Originally posted by visual:
Im a new Rider, so my question is how do u improve pillion-ing skills?
cos ridin alone, is ok... ive got confidence, i can stop and move off, no wobbeling, and feels good.
once i have a pillion, my confidence level is really low... and at slow speeds its really really difficult to control the bike and worst is when i stop the bike, sometimes if i stop the bikr and the the handle bar is to the left just a little the whole bike will tilt to the left!!! and if its not for the pillion to put his legs down, i think.... i, the bike and the pillion would be on the ground!. this is very scary!! (bike sure scratch, sumore very malu....)
![Embarassed Embarassed](/images/emoticons/classic/icon_redface.gif)
i find riding with a pillion is extremely difficult esp at low speed, i believe with time ill get used to it, so am i the only one who has this problem?
any one has tips on better bike handling with a pillion?
thanks...
i noticed that no one talked about the pillion's riding posture... that's pretty important you know... if your pillion is a bored one, and if he shifts about quite often, it's going to affect your handling... it definitely sounds like your pillion is shifting about quite a lot..
get your pillion to sit close to you, guy or girl never mind, safety more important. have their thighs grip you tight, cos this will give them a more stable ride. usually, the pillion rider will try to sit comfortably and not grip you... then when you go over a bump etc, they'll be scrabbling to get a grip on something: not good.
i'm speaking in general, cos it varies from bike to bike, but tell your pillion these:
sit close to you,
grip you with their legs, TIGHT, esp during stops, or when you're lane-splitting,
anchor their feet on the pegs, such that in the case of mad acceleration, their feet prevents them from sliding backwards,
if possible, hold the hand rail, or your waist (NOT your shoulders pls!)
things i've noticed: i usually grip my tank hard when i ride... with a pillion, as he grips my body, his legs are gripping my hip area. so whenever i grip my tank, the pillion gets a signal that i'm trying to adjust to get a comfortable position, and so he loosens his grip to let me do that, WHICH IS BAD, cos i don't feel that the pillion is safe anymore, which is why i DON'T grip my tank... try it out.. with a pillion on, your gripping of the tank makes a big difference. so, tell your pillion in advance, that no matter how you shift, unless you EXPRESSLY tell him or her, not to loosen their grip. ask them to try to "kiap" you to death. unless your pillion is isabella scurupco, i think it'll benefit you la...
another thing: new pillions are VERY sensitive to your lean angle in a turn. some even try to counteract the lean of your bike... whoa.. super wobbly corners... brief your passenger in advance, to have trust in your riding, no matter how badly ground your footpegs are...
![Mr. Green Mr. Green](/images/emoticons/classic/icon_mrgreen.gif)
get them to keep their body in line with yours. best way to do this is to have them place their hands on your belt, or hip as i've said above. another danger is taking a racer, who leans more than you need to, or in advance...
![Mr. Green Mr. Green](/images/emoticons/classic/icon_mrgreen.gif)
so.. get them to lean with you, no more no less, and if they feel bored, just to put their head behind your left shoulder.
moot point: your bike has a higher ride height.. that MIGHT mean a higher CG... so... hmmm...