Pillion Riding?
 

Hi Peeps,

Wonder if you could help.

I've been riding for about a year now and my GF still won't jump on the back with me, she keeps saying she doesn't trust the bike but i love it.
either way it's frustrating as if i need to pick her up I have to get the car which is a nightmare plus i look like the stig when im in my leathers in the car (Mainly cause i'm late) and no i don't sit in the car with my helmet on.

Has anyone else had this problem with their other halves and the Fear of the bike issue.

If so how did you sort it out cause i would love to have her with me when i go out for a ride.

Cheers

Re: Pillion Riding
 

yup had the same things with my lass. You just have to get the right time and mood and then take her around the block. Start small and very slow and slowly build up.

to be honest i cant fault her. Ive been pillion and its bloody scary stuff! it took about 8 goes before we hit the speed limit (yes thats 30 mph!)

Re: Pillion Riding
 

I did the complete opposite... I scared the living hell out of her but she loved every minute and wanted to go on again!
It just depends on what your lass prefers in all honesty, does she enjoy quick driving in the car or is she more of a slow and boring type?
Just work around which she prefers and she'll love it =)

Re: Pillion Riding
 

I have ridden pillion for years and have had my own license for a year now, so you would think that I am a comfortable pillion to have...

Er, no.

Last week, the wife was on the front and was "making progress" as she calls it. Being an advanced skills trainer and DAS Instructor, she can handle our "little" SV easily.

I got travel sick and then nearly had a brown trouser moment when she braked late for a car that was stopping.

Pillion is scary, especially when the rider is in a hurry and is throwing the bike around like they do on their own.

My tip, start very small. I took a friend, who has significant learning difficulties, out for a ride and knowing that she was scared, did 100m before returning home. Two minutes later, she wanted to go further and then after that further again. It is about building trust, being super careful because you are carrying very precious cargo and letting her trust you.

Get an intercom set too, that way she can talk to you and you can give her support and instructions. A basic one from Lidl will do start with.

Hope that helps your cause.

Re: Pillion Riding
 

My other half will categorically never get on my bike. End of. I don't even bother asking if she wants to hop on when the weather is nice. She's even kindly been offered kit by others and still won't.

Don't force her. If she wants to she'll do it.

Re: Pillion Riding
 

For once, I would say BaP is right - he's not normally...;)

Give her time, she may become curious and if she does, then like the others have suggested, baby steps. Not everyone likes bikes and a huge amount of people are scared of them. Just leave her be if she doesn't want to get on with you!

Re: Pillion Riding
 

I can understand it being scary once you've been used to being in control of a bike on your own but f she's never been on the bike then she should at least feel she can give it a try. I remember my first pillion ride on the Isle of Man, i was extremely cautious but YC just took it very slowly to start with and then would tap me to see if it was alright to speed up a bit. I'd say yes each time, till we were racing around the southern 100 part of the TT race circuit! Obviously it depends on your personality, but if your gf has the mindset that she's not going to like it before she's even had a go then it will take you a while to get her out of that frame of mind.

Explain that you'd really love her to be a part of something you love, and reassure her that you won't do ANYTHING without checking with her first (on the bike that is!). Come up with a few easy-to-understand gestures/signals such as a tap on the shoulder for yes or a squeeze round the middle for slow down. She might be under the impression that once she's on the back she's going to be cut off from you as you'll just be concentrating on riding when it's not like that at all. Talk to her whenever you stop at traffic lights and keep checking (don't just assume she's ok and carry on regardless, that's the worst thing). And make sure when she's on that the one thing to get into her head is if she feels the need to lean - do it in the same direction as you not the opposite way!!

Good luck.

Re: Pillion Riding
 

Tell her she can sort her own transport if she doesn't like the bike, they call you abdul or something?

Re: Pillion Riding
 

Cheers for the responses all,

I've spoken with her about it a few time and from what i can gather she tried to go on with her uncle when she little and he had a goldwing type bike (the way it was described) and the Pr*t dropped it when she just climbed on.

What she has said is that if i can practice with a mate on the back then she might be a bit more successeptable to the idea but i think the signals and intercom sound like a plan.

Re: Pillion Riding
 

She may very well be more susceptible to the idea if you practice with a mate. Or, make yourself useful bunjee a sack of spuds on the back. Two birds with one stone and all...

Re: Pillion Riding
 

+1

Of course he is, he's a lawyer:D

Re: Pillion Riding
 

No, thats because my girlfriend has her own bike and shes also faster than me on it to...

Personally I'd not push the issue, if she doesnt want to go on the back she doesnt. Just accept it and keep it as selfish hobby that you enjoy and then find something else that both of you like doing that you can do together.

Re: Pillion Riding
 

:D

And that way you can justify spending lots of money on petrol.

Re: Pillion Riding
 

if she doesnt want to get on the bike fair enough, tell her to get the bus home or buy her own car. I dont enjoy going pillion especially with my OH.

Re: Pillion Riding?
 

My wife still won't ride pillion after 24 years, some things you have to accept.

Re: Pillion Riding
 

:shock::shock::shock: Why not? I'm such a calm and relaxed rider 8-[8-[

As for the OP, I don't blame her I wouldn't go pillion unless I really really had to

Re: Pillion Riding
 

If it was my missus she would really really have to, unless she wanted to walk :smt016

Re: Pillion Riding
 

:^o:^o:^o:^o:^o:^o:^o:smt101:smt101

Id walk :rolleyes:

Re: Pillion Riding?
 

Tell her you are taking her on a hangbag shopping trip.

Re: Pillion Riding?
 

ooooh or alternatively tell her about the vibrations :shaking2: :smt112

Re: Pillion Riding?
 

my gf refused to get on for a while just out of principle, as i bought the bike without her knowing, the day after her birthday and then pretended it wasnt actually my bike and i was borrowing it of a friend, even thou i had brand new leathers and helmet on. oh and we had only recently moved in together. After a while she forgave me (sort of) and now loves it

Re: Pillion Riding?
 

My wife was dead against bikes and certainly didn't want me to get one, but knowing how pig headed I am, she knew I'd get one anyway.
I had a lambretta before getting a big bike so she didn't mind going on that, I did persuade her to go pillion on the sv and she hated it, most of it down to my riding I'm sure as it was new to me as well.

After a while, I got smoother so she enjoyed it a bit more, it was never that comfortable though for either of us, now I have the sprint shes suggests sometimes going out on the bike, she does secretly like it :)

Now she's got friendly with people off here and I include her as much as i can rather than keep it for just for myself, she enjoys the social side of it as well.

Re: Pillion Riding?
 

Pretty much a similar story over this end, GF was dead against it too scared etc etc but convinced her to have a sit on round the car park, then down the road, then to a friends house and before you know it 3 months later we were off on a holiday round France on the SV :D.

As others have said build up gently and establish a communication system and rules (like not trying to touch the floor with her hand no matter how close she might think it looks when lent over in a corner! :@!! )

Re: Pillion Riding?
 

My gf really wants to ride with me, but whenever she is on the back she always ends up freaking out (especially when I took her on the M1 at full tilt with no prior warning!). She found my Triumph Trophy 9 less scary than the SV because it was so much bigger, there was more to hold on to and the acceleration wasn't as harsh. There's nothing you can do about it, just keep offering the ride - good weather helps - and if she does decide to get on, don't nail it and scare the living Jesus out of her straight away! If she's anything like my other half, there'll be tears.

Re: Pillion Riding?
 

Oh and you might look an utter tart but the pillion handle belt jobby that you can wear works well. My GF refuses to use the grab handle that is on the back of the SV.

Re: Pillion Riding?
 

Yep the love handles work for somewhere to hold on as my wife didn't feel comfortable holding on the grab rail also.
That said, last two outings on the sprint she said not to bother with them and hardly holds on, just when I'm cornering or destroying some knob for acceleration in some car he thinks is quick :)

Re: Pillion Riding?
 

Anita lloves it on the the back of the sprint. Up in Scotland last year - we had a long day out on Skye, back over the bridge, curry (and wine for the ladies) in Fort William and then left FW at about 23:00 to head bag to our digs in Mallaig (42 miles away!).

Quiff and I were both 'caning it - a fantastic bit of road, no traffic at all, riding late at night. I come to a nice sweeping right hand bend and start to lean over, all of a sudden the bike seemed to drop a bit more than I was expecting - I asked 'what the hell are you doing' over the autocom, 'nothing' came the sheepish reply...she had fallen asleep :D

Re: Pillion Riding?
 

YC had his own love handles for me to hold onto when I first got on the back ... #runs!#

Re: Pillion Riding?
 

My GF has decided she wants to come on mine this weekend for the first time. Im going to take her on some nice slow country roads so she gets used to it. If she loves it she will come on the bike with me to Vics bike pub sunday for the rideout. To be honest she is the slow boring type who moans like **** when i break the speed limit in the car. Dont think she will like it but hey ho lets go.

Re: Pillion Riding?
 

Ooo low blow! Though the missus did say the same about me so it must be a girl misperception thing :)

Re: Pillion Riding?
 

I just waved it in front of her and before I could say please the protection was on and on she jumped on.
fast or slow ,she still has a grin

Re: Pillion Riding?
 

This never produced a response :o

Turns out she didn't trust all of the parts I'd modified :rolleyes:

Hopefully she'll get on the new bike as she has all the gear..


I'd agree with not pushing it too much. I ask her because I'd like her to enjoy something I enjoy, but in the end if she finds it boring, there isn't an awful lot (more) I can do.

Re: Pillion Riding?
 

Nah, flat oot! I get told off if I don't :-P

Re: Pillion Riding?
 

My Girlfriend loves it, she just likes starring at people and the scenery etc..

Admittedly she hasn't been on the back for about 6months but we used to go down to Southend Seafront when we lived in Essex and she loved it! And even appreciated a bike present the other week when I treated her to a Ladies Forcefield. :-)

Re: Pillion Riding?
 

My missus loves it, she says the grabrail takes some getting used to but knows now I don't mind her holding onto me once we get onto the motorway or somewhere else where there's not much stopping and starting.

She doesn't like filtering very much, tried in on the M4 and again on the M25 and wasn't too keen on it.

She was fine before and after my off, in fact she told me when I phone from the scene that she'd no qualms about getting back on with me if I got back on too. Only problem now is that on the Fazer (unlike the SV) she can see the speedo over my shoulder and doesn't think I go fast enough!

Re: Pillion Riding?
 

I've tried to get my Mrs on the back for the last 8 years but there's no way she'd let me take her out on the road. She sat when going up the drive once (20 foot) and she said that's enough. My advice is not to push it.

My 14 year old daughter is completely different and just wants to get on the bike whenever she can. I'm taking her dirt biking in Wales this summer (first time she's ridden one herself!). However, I've mixed feelings, I don't like taking her on the back as she's my little princess and I would never forgive myself if something bad happened but I also want her to be adventurous (but safe) and experience everything.