How does your pillion hold on?

[yorkie_chris]

Like a limpet I think

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

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

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]

Originally Posted by metalangel

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...

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

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.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Tell her to stop it then.

Your in a really grumpy mood just now aren't you!

[yorkie_chris]

Mine's got ZX6R rear suspendies and uprated front. Makes a world of difference.

The stock shock really isn't fit for purpose.

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Your in a really grumpy mood just now aren't you!

Hangover.

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

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

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

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 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

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

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 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

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by missyorkie_chris

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

Muahaha tyres with profile instead of squares rule!

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by zunkus

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.

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

I rarely hold the grabrail, makes my arms ache and I feel pretty unstable.

HTH

Maria

i shall have the brave (some ov the org have seen my excuse for riding) mrs giggles answer directly