirm you have pillion cover on your insurance.

[SpikeOne]

Getting on and off was my worse problem. The pads on a Downtown are very high, and impossibly to stand on and throw your leg over at the back, even without a box, and the seat is too high to do it from the roadside for a shortish memsahib. In the end we found that I have to stand forward with my belly hard up against the bars, while she slips in from behind, (Oo 'er missus), stepping over the tunnel and then sliding backwards on to the pillion.

Braking is more difficult anyway, so you need to be slower and leave more gaps up front and behind. This also means that you will find yourself needing to lean a bit less on the bands and corners, but you soon get used to that.

My only additional advice would be to only take someone on who you trust with your life. The pillion is as much a part of the steering as you are, and if someone is going to piss around it get's very dangerous.

[burgerman]

My thoughts would be to take someone who is an experienced pilion passenger first so that you get an idea of what it feels like to ride two up.
Other thing to remember is confirm you have pillion cover on your insurance.

All good advice gn2.
One good piece of advice the local training centre gave me, ('cos my Mrs had never been on pillion before) was to tell her to look over my left shoulder going into a left hand bend, and right shoulder for t'other way. Keeps things stable through the bends. Works for us!

[SH125Paul]

Defo braking... and leave a bit more room in front to compensate for the softer braking... treat it a bit like riding / braking in the rain - all slower smoother movements...

Make sure they give you some room so they are not 'pecking' at ya crash helmet, re-coil when you pull away and a again when ya stop!

[Bluebottle]

Other thing to remember is confirm you have pillion cover on your insurance.

I thought that was going to say " confirm you have pilion still onboard when you get there"

All sounds like good advice to me - a first time pillion rider will often fight you in the corners so the tip of riding with an experienced passenger first gives you a chance to get some confidence and see what it should feel like.

Take it easy to begin with when you do have a newbie on board until they relax and trust you - non-bikers can be alarmed at how much a bike leans over and you don't want them doing anything unpredictable.

[Earl]

non-bikers can be alarmed at how much a bike leans over and you don't want them doing anything unpredictable.

Yeah the last thing you want is someone leaning the wrong way in a bend, like errrrr I did on the back of my mates GPZ 1100 I never got asked again.

[Deeping]

All good advice, check you insurance small print, you may not be covered

[Sylar]

If you carry a pillion ALWAYS tell them to look over your left shoulder. If you do a backward look, and they are looking over your right shoulder it could be nasty.

[StevenM]

When I passed my test I added the pillion cover just in case. I started with my little sister who did not like it at all she just grabbed on to me making us both uncomfatable. She is only 13 so a small build girl. Then I took our lass's nephew out 15 and a bit bigger he loved it. Went to skeg the other week to fetch him home and at some point's didn't even notice him there. He holds onto the grab handle. The trick is to take it slow at first so you both are comfatable and safe. I still take the corners quite slow.