View Full Version : Any Of You Like Going Pillion?
squirrel_hunter
28-03-10, 10:04 PM
Poll to answer...
This all came about on Friday night. Stretchie comes up to mine to collect me as I'm borrowing the Blackbird again for Saturdays rideout. Unfortunately he decided to give me a lift back on his new Fireblade.
I'd always said you have to be mad to ride pillion but not left with much of an option I join him on the back. And I hated every second of it.
We got to the end of the main road and had to stop. I really had to fight the urge to either somehow put my feet down or just jump off there and then as I thought the bike was going down. It wasn't. Straight roads weren't a problem they didn't bother me but the corners really did. He said he could feel me fighting the bike at every turn. I wasn't trying to, I was trying to lean with it but the problem was the feeling I was getting. To me it felt like the rear wheel was right on the edge of traction and was going past the point of no return, a feeling I am more than familiar with.
When we got to his I can honestly say I was relieved that the worst ride of my life was over. I should add that its no refection on his riding as I knew he was doing everything right, its just that going pillion terrified me. I've done it once and that is enough, never again.
I suppose though it is revenge for that time I took him on the back and proceeded to scrape my boots on a roundabout before pulling a stoppie with him on the back once we got to the bar...
Gabriel2k
28-03-10, 10:16 PM
Ive never been a pillion, but I just know I would hate it, its all to do with the lack of control. Im the same sometimes when my girlfriend drives.....or that could just be cos shes a woman.
barwel1992
28-03-10, 10:21 PM
wheres the i don't mind some times option lol, doesn't bother me that much i dont like it but i dont hate it
Iansv II
28-03-10, 10:22 PM
Hate it, Hate it, Hate it....
dizzyblonde
28-03-10, 10:23 PM
I hate going pillion these days. I used to love being on the back of Matt, before Suzy was mine to ride. I've never liked it since, apart from being on the back of the ZZR.
Matt used to shout at me 'whose riding this thing me or you? when I passed my test and Suzy was mine.
Its an exceptionally rare occurance I'll sit on the back of anyone these days.
Funny the Yorkies and us were talking about this briefly Friday night. :-)
BanditPat
28-03-10, 10:51 PM
I quite like it, only been on the back of two people my dad and my friend liked being on the back of my dad, when he went for an overtake you could feel the power difference between my pitiful 33bhp :'( and his 100+ havent been on it with him in ages though not since i got my own. Went on the back of my mates and that felt a bit wierd no more acceleration than me but he was riding different likes to me and it seemed strange and of ourse he had no grabrail wich i wasnt to fond on. So i voted yes i love it :) But i love taking people on the back with me even more than i enjoy being on the back
gruntygiggles
28-03-10, 10:52 PM
Ok, so I'm the only person to vote that Yes, I love it!
It was weird getting on the back of the blade last Friday after doing a bit of riding myself for my CBT, training and Mod 1, but I can honestly say that I don't think I will ever hate it. Now, many of you may laugh at me for that, but I have done many many many miles as a pillion, not just with Stretchie, but with an ex and a few other people and I seriously believe that there is a fine art to being a good pillion rider. It's up to the rider to control the bike, so you have to get that out of your mind and accept that you are just along for the ride. Watch the road in front and ahead as if you were riding, so that you are always prepared for what the rider is going to do and go with the bike. I know myself and I know I'll always be happy to be a pillion if need be.....but now that I can ride myself, I also know that I would just get frustrated after a while and want to do it myself....lol
I remember going on the back with you Steve and it was one of the scariest pillion rides I've had, not because of your riding at all....but because I didn't have a tribo seat to help me deal with braking and accelerating, mneaning I had to hold on which I hate and it also takes a few rides to get used to someones riding style.
I will say this though folks.....if you are ever in a situation where you need to give Squirrel a ride pillion....you'd be better off forking out your mortgage payment on a taxi for him.....he was white as snow, visibly shaken and looked like he coud vomit any second......for about an hour after arriving....lol.
I will continue to happily be pillion iff need be, but Stretchie really enjoyed yesterdays rideout without having me on the back and now that I can ride myself.......it's all good! :-)
It depends who you go pillion with.
I have been pillion with lots of people and can honestly say that I have never enjoyed a pillion ride more then on the back of the Squid.
I learnt heaps from being on the back with him and had such an amazing ride out it was fantastic.
gruntygiggles
28-03-10, 11:02 PM
It depends who you go pillion with.
I have been pillion with lots of people and can honestly say that I have never enjoyed a pillion ride more then on the back of the Squid.
I learnt heaps from being on the back with him and had such an amazing ride out it was fantastic.
I completely agree with that Anna. I love the way Dan rides compared to my ex. Pete used to ride on the rodes with me on the back the same way he would ride on track and after a few hours I felt like I had gone a few rounds with Mike Tyson. Dan is a very smooth rider, not ramming the throttle open and slamming on the brakes, but using good lines, getting the right gear and making cornering an absolute pleasure as well as a thrill.
I remember us talking Vickster into going pillion with him and it completely changed her perception of how to enter a bend and prepare for things. She loved it, but refused to go pillion with her hubby Xan. It's just one of those things I guess.
I remember getting on the back with Saxo leaving fowlups once....he stopped at the end of the road (300yards) and he hated it, so I had to get back on with Dan...lol
You need to add to the poll, "I started that way but and loved it but not now" ;-)
DarrenSV650S
28-03-10, 11:09 PM
Normally no. But it depends who's between my legs ;)
Triv650
28-03-10, 11:58 PM
Didn't like the feeling of not being in control, was pretty scary to say the least. However, got off with a big grin. Do I like it? wouldn't do it if I had the choice of that or ride my own bike, but I would be prepared to go pillion. I'm amazed at how many people hate it tbh.
Milky Bar Kid
29-03-10, 02:14 AM
I quite like being pillion. I first went pillion with my uncle and he was a bit of a numpty and scared the bejesus out of me but now I don't mind. I gotta take my bike 60 miles to get it serviced next week and my mate is coming wth me and I'm gonna go pillion on the way home.
wattyfred89
29-03-10, 07:35 AM
always liked going pillion as a kid and i still do. But ive only gone on the back of my dads bike, and i trust him. dont really like the thought of going on the back of a mates
I hate it, to be fair it's not very often a big male is going to be pillion to a nice petite girl... And wrapping my legs around another man, cuddling him and rubbing my groin into his back just seems a little bit wrong to me.
Only done it once, at slow speed and it was horrible.
metalangel
29-03-10, 07:52 AM
Not sure I'll like, feeling out of control like that would drive me crazy. Mrs Metal doesn't mind, especially as now the Fazer lets her see over my shoulder (and hence the speedo so she can berate me for not going fast enough) as opposed to the SV where all she could see was the back of my neck.
_Stretchie_
29-03-10, 08:57 AM
I've always thought that if you can take a pillion you should be able to be a pillion.
I think every biker should do some miles as a pillion, it'd give you a sense of what it's like on back and hopefully stop those idiots you end up seeing on youtube where they lose the pillion off the back.
I have been pillion with lots of people and can honestly say that I have never enjoyed a pillion ride more then on the back of the Squid.
I'd like to be on the back of Sid Squid
:kiss:
Squirrell, you iz a GURL. I just wish I used that one pass to have you as a pillion during a bright, dry day instead of in a monsoon at night.
phi-dan
29-03-10, 09:14 AM
Haven't been pillion since getting my own license, before that I just loved being out on the bike with my dad.
Now I think I'd not enjoy it so much, unless it's Randy Mamola on the 2-up Ducati GP bike
missyburd
29-03-10, 09:42 AM
Ok, so I'm the only person to vote that Yes, I love it!
It was weird getting on the back of the blade last Friday after doing a bit of riding myself for my CBT, training and Mod 1, but I can honestly say that I don't think I will ever hate it.
I have to agree with you Cheryl. I realise I've only been learning a wee while but I've been on the back of YC since and nothing seems to have change. Maybe I have to have been on the road before I can fully compare but I don't think, as you don't, that I'll ever really hate it. I've only been pillion with YC properly and now his riding is so familiar too me I think my body reacts subconsciously, to the point where I probably would be a crap pillion on someone else's bike. I'm so used to the SV that it's probably a lot to do with that too. Riding pillion on the GPZ didn't bother me though.
At the end of the day we're all different. If you like the idea of being chauffeured about then you'll like being pillion regardless :D Although it's not that for me, I think it's just the fact it's just Chris and me on the bike, seeing mostly the same things and experiencing the same things and able to chat about it after, I love that. Looking very much forward to being able to ride the same roads on my own bike though :D
missyburd
29-03-10, 09:55 AM
That and the fact that since I've been learning to ride myself I'm loving pillion more as I can check out what he does on the bike and listen to it's easily heard engine, how he corners and make mental notes.
I am with out doubt the worlds worst passenger. I have the controls or I dont go!:smt018 Bikes or cars, it doesn't matter
I don't mind being a pillion to riders who I've seen out on the road. I'd hate to go on the back of someone who turns out to be a numpty - it would be a long walk home for me.
I never used to mind having anyone on the back, although I have had the odd one that's scared the BeJesus out of me. That said I took my daughters out last year for the first time and i was terrified I had an accident with them on. Terrified for them and also of the ex-wife Sumo Rottwieller chewing a wasp/sucking the life out of lemons if i got it wrong.
I like it. But it has got to be a more experienced rider than me as that puts me at ease and i dont lean against what they are doing.
I grew up going on the back of my dad's bike, so for me its a bit of a comfort thing. Feel well relaxed most of the time
I use to really love being on the back of the bike. But once I passed my test I became the worst pillion ever! I think drew will argee.... I was no longer willing for him to tip the bike as much as he use to. I don't know if it was because I no longer had faith in the SV as a 2 up bike! I was starting to get back into being pillion before he sold the SV.
I'm hoping I will enjoy his new bike more being pillion, as I think mentally I know it is a bigger bike so will be fine coping with a pillion.
I've also been pillion on the back on Girth's street.....we both kept on hitting heads at gear changes... it wasn't the best pillion ride ever but I think that was down to the bike rather than gary!
AndyBrad
29-03-10, 11:41 AM
I hate it, to be fair it's not very often a big male is going to be pillion to a nice petite girl... And wrapping my legs around another man, cuddling him and rubbing my groin into his back just seems a little bit wrong to me.
Only done it once, at slow speed and it was horrible.
+1
gruntygiggles
29-03-10, 11:52 AM
That and the fact that since I've been learning to ride myself I'm loving pillion more as I can check out what he does on the bike and listen to it's easily heard engine, how he corners and make mental notes.
Yup....I started doing that with my ex....thankfully it's much easier with Stretchie as I'm not hanging on for my life:shock:.
I use to really love being on the back of the bike. But once I passed my test I became the worst pillion ever! I think drew will argee.... I was no longer willing for him to tip the bike as much as he use to. I don't know if it was because I no longer had faith in the SV as a 2 up bike! I was starting to get back into being pillion before he sold the SV.
I'm hoping I will enjoy his new bike more being pillion, as I think mentally I know it is a bigger bike so will be fine coping with a pillion.
I've also been pillion on the back on Girth's street.....we both kept on hitting heads at gear changes... it wasn't the best pillion ride ever but I think that was down to the bike rather than gary!
I think everyone that takes pillion riders should have a tribo seat tucked away somewhere...they make a MASSIVE difference. You can use your position to ensure you hardly ever move. I tend to like sitting well back on the seat, as far away from Stretchie as I can get as I hate the idea of getting in his way when my life is in his hands...lol. Tribo seats are great, you can just sit there, read the road and hold yourself in a way that means you stay balanced whether braking, accelerating or cornering.
I voted for Yes - but I wouldn't go as far to say "I love it" and I would only go on the back of riders who I trust - which is all I have done in my biking career.
yorkie_chris
29-03-10, 12:17 PM
I think everyone that takes pillion riders should have a tribo seat tucked away somewhere..
we just stapled some non slip mat to seat.
Why tuck it away?
Drew Carey
29-03-10, 12:23 PM
I use to really love being on the back of the bike. But once I passed my test I became the worst pillion ever! I think drew will argee.... I was no longer willing for him to tip the bike as much as he use to. I don't know if it was because I no longer had faith in the SV as a 2 up bike! I was starting to get back into being pillion before he sold the SV.
I'm hoping I will enjoy his new bike more being pillion, as I think mentally I know it is a bigger bike so will be fine coping with a pillion.
I've also been pillion on the back on Girth's street.....we both kept on hitting heads at gear changes... it wasn't the best pillion ride ever but I think that was down to the bike rather than gary!
Agreed......you did become a rather bad pillion. lol.
But, I don't think it was neccesarily the bike. I think a lot of it came down to the fact that I was riding 2 up at a pace that you were probably just now not comfortable with considering you had only just passed your test and hadn't been pillion for a while.
Agree on the Triumph.....the suspension is much better suited to 2-up riding. So hopefuly will be nice for us both.
As for me.....pillion.....hate it!!!!
gruntygiggles
29-03-10, 12:25 PM
we just stapled some non slip mat to seat.
Why tuck it away?
That's because you and Maria....like Stretchie and I don't care about having it on all the time...but last time I said about Tribo seats last year a load of peeps said "It ruins the look of the bike when there's no pillion".
yorkie_chris
29-03-10, 12:28 PM
Pussies
AndyBrad
29-03-10, 12:29 PM
took the lass out on the bike on sunday. that sticky mat stuff really is the difference between her beaing terrified and enjoying it. its with its weight in gold. We even managed to get to the dizzy heights of 45mph at one point :)
AndyBrad
29-03-10, 12:30 PM
just look at that spelling, sorry :(
barwel1992
29-03-10, 12:49 PM
That's because you and Maria....like Stretchie and I don't care about having it on all the time...but last time I said about Tribo seats last year a load of peeps said "It ruins the look of the bike when there's no pillion".
why dont they just get a seat cowl then ? then just swap it for the "ugly seat with tribo" when they know they will be taking pillions.
thats what i do any way
I think everyone that takes pillion riders should have a tribo seat tucked away somewhere...they make a MASSIVE difference. You can use your position to ensure you hardly ever move. I tend to like sitting well back on the seat, as far away from Stretchie as I can get as I hate the idea of getting in his way when my life is in his hands...lol. Tribo seats are great, you can just sit there, read the road and hold yourself in a way that means you stay balanced whether braking, accelerating or cornering.
We had some no-slip matting over the seat for the SV, it is great stuff!
fizzwheel
29-03-10, 12:58 PM
I've done it once and that was enough and I am never ever doing it again. Its horrible. I dont like being not in control, I prefer to drive rather than be a passenger in a car either.
I dont like taking pillions either. Mainly because I am sh*te at it. Get your own bl**dy bike :D
missyburd
29-03-10, 01:00 PM
.
I dont like taking pillions either. Mainly because I am sh*te at it. Get your own bl**dy bike :D
Am getting there! :p
That non-slip stuff is great, except ours is wearing away a bit now, but for little money it cost compared to actual triboseat stuff it's certainly done it's job! We're skinflints you see, in case you hadn't already guessed :-D
gruntygiggles
29-03-10, 01:03 PM
I've done it once and that was enough and I am never ever doing it again. Its horrible. I dont like being not in control, I prefer to drive rather than be a passenger in a car either.
I dont like taking pillions either. Mainly because I am sh*te at it. Get your own bl**dy bike :D
I have.....lol. Got my Mod 2 in two and a bit weeks and have done 300 miles on my CG125 since Friday......mostly in the rain, what a surprise!
PoRk ChOp
29-03-10, 01:06 PM
Ive been pillion once! Hated every single second :)
To me it felt like the rear wheel was right on the edge of traction and was going past the point of no return, a feeling I am more than familiar with.
I took a lift home with a friend when I dropped my bike off for a service once. Exactly the same feeling on corners, very well described. Not been so terrified in a long time, and she was taking it real steady.
yorkie_chris
29-03-10, 01:10 PM
Funny, what I notice as a rider with MYC on back is I start getting feel from the rear tyre far earlier than I would on my own. I find this quite comforting actually.
_Stretchie_
29-03-10, 01:12 PM
why dont they just get a seat cowl then ? then just swap it for the "ugly seat with tribo" when they know they will be taking pillions.
thats what i do any way
Our Tribo has only been off the blackbird seat twice since it was bought nearly two years ago.
The first time was to see if it'd fit on Vipers seat so his missus could try it and the second time was last week to put it on the Blade. Bad fit in both cases unfortunatley.
That non-slip stuff is great, except ours is wearing away a bit now, but for little money it cost compared to actual triboseat stuff it's certainly done it's job! We're skinflints you see, in case you hadn't already guessed :-D
Me too, but the Tribo is only £12-£13. Go on, treat yourself.
http://www.ekmpowershop6.com/ekmps/shops/advancedseatin/sv-650--sv-1000-126-c.asp
I'm putting the current one back on the Blackbird for Squirrel if he wants to take anyone out and getting a new one for the Blade.
Specialone
29-03-10, 01:12 PM
I think everyone that takes pillion riders should have a tribo seat tucked away somewhere...they make a MASSIVE difference. You can use your position to ensure you hardly ever move. I tend to like sitting well back on the seat, as far away from Stretchie as I can get as I hate the idea of getting in his way when my life is in his hands...lol. Tribo seats are great, you can just sit there, read the road and hold yourself in a way that means you stay balanced whether braking, accelerating or cornering.
+10000000000000000 on the tribo seat, i dont think the mrs would get on the back without one now, ours is left on all the time, dont bother me.
If im honest, i have only been pillion a couple of times in all my adult life and i hated it, i dont like riding with a pillion either, but i will so the mrs can enjoy some of the things i do.
But we are gonna be firmly at the back of the rideout on the AR cos she is not comfortable going fast, albeit yesterday she was brilliant, i was doing some quick overtakes and she was great, but i was mentally drained after concentrating a lot more.
I am crap myself at cornering so with her on it doesnt inspire confindence to say the least, but i have improved on smoothness since i had the sv, when i first had it she was slamming into me and pulling on the love handles when i was accellerating but now she said she hardly holds on.
Would hate to have to slam anchors on though with a pillion, my gentleman bits would get squashed on the tank.
Phil
_Stretchie_
29-03-10, 01:22 PM
+10000000000000000 on the tribo seat, i dont think the mrs would get on the back without one now, ours is left on all the time, dont bother me.
Grunty is the same as you can see from the previous posts. Infact... Grunty I have just ordered the correct Tribo for the Blade, we should have it soon.
But we are gonna be firmly at the back of the rideout on the AR cos she is not comfortable going fast
Yeah, about that, I'd honestly stick near the front in that case mate. The person at the front with the yellow bib will be setting a decent but legal pace, it's from the middle to the rear of the group where you get seperated by junctions and lights where the group gets spread further and further apart, this is where the people that like to play catch up and have a more 'spirited ride' will be.
gruntygiggles
29-03-10, 01:24 PM
Cool.....but I might not be using it much....lol.
_Stretchie_
29-03-10, 01:37 PM
Well there is a queue forming even if you don't get on it:
Milky Bar Kid
Squirrell_Huntress
yorkie_chris
29-03-10, 01:51 PM
Yeah, about that, I'd honestly stick near the front in that case mate. The person at the front with the yellow bib will be setting a decent but legal pace, it's from the middle to the rear of the group where you get seperated by junctions and lights where the group gets spread further and further apart, this is where the people that like to play catch up and have a more 'spirited ride' will be.
IMO don't worry about position at all.
Use your attention on riding safely and smoothly, we have a marker system so you don't have to worry! Ride your own ride, the people hooning it will pass you in their own time.
_Stretchie_
29-03-10, 02:00 PM
IMO don't worry about position at all.
Use your attention on riding safely and smoothly, we have a marker system so you don't have to worry! Ride your own ride, the people hooning it will pass you in their own time.
This is true my friend, you should'nt worry about position at all, or who's passed you or who might pass you (but people will and do), it's just a nice bimble.
Enjoy it :smt058
P.S. If you repeatedly ride like a tool cutting people up, doing dodgy overtakes, and the likes then you're going to get greased up and thrown into Bears tent on Saturday night
I've never been a pillion, but pillions just have to sit there shut up, move with you and especially. enjoy the ride. ;-P
Specialone
29-03-10, 02:24 PM
IMO don't worry about position at all.
Use your attention on riding safely and smoothly, we have a marker system so you don't have to worry! Ride your own ride, the people hooning it will pass you in their own time.
This is true my friend, you should'nt worry about position at all, or who's passed you or who might pass you (but people will and do), it's just a nice bimble.
Enjoy it :smt058
.
I will, i get the marker system on the rides ive been on so far anyhow.
I know i shouldnt but i always worry about slowing people up, i know its frustrating being behind a slow joe, but im aiming to get a couple of thousand miles in beforehand so should be better anyway.
_Stretchie_
29-03-10, 02:26 PM
Meh, just remember we've had people on 125's on the AR before now..
It really isn't a problem.. We draw the line at SV's though
; )
Specialone
29-03-10, 02:33 PM
Meh, just remember we've had people on 125's on the AR before now..
It really isn't a problem.. We draw the line at SV's though
; )
:shock:
missyburd
29-03-10, 03:30 PM
Me too, but the Tribo is only £12-£13. Go on, treat yourself.
Hmmmm well I suppose it is my day of birth soon :D
dizzyblonde
29-03-10, 03:41 PM
you know that blue rubber roll on my cooker hood....its cheaper than Tribo and comes in many colours. Could buy you a roll fer yer birthday, and you could get more for a quid, than the Tribo ;-)
AndyBrad
29-03-10, 03:52 PM
Thats what they have already diz, 3 quid for enough to cover the seat 4 times over i guess at?
The Triboseat is perfect tho, fits exactly and stops anything flying off back, especially the other half.
As much as i try and loose her she always stays there, lol
dizzyblonde
29-03-10, 03:57 PM
Thats what they have already diz, 3 quid for enough to cover the seat 4 times over i guess at?
ahhh right. Ahh well Poundstretchers always has something useful.
At a quid a roll, and about three seats worth a roll, bargain:p
dirtydog
29-03-10, 04:03 PM
I don't go pillion very often, I hate it!
Not so long ago I actually took the keys off kitkat for her SV so she had to go pillion with me on her bike!
Luckypants
29-03-10, 04:44 PM
Not been pillion in ages, in fact the last time was a lift home after passing my test! Went on the bus the very next day to pick up my new VFR750FV and not been pillion since. I quite liked pillioning back in the day, mainly when at college. My mate would give me lift to college down the A1 to Hatfield on his CG250 (maybe? I think?) and some lifts up to the Midlands with another mate on the back of some Kawasaki 400 4-stroke. I even slept all the way down the M1 on the back of that bike... (in a thunderstorm and ****ing rain! :shock: :D ) Pillion is fun if you trust the rider IMO.
Quite like a pillion on the bike too.
Nah, I hate it! :smt043:smt043:smt043
Must say I've never found the need for the tribo seat, which is just as well as I think they look pants, especially when they start to get worn! :p
Only ever been pillion once. On my cbt, there were 3 of us two 125's, so we'd take it in turns to ride on the back with the instructor.
I remember thinking he was an awesome biker at the time. Proper old school type with an old school VFR, but it didn't stop me bricking it hard when I was on the back with him - even though I was probably in safer hands with him than I am by myself - it's just the lack of control thing.
As someone mentioned earlier, same when the gf drives - but that's mainly because she can't.
Sid Squid
29-03-10, 06:13 PM
I have been pillion with lots of people and can honestly say that I have never enjoyed a pillion ride more then on the back of the Squid.:smt055 Thank you, you lovely girl! It was fun wasn't it :D.
I learnt heaps from being on the back with him and had such an amazing ride out it was fantastic.This is a useful thought, with many of the people I've helped with their riding very often a good way of getting your point across is to actually demonstrate how things feel when you do them differently.
For myself I quite enjoy being pillion, it does depend who with of course, but generally speaking I don't have any objection. The important thing to bear in mind is that no matter how good the rider/driver is, if they don't do it exactly the same as you do, it feels wrong. There are plenty of people who are very fine riders but whose style is different to mine, learn to appreciate it - you might even learn something.
I've always thought that if you can take a pillion you should be able to be a pillion.Agreed, anyone who rides should understand well what to do - ie nothing, just sit still.
I'd like to be on the back of Sid Squid
I knew it... :kiss:
MattCollins
30-03-10, 10:30 AM
I don't mind it, I'd even go so far as to say that I enjoy it iff I trust the person up front not to behave like an idiot.
On a recent trip I spent a few days on the back of my nieces bike which was the first time for her with a pillion after getting her full licence. She has spent most of her life as pillion so knows what is expected there and has a very good idea of what is going on up front as well. I gently touched on a couple of issues without being critical which she took on board quickly and then I just kicked back (not so literally) and took in the scenery. We had a really good ride.
It has been mentioned that a rider can benefit from riding as pillion with someone more experienced, but I think that a rider may benefit just as much from having a more experienced rider on the back to guide. It is the doing instead of the being shown.
BTW, there were 5 bikes and two pillions (ladies) on that ride. One of the more interesting things to come out of it was that the ladies didn't like having their men on the back. The common complaint (which came to me second hand) was something to do with the constant critique from behind when they are both more than competent riders. As soon as I threw the keys to the Mule up in the air for the ladies they were all over it for the chance to knock up a few solo highway miles or to kick their men off and ride together.
AndyBrad
30-03-10, 11:51 AM
ok heres one while we are on the subject. how do you communicate between rider and pillion? a series on taps? or what?
El Saxo
30-03-10, 11:54 AM
I hate it. I've been on the back with both Stretchie and SH and was terrified both times. Again, this is not a reflection on their riding, I have always thought them both to be far more confident and competent riders than me, I just hated not being in control.
I am also a bad passenger in a car though, more so if sat in the front passenger seat where i tend to try & press imaginary brake pedals etc! :lol:
MattCollins
30-03-10, 11:55 AM
ok heres one while we are on the subject. how do you communicate between rider and pillion? a series on taps? or what?
Autocom.
yorkie_chris
30-03-10, 11:59 AM
ok heres one while we are on the subject. how do you communicate between rider and pillion? a series on taps? or what?
Taps/sqeezes
Depends on who is the pilot. Been on the back of a few people and enjoyed it. Been on the back of some others and thought I was going to die.
Best experience of pillion was sitting on the pillion seat with Mr Sid Squid piloting through the town of London. Awesome. :)
_Stretchie_
30-03-10, 12:12 PM
ok heres one while we are on the subject. how do you communicate between rider and pillion? a series on taps? or what?
Starting off, when I am ready, I hold the bike upright and on the front brake, Grunty uses my footpeg to get on the bike does all her adjusting and (sorry but there is no other way of saying this) smaks my helmet to say she's ready and we're off.
Out and about, if I'm about to become spirited I tap her on the leg twice with my left hand and she tucks in and off we go, then when the spirited but has ended I sit more upright and she untucks.
Milky Bar Kid
30-03-10, 12:14 PM
Is this an "Idiots (read MBK) guide to riding pillion with Stretchie" post??
AndyBrad
30-03-10, 12:14 PM
ooh, ok give us some examples of taps. i had an instance at the weekend while filtering when kat just started jumping about and shaking me as i was filtering because she didnt like it!!!
Out and about, if I'm about to become spirited I tap her on the leg twice with my left hand and she tucks in and off we go, then when the spirited but has ended I sit more upright and she untucks.
see drew just nods his head at everything...
nod to get on the bike
two nods down towards the tank means he is about to go! hold on!
a nod to his left when stopped means get off the bike
ooh, ok give us some examples of taps. i had an instance at the weekend while filtering when kat just started jumping about and shaking me as i was filtering because she didnt like it!!!
If i don't like something, drew gets short squesh around his middle.... or if I was really scared a smack around the helmet.
He also know when I'm getting worried as I don't go with the bike as much into the corners
yorkie_chris
30-03-10, 12:17 PM
ooh, ok give us some examples of taps. i had an instance at the weekend while filtering when kat just started jumping about and shaking me as i was filtering because she didnt like it!!!
You need a tap going other way saying "siddown and STFU!!!" try a tap with a 4x2 across the jaw :)
We don't have a signal for slow down lol.
If I shift my rse about a bit it signals intent to hang off, she can usually tell when I'm about to wally the throttle from the sound of it getting banged down 2 gears
Luckypants
30-03-10, 12:25 PM
how do you communicate between rider and pillion? a series on taps? or what?
Will arrange some taps with an impromptu pillion, but have Autocom for a planned ride. (Autocom is fitted to the bike in about 3 minutes so is not left on all the time)
You need a tap going other way saying "siddown and STFU!!!" try a tap with a 4x2 across the jaw :)
12 o'clock wheelie ought to be sufficient :rolleyes:
AndyBrad
30-03-10, 12:57 PM
You need a tap going other way saying "siddown and STFU!!!" try a tap with a 4x2 across the jaw :smile:
12 o'clock wheelie ought to be sufficient
yea with all due respect guys, while i may come accross differently, im not a fecking moron with a deathwish :)
Milky Bar Kid
30-03-10, 01:00 PM
Before I ever go pillion with anyone I discuss what taps we will use. EG, tap my left leg if you are gonna hoof it and I will tap you right arm if you are scaring me s***less!
i had an instance at the weekend while filtering when kat just started jumping about and shaking me as i was filtering because she didnt like it!!!
im not the fecking moron with a deathwish :)
corrected for ya ;)
STRAMASHER
30-03-10, 01:11 PM
No.
I have a sticker on the back of my lid...
"ITS NO USE SCREAMING I CAN'T HEAR YOU"
AndyBrad
30-03-10, 01:44 PM
you need a tap going other way saying "siddown and stfu!!!" try a tap with a 4x2 across the jaw :)
we don't have a signal for slow down lol.
If i shift my rse about a bit it signals intent to hang off, she can usually tell when i'm about to wally the throttle from the sound of it getting banged down 2 gears
12 o'clock wheelie ought to be sufficient :rolleyes:
corrected for ya ;)
fair enough, i shall point this out to her on wed :)
yorkie_chris
30-03-10, 02:04 PM
Seriously though that sort of sh*t will cause you to crash, is she that much of a mong?
missyburd
30-03-10, 02:10 PM
We don't have a signal for slow down lol.
Haha, that's true we don't! Thought I might have invented one by now but as yet haven't felt the need :-)
And Andy, you need to make sure Kat realises that any impromptu bouncing about and wobbling on the back seat is really not a good plan, you should already have devised the "crap I don't like this" signal before letting her on the back. I can certainly understand her freaking out a bit at filtering, I think I remember I did the same, I was amazed we actually fitted lol! But at the end of the day, a sack of potatoes is really what she should be imitating, and sacks of potatoes don't jump about of their own accord (unless you've got seriously dreadful suspension :-P).
Maybe get her to come in for a cuppa next time you're over here and we can have a chinwag about it?
the direct approach:
Seriously though that sort of sh*t will cause you to crash, is she that much of a mong?
now bung in some diplomacy:
And Andy, you need to make sure Kat realises that any impromptu bouncing about and wobbling on the back seat is really not a good plan, you should already have devised the "crap I don't like this" signal before letting her on the back. I can certainly understand her freaking out a bit at filtering, I think I remember I did the same, I was amazed we actually fitted lol! But at the end of the day, a sack of potatoes is really what she should be imitating, and sacks of potatoes don't jump about of their own accord (unless you've got seriously dreadful suspension :-P).
Maybe get her to come in for a cuppa next time you're over here and we can have a chinwag about it?
how do you 2 get along? :p
Triv650
30-03-10, 02:23 PM
I just followed the rule of "keep your head behind theirs" and kept as still as possible when going straight. Simple 2 taps on the left for take a left, 2 taps on the right for turn right and 2 taps on both sides for slow down/stop and pull over.
I just followed the rule of "keep your head behind theirs" and kept as still as possible when going straight. Simple 2 taps on the left for take a left, 2 taps on the right for turn right and 2 taps on both sides for slow down/stop and pull over.
I normally think finding the pillion's feet under my armpits a good sign I need to slow down now. :)
missyburd
30-03-10, 03:26 PM
the direct approach:
now bung in some diplomacy:
how do you 2 get along? :p
:shock: the man has a point :D
Spiderman
30-03-10, 03:27 PM
i went for my first real pillioning over the last couple of days. With someone who is new to taking pillions too and if was a right laugh! On the first day it was all the usual getting things right things but on the second day i was so relaxed and happy to be perched up on the pillion seat watching the world go by, it was great.
Even when a stupid 4x4 driver pulled out on us the rider took it in her stride, no panic braking or anything but confident emergency stop type braking but still continued round and past him. And this was in the wet too.
i was so proud of her riding skills with my 13stone added on the back and i', looking forward to doing it again in better weather for longer rides.
AndyBrad
30-03-10, 04:00 PM
the direct approach:
now bung in some diplomacy:
how do you 2 get along? :p
lol :)
to be fair she didnt know any better and just panicked. Not her fault but mine.
gruntygiggles
30-03-10, 05:06 PM
Meh...Stretchie is useless. He tells me I can get, I double check to be sure, when I'm ready I squeeze his sides and off he goes. I know when he's going t change up or down gears as I've got used to how he rides, so I just clench me buttocks and the tribo seat keeps me still. I know when he's about to hoon it. As Beenz once said, "I know when Stretchies about to speed up because I see you tuck in and then he goes" I've usually tucked in before he taps me, but I like the fact that he does it anyway.
Other than that, I don't really do anything. He occasionally checks I haven't flown off the back as he can never feel me and if I need to do anything, I just wait till we are on a slow straight or stopped and say "can I scratch my rrrs" or something...lol.
I think for peeps like me, Miss_YC, Lissa etc, we've got so used to how our other halves ride, we don't even think about it anymore.
Sid Squid
30-03-10, 08:48 PM
Best experience of pillion was sitting on the pillion seat with Mr Sid Squid piloting through the town of London. Awesome. :)
Blimey! That's two of you who liked it - I must be doing something right!
PS. Are you sure it was me? I don't recall the occasion.
Before I ever go pillion with anyone I discuss what taps we will use. EG, tap my left leg if you are gonna hoof it and I will tap you right arm if you are scaring me s***less!
You'd be ok on the back of my bike, I'm not keen on taking pillions so always take it that much easier than I do on my own. I think it's bad enough being responsible for your own life on a bike, let alone someone else's.
The pillion seat on my Versys has been voted the best I've ever had by my eldest daughter, who is without doubt a bit of an expert on these sort of things, having ridden many thousands of miles on the back of my bikes since she was 8 years old.
Milky Bar Kid
30-03-10, 09:07 PM
Loz, I don't scare easily but if someone was being a nob then they would get told sharpish!
I've got some experience both sides of the argument, having taken quite a few people pillion, and being taken pillion since I was a kid.
I've been informed riding with me isn't too terrifying.
Happy enough on either seat :)
Jambo
I've been informed riding with me isn't too terrifying.
I've had people refuse to ride pillion with me because of how I ride solo. What they don't understand is that I back off hugely when I effectively have someone else's life in my hands. I'd be distraught if we as much as fell off at walking pace. let alone had a full on crash.
I always say to them "do you think my daughter's mother would have let her on the back of my bike when she was just 8 years old if I wasn't to be trusted?". It never helps, but if that's the case they can sodding well walk or get their own bloody bike.
allantheboss
31-03-10, 07:25 AM
What is "Keithd"?
And I've never gone pillion. I wear the trousers in all my relationships
Blimey! That's two of you who liked it - I must be doing something right!
PS. Are you sure it was me? I don't recall the occasion.
Yes it was you. We were working on the electrics on my SV and decided we needed to see the plug wiring going into the clock on the thou which was at work with your better half. So we went to go check it out on the kwak. Your filtering was something to behold. Absolute perfect precision. You know exactly how wide your handlebars are that's for sure.
I have also 'tried' to follow you filtering through the Village. I consider myself quite good at knowing if I will fit through gaps but you are unbelievably precise (and quick).
Sid Squid
31-03-10, 07:52 AM
Ah yes, I remember now - you're too kind :smt058
Littlepeahead
31-03-10, 11:28 AM
I'm hoping the XJR 1300 we got at the weekend will be beter than the BMW GS Dakar which was horrible for a pillion. One time though Stu gave me a lift to the station and only after I got on did I see the saw he had stuffed in his rucksack right in my face. Spent the whole journey trying not to get decapitated.
Spidey is kind enough to give me lifts and he filters through the London traffic in a way I'd never have the confidence to do. If only we could both remember about that big dip outside the Landmark hotel that nearly bounces me off every time I'd be just fine.
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