Riding A Motorcycle With A Passenger | The Shop Manual

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Riding with a passenger is a great way to share the joy of motorcycling, but before you welcome someone onto your bike there are a few things you should be aware of. In this episode of The Shop Manual we share tips and recommendations for a safer, more enjoyable two-up experience.

[n]

Before you are ready to have a passenger, be sure to first practice with someone whom you wouldn't care too much if they got hurt, like an ex, a telemarketer or your mother in law

[billcarson]

"Pretend like it's raining" That's a great way to describe the mental frame of mind that the driver should have. Perfectly said!

[JCintheBCC]

The last comment about not trying to impress the passenger is an easy trap to fall in. When I was younger, I had a strict rule of No Passengers, and a strict exception if the passenger was attractive. I had to consciously remind myself that the goal wasn’t to impress them, but to get a “second date” and not scare them off. That worked way better than giving them a lecture about leaning and body position so I could ride fast in the canyons and scare them anyway.

[tonykisvardai]

I get many comments from friends on how smoothly I ride solo regardless of the pace...
I put it down to many years of almost always riding 2 up with either my wife or step-daughter.
I found for new pillions to keep it simple -
- look over the turn direction shoulder
- acceleration - toes down
- braking - heels down
- I'll tap your leg to hang on tight
- You tap if you want to stop/ talk.
A friend made me a small sticker for the back of my helmet that said "Just scream if you want to go faster" 🤣🤣🤣

[wizardmoto]

The biggest conscious change I make in my riding style is an extraordinarily long braking distance, particularly on any decline. Even with hefty rear brake application (as you mentioned) there is a lot of weight shifting over the front end on steeper hills.

[Valks-]

4:52 A moment of appreciation for my GF that did 2.5k tours for 2 years with me on the back of a CBR. We're getting a sports tourer soon!

[joeygjgjg]

That tip at the end. Ride like it's raining, man what a lovely piece of advice. Thanks m8!

[davidmorphett]

I introduced may daughter to riding after she started driving and wished to . Our first rides were safe and within her limits. She became an awesome pillion where our confidence grew to a point I could ride with a bit of pep knowing she was enjoying the experience . She is now learning on her own MT03.

[johnybrokeit]

That ending comment was so awesome! The honor of introducing someone to riding a motorcycle 😊 it truly is that important 😅 and an extremely huge responsibility. I'm so proud to be someone who gets to ride a motorcycle almost daily. Pure joy these machines!

[gardecg]

I just introduced my friend into the two-wheeled world by hopping on the back of one of the rental mopeds in SF. I explained to her the do’s and don’ts as a passenger. She understood everything very quickly, but she was a little still scared at first. But we went for another ride around the city she had a blast! She’s definitely considering taking a class and getting a scooter for herself!

[sklucas]

When I was younger, I took a passenger out on a date to a beach some 100km away. In the middle of the ride we decided to take a route thru some sand dunes that were reasonably ok to ride (I guessed).

I got exited and ended up doing 75KPH on a long descent with her on the back.

We never went out again.

[numberxx]

Hhmmm, "bike choice" at 4:20, made me remember my first ever motorcycle when I was 16 - 50cc Jawa, double seater. and giving rides to a neighbor girl.. Never forget her "DD" in my back! Cheers..

[neebob]

After 30+ years of riding with my wife on back of everything from a 86 GSXR to a Fjr 1300 I've developed 2 distinct riding styles . Solo and 2 up and heaven forbid I ever ride solo with her on back ! Always put the joy and comfort of your passenger first , you'll be rewarded in the long run .

[motordemic]

I remember taking my brother for a 5min ride to his work. We didn't go above 30km/h. He couldn't stop talking about how much fun it was to lean and how fast it felt 🤣

[JCintheBCC]

A system I found that works well (if you don’t have BT comms) is telling the pillion to tap my thigh if they need to stop. With a new passenger, sometimes they freak out or just have a gear issue. A dedicated way of getting my attention, at speed, that wouldn’t normally happen (none of my classmates were grabbing my thigh normally) was really helpful.

[BikeandBreakfast]

Great tips. We ride 2 up most of the time & have always enjoyed the rides. I would like to add 1 additional tip, make a habit of pulling the front brakes firmly while your passenger is mounting. This add more stability (with both feet on the ground of course) and you won't get caught rolling at some unexpected inclines.

[joshdobson]

Good video, the only thing I want to mention is holding on by the shoulders. This could be a bad idea if you hit a bump or something and could cause the passenger to pull back on the rider's shoulder, and accidentally pulling more throttle.

[spandanbhattacharjee]

Man I started riding after a friend took me for a pillion ride on his motorcycle. The same day I bought it off him. Haven't let go of the throttle since. I understand the deep value of giving a motorcycle ride to an associate or friend. Ride safe fellas!

[timelymedal]

Today I rode with a passenger for the first time... for a triathlon event.. we were the race marshall. 😅 I didn't wreck in front of everyone and it went great. Just followed the tips in this video. Used lots of back brake, played it very very easy with the clutch with long slow accelerations, and just told them to act like a rock on the back and not lean or do any sudden movements. It went great!

[peterbrophy]

All good points. I also let them know that if they need to adjust their position, they can, as long as they give me a sign and do it when the bike is in a straight flat and nice tarmac or at red lights or stop signs.