By Shane ‘Rossey’ Ross
Hey bike fans, Rossey here once again to talk to you about motorcycle road safety. Today as promised, we will be talking about pillion passengers.
It can be a great feeling to take your loved one or friend on the back of your motorcycle. Hitting the open road, just the two of you. But a pillion passenger can cause a significant amount of distraction.
Firstly, let’s talk about bike set up. With the extra load on the motorcycle, whether it be extra luggage, or the passenger themselves, this increases the weight of the motorcycle, especially over the rear suspension. Make sure you adjust the pre-load on the rear suspension, and also increase the air pressure in the tyres. Brake earlier, accelerate more smoothly, and watch those speed bumps.
Secondly, prepare your passenger, show them the correct way to mount the motorcycle. Never mount from the right side, ensure as the rider you have both feet on the ground to ensure stability, keep the stand on the ground and instruct them to put their left foot on the left passenger foot peg before swinging their leg over. Once they’re in position, lift the bike off the stand and put the stand up.
Thirdly, explain how the passenger should travel. Have a signal to signify that everything is ok, or you’re good to go, and have a signal to indicate there is a problem. I ridden with my daughter since she was 11-years-old, and we did a simple thumbs up and thumbs down. When we were ready to go, I would put my thumbs up, and before moving off, I would wait to see her little thumb appear in front of my face. While riding, if I saw her thumb in the down position, I would look for the first available place to stop and find out what’s going on. What could go wrong you ask? Well, she could be tired and needs a rest, she could be cramping and in pain, an insect could have entered her helmet… any number of things could happen.
And lastly, instruct the passenger on where to look, and how to move with the bike. Ensure they stay as still as possible, and when you’re going around a lefthand bend, get them to look over your left shoulder, and when you’re going around a righthand bend, you guessed it… get them to look over your right shoulder and lean with the bike, but not too far, just stick with your body position.
Also, make sure your passenger is wearing all the safety gear, in the unfortunate event you lay the bike down, they are your responsibility, so ensure they are completely covered.
Two up riding is a fun and exciting way to tour, discover new roads and have an adventure, but safety is the key to making sure you get home at the end.
Thanks for reading, and once again, stay shiny side up, and ride your own ride, this is Rossey, and I’m going to get your Geared to Ride. Check out our adventures on YouTube ‘Geared to Ride’. Take care.
