Riding with Pillion first time-advice please

bakes0310

bakes0310

bakes0310

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22 Oct 2004
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Taking the girlfriend on back of bike for first time. Ive never had anyone on the back before so just looking for some advice. I just watched an excellent video on youtube about it. She's really small and don't weigh much probably about 40kg-45kg at a guess. I cant see her affecting the bike much surely. I ride a tiger 800xc so I should be alright.

Edit: on a separate note to agnes if your reading how are you getting on with the multi. Would be nice to see you write up a nice review on it :)
 
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just tell her not to move around if she can help it and to lean with the bike

as a rider take braking and accelerating into consideration,give yourself more time ect and expect the weight of the pillion pressing on your back
 
Cheers, ok good advice thanks. The pillion has been on the back of her brothers bike so she knows what to do. How about steering will that be affected. During my bike training I had a pillion on once just to have a go. And that was on Hornet and he was a bit of a fatty. But I remember the steering being very hard but that may of been me being a beginner, rather than him being so FAT.
 
hehe it should have been lighter steering with such a weight on the back

ive never found steering to be any different,just the balance sometimes gets affected compared to riding with no pillion
 
Check your insurance covers you for a pillion - just in case! I have had insurance offers before which didn't include pillion cover.

Andi.
 
Tell pillion its ok to get on once you give the nod. Tell them to sit still and don't resist any leans. Tell pillion not to get off until you say its ok to do so. Thats all there is to it.
 
Be more smooth, dont brake sharply or you may become infertile, adjust mirrors. First few times I took missus on the back was on my 125.. lol, had to rev the ******** off it to get it moving, Much easier now I'm on a 650 so should be no problem on yours :)

Oh and tell her to not do my missus' favourite trick, wiggle as I've got the bike leaned over quite a bit going round a bend -.- Feel like screaming at her when she does that
 
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Be more smooth, dont brake sharply or you may become infertile, adjust mirrors. First few times I took missus on the back was on my 125.. lol, had to rev the ******** off it to get it moving, Much easier now I'm on a 650 so should be no problem on yours :)
 
Always had a little signal with my wife as pillion, before I do anything 'interesting'. A gentle tap on her leg and she'd make sure there was no gap between us and she'd move with the bike. Nothing worse than a pillion moving around and head butting you from behind.
 
andicole0 said:
Check your insurance covers you for a pillion - just in case! I have had insurance offers before which didn't include pillion cover.

Andi.
Click to expand...

AFAIK you don't legally need it. Pillion cover is just so your passenger is covered for injury etc. if you come off. I may be wrong, pretty sure that's the case though?

The bit I find the most awkward with a pillion is when it comes to 90° turns, roundabouts and stopping at junctions etc. as you really feel the extra weight. You get used to it though, just take it easy.

Carrying a pillion is one of my least favourite things on a bike. Tell her to get her own one, much more funererer
 
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Main thing after all the above I've said to lady friends is 'trust me'. When they do it makes everything easier.

Also to avoid sterility one friend braces her hand on tank at times. Makes me much happier!

And yeah, a sign for 'I'm about to do stuff' is useful. And a way for her to tell you to stop/slow down.

Remind her to wait to get off until you give her the ok. Always.
 
In addition to the good advice already given:

Consider bumping your suspension up a couple of notches, however little your pillion weighs.
I finally got my 60-year-old mum-in-law on the back for a blatt, as it was always something she wanted to try - She is tiny and probably weighs about the same as my dog, but even that affected the feel.

Be prepared to find yourself forced forward, even when just riding straight, as you're probably used to having loads of space and stretch room.
Be ready for the inevitable lid-bash and sudden extra weight pushing your forward under braking. Brake earlier, more gently and expect to need more force than usual.

You may find you need a bit more revs to pull away than you're used to, so expect to stall the bike a couple of times and be ready to stop it dropping. Allow more time when pulling into traffic.

The bike may feel wobbly on the steering for the first few times you pull away until you get used to it, especially if you move your own bodyweight around a lot when riding. Expect filtering to also be a bit more wobbly/heavy and don't try throwing it around in nimble moves until you're thoroughly used to it.

Also, let her try out different handholds, to see what is most comfortable for each of you.
My Mrs holds the lower front of my jacket, as it feels secure to her but leaves my upper body to lean around. Topboxes with backrests are good.

Another thing mentioned - At higher speeds, some bikes develop a vortex between rider and passenger. Bloody annoying, as you'll find your head gets battered and wobbled around.

If you want to show off the acceleration of anything, make damn sure you're clear and safe to do so.

But generally just take it easy for a while.

More than anything, you'll want her to trust you. She is putting her life in your hands, so gaining her confidence in your abilities as a safe rider is paramount.
Make sure she knows this is your fist time carrying a pillion and is aware of the various little oddities that may occur, just so she appreciates the little learning curve you're about to go through.


Once she is happy with you, THEN you can start working on the fun stuff!!
 
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