First Pillion ride

[Honclfibr]

My girlfriend was up from NJ today and we finally had some nice weather so we could do a 2-up ride on my bike. My first impression was wow, I'm never gonna be able to control the bike with her on the back. Especially at low speeds, the bike felt very unstable. Like everything else though, it got easier with practice, we took a few loops in a parking lot and I started to feel a lot better about it. Then a nice leisurely loop around Lake Massabesic, by the end we were riding at a comfortable clip, I doubt I'll ever feel as comfortable 2-up as by myself but I enjoyed the company so overall I'd say a good experience. Definitely glad I waited a while before picking up a passenger though, it's just one more thing to worry about and it definitely makes the bike feel different.

Now she's thinking maybe she wants to learn to ride my EX

[bemused]

that's great to hear, Honclfibr... as already stated above, it gets easier w/ practice. and a pillion who's willing to learn how to ride in back makes a big difference in how easy it is to carry 'em. dorky as it sounds, I always have a "preflight briefing" w/ new passengers... reminding 'em of little things like not making any major moves at slow speed or in turns, keeping their body behind mine, signals if they're uncomfortable/need to stop, etc... and that makes the whole deal pretty smooth. and-- you know you're with someone you wanna talk to when you get off the bike

did my first 2-up ride of the season w/ my fiancee today... just a few hours of wandering around back roads. fortunately, she's the best pillion I've ever had... pays attention, enjoys the ride... and that makes her almost invisible while riding.

('cept for lean-in and braking, of course, but you prolly noticed that today...)

oh... had a first today: on the way back home, riding by a Little League game, caught a BASEBALL in the chest. been hit by a bunch of things on bikes over the years, but...

[bemused]

Originally posted by JCsGrly
ouch ... that kid was way outa his league huh?

funny thing... never saw it 'til after I felt it... but the first thing that flashed thru my mind was playing third base in Little League when I was up in Cape Elizabeth. the infield was littered with rocks, so there were a lot of last-second bad hops. didn't realize the memory of all those hot grounders to the chest was still there...

[need4speed]

Jeff, your lucky it was to your chest and not your head. It would have been a different outcome.

[Mindstrike]

Speaking of Bonking heads.... (Thats sounds bad doesn't it)

But as for "Pillions" the other thing I like to warn them on my pre-flight is to control their helmet, to avoid bumping the back of my head.....

and if I may be a "pig". Find a lady with big bumpers... helps a bit to prevent helmet hits.

(Ok ladies, let me have it)

[bemused]

Originally posted by need4speed
Jeff, your lucky it was to your chest and not your head. It would have been a different outcome.

naw... can't hurt me by hitting me in the head

as for helmet bonking from a passenger, here's a little trick I learned that helps keep that to a minimum: whenever rolling off throttle or braking suddenly, arch your back a little. that'll push her back a bit, and also give her a heads-up that she's about to be pushed forward. works like a charm...

[NHViffer]

I can remember one of the first times I rode a pillion. I was on my 86 VF500F Interceptor. I am 5'9"-ish and at the time about 150 lbs. I had to give a friend a ride, he is about 6'-3" and an easy 220 lbs. That was interesting..... Must have looked like a circus act! Poor little bike was working for it's keep. At the time I knew nothing about adjusting spring preload either

Ahh, memories.

[Jank]

Hey Jeff!!!
Did you at least get the ball??

[bemused]

Originally posted by Jankster
Hey Jeff!!!
Did you at least get the ball??

nah... that was a flashback to the old days, too... let it bounce past me

[rocker]

Those are bumpers? I usually get guys telling me to get a double seat so they can hold on to the handles, guess if I rode on the back I would get used to calling them bumpers.

[Honclfibr]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement, we both enjoyed the experience so more practice is definitely in the future. Gotta get her a bigger helmet though. I've got two, a small and a medium, but with all that long hair even the medium wasn't very comfortable. Maybe I just drill a hole in the back for a ponytail or somethin, surely that'd work

Yah, the EX would be a great bike for her to start on, 'cept A) I was thinking about selling it and B) it needs a new front tire. But I guess I could fix B and not do A...

[oreo_n2]

Originally posted by Honclfibr
Thanks for the advice and encouragement, we both enjoyed the experience so more practice is definitely in the future. Gotta get her a bigger helmet though. I've got two, a small and a medium, but with all that long hair even the medium wasn't very comfortable. Maybe I just drill a hole in the back for a ponytail or somethin, surely that'd work

Yah, the EX would be a great bike for her to start on, 'cept A) I was thinking about selling it and B) it needs a new front tire. But I guess I could fix B and not do A...

how much you want for the ex?

[bemused]

you didn't ask for helmet advice, so feel free to ignore this:

- you prolly already know that a helmet should be pretty snug... and that there ain't much way to keep from, uh, modifying her hairstyle if properly fitted.

- rather than a larger size, she might just need a different shape. you might wanna take her to a shop, try a bunch on, and note which brands/ styles / sizes are comfortable enough to suit her, protective enough to suit you.

[rocker]

If her hair is long enough just have her braid it, then it wont bug her like a regular ponytail. Fix the bike let her ride it is always good to have both parties knowing how to ride and ride well, just in case anything goes wrong with one bike you always have someone to back you up..

[NHViffer]

Her helmet should not be LOOSE to accommodate hair. It should squeeze the cheeks a bit, and after putting it on try to grab it at the rear and "roll" it off the head forward. Obviously, you don't want it to come off during this test.

I have been using a SLIKS helmet liner for a couple of years now and really like it. It keeps the inside of the helmet clean, allows the helmet to slide over my head easier, and doesn't mess hair as much (just flattens, but not mess up)! The only trouble is that it looks gay by itself, but once the helmet is on, who can tell. Oh yeah, they also claim that it will keep you cooler in hot weather - that is a lie!

[NHViffer]

Originally posted by oreo_n2
how much you want for the ex?

Does it have a Kerker?

[oreo_n2]

hey thats my line!!

[twrayinma]

well, you're too fucking slow!

[NHViffer]

Originally posted by oreo_n2
hey thats my line!!

As Nelson on the Simpsons says: "Ha-Ha"

[oreo_n2]

well this is all great, but how much for the kerker.


oh damnit you bastards got me thinking funny now.
i mean how much for the ex.... maybe take a nice kan-o-tuna in trade?

[bemused]

Originally posted by oreo_n2
well this is all great, but how much for the kerker.


oh damnit you bastards got me thinking funny now.
i mean how much for the ex.... maybe take a nice kan-o-tuna in trade?

don't go for it... I hear it has a vibe @ highway speeds...

[oreo_n2]

fucker! it's not for me.

now back to the question at hand...

[Honclfibr]

Hey now! Who ed my thread all up! You bastards!

Anyways, as to the hair->helmet thing, seems like it's not so much putting the helmet on as getting it off, all her hair gets tangled up inside it and gets ripped out when she takes it off. Dunno why, never had long hair, I ain't no damn hippie!

I'll talk to her tonight and see if she was serious about learning to ride the EX, if she was I'll keep it around. I'd rather do that if possible, I'll never get back what I put into it and I've not even owned it a year. Ahh but the ZX6 was such a good deal, damn you ebay and your wily charms!

Regardless, if I do sell it, and I'll know within a few days, I'll post the listing in the FS page here as well as slapping a sign on it and sticking it outside my apartment (right on 28, by pinkerton high school....3000 high school students, but am I callous enough to sell it to some 16 year old who'll ride it with no gear into a brick wall within a week?). Gotta get some new bolts for the belly fairing first, anybody know what size the bolts are that attach the belly fairing on an EX to the radiator?

Ahh, I'm rambling. Back to the matter at hand, I was going to ask $1400, which includes bike, cover, spare battery, clymer manual, set of EBC pads...and...drumroll please...an extra left stock exhaust canister! Is it a kerker? No, it is not. The exhaust is stock, used to be a supertrapp on there when I bought it, what a steaming pile of shit that thing was. Trades involving marine life or other interesting baubles and trinkets may be considered if and when the bike does become for sale. I'm flexible, I enjoy tuna. So long as it's chunk white. And doesn't have too much mayo.

[Honclfibr]

Originally posted by JCsGrly
my suggestion about the hair is this... tell her to braid it or wear a bandana when wearing a helmet... it'll help with the tangles and such

I shall pass that on, thanks for the suggestion

[twrayinma]

i, uh... heard once... that if someone keeps their hair in a ponytail under their helmet, the rubber band will end up giving them a WICKED headache where it hits the helmet.