Carrying a Pillion

[maria383]

Hey guys!

As the title says, I'm asking about carrying a pillion. It's something I've attempted and failed in the past on a little 125 then I just kind of gave up.

However I think it's probably a useful skill to learn. My problem is, I'm small and weak and everyone who I would take on the back, will be considerably bigger and heavier than me

I know it's not "impossible" to do, but is it a good idea?

Tips/advice please and thank you!
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Happiness is realising you have another gear left

[SpannerMonkey]

I've given pillion rides on 50cc two-strokes before without any problems, I'm 5'7 and only 10 stone. it just takes practice, and it doesnt help if the pillion messes you about either.
Edit: more in context with your question... no it's not silly. If they can pillion 3 people PLUS a rider on a honda CG in india... you can give pillion to 1 person here fine =) You'll get used to it, just dont blame your own riding unless you're misjudging braking distances
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My bike? A YX140 powered one-off Monkey Bike, something a little different!

[Dave McCool]

Yeah, to be honest the relative weights of you and your potential passenger shouldn't really come in to it, so long as your balance is good.

My first time as a pillion was on the back of a CBR600rr, not a pillion friendly bike. The rider has gammy legs that don't really work having been shot with an RPG by an Afghani. He's 11 stone dripping wet and has daily issues with his legs. I'm a good 16 stone without my leathers and gear on.

He had absolutely no problems, even with threading the bike through tight traffic in central london.

I've had people my size on the back of my 600 and it's been no problem, and then I've had people much, much smaller, who've wiggled and been much more of a problem, but even then, so long as you're not putting yourself in stupid situations (I.e. fully committed through a corner/tight gap) then this shouldn't be a problem.

I've always found the best advice to give, along with all the instructions regarding what each particular signal means, e.g. slap on the left leg = hold tight I'm gunna overtake/ride like a twat, is to say 'you are luggage, act like it.'

If they need to shuffle their weight then they need to let you know first, make this clear before you set off, otherwise they're to sit still until they get a feel for being on your bike, even if they've been on with other people before.

Once you have mutual trust between rider and pillion you can really enjoy yourself, but take your time building this up.

Oh, and I completely disagree with the post above saying 'don't blame your riding.' DO blame your riding; if something goes wrong, it's your fault, if their head is knocking yours on every gear change, then that's your fault, but it's fixable, so work on it. If they're fidgeting and making the bike unstable, that's your fault for not instilling a proper understanding/fear of the possible consequences, but again, this is fixable.

Work on it, you'll be fine, and you can both really enjoy yourselves.
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K7 GSXR750

[Moo.]

Tell them to act like a sack of potatoes, lean with you not against you and make sure they understand bikes lean round corners ive had a few that go into shock when the bike leans I find it better if they sit closer to me, it feels easier to control the weight. I had my 17st dad on the back and he sat towards the end of the seat, in the wind the bike did wobbly quite a bit :o but with him sat closer his weight seemed easier to manage. Tell them to hug you

The bike should take most of the weight, just dont let yourself put too much on your feet. If your still feeling a bit nervous, practice with a friend that has long tells, and tell them to be prepared to use them if need be The only way you'll learn is to practice.

Be softer with the brakes and clutch and leave more distance to stop. Quick braking will follow with a 'CLUNK' on the back of your helmet
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A2 Passed 18/6/10

[dragstaar]

One of the best tips is to tell the pillion to pay attention to the road. They can't just sit there the same way they do in a car. They have to pay attention. This will mean that they automatically brace themselves for acceleration, moving off, and braking. You'll find that once the pillion is more involved with whats going on around them, they'll balance better and give you a more stable ride.

When starting out, don't go plowing into corners, because this fucks with pillion's heads, and they'll mess up your balance. take it easy in corners with minimal lean.

Braking distances will be significantly higher, so bear this in mind.

It might be worth telling the pillion to cock their head to one side to minimise helmet knocking.

Open visors let you talk to eachother easier, but pillions tend to prefer closed because they're not used to the wind.

Tell the Pillion that they are NEVER to put their feet on the floor, thats you're job. They are ony to get on or off the bike when you tell them too. Even if you are just sitting there, they are not to get off until you say so. (Pillions getting on or off are the times when you're most likely to drop the bike. When they are getting on or off, put both feet on the floor, and hold the front brake down. tell them to get on and be prepared to hold the bike up with your legs.)

[N cee thirty]

on the odd occasion i've done it on the cg its pretty weird for the first mile or so and then you adjust to it.

apparantly theres a guy in crewe who has his whole family on his ped',shopping on the handle bars,wife on the back and the baby in the footwell!
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'00 Aprilia RS50 > '92 Honda CG > '99 Yamaha Fazer > '91 Yamaha RXS > '79 Suzuki X5 > 01' Honda Cg > 07' Honda Cg > 82' Kawasaki Z200 > suzuki gsxr 400 gk73a > honda vfr 400 NC30 Mod 2 Passed 09/06/2011

Jewlio Iglesias wrote: I actually did vote BNP once

[Handsome]

I'll give anyone a lift, very rarely do I forget they're on the back ( it has happened ) but I get really nervous if I've got the Missus on the back for some reason, no idea why...
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Previous Bikes...Honda NSR 125 RR...Kawasaki Zephyr 550...Suzuki SV 1000 S...Yamaha FZ8...Current Bike...Suzuki GSX-R 750...

[doggone]

With an experienced pillion the extra weight can almost be beneficial as you get more grip from the tyres.
With a big bike you hardly notice additional weight unless they are very fat.
Always need a bit of extra attention for slow speed manouevering like when parking though.

[Scooty]

[blurredman]

I am an awful rider when my brother is on the back of the CG. But I do get amazed at the pull with the extra weight.
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CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S, 1979 MZ TS150.
Current: 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 18k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 10k, 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 (295cc) - 40k, 1989 MZ ETZ251 - 51k.

[J0Al1]

Hey Lady,

I am a little femate too (8.11 stone I think)..... I want to try pillion too, as you say, its potentially usefull. Most people are much heavier than me to so I have similar concerns.

However, I am going to bite the bullett and give it a go this asap.

They and look at it form a different point of view..... Many riders out there that already take pillion are no better than you or a least have on special talent... It's prob just not as hard as you perceive.

Just rememeber the bike does the work anyway, and if you stall on firt pull of - who cares

[J0Al1]

[Billing]

I'll echo what everyone else has said, remind the pillion not to jiggle, or sit with their head directly behind you so that when you brake they don't impersonate Woody Woodpecker

If you stop and kick them off and ride away if they mess about they soon get the message
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'84 TS50X, '91 TZR125, '89 CBR400RR, '91 VFR400R NC30, '98 R1
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[Handsome]

[Benson_JV]

If one of my pillions isn't behaving as I'd like him to then when at low speed I bring the clutch in so the revs rive and dump it back out so the bike jumps...they soon get the message.
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Willson - "If you go out on that CBR600 in the winter, you're going to do more miles on your side than on your wheels."
Riding: CBR600FW Driving: Audi A6
Previous Bikes: '96 Bandit 600, '96 GPz305

[27cows]

There's not much of me (around 10st at over 6') but I frequently take my 16 stone mate on the back of my 1200 Bandit and chuck it about with no bother. It's very little to do with strength and largely about balance and skill, something you acquire over time.

I have a mate who is about 5'5", 8st and rides a Z1300. His other half is twice his size and he take her on the back of that and can still get the pegs down round corners. That's all you need to know really - just do it
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The RXS100: vehicle of choice for Chuck Norris

[evoboy]

I find going pillion entertaining as i control what the bike does. Many people have said that they dont even need to control the steering/leaning of the bike cos i do it all!

Im 6'5 and some 17st.
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Suzuki GT250 x7------- Fazer 600------CB250RS------Aprilia Rally 70----- Bandit 600

APT Motorcycles

[The Tot]

I always give my bitch riders a good briefing. It's more of a safety talk.

I tell them to remove any distractions - that includes mp3 players and stuff like that! I had my best mate think it was a good idea to remove his glove to change track on his ipod when filtering in central london! Not the best of moves!

Clearly inform them that they are also responsible for the behaviour of the bike so that pretty much echoes what I said above. They WILL interact dynamically with the bike whether it's intentional or not.

I always tell them to pay attention to the road and traffic ahead, so much the same way you try to plan your entries and exits into corners, it's the same with the pillions. This means they know when you're going to accelerate or brake.

As a result of this, I always tell the pillion to rest their head on whatever shoulder they feel comfortable. Or explicitly tell them, if you can see we're going left, head on left shoulder, right hander, head on right shoulder. It also gives them good visibility of the road and in my case prevents two expensive Arai helmets clattering together. It also helps you to anticipate where the weight is going to be in the corner. Again tell them to not counterbalance or assist in leaning - sack of spuds.

On acceleration, I ask them to have a fireman's plyometric grip around my waist (pretty much a reach around) and sit as far forward as possible to centralise the mass and moment.

On braking, i tell them to fist the the tank with slightly bent elbows to brace them. Again, i don't like my helmet being knocked since it's distracting more than anything, and I also like the cartoon pic of nicky hayden on my arai to remain unblemished! Plus, if you're a lad on a sportsbike, your scrotum doesn't really like the taste of steel tank as you brake from 80/60/30 to a standstill! It also gives your lower back and abs less of a workout if you're resisting the forward force of your passenger.

Now that's the passenger dealt with, time for the bike and rider.

I run stock suspension so don't bother upping the preload at the rear. In which case you can also expect the steering geometry to change, be aware of that. The bike will sit flatter if you're on a sportsbike.

Secondly, if you're not blipping on downshifts whilst braking, find a technique you're comfortable with. You would want the downshifts to be seamless and as you go down the box, you don't want the bike to lurch or become unsettled.

Accelerating, I find shortshifting works best. Being on inline 4's, that means shifting at <5k and letting the torque do the work. I was on the back of my mate's cbr6f and he LOVED hitting the powerband on that thing. Yeah, the front will crest if you're doing GP style take-offs! But I prefer comfort and smoothless over any showboating.

Lastly, get into your head that you've got somebody else's life in your hands. That means no fannying about trying to impress your pillion going for gaps in the road which you would normally go for. The bike combined weight of the bike and occupants will be about 50-75% greater than usual so slower acceleration and braking. If you've got the right frame of mind, riding 2 up will be enjoyable.

Once you do that more commonly and have the same passengers on your back, it'll be like maverick and goose... rather than maverick and sundown! Pillion riding will soon become fun and you'll progressively become faster and smoother.

My passengers will have NO hesitations jumping on the back. The briefing for first timers WILL help even if it belittles them, but you are
talking about 2 lives instead of 1 VS a bunch of knobheads on the road!

And at the end of the day, if they're acting like a knob, you can tell them to go SUCK out and end the ride there and then (never happens, because even 50mph from a standing start will probably make their penises shrivel if it's the first time on the back!) Or they'll be screaming in fright or just out of exhilaration
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Me: Hang on Mum...This ain't like the 250.
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[gixer750 ps]

pillion is ok for extra wieght resulting in extra grip, its when they move around whilst cornering or navigating tight spaces that the problems start, oh and remember that their knees stick out , could smart a bit if you forget, personally the last pillion i had, was great coz she rides bikes so had idea and think she had done the pillion thing before, but i have a few plonkers on the back that i will never put on the bike again,
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always be the best you can ,even if its not enough

[CaNsA]

This is the advice i give to everyone who asks the "Pillion" question.

A few points to remember.

1. It will take a bit more throttle to move off,
2. A bit more breaking to stop,
3. Get them to squeeze you with their legs when u break and accelerate,
4. One hand on your waist, one on the grab rail,
5. If they wiggle, slap them
6. Tell them to look at the traffic ahead and they will learn when u are gonna break and accelerate.
7. Dont wheelie unless you tell them before, cos they will fall off and hurt his/her boobs
8 . NO they cant use her phone while on the bike.

[J0Al1]

[gixer750 ps]

i did notice , but you were still a good pillion, babe ,
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always be the best you can ,even if its not enough

[woodyfjr]

[owl10]

If new it may be worth getting them to hold onto you rather than the grab rail / handles (assuming you have them)

Mainly beacuse if they are holding onto you they automatically lean with you rather than trying to do something stupid.

This works if you sit relatively straight, Its probably not worth trying to get knee down like this though.....

otherwise, as all the others have said +1
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