Riding with a passenger ??

[timv2444]

Hi guys. My wife is interested in riding with me and I have not carried a passenger. Any tips or advice? Thank you.

[nhbubba]

Make the fuck sure she knows to lean with you.
Make sure she doesn't move around a lot; nothing worse than when she chooses that moment just before the apex to switch ass cheeks.
Take it slow for a while.

Never, ever pull a stoppie with her aboard. <- Yep, that's why my missus doesn't ride anymore. I am entirely to blame for my own misery.

[PhilB]

In addition to the above, establishing a couple of signals is good, if she needs you to slow down or to make a stop. If your bike shape and your two physical sizes permit it, tell her to put her hands on the tank to hold her up when you are stopping hard, so she doesn't slide forward and slam into you.

For your part, treat it a lot like riding in the rain -- keep it smooth, give yourself extra room on the road, longer folllowing distances, etc. Brake and accelerate more gently.

PhilB

[e30addict]

Crank the preload on the rear shock to the firmest setting. I run 41 psi cold in the rear with a pax instead of 36.

[Father Ribs]

Your low speed balance will be challenged a lot more (tell her not to get off the pegs at stops unless you tell her to), you will need more braking distance and have to take curves a lot slower. If you gauge your gas level based on milage, take into account your milage is going to suffer and you will have to fill it up sooner.
Common sense stuff like ride in a parking lot or back streets for a few minutes when starting out, don't be a jerk and show how fast you can go right away, graduate to longer rides as she becomes more comfortable.
Make sure she has good gear on.
Have fun!

[fineout]

Smoothness in general is the biggest thing, try no clutch shifting between 1st and 2nd. I tensed up a lot when i would drive with my girlfriend and would end up being more awkward than if i hadnt been constantly thinking about what would happen. Like everyone else said make sure she knows to lean with you and only gets on or off when you say to and if she needs to shift weight to do it when you are moving not at a slow speed.

[OreoGaborio]

http://www.chuckhawks.com/motorcycle_passenger_tips.htm
http://www.dmv.org/how-to-guides/moto-passengers.php

and http://www.msf-usa.org/downloads/Pas..._Tip_Sheet.pdf

[01xj]

Communicate on the bike. Hand signals or verbally if your going slow enough. If she's uncomfortable she is going to fidget and make it worse.
Give yourself more braking distance and following room.
Brace your upper body on your gas tank so avoid her sliding into you.
She isn't going to be in love with flicking the bike through tight turns or doing 115 on the highway. So don't ride with that mindset.
The only time I really speed with my g/f on the bike I show her how fast we are going and she gives me the thumbs up or down if she is comfortable with going faster.

[gadget]

Make sure to explain to her that when you look behind you to the right or left you are looking for traffic NOT looking at her and she is to keep her head out of your view instead of moving it to look you in the eye thus blocking your view of everything.

Entering a highway or changing lanes can get really dangerous if they don't know what your doing....lol

[jasnmar]

Lot's of good recommendations above. A 500 mile weekend or a 100 mile evening ride with my wife on back isn't unusual.

One of the important things that I didn't see mentioned above was the procedure for getting on / off the bike for the two of you. Depending on your particular bike and your particular procedures this can be messy to disastrous if you don't think about it a bit (it seems easy, but amazingly sometimes isn't).

Most people like to board before their passenger (on some bikes it is a must). Make sure that you have a very clear signal for when you are ready for your passenger to begin boarding. You don't want to be fiddling with the key and unexpectedly get 100 lbs. added to the right side of the bike when you aren't ready.

In addition, have a very clear signal for when your passenger feels like they are ready to start the ride. This helps keep them on the bike as you start moving. Just because they've been getting on for 48 seconds doesn't mean that they are ready to roll.

Make sure that they have a clear signal that they can give you if they need to stop. If they signal, do your best to stop as soon as reasonable. Find out what the issue is and do your best to correct it.

Gear: While it seems obvious, go over things like opening the air vents on the helmet, even opening the shield (if you don't know, then you don't know). Make sure they know how to properly secure the strap through the D-Rings.

After the first few rides, if she enjoys it, invest in a com system. It makes all of this significantly easier.

As others have said, be smooth. Eventually they grow to like sweepers and twisties (but scraping stuff usually still results in a Whap in the helmet from my SO).

If nothing else do what nhbubba said and no stoppies

[Jim]

when slowing down, have her give you a reach around & put her hands on your tank. otherwise, you'll be holding her weight on your back while stopping. use the rear brake (along with the front) when stopping to reduce the forward force of the passenger.

[doctorbossman]

My wife used to stress about how to lean in the corners. It worked out the best when I told her to just look over my inside shoulder. Kept her from moving too much and helped keep things stable.

[jwm2k3]

Have her mount and dismount while you are holding the bike upright. Only let her do this when you tell her. If she has to put her hands on you during a stop tell her to put them at or near your belt area....less pressure on your arms when trying to control the bike.

It was mentioned above, but its worth saying again....make sure she wears the gear.

[Billy]

I hope you have a comfortable bike. I've completely given up taking passangers on a supersport. 30 minutes and I've had enough. Recently took the girlfriend out on my new bike which is completely upright. Road around for 3 hours nonstop and had little to no discomfort.

As for advise, pretty much everyone has nailed it.

[WordTooYoMamma]

Wirelessly posted (Tilt)

Ill be the one to say it. If you ride with any other bikes at any time, it is 100% mandatory to be in front of the pack at all times.

[DroFiveOh]

Have her mount and dismount while you are holding the bike upright. Only let her do this when you tell her. If she has to put her hands on you during a stop tell her to put them at or near your belt area....less pressure on your arms when trying to control the bike.

It was mentioned above, but its worth saying again....make sure she wears the gear.

Jus' sayin.

[nhbubba]

If they signal, do your best to stop as soon as reasonable.

Emphasis added. It is an interesting balance between stopping fast enough to relieve a panicked passenger and stopping so fast as to infuriate and further panic her.

Remember that riding 2-up dramatically changes the weight balance of the motorcycle. It is shockingly way, way easier to lift either end of the bike.

I failed to achieve this delicate balance once. Don't be like me.

And stuff that seems no big deal to you if you've been riding for a decade is, in fact, a really big deal!

Ill be the one to say it. If you ride with any other bikes at any time, it is 100% mandatory to be in front of the pack at all times.

This one I don't get.

That said I never, ever rode 2-up in a pack. Were I ever to ride 2-up with ya'll, I would insist on being way, way at the back.

[drowe531]

That said I never, ever rode 2-up in a pack. Were I ever to ride 2-up with ya'll, I would insist on being way, way at the back.

I believe he was talking about giving everyone else a good view.

[PhilB]

I believe he was talking about giving everyone else a good view.

This is true, and this is good. There's nothing like a bike to make a girl's butt look its best, whether she's riding or passengering. Often a good thing to remember when choosing one's position on a group ride. (Do be careful, though, not to fall victim to target fixation. )

PhilB

[nhbubba]

Nice.

[WordTooYoMamma]

Wirelessly posted (Tilt)

That said I never, ever rode 2-up in a pack. Were I ever to ride 2-up with ya'll, I would insist on being way, way at the back.

I believe he was talking about giving everyone else a good view.

Bingo I thought Jim would be all over this.