Pillion Advice
Discussion
Since I can't get back on bike for a while all I'm doing is thinking bout it, next spring I hope to get g/f on the back of the bike. I've been riding for about 5 months but had to stop cos of the back op. Anyway I now think I will be OK to have her get on with me, which she has been desperate to do since I passed. Going to invest in some gear for her in Jan sales. So, I know all the general stuff you get told during training, and the stuff to tell her, i.e keep feet on pegs etc etc. Just wondered if you experienced guys could offer any advice on having a pillion? Anyone with a Fazer able to tell me how they react with the extra weight ?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Barry.
In a word..Love Handles!
Motrax make them, cost around a tenner and she will appreciate them..much more comfy and secure to use (for her)than a grab rail.
Keep things smooth on braking and accleration in "normal" riding to avoid banging lids and keeping her happy but do also practice fast direction changes, lots of lean and hard braking with her on a quiet road, one day you may have to perform such a feat in an emergency and if she isnt used to it, it will freak her out and she'll react badly.
You'll also build her confidence in the bike.
Tell her to keep in line with you when you lean , not to lean the opposite way to the way you are and get her togged out in all the right gear, my GF felt much safer/happier when she bought all her gear.
Be aware your braking distances will increase noticeably and the extra weight will affect all aspects of your bikes handling.
Ive got to say my GF loves the bike and i enjoy taking her out on it no end, tis good when you can share a hobby as good as biking with your partner.
..and tell her to mind her feet on the exhausts, she wont feel it but she'll be melting her soles into it!
Motrax make them, cost around a tenner and she will appreciate them..much more comfy and secure to use (for her)than a grab rail.
Keep things smooth on braking and accleration in "normal" riding to avoid banging lids and keeping her happy but do also practice fast direction changes, lots of lean and hard braking with her on a quiet road, one day you may have to perform such a feat in an emergency and if she isnt used to it, it will freak her out and she'll react badly.
You'll also build her confidence in the bike.
Tell her to keep in line with you when you lean , not to lean the opposite way to the way you are and get her togged out in all the right gear, my GF felt much safer/happier when she bought all her gear.
Be aware your braking distances will increase noticeably and the extra weight will affect all aspects of your bikes handling.
Ive got to say my GF loves the bike and i enjoy taking her out on it no end, tis good when you can share a hobby as good as biking with your partner.
..and tell her to mind her feet on the exhausts, she wont feel it but she'll be melting her soles into it!
I'd suggest getting an experienced pillion to go out with you before you take her. Get some experience of how the bike handles with a pillion aboard first and then you only have to deal with one issue when she gets aboard, getting her used to the feeling of the bike so she relaxes.
I've been out only once with a good friend as pillion once on his '03 blade. He was a good rider, wasn't taking any risks and didn't scare me and the bike felt completely planted, but he still commented that I was as stiff as a board and he could feel it affecting the bike. It is an odd and slightly intimidating sensation to travel with your head seemingly seven feet in the air, sat on a postage stamp with nothing behind you to stop you falling off.
Steve.
I've been out only once with a good friend as pillion once on his '03 blade. He was a good rider, wasn't taking any risks and didn't scare me and the bike felt completely planted, but he still commented that I was as stiff as a board and he could feel it affecting the bike. It is an odd and slightly intimidating sensation to travel with your head seemingly seven feet in the air, sat on a postage stamp with nothing behind you to stop you falling off.
Steve.
For you as the rider.. keep it smooth no harsh acceleration or braking and no slamming it into bends either. Also number one: rev match/blip on down changes to keep it properly smooth!!!!
For the pillion keep those feet on the pegs and keep neutral position on the bike and don't move around if you can help it i.e. lean with the bike and not against it and put your hand onto something solid (provided handle if it exists) to help brace yourself for acceleration and braking this assumes the rider is keeping everything smooth
For the pillion keep those feet on the pegs and keep neutral position on the bike and don't move around if you can help it i.e. lean with the bike and not against it and put your hand onto something solid (provided handle if it exists) to help brace yourself for acceleration and braking this assumes the rider is keeping everything smooth
Edited by sjtscott on Monday 10th December 16:56
Wouldn't bother with the handles, my other half loves going on the back of the bike and says that putting her hands on the standard handles down beside her is the most comfortable thing to do, especially if I'm braking or accelerating (I have an 04 model Fazer). The extra handles are also something else you have to stow away or carry with you at the other end of the journey too.
I've also added a top box and panniers to mine for touring and keep the top box one the bike most of the year round, which also helps her if I get too over ambitious on the throttle.
She occasionally puts her arms around me, but only if its on a long section and there's not too many corners.
As for the handling of the Fazer two up. Not much different really, as long as the pillion goes with you and doesn't tense up. Brake a bit earlier and just be steadier on the throttle. I've not been lairy enough to have the front end come up with a pillion yet, maybe I'm not trying hard enough, but then, I'm more concerned with my OH's well being rather than trying to throw her off the back (although...)
Even when riding through a monsoon down a swiss switchback pass towards Lake Geneva in the summer it felt great. My only real recommendation would be to firm the shock up a couple of clicks, keeps everything settled and also keeps the headlights pointing the right way if you get caught riding into darkness.
I've also added a top box and panniers to mine for touring and keep the top box one the bike most of the year round, which also helps her if I get too over ambitious on the throttle.
She occasionally puts her arms around me, but only if its on a long section and there's not too many corners.
As for the handling of the Fazer two up. Not much different really, as long as the pillion goes with you and doesn't tense up. Brake a bit earlier and just be steadier on the throttle. I've not been lairy enough to have the front end come up with a pillion yet, maybe I'm not trying hard enough, but then, I'm more concerned with my OH's well being rather than trying to throw her off the back (although...
)Even when riding through a monsoon down a swiss switchback pass towards Lake Geneva in the summer it felt great. My only real recommendation would be to firm the shock up a couple of clicks, keeps everything settled and also keeps the headlights pointing the right way if you get caught riding into darkness.
The first time I took my mate you on the back of the ZX6R, he could not be comfy and confident by holding the handles. After 500 yds he wanted to walk home. I had him hold himself around me and that was better, but he could not lean with the bike as he felt he was going to fall off and all. After a while I had him rest against my back and keep his knees tight against my thighs (very homo-erotic isn't it?) and he felt much better, and now knows what to expect and he is fine holding the handles... He can't wait to get his own bike though!
I would just say to keep it smooth and don't go mad. When I was about 8 my Dad did about 60 - 70 on a dual carriage way and I was terrified. I would only go on the back if he promised to stay below 60. Now I love going on the back apart from it getting to my knees after abit. I keep one hand round my Dad and one on the grab handle. I now find I can predict exactly what my dad is doing. I know exactly when he is changing gear and where and when he is going to break. Now my Dad prefers the bike two up and when he is by himself the bike feels more jumpy and ess predictable because nearly all his riding is two up.
Def use a signal system wherby if the pilion wants you to stop/slow down they can let you know
However do not use the system me and an ex used the first time I took her out on the blade. She was giving it large about her ex giving it beans on some shitty old gsx slab side. Anyway our system was if she wanted to go faster she would squeeze me...
We left and she gave me a squeeze, so I went a bit faster, another squeeze so a bit faster still - this was on the Little Milton to Long Crendon road in Oxford - mucho fun... thee was a bit o a straight, I got a squeeze so gave it full minerals past a few slow moving trucks/cars etc. She squoze so hard I thought she enjoyed it so needless to say the entire loop up to Bicester via Long Crendon and back was taken witth some vigour.
We got home and the face was not pleased and it turned out she had been gripping for her life
However do not use the system me and an ex used the first time I took her out on the blade. She was giving it large about her ex giving it beans on some shitty old gsx slab side. Anyway our system was if she wanted to go faster she would squeeze me...
We left and she gave me a squeeze, so I went a bit faster, another squeeze so a bit faster still - this was on the Little Milton to Long Crendon road in Oxford - mucho fun... thee was a bit o a straight, I got a squeeze so gave it full minerals past a few slow moving trucks/cars etc. She squoze so hard I thought she enjoyed it so needless to say the entire loop up to Bicester via Long Crendon and back was taken witth some vigour.
We got home and the face was not pleased and it turned out she had been gripping for her life
Edited by stigmundfreud on Monday 10th December 21:15
garyhun said:
stigmundfreud said:
just remember to tell her to lean in the oposite direction to you when you go in corners. It wont help at all but at least you wont think she's been ignoring you when that is exactly what she does
However, there is a very very very important situation where this can be true.
Slow speed cornering in car-parks, junctions etc.
I made the mistake of telling one of my previous girl friends to lean into the corners, and coming out of the drive way on the first trip out that's exactly what she did, leant a long way into a sub 2mph left hander. I couldn't hold her and the bike up and so we ended in a heap with the usual bust indicators and scratched fairing.
So for slow speed turning, much better if they sit perfectly upright, or if it's a heavy bike then actually lean out of the turn.
HTH
10 Pence Short said:
I was pillion on the back of a friends FJR a few weeks ago. It has the handles on each side. When he gave it full beans in 3rd it was all my puny wrists could muster to hold on!
Must agree, I always prefered a grab rail behind me. Tell here to grab it with her palms up, i.e. you put your hands behind your back with your palms facing away behind you, stick your fingers under the rail and hold on.Your arms then become a natural seat back and it's a lot easier to stop yourself disappearing off the back.
Also, don't forget to tell her that if she wants to fart she will need to standup a bit, it's impossible to fart sat on a bike (well for blokes it is).
Last point (and it is related to the one above) if you are going to give it some welly from a standing start, stick your elbows out, that way if she starts rolling off the back (or was farting at the time you set off) you will catch her legs under your arms and hopefully she won't drop off the back.
Been there, seen it, done it got the T-shirt sort of stuff if you get my drift!
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