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 unless she is really adventurous do not take her on this route for her first extended ride that s kinda like taking someone on a no show way speed star competition as their first skydive this person is lbs and fairly small so i don t see weight as too much of a problem but what sort of of advice should i give her before we go i want her to hold onto me rather than the grab rail out back and i ve heard that she should look over my shoulder in the direction we re turning so she leans with me but what else are there traditional if the ninja has adjustable suspension adjust it to a stiffer setting so you don t bottom out in bumpy curves tell her the cardinal rules are a never ever ever ever put her feet down not when you stop at a stop sign not when she thinks you re gonna crash never keep them on the pegs until you tell her to get off the bike b she is to hold onto your waist she should hold on tightly enough that she won t slide off the bike if you twist the throttle a bit and added bonus for you here she should keep as close to your butt as possible so quick stops don t make her slide into you and knock your balls up onto the gas tank you decide how best to word this c just stay perpendicular to the bike straight up in the seat don t lean your body into curves just go with the bike and stay perpendicular don t look over your shoulder remember at all times that you have a passenger on the back that means don t pop the clutch and try to corner and stop smoother than usual be aware that if you jump on the brake you re going to have the equivalent of a lb dead weight crashing into you from behind so be prepared for that make sure she pisses before the ride even if she says she doesn t have to go no anti women stuff here i have a tiny bladder myself remind her to look around while you re riding point to things of interest it makes the ride more enjoyable to her she won t get so focused on just looking at the back of your helmet and it gives her ample excuse to squeeze you to show she saw what you pointed at my wife and i tried the msf recommended look over the rider s shoulder in curves bit and it just didn t work the timing of her weight shift was unpredictable especially on the maxim because unlike the ninja the upright riding position really restricts the pillion s view of the road ahead next time i had her just remain perpendicular to the bike and i could hardly tell there was someone else on the bike in curves and she weighs substantially over lbs curtis jackson cjackson mv us adobe com hawk gt maxim dod kotb black lab mix studley doright collie golden george there is no justification for taking away individuals freedom in the guise of public safety thomas jefferson
