Recumbent tandem

[Bluetec350]

A friend has just got a recumbrant tandem. He rides it (sitting at the front), with his wife behind.
But she didn't like the recumbrant position so he has altered it, fitting a normal bike seat for her, she now sits as one would on a normal bike including her crank/pedals.
When riding the top of his head is roughly level with her shoulders.
My concern; is this safe?
Experience of having a passenger on a motorcycle who tried to balance the bike on corners nearly had us crash.
Surely the passenger sitting higher than the rider has more influence over the balance of the whole thing?

[Mutts]

Ive seen a few Tandem recumbents with that seating arrangement. Upright at back and reclined at the front. Its great fun riding a recumbent, except starting on hills and mine had turning circle of a container ship.

[HardtopManual]

If I can cope with a long tail with two wriggling kids on the back, your friend can cope with a fully-briefed wife. In my experience, bikes largely self-correct when the load centre changes, whereas motorbikes don't.

[anonymous-user]

Is it safe ?

Recumbents and safety don’t go together, IMHO of course.

[smifffymoto]

All they have done is make their own Hase Pino. Mrs S and I tried one,it’s not for us,steers far to quickly.

[TGCOTF-dewey]

They just take bit of practice... Whatever the seating layout.

We took our MTB tandem down Spooky Woods at Glentress... Caught and passed a few solo riders too.

They're great fun.

[neilr]

Theres a bloke round my way who rides a recumbent trike. I've always thought they would be great fun . However, he is REALLY hard to see on the road, even though he has a big flag sticking up on the back. I don't mean the usual hard to see but you can actually see them,(if you know what I mean) I mean you don't see him until he is right in front of you or you are coming up behind him (he is usually towing a trailer on it). He just blends into the road. It is black and he is never wearing hiziv so I don't doubt that would help.

With his wife being upright in a 'normal' position (if I have understood correctly) then maybe it will be safer with regards to other road users?