Better Riding

Riding with a pillion is a lot more complex than it looks and you should be taking it more seriously says OverDrive (May ’09). Why? Here are ten good reasons…

1) Weight & Watch
Riding two up can severely impact the handling of your motorcycle. It can no longer be as nimble or agile, it cannot corner as hard and most crucially, it simply cannot stop as quickly any more. So one needs to be gentler with inputs and need to start braking much much earlier!

2)Rear Will Steer!
A pillion affects handling! So a good pillion must sit in one place, warn you before they shift body position and most importantly, when they want to look around, they should turn only their heads, not twist from the waist upwards which will unsettle the bike.

3)Stop Sign
When bikes come to a stop, like you, the pillion will also want to put their feet down. This unfortunately, always causes instability and can cause a fall. A good pillion’s feet leave the earth when the ride starts and shouldn’t return till the ride is over.

4)No Holds Barred
Despite the grab rails and all, riding pillion can be scary because the chap at the back simply has very little to hold on to. Many back seaters will naturally put an arm on your shoulder. This is actually a bad thing – it restricts movement and can hinder your ability to steer the bike. Holding onto the waist is in fact a more stable and secure grip. Better still, one can tell them that they should grip you by squeezing their knees together. This has the effect of locking them into position, stopping forward and backward slides under braking and acceleration and will give the bike a tauter more natural feel.

5)Which Gear Are You In?
If you find yourself riding with a pillion a lot, get into the habit of carrying a spare kit with you. In fact, your regular co-rider must have all the kit you have – lid, jacket, gloves, boots and some form of knee protection.

6)Handling Charges
The weight and position of a pillion alters the steering geometry of a motorcycle. On most Indian bikes, the only thing you can do is set the pre-load to the maximum. Higher pre-load will help, as will setting the tyre pressure to what the manufacturer recommends for two-up riding.

7)Show Off
This is the most common problem with riding two-up. Riders think of it as an opportunity to show the back seater what a MotoGP lap looks like from as close as possible. No pillion appreciates this kind of riding. The smoother you are, the more they will want to come back and ride with you.

8)Warnings
Good pillion riders look ahead and anticipate what is going to happen. But a warning won’t hurt. The warning also makes the pillion pay attention which is a good thing.

9)Intercoms
If you regularly ride with a pillion, over long distances, consider purchasing an intercom system.

10)Decide
Perhaps the single most important thing about carrying a pillion is deciding whether you’re ready for it – especially if you are new to riding or still getting used to your bike. Arriving slower together is far better than a wobbly, hesitant ride that feels scary and like it went on forever.