That strap across the seat...

[shop_addict]

....what on earth is it for?

Sorry for the girlie question

Jo

[Moreland]

[shop_addict]

Really?!!!

Blimey....brave pillion!!!

[jamie192]

just as crazy ad the people who use the handle at the back. For me its always hugging the rider.
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Ride Fast, Brake hard, don't fall off!

[nick.h]

[meyrick]

No way, the handle at the back feels way better in my opinion. I agree the strap is crazy. Jo, when I first saw my bike that's one of the first things I asked

Paul

[Frost]

Strap aint too bad, but it leaves you a little hunched over.

A grab rail on the back is good, but grab rails at the side are better!

[Villers]

Suppose it depends on how big your @rse is! from pillion experience a handle behind you is good, as long as it is secure. My mate had an aftermarket one on his 600 and is more like a rack than a handle. Remember it bending when we were wheelying up a bypass, not very reassuring at all. My CBR600 has a good firm handle, if you can get both hands round it securely and lock your arms its good for stopping your @rse hitting the tarmac under acceleration, but its pants on the brakes. Holding ontot the rider for acceleration seems best and reaching around and putting hands on the tank under breaking have alwasy worked for villers. I definately wouldnt even bother with one of those straps!!

[Frost]

Or just do what a friend does on my bike, hands around my waist, hold onto me during acceloration, push on the tank during braking.
Worked pretty well, as my style of riding is highly predictable.

[binge]

[mchaggis]

One problem with those straps across the seat which I envisage but have yet to encounter is that if you are sitting astraddle the pillion seat as surely you must, then you will be holding onto the strap with your hands in your crotch. Cue heavy braking, and crushing your gonads on your own fists.

If you're riding with pillion and 'making progress', perhaps without smooth gear changes and braking and accelerations, doesn't a pillion hanging onto you for dear life, dragging you towards the rear of the bike under acceleration and slamming you into the tank under braking and forcing you to weight the bars even further, piss you off?

That's not to mention the constant clunking of helmets either. It's the grab handles for me every time if I've the option. Besides, some people wear too tight textiles/ leathers to get a grip onto.
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I must not be a troll...
Mmmm, Guinness
Discovering the delights of Hammerite and a 3/4" brush.

[robbiehall]

I would always use grab handles or a rack behind me if riding pillion, you can brace yourself much better against braking or acceleration then. The strap is probably a styling cue to older bikes, you don't see them on many modern bikes, and is as much use as a chocolate teapot. IMHO.

Rob
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The older I get, the faster I was.

[BlueNinja]

I fitted one of thoes sticky seat pads to my ZXR. does the job wonders! unlike when I bought the bike, and had a pillion ride on it, I kept sliding forwards fast under braking, and also lost grip on on of the pillion foot pegs which folded up at 70mph.. brown trouser moment..

Heres a pic. they cost around 19 squids, and you can buy them from https://www.mandp.co.uk/home.aspx

hope that helps

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/raider2/ZXR%203/Picture006.jpg

[RickHolt]

If you hold on to the rider, how do you stop yourself sliding forwards when braking? It's much easier to stay in control when holding onto a grab rail.

[pipnet11]

I always use the grab handle at the back, feels much safer.
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I love the girls that do, I hate the girls that dont, I hate the girls who say they will and then they say they wont, but the girl I like most of all and I think youll say Im right, is the girl who says she never has but looks as though she might. - Max Bygraves

[Kickstart]

Hi

The strap is there for the terminally suicidal to hold onto.

Legally a bike must have something for the pillions to hold onto, and those straps are the least the manufacturers can get away with.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Barker-CBR 600]

Personally i find the Grab rail is more secure, since it allows you to brace against aceleration (locked elbows means you simply cant fall off the back without breaking something first) and also avoid crushing the driver when he brakes.

Anyone who isnt that way inclined ( ) might find it better to use the brace on the tank method as opposed to holding onto rider. I found that when i was starting out as a pillion my arms were too short (being 13 ) to comfortably get the rail... but holding onto the rider made me and him clash helmets on braking and slide around on accelerating. With hand on tankpad you can use arms to squeeze rider when he's accelerating and push against something solid when braking.


I'll never forget when i first read about the pro's an cons of the different methods (from a riders point of view) -

Reacharound - You know your mate is there and can feel when he's scared... not to mention great for them to unzip the trousers at the traffic lights... despite the fact that your mates a 32 year old plumber from slough.

Grab rail - One day you'll look over your shoulder down the open road with the sun on your face and the smell of freshly cut grass in the air and you'll wander.... where the f**ks he gone?!

Tank - Safe, secure, something that wont come off. And handy for crushing the riders knackers when he's messing around.
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Previous - Gilera DNA50 / XVS125 Dragstar/Honda CBR 600F/GSF 650 Bandit
Current - 2013 Suzuki VZ800 Intruder
'Is this a rhetorical question?'

[binge]

Dad had a DR125 and it had a strap across the seat, I think the scariest thing is that its bloody strechy!...

<|Binge|>