Well lads and lassies.
I'm planning on going for a spin with the missus on the back for the first time.
First time her being a pillion and first time me having a pillion
Any advice/tips?
Also anything I should adjust on the bike it bar tyre pressure?
I won't worry about any mod's, just take it easy don't scare the crap out of her. If she likes the bike as much as my missus then later on you can really open it up.
Take it VERY EASY with the throttle!
Plant your feet firmly and she should wait for your ok before she gets on or off!
Front 2.5 bar, rear 2.9 bar.
Add one ring of preload to the rear shocks for every 20 kg she weighs.
Add one click of compression damping.
Pick a sunny, dry, low windy day. No rush-hour. Choose roads with light or no traffic.
Make sure she knows to lean with the bike, not try to stay upright or get further over than the bike is.
Oh & brake early, or she'll side into you, push you forwards & crush ya nuts on the tank.
You can buy things called love handles. Basically a belt to go round your middle with a handle on each side for the pillion to hold onto. I used this when my daughter first started riding pillion. A top box can help to stop her feeling like she might come off, too. Good luck :)
Engine braking tends to make the bike pitch less and smooths the ride a bit more.
Some may disagree but.......
Add 2psi to your tyre pressures.
Then only change one thing at a time. That one thing is you have your missus as your pillion..
Don't get too adventurous with the distance you travel. She will be nervous so will get tired.
We have only one rule....if l scare her she wont get on again. l respect that.
Get her to relax and be as one with the bike. You have to ride the bike the smoothest you can.
After a few rides start to makes changes to the bike if needed. One change at a time. Dress well.
Enjoy your ride. :cheers:
Go easy and have fun.
All the above. My wife 45kg so dont really have to change much. She gets on first, always have front brake on. You certainly need to pay attention to extra weight around town. I find that bike actually sits better, more stable on highway. Mines a seasoned rider/pillion so i dont really change riding style. No real fast stuff is my rule. Biggest bonus is the front wheel lifts up much easier, usually get a slap afterwards. :clapping:
I've taken a lot of first time pillions, including laps of Philip island, the best advice I could give you is to tell the missus to do absolutely nothing and to pretend to be a sack of potatoes, and for you to use your rear brake first,to settle the bike before using the front and to change your braking ratio from 90/10 to about 6o/40 and let off the front brake before the rear when coming to a stop so the bike doesn't dive and pitch her forward
Mate, ill try the sack of potatos on her. reaction could be, well, reactionary. Just joking,know what you mean, just sit there. Sheepskin for us is best ever result, no sliding. I even put another for her on top of my full seat cover.She never moves. Rack n bag on rear for two up, shes comfy. Can lean back.
I sometimes take an X girlfriend on Sophie.
She's a natural at being a pillion. She's so neutral I have to check she's still actually onboard.
If I'm about to overtake briskly I tap her knee first so she's ready.
She's far from a nervous pillion. In fact it's her that usually encourages briskness.
One aspect of my riding with her onboard is my gear changes.
I can change both up and down WITHOUT getting the rear of my helmet bashed.
Last time she was out with me I had 1 helmet bash in about 160 miles caused when I had no choice but to brake suddenly.
S.
Sack of potatoes = good
Barrel of water = bad
My missus does prefer top box and panniers.
Just take it easy and enjoy .
You know you can rode as quick as you like she doesn't need to find this out .
Help her enjoy the ride too .
:cheers:
I sold my busa to buy the 14, for many reasons but one was because the Misses comes on the back of the bike with me a lot and you probably won't find a better more comfy bike for riding two up. We done 3 weeks in France, Spain and Portugal and was great, make sure tyre pressures are set correctly and WATCH THE FRONT END, with two up and gear the front dose get light and twitchy, top box dose be handy as gives them a bit of security with something behind them but as said make sure she leans and when ye stop make sure she knows to wait till you have both feet on the ground, kickstand down or she gets the nod to hop off, you know yourself if she tries to hop off and your not ready that can be bike on its side territory.
@ Rh4000
Basically the bride chose our bike. She wanted a bike that looked like a bike, not one covered in plastic. Early in the search a mate said you need a GSX1400....he would he worked for a Suzuki dealer. But they didnt have one for us to try.
We did the rounds of the bike shops. Thought a Bandit might suit us. ln the showroom l hopped on one then she hopped on the back. Nope she didnt like it. Then in another row sat a 14..... l hopped on and thought it was a bit big but l said hop on, she did and instantly said yep l like it. That bike wasnt the one for us but we soon found one that was.
We spent a month clocking up 7000kms touring the South Island and we had a ball.
Getting on and off the bike is a process when its so loaded, we have an intercom and always waited to get on and off when l said it was ok to do so.
Suzuki boi, you have a great bike for 2 up riding :onya:
Hi Kiwifruit,
For two-up riding on a `real` bike the `14 takes some beating i`ll agree. My wife and I luv it! Its a huge machine but its relatively low so is easily manageable and boy, does she eat the miles!
I, (ok we!!) have owned dozens of other bikes previously, from Triples (lots of :smile2:!), GSXR`s & Blades, and the only one thats come close to the `14 for two-up riding in comfort for the two of us with a bit of luggage was our recently sold mint Bandit 1200 K3. That was a fabulous bike. Slightly `taller` than the `14, amazing fun to ride, but with slightly less room. If you ever get chance to ride one, do so, and i`ll bet you`ll want to keep that too!
Enjoy the miles....
Dave.
Thanks lads for the replies.
Was meant to go out with her yesterday but had no one to mind the kids!!
Have a top box so she'll have that extra back security.
Altho Im confused on how to tell her whether she should be like a sack of potatoes or move with me?????
Seems mixed opinions here :whatever:
From the replies this bike seems a great 2 up bike!!
Quote from: Suzuki boi on Thursday, 31 October 2019, 06:15 AM
Altho Im confused on how to tell her whether she should be like a sack of potatoes or move with me?????
Seems mixed opinions here :whatever:
It's the same thing really. If she is a sack of potatoes, she will move with you on the bike, and that's what you want.
Just tell her to go with you & do not fight against it.
I found it best to get mine to put her arms around me for the first time at least, as this makes them more relaxed & means they have to go with you. If they grab on to the grab rail, they have an automatic tendency to straighten up when leaning in.
Quote from: Suzuki boi on Thursday, 31 October 2019, 06:15 AM
Thanks lads for the replies.
Was meant to go out with her yesterday but had no one to mind the kids!!
Have a top box so she'll have that extra back security.
Altho Im confused on how to tell her whether she should be like a sack of potatoes or move with me?????
Seems mixed opinions here :whatever:
From the replies this bike seems a great 2 up bike!!
The reason I say Sack of potatoes is a lot of first timers try to help by leaning rather than just go with it and let you do the work which can be just as unsettling as someone doing the opposite
All the above info is really good, ya just might like to explain how the bike goes round corners & what it feels like braking etc, just so she knows what to expect & not 'panic' at the first corner. By the same token, I wouldn't suggest you scrape the pegs either . . .
Mate if your moving around on a 1400 you're riding way to hard to break in a virgin pillion. Just sit upright and ride calmly and instill some confidence in your bride :onya: :onya: :onya:
I hope your pillion ends up riding better than mine. Sometimes I swear she's trying to sell used cars back there. :lol:
I can only echo what most have said on this thread. Your gal needs to think of herself as part of the bike, an addition to the mass that you have to control. I've been lucky with my pillions, however i might add that i'm a crap pillion because in the ony times i've had to ride pillion i've had sub-confidence in the rider (we're talking kittens).
Ease her into it, choose an easy route, nice sweeping bends and reverse the route if she's cool with it, but come back a little faster.
@ Suzuki boi.
How have you got on riding with your partner.
Trust it all went well and you have her comfortable as your pillion now.
:onya:
Or he scared her, couldn't resist the temptation to crack the throttle n scared her n now she won't get on so he now has to ride unencumbered for the rest of his life? Win win?
I tink he's been busy sorting out his electrical problem.
Now for the second ride... hang on!
lol.... yeah no chance
Old photo..
(https://i.imgur.com/2zqchPX.jpg)
Irish was right ,I've been busy with an electrical charging problem :doh:
But my 14 is still on the road every day!
We have planned plenty of times to go 2 up but either the weather starts p**sing rain or there's no one to look after 3 young kids.
One day soon hopefully !!!
I'll let yas know if it goes well or the missus leaves me :happy1:
You`ve still not taken her out on it??! Aaaargh. Okay, first impressions count big time, so don`t even consider taking her out until the sun shines and its warm (that`ll be May then!), and take her somewhere of her choice. Already you`re halfway to success. Don`t over complicate things, just tell her to relax, sit still, go with the bike, and enjoy the experience. Tell her to give you a tap on the shoulder if she wants you to stop.
From your perspective, ride smoothly, and ensure that your tyres are set correctly - in my experience thats all that you need do. Don`t be tempted to fiddle with your suspension settings etc. it just isn`t worth it.
My wife has been riding pillion with me since 1975, (Kawasaki S3A 400 Triple), and still luvs every moment. Our `14 is her favourite bike so far in terms of comfort so from my point of view its a win, win!
Good luck.......
Enjoy yourselves and be safe.
Took my bride out for her first pillion on the 1400 and my first as someone taking a pillion passenger.
I can only echo what others have said, weather has to be nice (so youre not stressing about wet roads or cross wind etc.) I upped the preload on the rear to 2 rings visible (std is 1.5), and went to 3 after our first stop. My lady is around 65kg with gear on. 2 rings felt too soft, 3 was a bit better, but i think this also highlighted that the suspension is nearly 18 years old...anyway....i digress...
Got her to hold onto the rear grab rail with one hand and me with the other, she was swapping over frequently as the ride went on. I explained that if i need to brake suddenly, its better that shes holding onto the rear rail.
Got her to wear boots with heels, so she could lock them in on the rear foot pegs, she said this gave her a much better stable position and didnt feel like she was going to fall / slide off.
I also fitted my ventura back pack rack thst gave some extra back support for her.
Didnt touch tyre pressures, i run 40 rear and 36 front as std.
Nice and easy, sweeping dry roads and frequently asking if all ok, or a reassuring tap on the leg. No overtaking, sudden moves or hard braking/accelerating. Benefit here is that use less fuel and we got to enjoy the pace.
We had a great day out, only did about 160km round trip, but the best thjng is that she said she would go out again, and even comtemplating a bike holiday.
Thats a win in my books. Im hoping some things of our recent experience are useful for you.
Three years ago the new "future ex" said she would like to have a go as a pillion. We had a chat about what I wanted her to do..I.E lean with the bike etc.
I picked a warm day and a short route. I took it very easy and we stopped at a riverside pub and had a great meal then returned home. She loved it. Slowly over the next few months we went out more and I opened the bike up a bit more.
Now three years later she loves it. She has even commented when stuck behind a car on a twisty road that I should of passed it quicker as it spoilt her enjoyment of the twisty,s. As it is cold wet over here in Blighty at moment she even said the other day she can't wait for the better weather as she is missing the bike. She even wants to go on a touring holiday this summer.
One word of caution...I bought an intercom so that if needed she could let me know when she needed to stop etc. It ended up her wanting to chat about "stuff". That's why I go out on the bike to get away from "stuff" Now we just rely on hand signals etc.
So taking it easy at first and slowly building it up has paid dividends in the end.
Granty, agreed. You cannot have stuff fed into the helmet, it's goes against the laws of nature (and motorcycling)
Tiz a lucky man whose other half is happy on the back of a motorcycle. My intercom is playing up. Think a wire is coming out. l actually miss it not working properly. The bride has never been one that needs to fill a silence. We point things out to each other. l don't always see much other than what concerns me or what is in front of us.
l have said hang on a couple of times when l've needed to try and really stand the bike on its nose. She travels a lot with her hands in her lap or on her knees. Have said never panic if you cant get the rail just slump into me and l will brace myself and hold her up but once there hold onto me.
Riding in the rain is a real test of both rider and pillion. We have ridden in torrential rain for 6 hours up the West Coast of the South Island of NZ. lts twisty, in places steep and very beautiful. We were loaded to the hilt as we were on the road for a month. lts important to ride smooth and be consistent. We often reflect on our time away in the South lsland.
If you are planning your first trip away with your other half a word on packing. Make sure when you leave home you have spare room in your luggage. lt takes too long to pack everything away into every tiny little crevice every morning before you set off again.
Then just enjoy making some really cool memories together on your 14.
:smitten:
Im lucky, my wife is Filipino and she was riding pillion before she could walk or had been in a car. I have to check to make sure she is still there sometimes and she has fallen asleep on the back before...
So it took near a year and a pandemic to get her out on the bike with me..
She got on yesterday with me, we only went for a 20minute spin.
She loved it. I found it quite easy , she is tiny and weighs little so wasn't too bad.
But it's mad the difference in speed/acceleration with a passenger on the back . It's quite noticeable.
It's crazy because our combined weight would be what I used to weigh ( I was a heavy git a few years back) so my older bikes would of been faster if I just cut out the McDonald's burgers!
Anyway even going into corners felt quite easy, she just basically hugged me on the bike the whole time so didn't feel like there was even someone on the back.
I kept the speed low 80/100kmh and she loved it.
When we got home she wanted to go faster :devil: so next trip we'll give it a good blast.
My younger brother was at the house so I gave him a spin on the back of the bike aswell, he's just under 6ft(same as myself ) and weighs more then me. My god there was such a difference with him.
He was stiff, didn't want to go near me on the bike ,like hold on or anything. It's crazy the passenger difference.
Awesome. My last two up ride was with my 14yo daughter, she just loves it too. Rear shock preload up to 6 made the bike handle great. Took thr ventura rack off the other week, cleans up the look of the bike, and she said it gave her more room to hang onto the rear grab rail.
I think the bike bug has bitten her hard...
Same with my wife she loves it too, just reckons a more touring focussed bike would be better, so we are looking for something suitable ( no, not goldwings).
Thats good news Suzuki boi. They are a nice bike for riding two up. Plenty of room for the pillion. Most of the time l wouldn't even know wifey was on the back. She sits with her hands in her lap much of the time. That just takes a bit of time and experience to build trust.
Pleased she enjoyed the ride. Well done :onya:
Perverse buggers they are, out of all the bikes I've owned including a K 100 BM my missus liked being pillion on my Darmah the best
The art of being a pillion isn't for everyone, me included. 5'10" 115kg not much fun on the smaller seat :whistling:.
My partner Bobbie is a great pillion, either on BMW RT or GSX, like so many others have said, when they are comfortable it's like they aren't there and she falls asleep on most rides (micro sleeps) not full on snoring. ??? :cheers: