Riding with a passenger

[ryanschoebel]

Hey all, the time has come. My girlfriend wants me to give her a ride on the back of my motorcycle. But, having never done that before, I'm a tad nervous. I want to hear from guys who know this bike, what should I expect with a passenger on an FJ? Apart from the obvious, reduced braking, slower acceleration ECT. Can I not lean into turns as far? Anything like that? I'm just trying to be as prepared as I can!

[ZOA NOM]

Be prepared for her to lean unexpectedly, either into, or away from your lean. Tell her to stay in sync with your movements, and to not be afraid to lean with you. Also tell her to stay on her pegs, even when you are stopped. She likely can't reach the road surface, and will just upset the balance if she tries.

[Bob]

Be prepared for her to lean unexpectedly, either into, or away from your lean. ...

Ha... years ago I took my wife out for a ride on the FJ. She didn't just "not lean", she "counter leaned". Scared the poop out of me. She's never been on my bike since 

[FJmonkey]

My rules for a passenger. Make sure I am on the bike before getting on (True story). Make sure you have my permission before getting on or off. Keep your body aligned with mine, I don't lean with a passenger. Or if I do it is more a shifting of the shoulders. Anticipate breaking when you see the need to slow down. This helps from bashing your helmets every time you need some brakes. No hard acceleration from a dead stop until your passenger is ready for it. In fact, if your passenger is new to bikes or does not ride much then ride like your granny is on back for a few rides. Then gently pick the pace up (good time for you get the feel of the added weight and raised center of gravity). Feet on the pegs at all times. Establish a few communication signals so the passenger can say things like slow down without yelling at you in a corner. "Pull over now or I will pee on you", "Is this a fast as you can go?" etc...

[Bones]

What to expect depends on the size of the person and if they've ever been on a bike before. In my younger days I owned a Kawasaki H1 500 (two actually) and one night took a drunk mate who was a bike virgin and almost twice my size for a ride. All was going ok until I gunned it in first and it hit the powerband and the front wheel went skyward and next thing I hear him hollering Yahoo and then moving around waving one arm thinking he's riding a bull, which upsets the handling just a tad. Managed to get the wheel on the ground again and know knowing what to expect did it all over again at least three time to make his first ride unforgettable.

Just tell the person to lean with you and try not to do any sudden movements, the bike handles a passenger no problems power and brake wise and depending on their size probably won't even feel their there. My missus is a good passenger and at times have to put my arm back to feel if she's still on and hasn't fallen off.

[Flynt]

Monkey's rules are good... a couple of mine:

1. Pillion is part of the bike or part of me...  hands on the grab handles or on me, no other options.  
2. Your passenger's life is in your hands...  think about that and stay well within your limits.  
3. I also wear the same level of gear so we are exposed to the same level of risk...  maybe just me, but I see guys with gear hauling around some PYT with shorts and a helmet.  Down the bike and she's hamburger while you're in need of a new jacket...  not where I'd want to be.

Last but most importantly...

4. Don't offer a ride until you're a very seasoned rider (no ding on your experience level... of which I know nothing).  Unexpected shit happens and it's better to have handled many of those situations solo before you have loaded up the GF.  In my experience, Pillion's enjoyment is directly related to how confident they are in your skills.  I'd say ~20,000 miles of solo riding experience is a good point to think about adding a passenger to the mix.

Having said all that, I ride with my wife on the back every chance we get.  She loves it and I love having her with me while doing something I love.  

Enjoy!

Frank

PS - if you don't have it already, add some Stompgrip to the sides of your fuel tank and learn to grab the tank with your knees when your stopping hard...  this will save you from putting your combined weight directly on your balls under braking.

[Zwartie]

Lots of great advice so far on passenger riding. As a motorcycle riding instructor I talk to students all the time about riding with a passenger. Here are some things to consider...

Gear: Whatever you wear as protection, please make sure that your passenger is at least as protected as you are. This all boils down to personal choice but I don't think I could forgive myself if something happened to a passenger on my bike that could have been prevented by simply wearing the right gear. That includes making sure the gear fits properly as well.

Mounting / Dismounting: If you've never ridden with a passenger before and they are also new to it, you may want to talk to them about how to get on and off the motorcycle. Make sure you're ready each time otherwise both of you could be laying down beside or under the bike. Just like the rider, they should mount the bike from the left and make sure you have the front brake lever pulled in and you have a firm footing.

The Motorcycle: What you will likely notice immediately is that the bike as a whole feels heavier and taller. Adding a  passenger shifts the overall center of mass up and back. This is going to change how the bike feels under acceleration, braking, cornering, etc. Take it slow and steady to begin with just like you did the first time you rode a motorcycle. Give yourself more distance to stop than you would if you were riding solo.

The Passenger: The passenger is not passive on a motorcycle the way they would be in a car. As the others have indicated, a bad passenger can make it difficult for you to maintain control of the motorcycle. A few simple instructions to them before they get on the bike will help. Don't over-complicate it for them. Let them know where the foot pegs are located (they may not even know what a foot peg is!). Discuss mounting and dismounting beforehand. They need to know how to "hang on" to the motorcycle when they are on. The "grab rails" above the tail section on an FJ1100 and beside it on an FJ1200 is not a great place for the passenger to hold on to unless you want them to play Woody Woodpecker with your helmet every time you shift gears or slow down. Have them hold on to or around your waist or if your jacket has a belt they can hold onto that. As far as leaning into turns goes, just tell them this: "When we turn left, look over my left shoulder and when we turn right, look over my right shoulder". By doing so they will automatically lean with you without leaning too much or worse yet, in the opposite direction - which as Bob experienced can make for an exciting turn!

Personal Experience: My wife rides on the back of my motorcycle all the time. She's been a great passenger for going on 24 years now and come to think of it, I asked her out on our first date after taking her for a ride on my motorcycle (a Honda V45 Sabre) back in 1993. Our riding includes day trips and a 3-4 day excursion every fall. Here's what I've learned in that time: The passenger doesn't have the same endurance as the rider so be mindful of that and stop more frequently so they can stretch their legs, go pee, whatever. If we are going out for a day of riding she's usually good for an hour or so at a time to begin with and then the time between stops gets shorter as the day progresses. Passengers can also get sleepy on the back so if you feel the passenger nodding off it's a good time to pull over. Do I lean into turns with a passenger on board? Absolutely, but not as aggressively as I do when I ride solo. That being said, I have scraped the foot peg many times in tight turns with my wife on the back and on our ride to PA this September she commented that her foot touched down once or twice. No big deal – just ride smoothly and stay within your limit.

That's all I have for now. I'm sure I've forgotten some great riding tips that others in the group will mention. Start off slowly, work on your basic riding skills, practice slow turns and braking with her on the back of the bike in an empty parking lot so you are confident you can handle it out on the street. I know some riders prefer to ride solo but I really enjoy riding two-up and in my opinion the FJ is a great two-up machine.

Take care and ride safely!

Zwartie

[rlucas]

Contact tRoy (St.Troy of Huntington). He can put your lady in touch with his lady. Troy's an excellent rider and she's an excellent passenger...I'm sure she's be glad to share any insights\tips.

Or do what I did. Make 'em get their own damned bike.

Then teach 'em to work on it.

rossi

[ryanschoebel]

Rossi,

She will get her bike in good time haha. just not yet! She isn't quite ready (her words). Zwartie, Frank, Bones, Monkey, and Zoa, thanks for all the great advice, and i will definitely keep it in mind!!

[aviationfred]

Great advise in the above comments. I have one thing to add.

Advise passengers to be absolutely still while riding in parking lots and while slowing down for stop signs/stop lights, and while stopped. The operator has much going on during this time. Braking, operating the clutch, high attention on the surroundings. Instruct passengers that if the need to shift their weight, turn to look at something, etc. Too do it while you are moving at speed.


Fred

[FJmonkey]

Going slow, gentle turn then...

Squirrel

[ribbert]

I'd be taking pointers from this guy, he seems to have it sorted.



Noel

[Zwartie]

Another great point: be sure to adjust the suspension and tire pressure to match the load!

I'd be taking pointers from this guy, he seems to have it sorted.



Noel

[red]

Hey all, the time has come. My girlfriend wants me to give her a ride on the back of my motorcycle. But, having never done that before, I'm a tad nervous. I want to hear from guys who know this bike, what should I expect with a passenger on an FJ?  I'm just trying to be as prepared as I can!

Ryan,

The bike will do just fine.  Ride like it was your grandma back there at first, as said earlier.  Wear a strong belt that the passenger can really hang on to, with one hand on each side.  My best advice though, is very simple, quite effective, and even fun:

http://www.ironhorsehelmets.com/press-em-here-and-hang-on-tight-boob-bullseyes-t-shirt/

My $.02 worth.   

[ryanschoebel]

The bike will do just fine.  Ride like it was your grandma back there at first, as said earlier.  Wear a strong belt that the passenger can really hang on to, with one hand on each side.  My best advice though, is very simple, quite effective, and even fun:

http://www.ironhorsehelmets.com/press-em-here-and-hang-on-tight-boob-bullseyes-t-shirt/

My $.02 worth.   

Phaha, I love the shirt, but I would probably get whacked upside the head  as soon as she saw it  All good advice everyone, I really appreciate it!!