SmotPoker wrote:How about the passenger that leans down to fuss with his shoes or pants while your standing at a redlight. Suddenly you've got a 400 or 500 lbs. bike with about a 100 pound lean to one side. Especially difficult if you've only got one foot on the ground.
with a passenger i always put both feet down because of that.
had my gf on the back i was doing a tight uturn leaned way over going slow. was fine until she got scared and tried to put her foot down, lucky i got my foot down first and the bike up right fast enough to save it.
i tell passengers, keep your feet on the pegs at all times no matter what until the bike shuts off, and dont squirm around! surprising how many people think they need to put their feet down at stop lights, or when going around turns??
SmotPoker wrote:How about the passenger that leans down to fuss with his shoes or pants while your standing at a redlight. Suddenly you've got a 400 or 500 lbs. bike with about a 100 pound lean to one side. Especially difficult if you've only got one foot on the ground.
with a passenger i always put both feet down because of that.
had my gf on the back i was doing a tight uturn leaned way over going slow. was fine until she got scared and tried to put her foot down, lucky i got my foot down first and the bike up right fast enough to save it.
i tell passengers, keep your feet on the pegs at all times no matter what until the bike shuts off, and dont squirm around! surprising how many people think they need to put their feet down at stop lights, or when going around turns??
Exactly how I operate when the GF rides pillion. Good rules to have.
[url=http://www.motoblag.com/blag/]Practicing the dark and forgotten art of using turn signals since '98.[/url]
I'm new to riding this year after a twenty year absence. Told my girlfriend that she didn't get to ride on the back until my skills came back. I only let her on after we had a talk. Made sure she understood that when I leaned, she leaned. And never, ever counter lean. She did good until we took a longish ride. Just as I began to leave a stoplight to turn a corner, she started moving around. I had to stop the bike and tell her to knock it off. After we reached our destination, I asked her what she was doing since she had told me she was an experienced bike passenger. Told me that she was uncomfortable and needed to rearange but didn't want to do it while we were on the highway, thought it would make the bike unstable. She thought it was more safe to move around while we were moving slowly or stopped. I let her know that speed is stability and to never...ever move around when we are slowing down to a stop, stopped or just taking off. It was my fault for taking her at her word that she was experienced. Have that talk with a prospective passenger and have the complete talk no matter how much they say they know.
On almost all of the newer bikes it seems as if they put the passenger seat way up in the air in relation to the driver. Doesnt seem to make sense for mounting or riding with the weight being put that high on the bike. Am I missing something or is it all about style...
Coffee357 wrote:On almost all of the newer bikes it seems as if they put the passenger seat way up in the air in relation to the driver. Doesnt seem to make sense for mounting or riding with the weight being put that high on the bike. Am I missing something or is it all about style...
Coffee
I have no idea why they do that. My Shadow's passenger seat is way up in the air and the foot pegs are so high, the only person I could have ride with me would have to be Dr. Ruth or Mini Me.
It's not a big issue for me right now though. I'm a new rider, and all my friends are guys. One of them said he'd rather nail his testicles to a tree than ride on the back of a girl's bike.
I've actually had a couple girls lean too much even. This one girl would lean so much I barely had to lean or countersteer. It was kind of crazy. I just always tell my passengers to look over the shoulder that's on the inside of the turn. If they're looking over the right shoulder, their weight should naturally be where you want it.
Analog wrote:Yeah, you have got to communicate with the passenger before riding them, and discuss how leaning works, etc.... I don't think I'll be ready to ride somebody for a while...
Somebody told me once that you are ready to ride a passenger only once an experienced rider feels confident enough in your abilities that they will let you ride them.
I'm totally with you on that Analog. My wife's an experienced rider, but she won't ride me unless there's that communication thing going on.
omg i'm at work and just started laughing so lound thanks alot
Coffee357 wrote:On almost all of the newer bikes it seems as if they put the passenger seat way up in the air in relation to the driver. Doesnt seem to make sense for mounting or riding with the weight being put that high on the bike. Am I missing something or is it all about style...
Coffee
I have no idea why they do that. My Shadow's passenger seat is way up in the air and the foot pegs are so high, the only person I could have ride with me would have to be Dr. Ruth or Mini Me.
It's not a big issue for me right now though. I'm a new rider, and all my friends are guys. One of them said he'd rather nail his testicles to a tree than ride on the back of a girl's bike.
I think it's so the passenger has a better view. But in reality they don't. I have one motorcycling buddy and I let him ride into town with me once when his bike was sick (broken clutch cable). I asked him if the raised seat made for a good view and he said "nope not really, I was seeing DOT most of the way there".
Kaige I think your friend has a problem... he'd rather nail his testicles to a tree than sit with his legs around a woman?
