re need advice for riding with someone on pillion in article c t dsc well sf ca us rwert well sf ca us bob wert writes i need some advice on having someone ride pillion with me on my ninja this will be the the first time i ve taken anyone for an extended ride read farther than around the block we ll be riding some twisty fairly bumpy roads the mines road mt hamilton loop for you sf bay areans an extended ride as a passenger on a ninja owww well i hate to be a wet sock but well i was a passenger on many bikes for the longest time before i started riding myelf and i grew to hate long rides on sport bikes the passenger seats are not designed for long rides the passenger positions aren t even usually designed for short rides i ended up torturing my knees and my back by taking long rides as a passenger on sport bikes one of the reasons i originally liked my current guythingy so much was becase he had a bmw i d suggest a shorter extended ride at first a short turn in the mountains or some such then see how much pain she s in and proceed from there the best advice i d give a beginning passenger don t get on the bike until the rider says its ok and work out some sort signal for the rider to tell you when its ok to get off after i get on the bike i squeeze my riders hips to tell that i m ready and at the stop he nods his head to show its ok for me to get off keep your feet on the pegs at all times don t wiggle unless your rider asks you to the best passengers are those which are unobtrusive echo the movements and lean of your rider look over the shoulder thats most comfortable but during turns look over the shoulder on the inside of the turn get used to your rider s shifting style riders use a reasonably consistent shifting style avoid helmet bonk helmet bonk is when your rider revs the bike up and then shifts and the sudden change in foreward acceleration causes your helmet to bonk his hers it gets old real fast when pulling to a stop put a hand or both hands on the tank to keep your weight from pushing your rider up onto the tank putting your hands on the tank is also a good way to stretch your back if you re in pain but i m told it gets harder to steer in turns if you leave them there switch your hands to the guardrail to stretch your shoulders but be sure and squeeze your thighs while you re doing it so your rider knows you re still there the guard rail isn t as safe as holding onto your rider don t be afraid to ask for frequent stops if you re in pain or losing feeling in your feet passenger seats are not generally designed for comfort work out some sort of pull over signal beforehand laura lemay lemay netcom com writer of trifles in shadows and blood
