2up

I have yet to take a passenger (passed me test back in November, but
what with acclimatising to the new bike and the weather, haven't had
the chance)

Anyone got any advice on starting out with taking passengers

Much appreciated...

 

For your first trip out with a pillion I'd try to take someone who's done it
before and knows the ropes. You don't want someone who leans into bends for
you or, worse, sits up in them. If you can't then make sure they know to
keep their body in line with the bike when cornering and be gentle on the
throttle/brakes/gears. They won't enjoy being tipped off the back and you
won't apprecaite being headbutted from behind (unless that's your thing of
course ).

 

Take Bear's and keep the revs up

 

Google Groups has loads. Try this:
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk.rec.motorcycles/browse_thread/thread
/c571c0d506e67058/cb7366033dbc09b9

 

Yeah, keep bike riders off the back, coz they're absolute cunts. they'll
"help" you lean the bike, they'll "help" you pick it back up and they're
never in synch with you.

Someone who's ridden pillion before and who's good at it would be my best
advice, but if your first pillion is new to pillioning, tell her (it'll be
the girlfriend of wife, I reckon) to just "sit" or better still "Sit like a
sack of spuds would sit, ie without moving"

Having said that, you ride a Virago 535, so you won't be having the bike on
its ear when you're cornering, or flying up the road at Mach 2, so just
throw the bitch on the back seat and say "Hang on, this shouldn't take long"

If it's a him, he'll be reluctant to put his arms around you (generally
speaking) but tell him it's a "Good thing" for the first couple of outings
(ouch)



--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Lucifer says...

<sig left in deliberately>

Buy a bike that someone would want to be seen on, or supply the
passenger with a black visor.

 

Here we go again with my ...

Ten Top Tips for new pillions:

1. Wear proper gear - if leathers, boots and gloves are necessary for
the rider, then they are for you too. If borrowing a helmet, make sure
it fits tightly; if it doesn't, don't go.
2. Don't get on or off the bike without first getting the nod from the
rider.
3. Keep your feet on the footpegs at all times.
4. Hold on to the rider's waist - grabrails are fine when you're at
ease.
5. Sit centrally on the seat to keep the balance of the bike right and
then pretend you are an immobile sack of spuds.
6. Get comfy before riding off.
7. Related to 6 - don't wriggle about when on the move or, if you
must, wait until you are going along in a straight line at speed, or
stopped. Never move on the bike on a bend, corner, or during a slow
manoeuvre. And if you can tell the rider, do, as in "I need to move my
feet, OK?"
8. Related to 7 - it's OK to look around but don't shift your body
weight when you do, just move your head.
9. When the bike goes around a bend or a roundabout, neither help nor
hinder the lean - the bike will move you just right if you let it (see
5).
10. Anticipate sudden moves/stops and keep your helmet back out of the
way or you'll bang into each other.

and also ...

Ten Top Tips for riders carrying pillions for the first time:

1. Adjust the preload as necessary.
2. Adjust the tyre pressures as necessary.
3. Adjust the headlamp(s) beam(s) as necessary.
4. Sit firmly on the bike with it off its stand and your legs spread
as wide apart as possible and both hands on the bars before allowing
the pillion to mount.
5. Be aware that the bike will be light at the front and will handle
badly, especially on slow manoeuvres.
6. Don't go too fast or show off - s/he will never ride pillion again.
7. Brake, accelerate and change gear smoothly, or your helmet will get
a bashing.
8. You may need to drop down a gear more than usual for hard
bends/roundabouts and hills.
9. Get stable as in 4 before allowing the pillion to dismount.
10. Make sure s/he reads the Ten Top Tips for new pillions if s/he
hasn't done it before.

Good luck.

--
Marina Mayes - Reading, UK. To email me remove XX from my address
SR250 - gone. BOTAFOT12, BOD#2, BOTAFOS#2
KotLBOD#s, KotLBOTAFOS#s,IMC#2, Tart#10-19, SR#3
I never give in to fear or blackmail; I always give in to temptation.
"You're a national treasure" - porl, 18.1.03

 

You're taking the wife's girlfriend out on the pillion? Party on!

Afterwards, pop out on the bike on your own for a sort of warm-down lap,
but leave the webcam on, ok?

 

Those 3 are in the Q&A part of the new test now, and I remembered
them, so the new test is good for something.

 

And ride as if you've got an egg balanced on the tank... Keep it real
smooth... If your pillion keeps bashing helmets with you, its 'cos
you're not being smooth... good luck...

 

3 up seems to have a better ring than 2 up.

Webcam? Too patchy them things, I'll do real vid



--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

<snip lots of good advice>

Get someone who knows what they're doing to go pillion with you. An
experienced motorcyclist with nerves of steel should be able to give
constructive advice, and not bring you off by leaning the wrong way.

--
platypus

"Merely corroborative detail, intended to
give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise
bald and unconvincing narrative.”

 

Owen wrote

Good advice, mind you if you lost them in a moment of "down two and give
it some beanz" they tend not to do this too much anyway.

Other rules that must be obeyed are; the pillion does not mount until
*explicitly* told and does not remove feet from pegs until *explicitly*
told, if the do they get told off. If they do it twice it is because
they are in a hurry to catch the bus, let them.

 

Lucifer wrote

Tell the bitch to get her own fucking ride

and your sig separator is broked.

 

But a sack of spuds would move. First corner and it would fall off.

 

Don't ride on ice. And, er, don't crash. They will never ever trust
you again.

If taking puritans, keep your speed legal.
That's all I got.

 

Not if you use enough bungee straps on the bitch.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

The delightful Mr. Courier explicitly told me that I was NOT to put my
arms around him when I went bitch. How wude.

 

Not in my experience.
--
| ___ Salad Dodger
|/ \
_/_____\_ GL1500SEV/CBR1100XXX/CBX1000Z
|_\_____/_| ..87918../..23274.../..31893.
(>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 WG*
|__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 PM#5
\ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4
\|^|/ ANORAK#17 IbB#4 YTC#4 two#11
'^' RBR Clues: 00 Pts:0000 Miles:0000

 

Indeed. I was going to say "Well **** Mark" when I read that, but it's up to
him to make those invitations.

I took an old friend of mine out last week and he's not been on a bike for
about 30 years. I told him to hang onto me TIGHTLY and **** what anyone
thought. After the first 10 minutes, he was barely noticeable on the back
and his death grip disappeared, but for those first 20 minutes, *I* knew he
wasn't going to fall off and that was the important part for me.



--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19