Pillion Riding

Pillion Riding

by Rick
(Hollywood, FL, USA)

Most of the advice I've read instructs the passenger to lean with the motorcycle. But when I ride my motorcycle, I usually press the handlebars down in the direction of the turn, and lean just a little into the curve. The more I lean, the faster I make the turn. Sometimes I counterweight the lean on a slow tight curve like a U-Turn, meaning I stay straight while my motorcycle leans in the direction of the turn.

Don't I want my passenger to lean with ME, rather than the motorcycle? It seems like it would throw me off balance to have the extra weight of the passenger leaning with the bike while I lean differently. And it seems like it would be easier for the passenger to know exactly how much to lean if they were instructed to lean just as the driver leans, rather than have to guesstimate how much to lean according to how much they perceive the bike to be leaning.

Please advise...

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Pillion Riding

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Aug 05, 2008

Riding 2 up
by: Jacee

I have ridden 2 up for years and years. I also have my own motorcycle. The passenger should lean with the rider. That does not mean that the rider should hang off the motorcycle and the passenger follow suit. (Like sport bike riders.) Most people ride 2 up on cruiser type motorcycles and the passenger just gently leans with the rider.

As to your comment about "counterweight the lean on a slow tight curve like a U-Turn, meaning I stay straight while my motorcycle leans in the direction of the turn." You should be doing just the opposite.

Here's why. When going through a turn, you want as much of the front tire surface on the road as possible. If you lean, your motorcycle stays more upright and therefore, more rubber surface is on the road. More rubber surface on the road means less risk of a sliding fall.

So, when you are going into a curve, you should do one of two things: 1) put all of your weight on the peg on the side that you're pressing down on the handlebar; or 2) lean just your shoulders into the turn. If you're going into a turn too hot, do both; rather than braking suddenly - lean.

I'm assuming you're riding a cruiser-type motorcycle (correct me if I'm wrong). It's not quite as crucial to lean hard on a cruiser as it is on a sport-bike that is ridden for speed. (What else would anyone want a sport-bike for except speed? ;^))

Remember this about curves: Try to keep as much rubber on the road as possible.

Ride safe!

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