View Full Version : Im a newbie!
Kate Moss
01-06-07, 10:06 PM
Hello, I have no idea how to use this forum, or any forum for that matter!!
I have recently become a pillion so any advise on how to be the perfect pillion would be great! :D
Hello, welcome to the forum.
Can't offer any pillion advice as I haven't been one for ages and I've never taken one.
Well, actually I'd advise you to learn to ride, better than being on the back. ;)
the_lone_wolf
01-06-07, 10:16 PM
Hello, I have no idea how to use this forum, or any forum for that matter!!
I have recently become a pillion so any advise on how to be the perfect pillion would be great! :D
without wanting to come over too effeminate and all that, i know when she gets back from italy my sister is going to be bugging me for a pillion ride, so i was looking up info for her... *cough*... honest...
http://www.bikegirl.co.uk/resources/newbies/pillion.html
:cool:
ArtyLady
01-06-07, 10:20 PM
Hi Mrs24_7,
Welcome to the addictive world of bikes! :-D
All the best pillions learn to ride:cool:
Sit still, hold on and shut up just about sums it up - oh yeah, lean properly, don't fidget, don't put your feet down blah blah
Get a bike licence, it's much better:cool: :cool:
Pick up the phone book 'Motorcycle Training, CBT'...
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r203/tatgirl_bucket/hismiley.gif
hold on?
Tim in Belgium
01-06-07, 10:37 PM
Hello there, been a pillion once and never taken passengers so no use really, but welcome.
kwak zzr
01-06-07, 11:05 PM
welcome:)
Hello from a perennial pillion:D
The best advice I can give is remember who's in control of the bike! Sounds obvious, but I've seen and heard of so many pillions who are constantly berating the rider. Don't do it. Let the guy concentrate on riding. Maybe just work out a couple of hand signals you can use for communication. If I suddenly tap Pete's leg hard, twice, it means I've spotted a camera or police car, and he needs to brake:D
Find a position that is comfortable for you, and where you feel secure. Some pillions hold on to the grab rail, some use those pillions pals handles which the rider wears, and some, like me, hardly hold on at all. Work out with your other half which of those works best for you both. I just tend to have one hand resting on Pete's thigh, which I can then move to brace against the tank during spirited riding and braking;)
Try to relax, move with the rider, lean when he leans.
When getting on and off the bike, make sure the rider is ready for you to do so.
Watch the road not the scenery. That way, if the brakes need to be nailed for any reason, you'll be ready for it and not slam forward into the rider. You'll also soon figure out when he'll be going for an overtake and be ready for the surge in acceleration.;)
Above all.................enjoy it:D :D :D :D
Alpinestarhero
02-06-07, 08:08 AM
Welcome newbie!!!! Good to have you aboard
I was resident pillion on the ack of my dads (3) GSXR's from the age of about...10 to the age of 20, so I have alot of experiance!
Mainly, I tried to keep as close to my dad as possible - I never held onto the grab-rails. There are several benefits to this: He didnt get worried that I had gone flying off the back, the wieght wasnt top heavy and the weight wasnt all over the back. BUT DONT HOLD ON LIKE YOU'RE A HUMAN BACKPACK!!! Just put your arms around to reach the tank. Here's the other benefit of sitting with your arms around the rider - you can push against the tank under hard braking, which I found to be better than grabrails (I dont trust the rails).
Don't fidget, unless its along the motorway. Fidgeting at low speeds (i.e. town) or at standstill may / will cause an accident due to induced wobble :) If you do have a problem, let your rider know so he . she can either brace themselves or pull over and stop, and let you get off (I used to get horrdnous cramp in my right hip being pillion, and would have to hop off every now and then)
When cornering look over the shoulder of that corner i.e. for a right corner, look over the right shoulder and left for left corners. This will make you feel better about leaning with the bike and make the bike more stable for the rider too. And dont move about mid-corner.
I cant think of anything else...
...Oh yea, no dancing. Thats for the rider only :D
Matt
MiniMatt
02-06-07, 08:52 AM
Welcome :D
First off, remember to headbut the rider on each and every single soddin' gear change - it forces said rider to be a bit smoother with gear changes and actually use the clutch. Worked for me :D
Secondly, slow speed is when wobbly pillion is most distracting and unsettling, so try to avoid moving about/stretching etc until you've come to a complete stop.
Practice getting on and off - the missus has a technique something like:
http://z.about.com/d/horseracing/1/0/w/4/1/ci3s.jpg
... which is damn scary if the rider only has little legs himself and is struggling to keep the bike up on tip toes :D
Find a comfortable position - missus seems to prefer one hand on the grab rail & one hand firmly wedged into my kidneys - that way the punishment for heavy braking (ie. not looking ahead far enough to anticipate) is immediate and severe - it's behavioural therapy and teaches your rider good technique, much as you'd train a dog....
took my 10 year old son out today for 1st time. wore my love handle belt thingy which is great as I feel him all the time. told him to rest his head on my back and close his eyes for first few corners that way his body is relaxed and he doesnt lean too much or try to sit up. it worked well. i tell him when to get on and when to get off and he has to sit still til i give him the nod. if i go to fast he has to scream really loudly, which he did when we first pulled away. i was only doing 11 mph but managed to get bike up to 65 after a few miles and he was ok.
Awright matey, welcome aboard, my only advice is dont come off the back and try to put your head through the side of a post office van at high speed, doesnt work [-X
Enjoy the forum :D
phil24_7
02-06-07, 02:25 PM
Thanks everyone for your advice to Mrs24_7, not least of all MiniMat who had me :smt046. Unfortunately you've now given her to many ideas with which she can cause me pain and discomfort! :smt089
Cheers
All I can really do is echo the above.
Whatever you do, DO NOT move around when the bike is moving slowly! Recently I pulled into a driveway for a school, and my pillion decided she was comfy enough to lean off the bike & point to tell me where to park. She didn't talk to me for the rest of the night after the ear full I gave her for almost making me drop the damn thing! I decide where I park, and I hate back seat drivers (in a car or on a bike)!
Also, even when stopped, NEVER put your feet down until the rider has both feet on the floor (or otherwise tells you it's OK). The pillion mentioned above's favorite trick is to put a foot down just as I'm about to leave a set of lights. That was rewarded by me getting a jump on the traffic at a set of lights & filtering quite aggressively. Again, she didn't speak to me for a while.
Yet she still loves it on the back of the bike...
Kate Moss
02-06-07, 04:26 PM
wow what a response! I love the headbut the driver trick, theres not much he can do about it if i accidently drop my helmet onto his!! except increase speed or do a wheelie and send me flying! I really enjoy it but going round corners is scary, if i lean then i feel like the bike is going to slip out from underneath us. Megaride tomorrow...eeeek i don't want to fall off infront of 7000 people! hehe
Luckypants
02-06-07, 04:55 PM
Croeso! My advice is to hold on and enjoy the ride!
just threaten him with stoppage of all fun stuff, if he scares you on rideout
just threaten him with stoppage of all fun stuff...
That's just plain mean.... [-X
Oh, and welcome btw :D
Kate Moss
02-06-07, 11:11 PM
just threaten him with stoppage of all fun stuff, if he scares you on rideout
stopage of all fun stuff would surely allow more time for him to abandone me and go out for a ride!! Have to keep him at home somehow!! :p:p
phil24_7
02-06-07, 11:51 PM
Oh she knows me too well!
Filipe M.
03-06-07, 09:12 AM
stopage of all fun stuff would surely allow more time for him to abandone me and go out for a ride!! Have to keep him at home somehow!! :p:p
Hide the bike keys. :smt116
Welcome to this place we like to call home, erm, the madhouse.
Like other said, don't move when bike is moving slow, brace yourself against the tank (squashed privates during hard braking isn't the fuzziest feeling in the world), and most important, don't "adjust" the mirrors to check your make-up. HTH.
Tiger 55
03-06-07, 01:56 PM
Ahoy! :D
Miss Alpinestarhero
03-06-07, 03:08 PM
wow what a response! I love the headbut the driver trick, theres not much he can do about it if i accidently drop my helmet onto his!! except increase speed or do a wheelie and send me flying! I really enjoy it but going round corners is scary, if i lean then i feel like the bike is going to slip out from underneath us. Megaride tomorrow...eeeek i don't want to fall off infront of 7000 people! hehe
I am also a pillion only on my boyfriends bike (alpinestarhero) and I dont have much to add to the tips everyone mentioned above! However I do agree strongly with what Lissa said; do find a position that is comfty for you, and do find some sort of code to communicate. If I want to get off the bike/want matt to pull over/need the loo, I just jab him really hard in the side until he nods and acknowledges my request :D
Going around corners does take some getting used to, but you will not drop off. Just relax and lean with the rider :) (I personally think cornering is really fun and love it the more it leans!). bear in mind though, that if you try and resist leaning (i.e. try and stay upright or lean the opposite way), there is more chance of you dropping off because the rider has to work harder because the bike ends up being more unstable and heavy.
You'll be super-duper once you've got used to bike :D
Maria
scarlett
03-06-07, 06:30 PM
Hello, I have no idea how to use this forum, or any forum for that matter!!
I have recently become a pillion so any advise on how to be the perfect pillion would be great! :D
Best advice.....forget being a pillion, learn how to ride yourself and you'll never want to be a pillion again:D
MeridiaNx
03-06-07, 07:22 PM
Think I remember being told it's like being a sack of spuds, just sit there and go with it rather than actively leaning as such. Agree with the good tips so far, but especially on the importance of:
a) Looking where you are going when on a swift ride in order to brace for braking or acceleration.
b) When beginning it may intially be better to hold the rider. I find this works for 2 reasons; firstly, it makes you more a part if the 'unit' of the bike rather than perched over the back wheel. This makes it easier to get used to the motion. Secondly, it makes it easier/less disruptive for the rider until you are more comfortable.
An additional point related to where you hold on only came up recently, even though I've been taking pillions for years as my mates always pester me to take them away from uni for a day trip to the Lakes. With my gf recently, she was getting really travel sick. After making sure she was watching where we were going I told her to hold on to me not the grab rail. Cured it in a jiffy, as she became one with me and the bike, whereas previously she'd been on her own personal rollercoaster.
Hope it helps, and enjoy!
Welcome!
Again, what a lot of users have said - learn to ride! I started off as pillion, and as much as I enjoyed it, I wanted to be in control. Mr Lou and I have some brill ride outs, and the best bit is getting home, sitting in the garden with a beer with the bikes pinging away at the side of us. We have a good chin wag about the day and what we saw, what car did what etc.
Hate going pillion now, and hate taking pillions, I get too worried about them.
Lou x
PS, do you have a first name?
Kate Moss
09-06-07, 01:31 PM
Welcome!
Again, what a lot of users have said - learn to ride! I started off as pillion, and as much as I enjoyed it, I wanted to be in control. Mr Lou and I have some brill ride outs, and the best bit is getting home, sitting in the garden with a beer with the bikes pinging away at the side of us. We have a good chin wag about the day and what we saw, what car did what etc.
Hate going pillion now, and hate taking pillions, I get too worried about them.
Lou x
PS, do you have a first name?
Hey,
sorry its been ages! It's a constant battle with Mr24_7 to get on the damned computer!! Its like he's surgically attached to it!
My first name is Kate.
I would like to have a bike of my own and learn to ride but it looks too intimidating! And bikes are soooo heavy. x
Kate Moss
09-06-07, 02:01 PM
I am also a pillion only on my boyfriends bike (alpinestarhero) and I dont have much to add to the tips everyone mentioned above! However I do agree strongly with what Lissa said; do find a position that is comfty for you, and do find some sort of code to communicate. If I want to get off the bike/want matt to pull over/need the loo, I just jab him really hard in the side until he nods and acknowledges my request :D
Going around corners does take some getting used to, but you will not drop off. Just relax and lean with the rider :) (I personally think cornering is really fun and love it the more it leans!). bear in mind though, that if you try and resist leaning (i.e. try and stay upright or lean the opposite way), there is more chance of you dropping off because the rider has to work harder because the bike ends up being more unstable and heavy.
You'll be super-duper once you've got used to bike :D
Maria
I have spent a little more time on the bike lately and feel im slowly getting used to it! Don't feel quite so scared now and the screaming has stopped!! Being a driver I find it hard to relax and just enjoy the scenary, i find myself watching the road and atticipating dangers etc! I know I should just relax and let Phil do the driving, but leavng a man in control is nerveracking!!
Kate Moss
09-06-07, 02:04 PM
Hide the bike keys. :smt116
Welcome to this place we like to call home, erm, the madhouse.
Like other said, don't move when bike is moving slow, brace yourself against the tank (squashed privates during hard braking isn't the fuzziest feeling in the world), and most important, don't "adjust" the mirrors to check your make-up. HTH.
Don't think my life would be worth living if I was to hide the bike keys!! He is very fond of his mistress (the bike by the way!) and id hate to see a groen man cry!
the_lone_wolf
09-06-07, 02:11 PM
I would like to have a bike of my own and learn to ride but it looks too intimidating! And bikes are soooo heavy. x
i would have thought even if the bike started to go over, 99% of the big burly men on this forum would struggle to stop it and get it up again - but then i've never had to try, if i do i'll probably do my best to stop it, even if it means throwing myself under the bike to break it's fall (and likely me as well).
once you start riding the bike the weight pretty much seems to disappear
Kate Moss
09-06-07, 02:19 PM
Im sure it's pretty natural to throw yourself under your bike to protect it, despite the breaks you may endure! If I was to do it not sure id ever get out from under the bike!!
Avast & Ahoy there! Pour me some grog and we'll talk 'til the ferries are half top sails down!!
Kate Moss
10-06-07, 09:36 AM
Avast & Ahoy there! Pour me some grog and we'll talk 'til the ferries are half top sails down!!
Fancy yourself as a bit of a Johnny Depp hey?
Kate Moss
15-06-07, 10:51 AM
Im still not getting to grips with this forum, i know i'm blonde but still!!! Maybe I just don't know enough about bikes to be on here!
charlie13
15-06-07, 11:31 AM
All you need to know is that riding a bike makes you smile and grin, especially the twisty bits, anything else you can pick up as you go along :)
Hey,
sorry its been ages! It's a constant battle with Mr24_7 to get on the damned computer!! Its like he's surgically attached to it!
My first name is Kate.
I would like to have a bike of my own and learn to ride but it looks too intimidating! And bikes are soooo heavy. x
Hello and welcome!
I'm only little and I'm going for it...start my direct access on Monday and I can't wait! Yes bike's are heavy but I think handling them gets easier the more you do it and once you're sat on a bike I guess the weight is even less of an issue :D
Go for it!!
Kate Moss
15-06-07, 11:43 AM
In the process of moving house at the mo but once we are settled maybe i'll consider getting my own bike!:confused:
Kate Moss
15-06-07, 11:43 AM
All you need to know is that riding a bike makes you smile and grin, especially the twisty bits, anything else you can pick up as you go along :)
Sound advice!
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