Advice for first 2up Ride... | GTAMotorcycle.com

Advice for first 2up Ride...

tomgir

New member
I was reading the thread about the people who hate ridin' 2up, and I can totally understand why they feel that way. I definitely like the feeling of being alone on my bike, its kinda what brought me to motorcycling.

BUT...

I've got a friend coming to visit me here in Australia from Canada in the next two weeks, and she's been talking about getting on the back of the bike since I got it. I have never done a 2up ride and I've already told her that I'll try it so long as she bares with me while I ride around the side streets here to get used to the extra weight.

I was hoping that all you who hate 2up riding and maybe those of you who do, could help me out by giving me some pointers on what to do and how to take this on for the first time.

What I'm most concerned with is making sure that she/we stay safe. I've got some gear for her, not a full kit, but I've borrowed the essentials (helmet, gloves, jacket) but I just wanna make sure that I take all the precautions I can before taking her onboard.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
Tom
 
When I ride with a passenger I always ask them to do a few simple things that makes both of our lives easier. First is finding out how they like holding on. Put the bike on a center/paddock stand and try it out. Does she feel more comfortable holding on to you? Do you have passenger grab rails? I've had one passenger who liked leaning forward and putting her hands on the tank. None are better then the other it is just a comfort factor for the passenger. I then let the passenger know the a few rules. They must keep their feet on the pegs. If they feel the need to shift body position I ask them to do this while we are not cornering. I ask them to always look in the direction we are going. Some passengers tend to lean the wrong way in corners. This can be very disconcerting for the driver. I have found that if I can get the passenger to put her head on the inside of mine during a corner that they will automatically lean correctly. I also let them know to never mount or unmount from the bike until I tell them it is ok. The first time with a given passenger I'll let them know that I'll periodically give them a thumbs up question to gauge how things are going. If they give me a thumbs up back then I keep on doing what I was doing. If not I pull over and ask what they found wrong.

One of the things you can do to make the ride more pleasant is to adjust your suspension knowing you will have a passenger. The really can make things better.

I was reading the thread about the people who hate ridin' 2up, and I can totally understand why they feel that way. I definitely like the feeling of being alone on my bike, its kinda what brought me to motorcycling.

BUT...

I've got a friend coming to visit me here in Australia from Canada in the next two weeks, and she's been talking about getting on the back of the bike since I got it. I have never done a 2up ride and I've already told her that I'll try it so long as she bares with me while I ride around the side streets here to get used to the extra weight.

I was hoping that all you who hate 2up riding and maybe those of you who do, could help me out by giving me some pointers on what to do and how to take this on for the first time.

What I'm most concerned with is making sure that she/we stay safe. I've got some gear for her, not a full kit, but I've borrowed the essentials (helmet, gloves, jacket) but I just wanna make sure that I take all the precautions I can before taking her onboard.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
Tom
 
Make sure she sits still. This is probably the most important thing there is, since every move she makes, left and right, will affect what your bike does.

Also, make sure she understands to lean as the bike does. ie: remain upright relative to the bike. Same reason as before, but this is where you can really get into trouble. For example, you go to lean into a corner, and she opposes the lean, and angles herself towards the outside of the corner: your bike will take a REALLY wide line. Also, if she drops her head into the corner, then you will turn really tight (this can be fun tho!).

I am not sure what kind of bike you have, but if it is a sportbike, or similar, have her sit with her arms around you, with her palms on the tank. This does a couple things:
-when braking, her body weight isnt squishing you, forcing you to use your arms to stay sitting up, which means you have less flexibility for steering.
-it forces her body to do what yours does, as far as leaning goes. So, if she tries to oppose a corner, as long as her arms are still around you, then she cant lean far enough to really screw you up.

If it is a more standard bike, then have her put her arms on your waist, which should keep her in the right line, and when you do a panic stop, her forces go on your lower half, rather than slamming your torso over.

If it is a cruiser, or you have a backrest for her, then tell her to just sit back and enjoy!
 
tell her shes allowed 2 free helmet smacks. 3rd one means you pop the clutch at 11,000.
 
I was surprised the first time I took a passenger was the difference in braking distance and handling be alert for it
 
Pretty much what everyone else has stated but it is important to educate every new passenger before they get on, it will make for an all around better ride.

Like others I have three simple rules;

1. Feet never leave the pegs unless instructed too
2. Hold onto the tank, my waist or a combination of those with seat strap.
(Reason for this is if you hammer the throttle she doesn't fly back and find herself grasping for something to hold onto)
3. Lean with you! Where your head goes, her head goes. Nothing worse then going into a corner and finding out your passenger is sitting upright.

I find as long as these three things are followed, everyone has a great ride.

All the best and post how it went.
 
when riding 2up you find that the bike will handle like a pig. It will double your stopping distance and you will also notice it's pick up is much slower. I always felt that it made the bike act as if i was on a bike with half the displacement. Keep in mind i ride a blackbird.
 
I did my first 2 up ride recently too. As has been noted, the big will turn and brake much differently.

I laid out a few guidelines/groundrules first.

1 - Don't get on or off the bike unless I instruct. If she gets on/off at the wrong time it could affect your balance and you could drop the bike.

2 - If she needs to move around, adjust her seat position etc, do it while the bike is moving at speed in a straight line. Try to minimize movement at the lights and on the approach to/from etc.

3 - Don't bang the helmets. Her head is suddenly much bigger now.

4 - When cornering, look through the corner on the inside, never look thorugh the outside of the corner. (if you're turning left, she should be looking over your left side, not right side).

I'd certainly do a few small rides to allow you both to get used to the idea, rather than starting off with a long ride.
 
Tomgir - if neither she nor yourself has had any time being/taking a passenger then maybe you should have a trial run with somebody who has been a passenger before - maybe just a few blocks with a friend on the back at the least. They can sit still while you are getting used to handling, braking etc and then ask them to put some input into the bike for you. Leaning, pressing on the passenger pegs, squirm around a bit and such - just so you get used to the feel/weight of someone on the back.

Just a thought
Tarah
 
when riding 2up you find that the bike will handle like a pig. It will double your stopping distance and you will also notice it's pick up is much slower. I always felt that it made the bike act as if i was on a bike with half the displacement. Keep in mind i ride a blackbird.

True. Be careful passing cars against oncoming traffic as the acceleration just isn't there when riding 2up.

For leaning just tell her to plant her boobs on your back and make sure they stay there through the turn.
 
tell her shes allowed 2 free helmet smacks. 3rd one means you pop the clutch at 11,000.

lol yeah my g/f does that all the time.. After riding 2 up alot, I would suggest they ride with you, " go with the flow" :) avoid sudden jerky movements..
 
tell her shes allowed 2 free helmet smacks. 3rd one means you pop the clutch at 11,000.

That's brilliant!!LOL!! I used to get side jabs from my ex-g/f on my snowmobile if I was doing something she didn't approve of!!


So anyways..a couple things I do when riding 2 up....
1) I tap her on the left knee if I am about to accelerate harder than usual (which happens a lot!) so that she can hold on tighter!! Maybe she should just hold the heck on all the time!!

2) I had to tell her the first couple of times to lean WITH me...as she was keeping herself straight up as I turned and leaned!!
 
excellent posts , i will make sure to search this 1 out when it's my time 2 give it a shot .
or how about some votes for a Sticky ?
 
Lots of good advice here. Might be good for a sticky actually.

The most important thing is that you talk to the passenger before-hand, as everyone here has mentioned. If you're trying to give instructions while under way, it won't work too well and you'll both be frustrated.

A couple of other things that haven't been mentioned yet. Be sure to use lots of back brake when slowing down. When riding by yourself, the front brake is usually enough 80% of the time. But with a passenger, you won't get as much weight transfer to the front and the front brake won't be as effective. You will be able to use the back brake pretty strongly, and will notice huge improvements in your stopping distance.

The other thing is a bit of a "soft" issue, as opposed to a "bike handling" issue. Keep your passenger's comfort in mind when riding. Don't tailgate, weave in traffic, or do dangerous stuff. Accelerate sensibly and try to brake well in advance of when you need to. Make it comfortable and fun. It's easy to scare a passenger to the point that they don't ever want to ride again. If you want to show them some speed and be a macho-man, pick your spots, in wide open places where there's no trouble. Pat them on the knee or give them the thumbs up to let them know you're cool and calm and everything's under control. This may pay dividends for you later, depending on your intentions.

And last thing - be careful. It's one thing to hurt yourself on a bike. Living with the responsibility for hurting a passenger who trusted you to be in control and return her home safely, is another thing entirely. If you go a bit slower, the ride lasts a bit longer, and that's good for all involved.

Have fun!

--- D
 
Someone said an important one, if she needs to adjust do it at full speed. You will barely notice, but when you are doing anything less than like 40 or 50 you will definitely feel like bike shifting around - very dangerous if you are cutting it close in downtown traffic.
 
maaann.... if its a girl shes holding up to me, if its a guy hes staying tha f*** away from me.. lol

sorry for that bit of swearing
 
I'm surprised no one has mentioned this....this is especially true of SS bikes. More than likely she will be holding on to your waist for most of the ride, however, when it's time for you to brake she should place her hands against the tank and brace herself so she doesn't come sliding into you. Which in turn saves your precious jewels from being smacked into the tank.

Opps...nevermind just noticed that Superphreak commented on this.
 
In addition to the excellent points above:

spend some time and practice signals, what to expect, leans, etc. with the bike stationary, on a stand. That way she will know what you expect.
Also, make sure that she squeezes the sides of your hips with her knees, and have her take some of her body weight (about 20%?) on the pegs, and not rest 100% of her weight on the seat. This will make going over small bumps smoother

Definitely go slowly, around the block first...leaning gently. In fact make sure you do everything gently, like you're riding in the rain.

Be sure to warn her of before sudden acceleration (I usually tap the left knee)

Agree on a signal she can give you to slow down or stop.

Be very sure that she understands that she is not to shift/fidget during a corner, braking or accelerating...and be very sure that she doesn't try to anticipate or exaggerate the lean of the bike (happened to me before...nothing worse than trying to bring the bike up vertical and having your passenger still trying to lean it!)

I'll allow ONE hand on my side while cruising, but at least one hand should always stay on the tank (on a sport bike) just in case I have to brake suddenly (if the passenger has both hands on my side, and I have to brake suddenly, she'll get thrown forward and into you, and you suddenly have to support your weight and hers on your bars). During acceleration, I'll have the passenger keep one hand on the tank, and the other arm around my front. --- those grab rails are useless, don't let the passenger use them

hope that helps
 
I can't thank everyone enough for all the advice! I definitely never thought I would get such an overwhelming response!

I would definitely vote this a sticky!

Thanks again, and I'll absolutely be sure to post how it goes!

Tom
 
A sissybar or Givi trunk is a definite asset.

Any helmet clinking is your fault, #@#$! jackrabbit starts and stops.

Ride like you're on a gravel road - nice and smooth.
 

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