How fast do you ride with a passenger?

[highsider]

I did a few 2-up rides this summer with the wife on the back, with a group of others who had their women-folk on the back as well. I always found myself lagging behind, simply because I'd feel really awful if my wife had to experience the pain of a road-slide because I tried to ride too hard with her on the back.

Seems like most of my riding partners ride pretty hard with a passenger. I assume having a passenger drastically changes the handling characteristics of your bike. Am I just being a huge pussy?

[ancosta]

I ride very conservatively with a passenger. I am new to riding and and I've only had passengers who have never ridden on a motorcycle at all.

I figured I'd rather risk boring them with a smooth cruise versus a hell-ride

That said, I cruise around 75 on the highway and drive to conditions on the back roads. Maybe +15 mph at tops?

[RandyO]

that's the key, you did a "few" 2up rides.. just like seat time improves your solo riding, 2up seat time (with the same pillon) improves your 2up skills. solo riding doesn't really prepare you for 2up as much as 2up riding improves your solo skills though ... I'm babbling, practice

[bbhzx10]

Alot depends on the passenger, their expirence and comfort levels, as well as the bike itself. I try to take it easy with passengers, if you've been on the back of a bike you know it's totally different, and quite scary! However I know some young ladies that can't get enough speed, one in particular who wasn't having fun unless we hit 150. I try to keep to about 10 over at most with a passenger unless it's someone that wants to go faster and knows what to do on the back. The passenger can totally change the way the bike handles, a good passenger can make corners a breeze and a bad passenger can put you off the road faster than you thought possible. Be carefull with passengers and make sure new passengers have some idea of what to do before you let them on the bike.

[ancosta]

Yes I found that 2up riding made me better appreciate the bike's capabilities when riding solo. It's kind of like riding in the rain, it teaches me to be smoooooth.

This was the article I google'd and read with my 1st passenger before we got on the bike. It seemed to go over well as we logged about 25 miles including some highway, city, etc. The second ride was up route 127 into Manchester...she loved it.

http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/double/

[bbhzx10]

Oh yeah, not that we should even need to say it....
Make sure you BOTH wear gear, if your picking up a passenger bring a jacket glove and helmet and tell her to leave the sandals and shorts in the closet, at least wear shoes preferably boots and jeans.

[LuvDog]

When I ride 2 up I go really slow.... probably speed limit or even a little under.

Mostly because the people that I've taken for rides aren't bikers and most of them have never ridden on a bike ever.

I'm not the biggest guy in the world so the weight and positioning of the passenger affects the bike more than my weight and position.

[bemused]

Originally posted by RandyO
that's the key, you did a "few" 2up rides.. just like seat time improves your solo riding, 2up seat time (with the same pillon) improves your 2up skills. solo riding doesn't really prepare you for 2up as much as 2up riding improves your solo skills though ... I'm babbling, practice

what he said...

having said that, I don't ride as quickly two-up as by myself. "precious cargo", and all that-- as well as the fact that the bike handles differently, and I want to leave a larger margin for "oh, shit" maneuvers... since I won't have 100% control over the weight that'll need to be shifted...

[legalspeed]

When the passanger is my wife, my rear tire looks like my race tire. She loves it too!

[bigred875]

When i first met my girl she had never been on a bike...I started off with 15-20 in a small neighborhood...

Now I keep pace on a meduim to fast ride and she fels comfortable..

I'm 245lbs and she is like 120lbs so it's like she is not even there....cept when she bounces around in a slow turn...but she's getting better with that

[richw]

Don't

[OreoGaborio]

like most people here, i usually take it easy... i'd rather have people come back & say "hey, can i go for a ride again? just... go a little faster this time " than say "i'm never fucking riding with you again, you crazy motherfucker"

Heh... first time i took this one girl she looked over my shoulder & yelled "WE'RE ONLY GOING 40????"... it was kinda funny

I also took this one buddy of mine (a dude... yeah i know... i don't make a habbit of it, so lay off ) He's into racing & drives an '89 ///M3 so he's familiar w/ speed/acceleration/handling... well we got on the highway & weren't going far so i stayed in the right lane... got up to 6th gear, only doin 65, then the cars in front of me move out of my way so i just roll to full throttle & show him a little acceleration (which isn't much w/ over 300lbs of people and only 6-7k rpm's on a 600) we get back & he says
"dude, what gear were you in? 3rd?"...
"nope.... 6th... kinda weak, huh"
his jaw just DROPPED

[highsider]

Originally posted by bbhzx12
However I know some young ladies that can't get enough speed, one in particular who wasn't having fun unless we hit 150.

Thats how my wife is; she gets upset if I dont lean the bike way over, and accelerate hard out of every turn. I dont mind doing it, but I still havent really mastered the whole thing, so I enter the turns pretty slow "just in case".

I just feel stupid when I can't keep up, I wondered if there was some sort of technique that I was missing out on....

[bemused]

Originally posted by highsider
Thats how my wife is; she gets upset if I dont lean the bike way over, and accelerate hard out of every turn.

my wife is the same... when she intuited that I was riding more carefully w/ her aboard, she got well and truly pissed. ever since then, she taunts me about riding like a "little ole lady" when she's with me...

(oh well, at least she doesn't taunt me 'bout the important riding... )

[OreoGaborio]

Originally posted by bemused
(oh well, at least she doesn't taunt me 'bout the important riding... )

you dirty old man

[Stoneman]

Honestly, I ride about the same when me missus is on the back. If SHE gets uncomfortable, she'll lemme know with a strategically placed shot to the ribs or kidney...

Admittedly though, I've mellowed out dramatically on the street with or without her on the back...

[richw]

Good little trick; brief description. I am so old that little sporty bikes were a novelty so at a party/picnics people would ask me for rides.

First take the wife or the girlfriend ...accelerate and cruise like a limo driver. Down tree lined boulevards waving at people and small chilldren like you were being accompanied by the Blue Danube Waltz.

Women comes back" It was wonderful best thing since sliced bread we have to get one...

Then take the guy.. as soon as your out of eye sight..Stand it up , weave between cars, max acceleration and braking. Try to hit 130 in town. When you think his heart is going to explode then bring hime back to the party and look at his face while the girl is still going on on how wonderful it was.

I have done this at least a dozen times and not once did anyone figure out they didn't get the same ride.

[legalspeed]

That's funny!

[ZX-12R]

Originally posted by highsider
I just feel stupid when I can't keep up, I wondered if there was some sort of technique that I was missing out on....

Everyone has their limits and it seems that you know what yours are and you respect them. Not too many people can say that. Don't worry about riding faster. Ride more often with the wife and you will be able to speed up over time.

My girlfriend isn't the biggest fan of high speeds but she loves it when I lean it way over in the corners. Fortunately for me she stays neutral with the bike so I rarely have to adjust for her movement. She also gives me a tap on the shoulder when she is about to change her sitting position.

Have you ever considered the possibility of your wife being a less than ideal passenger which in turn redefines your limits?

[Tiller Ayuh]

It really depends on the rider and passenger...I would say that I ride the same with my wife on the back as I do when I'm by myself...We've been riding together for 12 years or so, she leans into the corners with me, and tucks when we're straight-lining it...As others have, I've hit 150+ with her on the back...We wear full gear all the time...If it was a rookie passenger, no way would I do that...The worst thing is to have a passenger freak out and get scared in the middle of the corner, and lean the opposite way...If the driver is uncomfortable with a passenger, the best thing to do is take it easy!

[F4iRider]

I know I scale the speed down with a passenger, it'd be tough to live with a fuckup with a passenger aboard.

But did you ever consider maybe you were dropping behind because you were riding that two wheeled CHIPS motorhome?