Mandatory statement of the obvious: Clicking a link to eBay or other affiliations may earn me a commission if a purchase is made.
I will use this money to buy more motorbike stuff, petrol and beer. But mostly beer. Cheers!

Categories
Riding

Two Up – First Attempt Taking Pillion

Two up, a pillion ride outI went two up on the bike for the first time today. That’s pillion, passenger on the back for those not in the know. With the kids farmed off to friends, my wife and I took off on a ride out into the rural Essex for a slap up pub lunch (sans alcohol of course).

I had been taught about carrying a pillion passenger as part of my DAS training, but the examiner had merely asked a knowledge question on the subject. My instructor had sat on the back of the bike, to give us a feel of the extra weight and highlight how passengers should not mount the bike (step onto one foot peg with all their weight), but today was my first time on the road with a pillion.

So with foot pegs down and feet firmly planted on the floor, my wife hopped on, albeit with a slight struggle due to her lack of statue. The extra weight changed the bikes handling dramatically, I was very wobbly initially, as every learn was exaggerated by the extra weight. My stopping distances were much longer, meaning I had to read the road further ahead and plan more. But after a few miles, I became accustomed to the change in handling and smoothed out my riding.

Key pillion points:

  1. Passengers must be able to reach foot pegs.
  2. Passengers should only get on and off when directed to.
  3. Passengers should hold on to rider or grab bar and not wave to distract rider or other vehicles
  4. Front braking and steering will be lighter.
  5. Expect over-steer when leaning, due to extra weight.

We took many country roads and an indirect route to Blackmore in Essex, where there are a couple of great pubs, serving some top grub. Fully sated, we had a good ride around with no set route, before finally stopping over at High Beach in Epping, at the big biker tea hut meet. The tea was stewed, but the weather was good, and there were loads of other bikes to check out. Overall, a good ride out with plenty learnt.

Share with your buddies!

By Arthur

Seasoned London commuter, doing my best to stay rubber side down and never stop moving forward.

2 replies on “Two Up – First Attempt Taking Pillion”

Yeah, it’s a bit tricky. My wife kind of keep one foot on floor, then puts other leg over (ooh-err!), then hops up. All a bit awkward and ungainly really. It helps to plonk your feet down quite wide to help balance the bike.

Leave a Reply to AC Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.