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...

Step 2: Getting On.

Let the rider get on and get themselves set up, don't get on until they've shifted the bike to somewhere they're ready to leave from, ride-arounds are hell with a pillion passenger in a smaller street...

I usually get on from the left hand side, it's the side you'd be getting on if you were at the side of the road in the UK anyway, it's up to you, it's usually easier to get on the side opposite the exhaust if it's a single exhaust bike...

Swing your leg right over the bike and put your foot on to the peg and bring yourself up on to the seat, putting a hand on the riders shoulder makes it easier all round for both of you to balance, bring your other foot up and round and get comfy, once both of you are happy say you're ready to go.

As for holding on that's a personal choice for both of you to make, using the baby sissy bars behind you can be a bit of a pain, holding on to the rider can be a tad weird but is at least comfortable...

handles down by your side are the comfiest of compromises but can leave you feeling a little unstable at the end of the day...

Step 3: Now You're Moving.

So once you're moving there is that whole business of staying on the bike...

Lock your arms behind you or beside you, this stops you tilting back when accelerating and takes less energy than constantly resisting acceleration.

When it comes to braking you should be resisting swinging forward with your legs mostly, it's not very nice on your arms to resist braking that way, also try to sit straight up, it's easier on your back for bumps and give you less chance of being woody woodpecker, when you swing back and forth and headbutt the driver...

Turning is a very important point aswell, you should just roll with it, don't resist the leaning of the bike, if you try too hard to sit straight up you'll cause the bike to be pushed towards the ground with your weight or you'll force the rider to run wide and possibly into object or traffic.

If you find yourself thinking about it and having a lot of trouble just rolling along with it just go for keeping your shoulders in line with the rider's and make your movements calm and sensible, sharp movements are bad for control and for distracting the riders attentions. If you do find yourself incapable of following leaning aspect then hold on to the rider by the waist as your way of holding on, then you can't go wrong...

One really important point to make, if you do get uncomfy or have to shift position then don't do it in a corner, wait until you're on the straight and narrow. never make any sudden jerks or shift your weight quickly to one side without reason, you don't want to upset the balance of the bike...

To give you a good example, my friend and I were shooting over the hills on his Honda, as the top of one hill there a long sweeping turn that's quite sharp, we were going in pretty fast for not having a pillion and we ended up coming within an inch of the outside line, both of us were leaned right in, say I hadn't have done so then we definitely would have been on the wrong side of the road approaching a bus, when we finished it was a case of, woah thank god that wasn't so and so on the back, that got a bit hairy...

Step 4: The Other Bits.

When it's windy it can be a bit unnerving to be coming over a bridge at 60mph and suddenly be hit by gusts of wind, try not to react to these and give the rider any extra correcting to do, also if you're going at high speeds It's good to tuck in behind the rider a bit more, it gives you a bit of protection and means you don't have to resist as much drag forces, and the bike will go faster...

If you're directing them to somewhere then agree on something beforehand, you can speak to each other at the lights etc. but it's hard to hear much on a powerful bike.

The system we use is usually tap them twice on the shoulder when the turn is coming up, right for right left for left...

If you're nearly coming off the bike because they're accelerating too hard squeeze your legs in against the rider, it'll be a good signal to let off and it'll help keep you on the bike.

For some tips on helmet usage...

When you're moving around town etc. two fingers of opening will keep you mist free, at high speeds open a couple of the vents and pull the visor down...

If you open your visor halfway it'll be poking straight out and it'll be really hard not to poke the rider with it, of course that's a bad thing...

Before you leave get your helmet on nice and comfy, otherwise it'll bug you on the ride...

Step 5: Little Extras and Good Ideas.

Things that will be of help:

- Gloves, a decent pair should keep you from freezing to the bike...
- A proper motorbike jacket is a plus for protection during crashes and to keep you warm, if not leather or other tough heavy materials are still a good idea.
- A neck scarf can be a god addition on cold days, don't buy one just get an old beanie cap and cut the top off of it...
- Motorbike trousers are advised but if not then wear something like combats or jeans (don't wear jeans when it's raining...) Try to avoid holes in clothes and if you have small pockets then remove the things from them for comfort and to avoid losing them. One interesting thing is you can make an interesting standing wave with jeans with holes in the knees, it's quite tickly on it, plus you're going to have an Ice pop between your legs if you're a dude.

So once you've got in to the swing of things you should feel comfy enough but at the end of the day the rider shouldn't be caning it all the time with a pillion on the back, it's a bit of a laugh but it gets a bit hairy most of the time.

Some important points are that the bike may need to be adjusted somewhat for when you're taking pillions, usually it's just adding a bit of tyre pressure to cope with the extra weight, consult the manual or try google...