I'm about to take a passenger for the 1st time in a couple of days and am looking for some advice before I do so. I've already read a few threads about people complaining about passengers and I've probably watched every youtube instructional video on how to ride with passengers. I also plan on teaching her the basics of the bike before anything, explain the dangers, and give her some gear, etc but I wanted to know if you guys had any tips to make this as smooth as possible and what I should be careful about when riding with a passenger.

What I got so far:
1_hands on tank, push-up position, push away when braking
2_use knees to grab my waist for extra support
3_lean half of her body weight against mine for support
4_use passenger pegs to back away when braking

BTW. can passengers see above me? where should they put their head? Anything possible to reduce helmet bashing? I have two Shoei-RF1000s.

 

Passengers will naturally lean over your shoulder to watch whats going on, you wont helmet bash unless you tilt back quickly.

Honestly, just go easy and get a feel. its a HUGE handling difference with 2 up, keep that in mind while braking....its not nearly as fast. Another thing to remember is go easy on the throttle. All that extra weight is set way back on the bike, you will wheelie with missing a beat if you don't go easy.

Make sure your passengers does two main things:

1.) Leans with you no matter what, you can't corner worth a damn if your passenger leans against you which is the natural reaction....to stay upright

2.) Tucks up against you as more than just a passenger. Sounds funny and might feel strange if its not your gf/wife, but it will make you nervous as the driver and acceleration will be a chore. This also helps keep you stable at lower speeds because the center of mass is closer to you and the bikes center of gravity.

A tip for your own comfort is to stay upright if you can, that weight of the passenger will kill your wrists in short order.

Remember you have someone else's life in your hands. Stay controlled, look ahead and leave space/an out.

It will be weird the first time, but gets easier and easier.

 

Tell them to not do a damn thing except hold on. I think one of the worst things to tell a passenger is to lean with the bike or something like that. You don't want them moving at ALL. If they move, the bike moves, and it's not a fun feeling.

What I do with a newbie rider:

1) Put gear on, at least a helmet.
2) Explain how to sit. Usually it's just whatever distance is comfortable for them to put their hands on the tank, doesn't need to be right up on me. Offer things like if they feel like they're gonna fall off it's okay to grab me, and also squeezing with the knees helps. Looking around and changing shoulders is fine, just not mid turn.
3) Explain that natural reaction is to lean in turns, and they should avoid doing so, and just relax and enjoy the ride.
4) Go around somewhere with no traffic for a bit to get them used to it.

I have the pleasure of usually having a passenger that is familiar with riding (either girlfriend or a few other friends), so I don't have to do that very often. But it can be a PITA if the person just doesn't listen. Then I usually kick them off, because I'm not willing to risk anyone's safety (or scratch my pretty little bike).

BTW, kicking off the pegs is damn near impossible (your #4), they'll almost always be behind the passenger's weight.

With all that said, make sure you can easily do anything you need to control the bike, listen to Exitwounds and make sure to leave plenty of room for braking, watch the acceleration (taking off will require more gas also, since you're moving more weight - it might also be harder if you're in the city and the bike is warm).

Best thing to do is practice so you both can get used to it.

 

Aken you really tell them to not lean with you? Jesus, my last rider refused to lean with me and it was like driving a Greyhound bus rather than an F4i.

To be fair though, if you were doing low speed riding, especially city I could see where an upright passenger would possibly work. By leaning I mean just with your body, that way the mass is all in the same place and since your body is in control you can control with more precision.

Be extra vigilant with 2 up, its already a zoo......DON'T tailgate....braking is so much slower.

 

Exactly. As Hangfire said, I'm sure we're thinking about the same. But my point is that I don't want the passenger consciously thinking about what she should make her body do. Just relax and have fun.

 

Remember to squeeze the tank HARD with your knees when braking to keep the extra weight of you plus your passenger off your wrists.

 

i wouldnt tell them to lean one way or the other.
just look over your inside shoulder on all curves
if they think they need to LEAN with you they may lean more than you
and of course leaning away from the curve is even worse

the main thing to me is the lookin over the inside shoulder, and for them to support most of their own weight by pushing on the tank (like was said before)
nothin worse than someone just layin on top of you for an hour of riding
make sure they know that what they do does effect the ride and can cause major problems so to be still for the most part

im lucky with my gf, she knows all this stuff so its not bad at all w her on the back and i dont have to worry about her doin anything to mess me up

 

Okay thanks for the tips guys I hope all goes well tomorrow. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

 

I tell people who ride with me three things. 1.Lean with me. Not the bike. 2.Keep your feet on the pegs when we stop. 3. Do whatever you need to do to keep from crushing my ***** into the tank. (this also does a pretty good job alleviating helmet clash)