2up Riders: Have you had a nervous passenger?

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Brackstone · Mon Feb 11, 2008 5:07 am

Hi All,

I have some friends that have expressed interest in riding with me on my motorcycle. However most of them seem quite nervous with the prospect. I think it would be great to share the experience with someone else, but I wonder how much they can really muck things up for me.

I don't expect them to be shifting from side to side and throwing fits or anything. The worse case scenario I'm imagining here is they totally freeze up and just squeeze the life out of me slowly.

Does anyone have any stories to share about frightened passengers?

ANDS! · #2 Unread post by **ANDS!** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 5:59 am

I've taken - so far - three people and one baby on a ride. The baby was the best passenger. The others were no doubt nervous as they had never been on one, however it's not like you're kicking it into 4/5th gear and peeling out - do it like you did it. Roll out and 20MPH, and give them a chance to adjust to the speed. They will have better control of the wind whipping them in the face too.

As NIKE™ says - just do it.

Johnj · #3 Unread post by **Johnj** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 5:59 am

Shifting from side to side, screaming, fits, squeezing too tight/too loose,counter leaning, leaning with you but out of time, bouncing up and down, pulling your hair, and randomly banging their helmet against yours repeatedly.

I wouldn't give anyone who seemed nervous a ride anyway. I also make them provide their own helmet, jacket, and boots.

big_ry_ry · #4 Unread post by **big_ry_ry** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:51 am

Johnj wrote:Shifting from side to side, screaming, fits, squeezing too tight/too loose,counter leaning, leaning with you but out of time, bouncing up and down, pulling your hair, and randomly banging their helmet against yours repeatedly.
I wouldn't give anyone who seemed nervous a ride anyway. I also make them provide their own helmet, jacket, and boots.

Same here except for pulling of the hair. I only had this happen once. This girl was so nervouse when I leaned left she threw her body right and we almost smacked a nice telephone pole! I think we made it two blocks before I made her walk back....

Brackstone · Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:31 am

big_ry_ry wrote:
Johnj wrote:Shifting from side to side, screaming, fits, squeezing too tight/too loose,counter leaning, leaning with you but out of time, bouncing up and down, pulling your hair, and randomly banging their helmet against yours repeatedly.
I wouldn't give anyone who seemed nervous a ride anyway. I also make them provide their own helmet, jacket, and boots.
Same here except for pulling of the hair. I only had this happen once. This girl was so nervouse when I leaned left she threw her body right and we almost smacked a nice telephone pole! I think we made it two blocks before I made her walk back....

LOL I hope those weren't city blocks

Did you give her an understanding of what she had to do before you got on the bike with her?

big_ry_ry · #6 Unread post by **big_ry_ry** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:34 am

o yea, told them what to stay away from mechanically how to be a passanger. no they were more of a suburb block

Brackstone · Mon Feb 11, 2008 9:10 am

big_ry_ry wrote:o yea, told them what to stay away from mechanically how to be a passanger. no they were more of a suburb block

Hah maybe I'll make them take an oral exam before they get on the bike

Grey Thumper · Mon Feb 11, 2008 3:33 pm

I've taken only one person with me so far, my girlfriend, and she was a great passenger (has a motorcycle herself). I was the nervous one. The few times she's ridden as a pillion, I took it real easy and I guess she found it boring, and hasn't really been asking for rides recently. She prefers riding her own bike anyway.

big_ry_ry · #9 Unread post by **big_ry_ry** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 1:38 am

Brackstone wrote:
Hah maybe I'll make them take an oral exam before they get on the bike

I couldn't try this my wife was there

I have had many passengers that were fine, just had one really bad experience

DireWolf · Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:32 am

My father-in-law put his Softtail Custom in the woods in TN a few years back. Curves were very rocky and had lots of debris in them. My mother-in-law felt the back end slide a little & got scared & leaned HARD against him in a left hand uphill turn......they went straight. Nothing but bruises, bruised ego, & a tow-truck bill to get it out.