View Full Version : How does your pillion hold on?
I'm having a bit of trouble with my OH riding pillion. She's as tall as I am (5.10ish) and likes holding the grabrail with both hands sitting bolt upright. It's ok at legal speeds but trying to go a bit faster especially when windy brings all sorts of problems to my bikes handling. It's like having a sail back there. My brother's girlfriend is tiny (in comparison) and also likes to sit leaning forward. She suggested holding only one hand to the grabrail with the other hand holding to my jacket.
How do you pillions out there hold on?
When I take a pillion, they hold on however they wish.
When I'm the pillion, generally I don't hold on with my hands. Grip the fairing a bit with my legs, and if I think the rider is going to brake hard, I'll reach around & put my hand on the tank to brace myself.
I'm sure others will be along to give advice from the perspective of being a pillion.
Basically, it boils down to a couple of options:
- Grab rail
- Riders waist
- Brace against tank
- Legs gripping fairing
- Probably something I'm forgetting.
Most of the time she just sits there and does what she like, when I'm looking to overtake or have a bit of fun I tap her twice on the knee the she holds around my waist. She getting good at predicting what I'm going to do nowdays.
She just need to get to grips with braking abit harder now, and needs to realise I dont mind her pushing me as hard as she likes.
I get my girlfriend to grab on to my hips and keep her thighs pressed lightly against mine.
Wait, what?
there is a product you can get called love handles it gives my gf alot of confidence when coming on the back there by motrax i think
I get my girlfriend to grab on to my hips and keep her thighs pressed lightly against mine.
Wait, what?
lmao :D
My mrs uses the love handles, they are good for because her arms are too short to hold on well to the grab rails. I think i got some off fleabay for around £20
Ch00
STRAMASHER
18-04-09, 09:33 PM
My pillion stays on via Givi 52L.
No more bruised kidneys after a common ,simple trajectory miscalculation.
:smt021
No more Everbody Hurts.
Everybodys happy with the big plastic portapotty out back . Happy days. Get on getting on.:thumright:
But thats my world,..........
Tell her to lean forward with her best hand to brace against the back of the tank if you have to chuck on the anchors.
You should not have a problem with acceleration cos you should not be such a selfish cnut. If you are re-read top of post.
fatneck
18-04-09, 09:48 PM
hmmn, see avatar :-)
kurtis.randle
18-04-09, 10:14 PM
When I take a pillion, they hold on however they wish.
When I'm the pillion, generally I don't hold on with my hands. Grip the fairing a bit with my legs, and if I think the rider is going to brake hard, I'll reach around & put my hand on the tank to brace myself.
I'm sure others will be along to give advice from the perspective of being a pillion.
Basically, it boils down to a couple of options:
- Grab rail
- Riders waist
- Brace against tank
- Legs gripping fairing
- Probably something I'm forgetting.
one foot under the foot rest other ontop hands on grab rail behind as foot is helping with going of backwords seems to work for me oh sometimes two feet under footrest does the job . hands stop you going forwad feet stops you going backwords , DOES ANYONE ELSE USE THIS OR THINK IT MAKES SENSE???????
-Ralph-
18-04-09, 10:18 PM
She watches the road, anticipates what I'll do next and adjusts herself accordingly.
Accelerate hard = round my waist lean forward
Brake hard = hands on tank
Lot of variation = one hand round me or on tank, other on grabrail
Steady cruise = sit upright, both hands on grabrail, or on her knees, or round me, changing position when she's sat still for too long.
My wife is quite tall too, but other than hard acceleration or hard braking, I don't really know she's there.
The key to being a good pillion is to be relaxed and confident.
mackrilld
18-04-09, 10:44 PM
i dont even keep the pilion rail on all my passangers put the hand on the side of the tank and ive had quite a few diffrnt people and i ride fast and i never really know they are there,Dom
-Ralph-
19-04-09, 12:10 AM
one foot under the foot rest......DOES ANYONE ELSE USE THIS OR THINK IT MAKES SENSE???????
Pillion foot rests fold upwards....?
missyburd
19-04-09, 12:26 AM
Hmm well when I first went on the back I had both hands on the grab rail then I switched to just one, now I very rarely use it. It just annoyed me after a time, my arms felt like they were pulled out their sockets after rides so I sort of "weaned" myself off using it as confidence increased. I keep my eye on the road 95% of the time* so I can anticipate YC's braking and accelerating. I'm basically using my legs most of the time with my hands resting where I feel them to be the most comfortable so on his waist/my knees/my lap. I find it far more comfier to grip with my legs; when he brakes I grip more, before he accelerates I make sure I'm sat back in my seat, sort of sitting in the space that the grab rail provides (if this makes sense!). It can help to use the footpegs to push against on acceleration but I am only talking from my own experience, your pillion must do exactly as she feels comfortable. Also I felt more "at one" with the bike when cornering and such, I wasn't constantly having to think about what my arms were doing and could just enjoy the ride :-D
In my eyes if a pillion is thinking about their position on the bike constantly then they are thinking a bit too much. It really should become second nature after a while.
Love handles are supposed to help no end and your pillion will have their arms in front of them which should help lots more I think.
*(birds/roadkill/other bikes/fit fellas tend to distract me the other 5% ;-))
one foot under the foot rest other ontop hands on grab rail behind as foot is helping with going of backwords seems to work for me oh sometimes two feet under footrest does the job . hands stop you going forwad feet stops you going backwords , DOES ANYONE ELSE USE THIS OR THINK IT MAKES SENSE???????
Makes sense...errr not particularly no....you put your feet under foot pegs? How does that work? The footpegs flip up easily, how on earth is this supposed to stop you going backwards?
pillion what the hell's one of those:smt056
pencil shavings
19-04-09, 12:38 AM
my gf just hugs me and holds on tight lol
for slow speeds holds on to the grab rail, but its not practical for quick/twisty riding
HTH
The Guru
19-04-09, 10:47 AM
... My brother's girlfriend is tiny (in comparison) and also likes to sit leaning forward. She suggested holding only one hand to the grabrail with the other hand holding to my jacket.
How do you pillions out there hold on?
Find a smaller OH :rolleyes:
metalangel
19-04-09, 11:06 AM
She wants to hold onto me all the time (awww) but that kills my wrists when in town with all the slowing down and stopping.
She hates the grabrail. *rubs wrists* owww
missyburd
19-04-09, 11:10 AM
She wants to hold onto me all the time (awww) but that kills my wrists when in town with all the slowing down and stopping.
She hates the grabrail. *rubs wrists* owww
See this is the exact reason why I don't hold onto Chris. I feel much safer just squeezing with my legs because then that action transfers to the bike and I can feel how the bike "flows" more easily. I'm not putting pressure on his waist/wrists just gripping when I need to. Besides which my thighs get a good workout :lol:
yorkie_chris
19-04-09, 11:15 AM
Like a limpet I think :-P
Have to say you guys, I was mightily impressed with Lissa for clinging onto the pillion like limpet while we blasted round the Kinlochleven loop, there's more bumps and jumps on that road than straight bits. Then I stopped to wait at the end still not believing Pete and Lissa had done that two up, and who comes fleeing over a blind hump (?), but MissYC clinging onto YC for dear life! You two ladies on pillion need a bravery medal! My wife would have had the divorce papers signed before we got back to Ballahulish :mrgreen:
Dug that post up from the glencoe thread, but it shows you don't need to pi$$ about when 2 up, you just need to be aware of the difference in centre of gravity and ride smoothly.
Though a few people did say "My missus would murder me if I rode like that with her on the back".
yorkie_chris
19-04-09, 11:18 AM
She wants to hold onto me all the time (awww) but that kills my wrists when in town with all the slowing down and stopping.
She hates the grabrail. *rubs wrists* owww
Tell her to stop it then. It's no good if you can't control the bike under heavy braking because she can't hold on.
A few months ago we had to make a rather abrupt stop when some myopic old sl4g decided she was turning across us. Due to the temperature being just below freezing and a near-panic brake response, I locked the front momentarily. Because MYC holds on properly so as not to interfere with the controls, I noticed and released and reapplied the brakes. With the bars weighted by 2 of us I would not have been able to feel this through the bars and we would have been tarmac surfing!
Better to be uncomfy than on the deck...
-Ralph-
19-04-09, 11:53 AM
Dug that post up from the glencoe thread, but it shows you don't need to pi$$ about when 2 up, you just need to be aware of the difference in centre of gravity and ride smoothly
Yes, most of the time it's not a case of not being able to ride fast with a pillion, it's the pillions fear levels causing her to dig you in the ribs.
Sandrine is very good and relaxed so long as I stick to a pace she is happy with (can graduallly get quicker and quicker and she notices but has had time to get used to the idea). As soon as I'm out of her comfort zone she stiffens up, I can feel her mood change even on a straight road without her moving, and without her holding onto me, the rear shock reacts differently when her posture changes. She deteriorates when she gets a sore ar$e or she's tired too, which is why shes getting the train up to the massacre. Bumps and jumps she just can't do, if her ar$e or feet spend anytime off the seat or pegs she turns white. First time we did a road with humps similar to the Kinlochleven loop (a road near Whitburn that is known as the rollercoaster, think grand national at Blackppol pleasure beach) she got off completely white and unable to speak, she was basically flying along behind me. I was absolutely fine, never shifted out or the saddle. I asked her why she didn't let me know she was stuggling and she said, "I couldn't do or say anything, I just had to hold on!" Maybe I'll try her on MissYC's advise of gripping with the thighs (oo'er missus, dunno why I didn't suggest that before!). She doesn't do enough miles really to be able to pillion like MissYC or Lissa.
I tend to find riding fast with a pillion, (especially on a standard SV!) is a case of planning early and riding like a copper, i.e. getting the bike setup up for corners earlier and making sure the suspension is nice and settled before countersteering intially softly, then progessively harder and harder, push and pull, to get the bike turning and tipping in nicely. It's amazing what corner speed you can carry with a pillion if you get it nice and smooth and make sure your rear shock is happy and stable before cornering. If you watch a copper thats basically what they are doing in order to get those heavily loaded Pan Europeans and BMW's through corners so bloody fast.
The standard SV generally doesn't make a good pillion bike though, the rear shock isn't up to it. I was on a road with some quite bumpy corners yesterday on my brothers VFR, he didn't bother changing his normal preload, and my 15 stone was upsetting the rear shock less than my wifes 9 1/2 upsets the SV on the same road.
Tell her to stop it then.
Your in a really grumpy mood just now aren't you! :p ;)
yorkie_chris
19-04-09, 11:58 AM
Mine's got ZX6R rear suspendies and uprated front. Makes a world of difference.
The stock shock really isn't fit for purpose.
Your in a really grumpy mood just now aren't you! :p ;)
Hangover.
missyburd
19-04-09, 12:32 PM
Bumps and jumps she just can't do, if her ar$e or feet spend anytime off the seat or pegs she turns white.
I really do grin like a loon on a bumpy road, no idea why! Just more exhilerating I guess :rolleyes:
First time we did a road with humps similar to the Kinlochleven loop (a road near Whitburn that is known as the rollercoaster, think grand national at Blackppol pleasure beach) she got off completely white and unable to speak, she was basically flying along behind me. I was absolutely fine, never shifted out or the saddle. I asked her why she didn't let me know she was stuggling and she said, "I couldn't do or say anything, I just had to hold on!"
I can make sense of that last statement. When I first went on the back I was so conscious of even touching YC for fear of distracting him (turns out he apparently doesn't notice the majority of stuff I do on the back anyway lol!) and if something felt a bit wrong I wasn't inclined to tell him until we got off, sort of "Don't want to spoil the ride!" frame of mind, not great I know :rolleyes: We very quickly came up with a few hand gestures, squeezes and taps in case I ever needed him to stop. Something like this might reassure your missus Ralph, just to know she can quickly get your attention. Obviously if you're making progress then that's not the time to try and distract you but if you're heading through a 30mph limit or stopped at traffic lights it helps :-)
The standard SV generally doesn't make a good pillion bike though, the rear shock isn't up to it.
You can say that again :rolleyes: That shock was a nightmare!
Recently when the back tyre on YC's SV was past its best we went on fairly quick ride round here in Wales and when I got off I actually felt like a first pillion again, the back felt like it was going all over the shop and I couldn't relax like normal, just didn't trust it. I wasn't looking forward to a 4hour or so ride back to Yorkshire with that tyre which is mainly why I paid for a new one before we left lol! With a new back tyre we stuck to the road far better and I could enjoy the thrill of Welsh roads properly. I felt normal again, was a horrible feeling thinking I might have stopped enjoying being on the back!
P.S. I really do apologise for these long posts I seem to be writing :rolleyes:
yorkie_chris
19-04-09, 12:35 PM
the back felt like it was going all over the shop
stuck to the road far better and I could enjoy the thrill of Welsh roads properly
It was :smt043:smt096
Muahaha tyres with profile instead of squares rule!
Dave20046
19-04-09, 01:16 PM
I'm having a bit of trouble with my OH riding pillion. She's as tall as I am (5.10ish) and likes holding the grabrail with both hands sitting bolt upright. It's ok at legal speeds but trying to go a bit faster especially when windy brings all sorts of problems to my bikes handling. It's like having a sail back there. My brother's girlfriend is tiny (in comparison) and also likes to sit leaning forward. She suggested holding only one hand to the grabrail with the other hand holding to my jacket.
How do you pillions out there hold on?
Mine have no choice as my bike can't home a grab rail, just hold onto me.
The wife tried holding on with one hand to the grabrail and one to my belt. Didn't feel right though. When I rode in UK and did an average of 400miles a day she did use to hold on as such but it seems that we can't do this here in Malta. I'm guessing that the problem is divided in two parts. The roads in Malta are not that long without meeting a junction or intersection so braking is frequent making for an on/off ride. One tries to be smooth but it's difficult. A V-twin doesn't help either, riding my brother's Z750 four is smoother and that helps.
Miss Alpinestarhero
20-04-09, 07:11 PM
I hold matts hips/kidneys the majority of the time.
Under breaking I will push on the tank to stop myself from sliding forward and crushing matt (if you get what I mean ;))
When pulling away, I sort-of lean forward with my hands on the tank so that I dont suddenly fly backwards. Then I just rest my hands on his hips again.
On the motorway/fast speeds - I tend to crouch down a little and rest my arms/elbow on my own leg. Basically, I look like im hiding behind matt and trying to be as aerodynamic as possible :D
I rarely hold the grabrail, makes my arms ache and I feel pretty unstable.
HTH
Maria
davepreston
20-04-09, 07:23 PM
i shall have the brave (some ov the org have seen my excuse for riding) mrs giggles answer directly
davepreston
20-04-09, 07:30 PM
well as many might have seen dave has removed his grab rail from the back of his bike(he does not like it) so i hold onto him around the waist and hold onto the front of his jacket, i use my knees to grip onto the back of the bikejust behind the riders seat. i have quite good balance having been horse riding most of mylife so i find it very easy though. whilst he is breaking i do hold onto the back of the bike (where the grab rail would be) to steady myself as not to headbutt dave.
Dave20046
20-04-09, 07:32 PM
well as many might have seen dave has removed his grab rail from the back of his bike(he does not like it) so i hold onto him around the waist and hold onto the front of his jacket, i use my knees to grip onto the back of the bikejust behind the riders seat. i have quite good balance having been horse riding most of mylife so i find it very easy though. whilst he is breaking i do hold onto the back of the bike (where the grab rail would be) to steady myself as not to headbutt dave.
lol! Thought I'd completely lost my memory then until I read the post before :rolleyes:
Grip the bike with my calfs, gently tuck knees into treacle and rest my hands on his waist, on the times that hes REALLY shifting il put a hand undr the stupid strap on the pillion seat.
Im such a good pillion that he tends to forget im there.....which can be "interesting" when pillion on a zx10, ive learnt to pay attention to the revs etc lol
Dave20046
20-04-09, 07:40 PM
ive learnt to pay attention to the revs etc lol
That is a useful habit to pick up, when I take a pillion - from stopped I try and give a rev when the light turns amber if I'm going to hammer it and then set off a sec later/on green. They still seem to disappear for a second though :rolleyes:
....probably should have explained that's what I was doing.
SoulKiss
20-04-09, 07:57 PM
Vixis usually holds on to me, under breaking she braces against my back, hands on my kidneys.
Of course when she's asleep she doesnt hold onto anything.
fizzwheel
20-04-09, 08:02 PM
She doesnt hold on to me, mainly because shes got her own bike. It really is much better :cool:
missyburd
20-04-09, 08:02 PM
ive learnt to pay attention to the revs etc lol
Yeah me too. It certainly helps being used to YC's riding style, I probably wouldn't be as good a pillion with someone else lol! But I have got to know when he'll break and how quickly the bike accelerates so much so I don't even think about it now :-)
ask Slloyd how he held on when I took him on the CBR to pick up his curvey..........
Tentatively would be an understatement!
My 8 year old daughter is a great little pillion rider and although I am ultra careful with her, she knows where to look when going round corners and is aware of how her weight and what she does directly effects the bike.
Shame she isn't allowed to come out with me, I would live to bring her to the AR09, but Mrs.H does not approve.
me and treacle are quite a good partnership as i will sometimes pick up on things that he hasnt-eg a taxi deciding to do a sudden u-turn in front of us etc and he picks up on my change in body language etc and reacts...
Weve worked out a code for when the going is going to get spirited, he'll squeeze my knee which basically means hold on or you'll be off lol,
Dave20046
20-04-09, 09:09 PM
me and treacle are quite a good partnership as i will sometimes pick up on things that he hasnt-eg a taxi deciding to do a sudden u-turn in front of us etc and he picks up on my change in body language etc and reacts...
Weve worked out a code for when the going is going to get spirited, he'll squeeze my knee which basically means hold on or you'll be off lol,
Is that what they mean when the pillion does it to the rider? :confused:
Is that what they mean when the pillion does it to the rider? :confused:
??? huh? im lost lol, i'll v rarely tell treacle to calm it or im not comfortable (which is suprising seeing how high im perched up on the back of the 10)
BanditPat
20-04-09, 09:11 PM
If im the rider people grab me, theres nothing else to grab. Hands round waist or a hug. If im pillion i hold the grab rails when accelerating and braking but just sit there the rest of the time. Shame no one trusts me enough to just let go.
Specialone
20-04-09, 09:28 PM
My wife is so nervous, she has only done about 5 miles with me, i have a lambretta as well as she will go on that no problem.
Thinking of trying "love handles" to see if that works.
She said would prefer something at the back (sissy bar) i thought maybe a top box but they look ****e.
I hope she gets it in the end or will have to buy another bike :D
missyburd
20-04-09, 09:33 PM
I hope she gets it in the end or will have to buy another bike :D
What, a harley? :confused: #-o Lol, try the love handles out, I hear they do a good job. Once she gets over that initial shock of there being no seatbelt there'll be no getting her off the back!
yorkie_chris
20-04-09, 09:35 PM
Lmao! Sissy bar on the SV... Lol!
Specialone
20-04-09, 09:36 PM
I hope your right, she is not a risk taker, but then she did marry me 10 years ago !!
Jamiebridges123
20-04-09, 09:39 PM
I haven't taken anyone out yet (it's very much my little world. :)) but I'd probably want a guy to hold onto the grab handle that I'd put on the bike, and if it was a young lassie I'd "lose it" so they'd have to hold onto me instead. xDD
ask Slloyd how he held on when I took him on the CBR to pick up his curvey..........
Tentatively would be an understatement!
:smt005Well, with no grab handle on the RR - the only alternative was a lightly held grip of the waste with one hand and the other hand on the shoulder, tapping him to slow the **** down.
Dave20046
23-04-09, 08:25 PM
God took a mate yesterday and almost had my plastics ripped off!!!
grr I shoulda put the grabrail on.
When I go pillion, I usually use the grab rail(s), I prefer being upright and grip with my legs as well, allows me to push/pull against the grab rails when accelerating/braking.
My other half, however, has short arms and can't really get on with the grab rail so much prefers grabbing hold of me. We've tried love handles but didn't work for us. I found the bike to be significantly more stable with the weight of the pillion forward (grabbing hold of me). Best thing is to get some non-slip seat covering (either a triboseat cover or some non-slip mat) as this helps lots with sliding around.
HTH
MT
Bluewolf
23-04-09, 10:06 PM
Pillion..? :smt017
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