Being safe as a pillion passenger on a motorbike.

This stuff is rudimentary to some, they just do it anyway but some people can be nervy and some can react the wrong way...

Basically this 'ible is here to help people bumming a ride on their mates motorbike be as safe and comfortable as possible.

Lets continue...

Please note there are nicer images coming tomorrow...

Step 1: For starters...

Before you get on ask the driver if they want you to put your feet down at the lights etc. It's actually a serious point, if they can balance with the extra weight most will say no from the people I know, the reason being is that when they're taking off you'll inevitably be moving your legs around behind them which isn't good for balancing and you can sometimes get in their way.

Look at where you're going to be sitting, flip out the pillion pedals, they're really fiddly to get once you're perched up on the seat...

Look at what kind of grips you have to hold on to, most bikes have a handle across the rear of the seat, which you put your arms behind you for, some have handles on the side...

A top box is a great thing for a pillion passenger, it eliminates the whole, worry of falling off, even though it's hard to do...

Comments

[robin yates]

any rider who 'guns' a motorbike when a pillion is aboard, is nothing but a fool.It is not clever, more stupid. Riding pillion is easy, sit upright, use the grab bars if you want,when the bike leans, just follow what the bike is doing. Relax, no need to worry ( as long as the rider is a good boy ! )I have slept on a Honda 1000, 140 mph I was told,,,,I slept for 45 minutes apparently

[abadfart]

i always liked it when the girl on the back squeezes me and scueals when i speed up fast

[skunkbait]

WHy hasn't this gotten more exposure? It's a great ible, but it's only had like 500 views!

[killerjackalope]

Not sure, think it needs some mre exposure elsewhere to help it...

[skunkbait]

I'll se what I can think of. I hate for this to go unnoticed.

[killerjackalope]

Hum, maybe a couple of motorbike blogs, I took a look through the referrals, most of the hits are coming directly from people using search engines for advice, which is good, meaning at least people are thinking to look for safety tips and finding some...

[Rishnai]

Excellent! I've never ridden on the back, but I've been the rider a few times with a passenger. I hear when my mom first rode with my dad, she thought they were going to fall over and panicked on the steep, winding backroads. Not good if you like not falling oto your death. Of course, then she spent 15 years of only having a bike to ride, and not riding herself, was naturally on the back, carrying 50 lbs of dog food, balancing groceries and the like. Another tip, especially for all you girlfriends out there: don't snuggle up to the rider too much. On the highway or in city traffic is the wrong place to have someone nibble on your ear. I've you're got an openface helmet and it's windy, go ahead and bury your face in the rider's shoulder or duck your head down, but keep it there, no sudden changes. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything... P.S. The above tip is especially applicable to dudes. At least warn the rider first, because some people will have a spazz attack to try and shake you off before they remember to keep their balance. Other people just find it weird.

[killerjackalope]

Aye my mate was giving someone he knows a lift, another dude, he got some shock when the guy went to hold on to him and put his hands a little low down, near couped the bike without moving... On the back is nice in it's own way, you get most of the fun with added surprises of not knowing when the hammer's going down and you don't have to do all the work, unless you're giving a friend a hand and her kick start gets a bit iffy, near fell over that time, something went in it and she stood right up on it rather than it going down... I kick it once... So she resigned me to pillion for the day...

[Rishnai]

I *might* be teaching my friend how to ride soon, and then I'll be able to to give myself premature grey hairs by climbing on the back. I'm not sure I'd trust myself, let alone anyone I taught!

[skunkbait]

I've taught like 15 or 20 people to ride. THen once (only once!) was I willing to ride pillion. But on the upside none of my students has ever been hospitalized due to cycle-accident.

[killerjackalope]

It can be difficult to trust people you know too well at times... One thing, caning it overtaking up the middle of two lanes on a windy day is not the time to be a pillion, I've been there... Try it out, it's not that bad, just don't forget they're there...

[vegatek]

To help with the balancing act - if the motorcycle is going/banking into a right hand side curve, look over the right shoulder of the person in front of you, and over the left shoulder if going into a left curve.

[killerjackalope]

Good point, naturally leaning in should create that anyway, lately I've been trying to figure a lazy way, to minimize effort for people, so far straight arms and back, seems to be ok, it comprise less moving because more of you is just in line with the bike, just don't get straight back and sitting straight up confused...

[PKM]

The only addition I can suggest is "talk to the rider beforehand". The last pillion ride I went on, the rider made a point of cranking the throttle to the stop, drop throttle and shift up, crank throttle to stop again, drop and change up, crank, drop... that was on a race rep so I was rocking backwards and forwards like a crazy person. As pillion passenger, you should remind your rider (especially if they are of the more "enthusiastic" riding style) that you can't tell when they are going to accelerate, shift, brake etc. so they should start those actions slowly.

[killerjackalope]

I did make a point of saying to talk to the rider beforehand about all issues, now I suppose that bit didn't phase me as much because I know my friend's riding styles so well I can usually predict their throttle and brake movements... Also one simple system, if you hear muffled swearing then hold on...

[skunkbait]

Excellent job on the ible! BTW- You are right about boarding from the left. It is the only CORRECT way to board a bike. (I'm not really a snob about it, except with my wife and kids!) I'm pretty sure the tradition developed from equestrian pursuits. Most bikes have the kickstand on the left too. I won't say I NEVER get on from the right, as there are occasionally exceptional circumstances (sprained ankles, etc.), but old school riders (often) look down on those who board from the right (at least in the U.S.).

[killerjackalope]

Be the same here really, I just prefer it from the left anyway unless I'm on something dodgey, in which case I definitely get on from the right so I can hold the front brake, just in case it falls to bits beneath me... One other way of boarding low down ones for tall people and geting off the centre stand in one move if to hop on from the back, note sissy bar not reccomended for that one... It's more a joke move, lus it's pretty dodgey for loasing balance...

[johnson_steve]

If you want to stay safe tip #1 should be don't get on the back of my bike, it's a freaking deathtrap.

[killerjackalope]

I dunno, I've survived some pretty insane ones, I'll just put on loads of weight, keep you in check..

[johnson_steve]

well let's see: no fenders, no mirrors, no high beams, no front brakes, mechanical drum brakes on the back, no padding for a passenger, signals are to dim for daylight (so I use my hands), no horn, bald tires (the originals from 1978), nothing keeps you from sliding off the 'hump' and on to the rear tire where you would be immediately castrated by the jagged exposed frame. it's very loud, pretty and definitely has balls but safe it is not. I've already ended up all bloody laying in the road with it on top of me once. great 'ibble though

[skunkbait]

Awesome! Sounds like the last half dozen bikes I' ve owned! (Real brakes and tires are for sissies!)

[killerjackalope]

Sounds like fun... At the moment we've been playing around fixing the wreck of CG my mate owns, it got stolen, one he went after we managed to hotwire it and get it moving, apparently he can now stand on the back brake without slowing down, combined with a semi inflated front tyre... Thanks for the compliments, people approving is a good thing according to recent surveys.

[johnson_steve]

scary

[killerjackalope]

Not too worrying it's still got a front brake and it wasn't too fast without the exhaust on properly, then after we got that far I went to do the electrics and the bugger zapped me...

[terramonkey]

As a pillion passenger of many miles and a driver of a few I think it only fair to add that if your riding the rear seat you should trust the driver and not try to see over his/her shoulder. If you dont trust the pilot - don't get on in the first place. When you try and see around or over the driver mid turn or even on a straight, the balance shift is usually sudden and unexpected and makes you both nervous.

[killerjackalope]

A good point, something I'd missed out... One thing I've found an issue is that when there are crosswinds at high speeds your head gets pushed around a lot because the driver's slipstream is hard to line up with and you get slapped with it, one more reason not to try and see past them... you did remind of one thing, under hard braking though putting your head to one side a little as you come forward causes little shift in weight and stops you clunking the driver...

[terramonkey]

being upfront on only a couple of occasions i'd have to take your word for it, i've never gunned it with a pillion and dont aim to scare my friends. I feel the need to elaborate on this particular instructable - but maybe a collaboration is in order as I feel your knowledge stems from the viewpoint of a driver and not a passenger, and I don't really want to pepper the comments if I can add some worthwhile info to the main instructable.

[killerjackalope]

I was talking about being a pillion passenger there, I've done both a fair bit but recently I haven't driven anything other than my mate's honda a little bit...

[LinuxH4x0r]

Good to know. I want a motorcycle! but I don't have a job :(

[killerjackalope]

You'll like the 'ible I'm writing now... Also we just rebuilt my mates bike because it got stolen, in one day it went from seized clutch, no ignition at all, squiffy exhaust, missing indicators and lots of damage to running (I hotwired it) clutch repaired and much more stuff... The 'ible I'm writing now is a precursor to your first time on a motorbike, like a kind of what to do so you'll know what to expect... Tomorrow I may have even more cool 'ibles out! All depends...

[LinuxH4x0r]

Great, I'll need it!

[bernard192]

very nice instructable! very well written. just curious, what model bike is in the pictures?

[killerjackalope]

Thanks bernard, glad it made sense! It's my mates CB500 bit older like but it's a great bike, it's restricted until they get the chance to dig it out but it hauls all 25 stone of us two pretty well and it's bulletproof.