who here has rode 2 Up on the Ninja 250 and how is the handling changed and does it bog the engine down?

been wondering the same. is it more clutch slippage or many more revs to get moving from a stop. how about the rear shock, does the preload on its stiffest help?

2 up is alright (08 250) but for me it takes the fun out of riding. It doesn't bog the engine down, just kinda bogs the ride down. Your gonna need more room to stop or brake sooner than you normally would and if you're not smooth on the clutch your passenger will amplify any lurching movement. For me this means my wifes helmet smacking into the back of my noggin.

Hate riding 2up on the Ninja. It works but...it ain't pretty. It's just small, and 2 people on it was really nerve wracking for me where it's not on the 600s.

The new 08+ Ninja is physically very similar in size and weight to the 600 class bikes, but the added weight of adding a passenger on the 250 GREATLY alters the HP/Weight ratio, making it handle like a dog. It can be done, and gotten used to, but with the relatively narrow margin of error in the HP/weight only 1 up and ability to get out of trouble easily/quickly with it, I feel that extra you have is used up right to the edge of 'safe' for me when adding a passenger. ESPECIALLY with the crappy IRC tires that don't roll over and stick well.

If you regularly ride 2 up, you'll want to adjust the rear shock preload, and gas mileage and brake pad life will suffer somewhat.

With a passenger, slow is smooth, smooth is safe, safe is cool.

thanks, maybe i will buy that seat cowl now.

thanks, maybe i will buy that seat cowl now.

you should buy mine:D
has some scratches and 2 chips from flying off the bike.
$30 + shipping?

2 up will definitely make your bike feel bogged down. Having done it on the 06 and the 09, I can say the new gen is a better ride with the lower power range. But the old gens had grab rails and a bigger/comfier seat allowing the passenger to sit further back and avoid the constant helmet-on-helmet. To mostly avoid it now, though, it's better to have the passenger keep her head to one side.

Otherwise, 2 up is fine as long as you plan for longer acceleration/braking times, keep it to short trips (uncomfortable riding position with the raised bars), and have a good passenger that'll lean with you and not fidget while on the bike. Ask azia lol she's the expert, her and her bf used to 2 up all the time on the 08 and they used to keep up just fine.

I've carried passengers on the old Ninja and on the new Ninja. It's great if you're carrying a kid around the 35 mph neighborhood, not great if you're hauling your girlfriend on a road trip. The suspension suffers on the old bikes, and there's really not enough room on the back for an adult on the new ones. You can fit one on there, but they won't be comfortable.

I've been the passenger and the driver riding 2 up. It is definitely not the most comfortable either way.

I'm riding 75% of the time 2 up. Taking the girlfriend to the mall, beach, etc.

It definitely changes the ride, from a spirited pace around town, to a simple commute. Luckily I weigh in at 145ish, while shes around 105. I can imagine any more weight and the ride would flat out suck.

And without a preload adjuster I know my rear shock is crying. Especially with the road construction and railroad tracks. :(

I can't get anyone to ride with me. Must be my "Crash Club" sweat shirt.

I have carried passengers. My friend Tracy weighs about 110, a lightish passenger. Obviously, the handling is somewhat compromised, but the bike remains very stable, and still pretty flickable on twisties. I don't find it unnerving at all, at 30 mph in the city or 75 mph on the highway. I still beat all the cars off the mark. Riding home solo after dropping her off, though, the bikes feels like it could fly.

Anthony

... Riding home solo after dropping her off, though, the bikes feels like it could fly.
:whathesaid:

for me the bike handles fine with or without a passenger. of course, it handles better without one. as usual, i have to plan my stops earlier and avoid suddenly speeding up. the biggest problem my wife and i had (besides pain to her knees) was that we used to bang helmets a lot.

per my friend's advice, when we ride, i put on my icon backpack. instead of wrapping her arms around my waist, she grabs between the bag and my back. it gives us a little more of a gap and we haven't banged helmets since.

My biggest problem is constantly having to use oven cleaner on my exhausts because of her damn boot heels. :mad:

i was riding 2 up all the time on my yamaha 50cc zuma\bws.. the ninja 250 just handles it great..enough power to dump the passenger if you catch her off guard !

meh, had this all written up, and then fire fox crashed, and lost it all, lol

anyhow, here is what ive experienced with different bikes riding 2 up~

so the first bikes that i rode starting about 10 years ago were semi automatic 100~125cc scooters, these are the most common here in Indonesia, they have like 5~10hp;

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/wayanlam/fotophp.jpg

that's the one we have now, and we still ride to the supermarket that's around the corner and such, my gf uses it mainly to go to work and back.

these bikes are easy to maneuver, have a turning radius that unbeatable by anything sept maybe a bicycle! they are comfortable enough to ride 2 up, but totally lack the power to overtake, etc...


then my next bike was a honda tiger, this is a bike that is only available here in indonesia i think, best description would be the CB family, so this would be a CB-200cc single bore, 4 stroke, air cooled, with about 17Hp.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/wayanlam/revo.jpg

this is the newer model, they came out in around 1994. back then they looked almost like the old CB 500, but just smaller, and since then the frame and engine has not changed much, only the body parts have slowly morphed along in time.

here the rider and passenger sits quite comfortably, there is just enough power to pull through traffic in 2, but definitely better going solo. main problem i found with this bike is the vibration of the engine over longer rides.


then i upgraded to Kawasaki, a little ninja 150cc 2 stroke;

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/wayanlam/ninjarrmotogpmain.jpg

this was in 2007, and i was well and truly impressed with the power that only 150cc could produce. at only 125kg (the bike, not me), this bike has 30hp, and i was able to reach a top speed of 187 Km/h with the bike in stock (not sure how accurate the gauges are, never tried with a gps, but i could have gone faster, but i ran out of road). doubled up, this bike was still easy to ride, due to its ample power, and light weight. but the main problem i had with this bike was that it just did not like to cruise at lower speeds 50~90 km/h... the engine thrived with acceleration, if id just cruise at a set speed that wasn't red lining the engine, it would cough and splutter, lol

again, the vibrations were not comfortable over time. but the sitting position was better than the new 250r that we have now.

so finally, down to the newest member in our family, the 08 250r :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/wayanlam/IMG_0438.jpg

this bike i find still has enough power when im on her with my gf, i weigh about 60kg, and shes around 55 kg, so together we are still only like 250 pounds. my beef with this bike is that there is no handle bar for the back passenger. also there is that gap between the front and back seat that causes us to sit apart a little (gonna try that backpack trick and see if that helps). as the passenger, my gf has to lean down quite far so that shes not a whole head over me when we are riding at faster speeds, and that isnt comfortable for her over time.

however finally we don't come off the bike with what feels like pins and needles due to the vibrations from the single piston engines. the new 250r is smooth, and i like that. also the bike is great to ride at any speed. i actually prefer knowing that i cant go as fast as i used to, since it was jut plain stupid/dangerous. but im still on a bike that's faster than about 90% of the bikes on the road here :D

with the 250r, i think it all really comes down to weight... if both driver, and passenger are light enough, the bike still behaves well. but if you put a 250~300 pound rider plus a passenger of any weight at that point.... oufff... i can imagine that the bike would have a tough time :rolleyes:

whats important i find, is that the passenger should also have riding experience, so they know how to deal with leaning into corners. ive come off the CB200 cos i took a friend on it that has never been on a bike, and when i went to lean into a corner, he resisted the lean, and we lost traction...

My biggest problem is constantly having to use oven cleaner on my exhausts because of her damn boot heels. :mad:

LOL.. good to know what to use, i think i have a couple light marks already from my gf brushing her shoes over the exhaust when getting off.

shes quite conscious of that though, since she likes her crocks, and doesn't want them melting to her feet!

LOL.. good to know what to use, i think i have a couple light marks already from my gf brushing her shoes over the exhaust when getting off.

shes quite conscious of that though, since she likes her crocks, and doesn't want them melting to her feet!

your girlfriend wears crocs while riding on your motorcycle? uh oh. i think i hear the ATGATT police. :eek:

your girlfriend wears crocs while riding on your motorcycle? uh oh. i think i hear the ATGATT police. :eek:

yea well 90% of the ppl wear sandals, or even barefoot! and often no helmet... let alone proper riding gear.

here is a classic picture of a balinese family riding to or from a ceremony

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/wayanlam/DPSBalifamilyintraditionalbalinesed.jpg

at least my gf and i have proper helmets, gloves, leather jacket, long pants (not leather tho, just gets too hot...) and shoes.

found some more pictures, this is what you see here every day, every minute that your on the road :P

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/wayanlam/indonesia_motorcycle_taxi.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/wayanlam/asiatics_on_motorbikes_01.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/wayanlam/DPSBalifamilyintraditionalbaline-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/wayanlam/08motorbike4.jpg

It was riding a scooter in Indo while working that got me interested in getting a bike when I got home to Vancouver :D

Wayan isn't exagerating

awesome pics

I ride two up with my gf occasionally. The ONLY problem I have ever noticed is a huge difference in braking. Acceleration is hurt a little, but not enough to care. As far as handling, I live in S Florida where the only curves around are on and off ramps to highways, so I don't get to use the bikes handing much anyways....my roads are straight and straighter.
I will note though that I only weigh about 145 and my GF might be 100 soaking wet.

My biggest problem is constantly having to use oven cleaner on my exhausts because of her damn boot heels. :mad:

wicked! I'll have to try this too. I was wondering what that damn black mark was and why it wasn't coming off with a scotchbrite pad. thanks! :thumbup:

I ride two up with my gf occasionally. The ONLY problem I have ever noticed is a huge difference in braking. Acceleration is hurt a little, but not enough to care. As far as handling, I live in S Florida where the only curves around are on and off ramps to highways, so I don't get to use the bikes handing much anyways....my roads are straight and straighter.
I will note though that I only weigh about 145 and my GF might be 100 soaking wet.

I've seen plenty of curves in South Beach. Maybe some glasses will help.

I've carried a lot of passengers at speed on 250s. Light passengers are easy but the 200+ pound boys really squash the back of bike down. It feels a little like you are riding a chopper, the bike steers much slower and it is easy to drag the pedals and kickstand. The engine has plenty of power as long as you keep the revs up.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z193/Chester1469/250%20Track/250thill7.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z193/Chester1469/250%20Track/MF1A4585.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z193/Chester1469/250%20Track/MF1A4017.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z193/Chester1469/250%20Track/MF1A1334.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z193/Chester1469/250%20Track/250thill4.jpg

Without context, I'm guessing you're blind, and the passenger squeezes your left and right sides so you know when and which way to turn? :D

Without context, I'm guessing you're blind, and the passenger squeezes your left and right sides so you know when and which way to turn? :D

I'm think he must grab the nuts to stop.

i weigh 220 lbs my girl might weigh 115..riding 2 up sucks and for me it kills the fun of a low powered/weight ride

(sorry this month is 2 months old)
I just rode 2 up for the first time...man IRC tires scare me. I really feel them slip around turns, even slow speed stuff. I just wanted to add in to change from IRC tires before you do any serious 2 up riding, especially anything other than city cruising. I didn't really discuss this with my passenger, as I didn't want to scare her (obviously im not about to loose rear traction or anything) but wow.

man, irc tires suck for even riding solo. get some pirelli sport demons. you won't believe the difference it makes. definitely best mod i did.

I will but atm i only have time to commute. so a set of sport demons would be worthless :(

I will but atm i only have time to commute. so a set of sport demons would be worthless :(

Until you crash because the tires suck.

Until you crash because the tires suck.

i still have the standard 08 tires, and they dont seem to be THAAAT bad. i guess its because ive ridden on even worse tires, so these dont seem to be all that bad.

i can lean quite good on these, even with my gf on the back. of course any gravel, water, or oil makes sharp cornering impossible. but i would imagine that would be the case with any tire, no?

i plan to wait till these tires are used up, then switch over the some BT's im sure it will bea great improvement!

No that is not true, good tires make a huge improvement on all surfaces, it is the first thing I intend to do if I can find a used bike that doesn't have a price that is far too high. If I were to buy a new one the stock tires would only last until I broke the motor in and needed to take it in for service.

hmm... well if it didn't cost like 250~300 buks for a set of Battlax's i would have changed mine out when i got the bike, but at the time i practically spent all the money i had saved up on the bike, since i refuse to buy anything on credit.

at this point ill just use up the irc's, but believe me, i am looking forward to getting new rubbers ;)

1st major mod will be a new exhaust from area p though. plus rejetting. after that it will be the tires. going for performance mods first, then eventually lights - HID's, integrated backlights etc etc. :)

I ride with my stock IRC's....haven't had any big problems with them at the track yet

for me the bike handles fine with or without a passenger. of course, it handles better without one. as usual, i have to plan my stops earlier and avoid suddenly speeding up. the biggest problem my wife and i had (besides pain to her knees) was that we used to bang helmets a lot.

per my friend's advice, when we ride, i put on my icon backpack. instead of wrapping her arms around my waist, she grabs between the bag and my back. it gives us a little more of a gap and we haven't banged helmets since.
The backpack idea is steller! I'm not that tall, so i don't sit that far back. When my girlfriend rode with me, it felt more like she was on top of me, but with backpack in between us we have adequate spacing.

Went on a 30 minute ride twice today and she said it was awesome! KUDOS.

great! i am glad my situation could be of help to someone. :) :thumbup:

besides providing more of a space between our helmets, my wife feels she is able to get a better grip holding the bag and feels more secure.

on my new bike, she is slowly trying out the rear grab rails, but still prefers to keep one arm around the bag.

[she] prefers to keep one arm around the bag.Heh..

well, if she did that, then i really gotta be sure that i don't accelerate suddenly, huh? ouch! :D

On the other hand, if you accelerate and brake smoothly, the rides could be more fun than ever

^This made me lol. :eyebrows:

You can always have the passenger grab on to the open pockets in the sides of the jacket if you don't want the backpack. It's more comfortable and the weight is closer together, not so much on the tail end. Just don't peel out so they don't rip your jacket apart. Or you can put a heavy belt looser around your waist over the jacket for a handle.

i tried searching under "two-up" and "two up" and it didn't return any results.

i want to put my gf on the bike this summer and plan on buying her gear soon. just wanted to know how the bike is with two people on it? im already anticipating it being a lot slower and needing a lot more room to brake.

how are corners with a passenger? i don't plan on going crazy on the bike, as I will need to learn to adjust to having her on it as well as I would like to ease her into the idea of riding on the bike.

-shift

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=22358

thanks that was a good read

I have ridden 2 up w/ my Wife once. Was ok.... Now, I end up with my 8 year old on the back every once in a while. He looks so funny all geared up. It is not bad at all with an 85lb passenger, other than he always knocks his helmet into mine and melts his shoes onto my exhuast.....

Riding 2-up is far more scary than riding your own bike. I'm really glad that I decided to learn how to ride myself before I ever went on a 2up ride. I think that if that had been my first motorcycle experience, I probably wouldn't be riding!

when I had my first ninja a 88' I used to ride 2up all the time and didnt have a problem but it sat lower and a better seat. havent ridden 2 up on the 09' and probably wont very often.

Its just fine. Just get them to have proper body position, lean INTO the curve which to them seems like the worst thing to do. Instruct them to stay the hell away from the exhaust. They dislike melted boots/shoes/whatever almost as much as you'll dislike cleaning rubber off of your pipe. Give yourself more time for braking, its just a good idea. It won't go much slower. You'll have a good time.

Two up is fine. Just adjust the preload. You wont accelerate or break as fast, but the bike does fine. It is still loads of fun.

bump!

put my gf on the bike for the first time. bought her a full face helmet (evo-400), full gauntlet leather gloves (joe rocket womens), and a mesh jacket w/ armor (first gear)

took a local road out in LI from queens to huntington (25A). on the way back took 25A to 106 South to LIE West.

i had the preload set to 3, dont know if I'll want to set it to 5 for two up, i felt 3 was OK for the both of us.

braking distances... you def need a lot more room. but from the short 2 hour ride last night, because shes on the back seat the rear brakes are less likely to lock up.

started leaning into the turns, she didn't mind it at all.

QUESTION: sometimes shed put weight on me and itd put stress on my arms. ANY TIPS FOR HARMONIOUS RIDING W/ YOUR PARTNER? i told her to try not to push me into the handlebars so much.

QUESTION: sometimes shed put weight on me and itd put stress on my arms. ANY TIPS FOR HARMONIOUS RIDING W/ YOUR PARTNER? i told her to try not to push me into the handlebars so much.

She needs to support herself by bracing her hands against the tank when you're stopping. .....or you need to learn to enjoy having your nuts smashed against the tank.

She needs to support herself by bracing her hands against the tank when you're stopping. .....or you need to learn to enjoy having your nuts smashed against the tank.

Yupp! So true! :thumbup: If she does that, you will be fine.

When I ride with my boyfriend or any of my club member (All of them are bigs guys and I have short arms so i could never touch the tank.) I use my kneens to hold my self up. When we come to a stop I will tighten my kneens on there hips and lean backwords a bit it keeps me from sliding forward and running into them.

I took my wife out for the first time on mothers day and she loved it. I weigh 175 and shes @ 100 and the acceleration isnt bad if you know how to shift , just got to watch the brakes. We hit some nice turns too on stock Dunlop k630's and had no problems. Im impressed with the 250's capabilities all the time. Make sure you adjust your tire pressures...:thumbup:

When I ride with my boyfriend or any of my club member (All of them are bigs guys and I have short arms so i could never touch the tank.) I use my kneens to hold my self up. When we come to a stop I will tighten my kneens on there hips and lean backwords a bit it keeps me from sliding forward and running into them.When I ride two up with my wife, she does the same thing. She squeezes me with her knees which keeps her from sliding forward.

If you are going to ride with a passenger, make you instruct them how and when to get on the bike, and make sure you hold the front brake.

haah i had the same problem with my 1st passenger. she was leaning pretty forward and i did get my nuts slightly crushed.
but leaning into curves are fine. i was still able to stick my legs out and brake fine. breaking actually feels more safer to me with the extra weight because it keep the bike pretty glued to the ground. she was like 110 ish so it didnt affect the bike much and i weight 185. :)

I'm 180, my wife is 140...the shock goes down to nothing but the bike has no bad manners....although we travelled at about 70, the roads were straight. At street speed...just fine but I wonder what it would be like on a sweeper. Has an RD350 years ago when I weighted 140 and the GF was about 100....it was like the bike had a hinge in the middle on fast wide turns....not dangerous but you had top pay attention.

I did a pretty cool fish tail slide with the bike last night cause i had to emergency brake out of no where and we all know how easily the rears locks up. i took advantage of that and turned the handle bars to the side to cause that slide. basically instead of sliding straight with locked wheels, i slide semi sideways with a tail like a drift. its still messing up but it looks cool tho lol
Posted via Mobile Device

Oh no...josh is becoming a stunter....just don't hammer down the tank, the tanks are sooo pretty.

Oh no...josh is becoming a stunter....just don't hammer down the tank, the tanks are sooo pretty.

i actually did that by accident.
but since i learned how its done, there quite possibly more attempts lol :x :cool:

i just got my 250 a few months ago and was now considering to ride my ninja 250 with my girl, i weigh 225 and my girl 120, is it to much for the bike to handle?

or should i hold off riding 2up till i get my next bike next year?


l

i just got my 250 a few months ago and was now considering to ride my ninja 250 with my girl, i weigh 225 and my girl 120, is it to much for the bike to handle?

or should i hold off riding 2up till i get my next bike next year?


l

I say go ahead and tool around on it with her. I would stay away from rush hour-ish type traffic (any congestion) and freeways :thumbup:

Oh, and you really need to post up a picture with the two of you on said motorcycle.

RR, go for a ride with your girl. If the bike can handle your weight than your girls measly weight will not be a big deal for you or the bike to handle. No pun intended.

I rode mine with my son pretty often, several times a week. I weigh over 200, he weighs around 100 pounds. Needless to say, the bike's handling suffers... The bike did OK with it, and it was do-able, but it wasn't really much fun from a riding perspective. This is one of the reasons I got a 650 instead. Where the 250 was capable, the 650 is enjoyable.

It all comes down to the weight of the two riders, and how often you intend to ride 2 up.

i just got my 250 a few months ago and was now considering to ride my ninja 250 with my girl, i weigh 225 and my girl 120, is it to much for the bike to handle?

or should i hold off riding 2up till i get my next bike next year?


l

I've ridden 2 up with my gf plenty of times since I got my bike. I weigh 245lbs; she weighs around 125lbs. The acceleration suffers for obvious reasons though it's still possible to ride at highway speeds. I held 80mph comfortably with her on the bike. My butt normally hurts after riding with her for more than an hour and hers does too. Apparently the passenger seat isn't the most comfortable. At first I enjoyed her riding with me on the bike but now that I've gotten comfortable pushing my bike harder so I find it much less enjoyable.

Make sure she knows to lean with you; on numerous occasions my gf has leaned over my shoulder to see ahead and sent us across the double yellow. She got angry at me when I sternly told her never to lean opposite from me and that she could literally kill us both :confused:.

I found that it felt like I was shifting every other second when riding two up. When I shift I can feel her lurch forward (kind of ramming me) then backward again which gets real old real quick :(. You might as well get use to it because no matter how smoothly I shift I still get rammed from behind (pun intended). I found myself shifting up 2 gears while accelerating simply so I could shift less which makes acceleration even worse. Idk if it's just this bike or what but it seems like it can't be smooth riding 2 up. It's the only bike I've ridden on 2up and only 1 passenger thats ridden on it...maybe it's just a bad passenger :eek:; don't tell my gf I said that.

Theres my fat assed brother on the back and his neighbor on the front. They seem comfy.

This goes great with the pic above.

Without context, I'm guessing you're blind, and the passenger squeezes your left and right sides so you know when and which way to turn? :D

I'm think he must grab the nuts to stop.

I like riding 2up coz the faster I go the better the hugs.lol. @wayan I like the lttle step throughs in bali coz the seat does cater better for more passengers, every time I go there i hire one so I can carrie my wife and daughter every where although my wife is tiny and my daughter is only 8 so combined weight is still average, It is not legal to carry more than 1 pillion in australia but the ninja doesnt cater for that anyway, so now I just have to put up with the fighting between the 2 as to who comes with me on the back,lol, usually find myself going solo, which is more fun - the hugs lol:thumbup:

My personal opinion is that it all depends on the passenger. Not weight, but skill. Well, in extreme cases, weight too :D

My wife is an excellent passenger, and at times I am not sure if she is still with me. Her trick is to hold on with her legs instead of hugging me rigidly. By looking ahead a bit, she can predict braking, acceleration, and of course corners, and she positions herself accordingly. If need be she hugs me a bit but never too strong.
This way she is much more engaged in the whole thing, and feels a bit like driving herself, plus, the bike goes extremely well.
We did not like the backpack trick.

Rear seat is uncomfortable, but we stop often, and never ride too long.

My personal opinion is that it all depends on the passenger. Not weight, but skill. Well, in extreme cases, weight too :D

My wife is an excellent passenger, and at times I am not sure if she is still with me. Her trick is to hold on with her legs instead of hugging me rigidly. By looking ahead a bit, she can predict braking, acceleration, and of course corners, and she positions herself accordingly. If need be she hugs me a bit but never too strong.
This way she is much more engaged in the whole thing, and feels a bit like driving herself, plus, the bike goes extremely well.
We did not like the backpack trick.

Rear seat is uncomfortable, but we stop often, and never ride too long.

Thankyou and everyone for ur opinions, gonna get my girl some gear give her some riding instruction then take her out for a ride
Ill let u know how it goes probably gonna be sometime next week
Thanks all
Posted via Mobile Device

I drove my gf to school everyday for about 2 months. Let me tell you that it is certainly not hard after the first few times. Yes at times you get off balance a bit if you have to come to a sudden stop etc etc. All in all it is less enjoyable and you really have to be more careful; don't accelerate as fast or your partner can fly if they aren't ready, turning/leaning is as fun. You should be changing lanes as freely; safety issue again.

On the bright side you let them have fun riding freely on a bike, you can talk to someone when you come to the red light, you learn how to ride with another person in case one day you have to.

But no it's not that bad; just not as fun =p

I tried riding with a passenger in a parking lot for the first time. It's definitely different. I increased the tire pressure to 36 front and 40 rear for it, but I'm wondering if it's okay to ride solo with that tire pressure or do I need to lower it again, anyone know? Would be a pain having to de/increase it everytime...

There's no need to increase (or decrease) the tire pressure when riding 2-up. 28f/32r would work fine either way. Nothing wrong with upping it a little if it feels more comfortable, but 36f/40r sounds quite high, and will result in significantly less grip.

There's no need to increase (or decrease) the tire pressure when riding 2-up. 28f/32r would work fine either way. Nothing wrong with upping it a little if it feels more comfortable, but 36f/40r sounds quite high, and will result in significantly less grip.

Ah okay, I guess I'll decrease a bit. I just read in the Ninja 250 Tire wiki that 36/40 should be used for 2up or loaded riding. I guess not.... Thanks for the quick reply :thumbup:

took my gf around the block once... neither of us were really prepared, my first time 2 up and her first time on a bike :eek:

She told me she kept thinking the bike was gonna fall over when we turned..
/facepalm

I'll let u guys know how it goes next time

took my gf around the block once... neither of us were really prepared, my first time 2 up and her first time on a bike :eek:

She told me she kept thinking the bike was gonna fall over when we turned..
/facepalm

I'll let u guys know how it goes next time

Normal for a first timer on a bike. Take it slow, easy and smooth for her (and yours) comfort and confidence.

My wife gets scared anytime I get a good lean on @ 55mph. We just have different comfort levels.

Did my first 2up last weekend. It was my first time and it was my gril-friends first time (that is, she's not my girlfriend, but a friend that's a girl).

Went off without a hitch. This being my third season with my 250, I finally felt really comfortable with it. I told my friend to follow my movements exactly and off we went. Slow speed riding was certainly different, but my friend said she didn't think anything was awkward.

Biggest suprise for me was how well the 250 responded. I'm light (145lbs) and she's pretty light (around 120lbs) and acceleration/braking took longer, but ride was still great.

LOL - it's clear that lotsa people here are lightweights :)

You guys riding 55+60kg up would almost be like me fully kitted with a loaded backpack at around 110kg.

I felt like the bike was suddenly much faster when I dropped off a 15kg bag, let alone a 55kg pasenger!

it will take longer to stop, longer to take off. obviously will not want to dip as much in turns, and there will be a lot of weight on your wrists, especially if stopping at a light going down a hill.

^^^ Is this from personal experience or just speculation?

I can say from personal experience that everything drsketch said in that statement is true except the thing about dipping in a turn...I've never heard of "dipping in a turn" but I never seem to notice a huge difference in turning unless its at low speeds. I would also expect this feeling riding 2 up on any motorcycle. :2cents:

It was riding a scooter in Indo while working that got me interested in getting a bike when I got home to Vancouver :D

Wayan isn't exagerating
yeah i lived in Bali for 8 months and agree, i once saw 6 on a bike, mum, dad, 3 kids and a baby..and agree all my balanese mates all have these 110 cc semi autos which are samuari's (spelling) or 90 cc ( could be between 80 and 100) scooters.. and same when i got home after riding a scooter for that time i so wanted a bike but over there the average speed around town is 30 -40 ks where in melb more like 80k so if you come off its alittle different..plus 90% of road uses in indo are bikes and 10% cars. when i first visted 18 years ago i couldnt beleive ho many bikes where parked in the street, almost as far as you can see where bikes lined up parked on the roads.. i think i prefer riding over there as ppl have more patience and i have never seen road range yet the roads are so congested especially when ppl are on or coming home from work..

sadly the number of cars have boomed insanely in the past 2~3 years!! and the roads are getting congested to a level that is almost unbearable! to drive 3km down the road in a car at the wrong time could take over an hour if you are unlucky........

its even taken me almost 1 hour on my bike to go to my moms house and back which must be around 5km from my house~ you cant afford to get road rage in these conditions, since you will either die getting into an accident, or die from a heart attack at an early age from the stress, haha!

with the exception of running into the occasional total moron, i always try to keep my cool, (eh... even if im sweating my balls off..) when stuck in this traffic. there is nothing we can do, except pray that the idiots in the government finally come up with a feasible solution to help reduce congestion, (keeps dreaming on~)

who here has rode 2 Up on the Ninja 250 and how is the handling changed and does it bog the engine down?

Are you kidding me? My wife is WAY to fat for that!

Are you kidding me? My wife is WAY to fat for that!

:eek:



I just lol'd so hard.


My wife said shed ride with me when Ive been riding for a little longer :)

Shes little though. 4'11" and 95lbs. lol

I have rode 2 up with a dude that was about 6'4 and 200 lbs. I'm 5'2 110 lbs. It was scary and awkward. I will never do it again.

lol holy ****. Id imagine that would be scary...

I have rode 2 up with a professional basketball player whos like 7'+!! (he even played in the Beijing Olympics, hehe) gawd that was akward, it felt like he placed the bikes center of gravity about one foot over my head! D-oh!

at one point he shifted his position and it nearly caused the bike to go out of control! im never gonna do that again....

riding 2 up with my girlfriend on the other hand is like second nature now. the two of us put together with gear on we probably weigh around 260lbs, almost the same as some people on their own xD (heck i think the basketballer weighs as much as the 2 of us put together!)

Okay I swear I've seen a ton of 2-up riding posts but no matter how I search for it "2-up, two up, 2 up, passenger riding" it says no results... so the search feature hates me or I'm just stupid. Anyways, at this point in time I have roughly 1500 miles and 1.5 months of experience riding, not a whole lot obviously, but do you think this is enough for like little tiny neighborhood rides and short jots around town? Me being the hot stud that I am with a motorcycle, I've got girls just lining up for their turn on my rear seat (lol I wish). I know that everything is gonna be different with a passenger, braking, accelerating, turning, the balance of the bike, the whole 9 yards. What else should I look for? Oh and of course my passenger and I will have proper gear! Should I add air to my tires for the extra weight? Hmm idk what else to ask so feel free to add whatever you think or have experienced, and also power, or the lack of it, won't be a problem for the ninjettes big brother :)

Okay you know that your bike is going to hand differ. As for set up, you will most likely have to crank up the preload on the rear shock at least one notch. Next educate your passenger a bit. Doesn't get on or off the bike until you say so. Look over your left shoulder when you turn left, over your right shoulder when you turn right. As for where they hold on, that is a matter of personal. Different passengers and drivers have different prefferences. And lastly.... Only one male per bike, four nuts on two wheels just isn't right.

Yes I plan on going through a whole instruction procedure of everything I learned as a passenger and everything that I know. Lmao, don't worry its a girl that I'll be giving a ride, I'd only ever give a dude a ride if it was an emergency, or they were a younger kid/relative/etc its just weird :P

And lastly.... Only one male per bike, four nuts on two wheels just isn't right.

:happy130:

Good thread idea, OP. Thinking about giving my girl some gear on her birthday in January and hopefully convincing her to go on a few rides around town with me.
I've been riding since April 2011 and only have about 2500 miles on my bike! :D

One tip that I can give is when she is sitting behind you, have her hold your waist with one hand, and have her other hand rest against the gas tank with her palm.

If you have to break a little harder than usual, she will be able to push against the gas tank to support her weight, instead of throwing her whole body on you, jamming your crotch into the gas tank.

Also please read this:
http://www.msgroup.org/Articles.aspx?Cat=3


Your first passenger really should be an experienced motorcycle rider, and first couple of miles 2 up should be in an empty parking lot.

From a handling point of view, start breaking well ahead of your stop. You'll be really suprised how little breaking it takes for your passenger to slide right into you. Same goes for downshifting. Your first couple of times your nuts will be crushed. One of the things I tell my riders is that if they see I'm about to break hard (ie, a car pulling out) to put both hands on the gas tank so that their arms can slow their forward movement.

Second, every movement they make back there will be magnified at slow speed. I was navigating through a parking lot just creeping along and my rider saw a parking spot and moved her arm in that direction. The whole bike just turned with her arm movement. Now, if you're a bigger guy you won't have as much problems, but I'm only 145lbs. I always tell my passengers not to move under 30kph (divide by 1.6 to get miles) as it really makes the bike difficult to handle. After that, they can adjust all they want. Once up to speed, as everybody has said, they lean with you. When at speed coming to a corner, I usually tell my rider to hug me.

When getting on, you get on the bike and make sure both feet are planted. Then when you're ready, tell your rider to get on. Same with getting off. Make sure both your feet are planted and only when you say so do they get off.

Stop lights/signs. Make sure you tell your passenger to keep their feet on the pegs at all time. The muffler will melt their shoes and thier's a big 'ol nasty chain on the left just looking for a shoe lace to eat.

Grab points: They can put their hands on the tank, hug you, use their legs to squeeze your thighs, whatever works for them. Once you get going, I've found that they will usually just use one hand to hold your side.

Okay you know that your bike is going to hand differ. As for set up, you will most likely have to crank up the preload on the rear shock at least one notch. .

How do you do this? Any DIY pics/vids?

Look at your rear shock. You should notice a ramped collar with notches in it. Simple turn it to the next higher notch. You should have wrench in your tool kit to do it ( looks like a big claw), if you have the stock tool kit. It is simple to do but not always easy cause there isn't much room. sorry no pics but you could check the wiki section.

I think for the shock in the 500R you actually have to remove it to change the preload... I'll check up on the 500R forum i don't expect you guys to know that haha, should I pump up my tires? I run at about 32/36 psi front/back but my tires say max load at 44psi I know the bike and me are way under max load and we probably will be with the girl I'm going to be carrying but I don't know what she weighs and I'm not going to ask lol!

Good advice here. My number one priority is passenger education. Everything else is (should be) common sense but making sure they know what to do and what not to do is number one.

How do you do this? Any DIY pics/vids?

DIY - Adjusting the rear shock preload (http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=11956)

Pre-gens did not come with an ajustable shock. A shock from a current gen. can bolt right in, it takes about 20 minutes. Also a 500ex shock will bolt in, the bike will sit a little lower to start, but will not sag as much.

I know I'm nowhere near as experienced as most on here (4 months, 3k miles), but one thing I did really woke me up regarding the differences in handling characteristics while riding 2-up. I had a huge military backpack that I had loaded up which weighed probably around 50 pounds and I was amazed that riding was noticeably different with just that increase in weight. It was definitely an eye opener for me... might be something to try before adding someone heavyer that also moves independently. And find an experienced passenger for your first time 2-up. I just had my first experience with someone who's never ridden before and it was much harder to control the bike while fighting her tendencies of moving or shifting her weight at inopportune moments; nowhere near as enjoyable as my friend that's ridden alot before. With her, 2-up is a blast! With the one that's never ridden before, it was nerve wracking!

My small bit of advice is to make sure your passenger has gloves. When I started riding passenger on my then-boyfriend's (now husband) bike, I didn't have gloves and my hands got SO FRICKIN' COLD that it was hard to hold on. :lol: Course, I get cold when it's 70F out so maybe it's just me. :lol:

My small bit of advice is to make sure your passenger has gloves. When I started riding passenger on my then-boyfriend's (now husband) bike, I didn't have gloves and my hands got SO FRICKIN' COLD that it was hard to hold on. Course, I get cold when it's 70F out so maybe it's just me.

I'm like you its got to be 80 degrees out or more for me to be warm, I can't even process the thought of riding without gloves, I don't think I've ever done it but once and I was beyond weird feeling (I was a passenger at the time) but yeah gloves are a must except I hadn't even considered that since I'm supplying the helmet and possibly some of the other gear. Ay with the way the weathers been lately I may not even be giving myself a ride, got out of work about half an hour ago and the roads were soaked and it was drizzling, which then of course turned to pretty decent rain once I started riding EXTREMELY CAREFULLY home I did like 5 under the whole way and just let cars pass me, luckily at 1 am there aren't many cars.

My small bit of advice is to make sure your passenger has gloves. When I started riding passenger on my then-boyfriend's (now husband) bike, I didn't have gloves and my hands got SO FRICKIN' COLD that it was hard to hold on. :lol: Course, I get cold when it's 70F out so maybe it's just me. :lol:

IMHO, the passenger should have good gloves, not because of the temperature. Mainly for protection in case of a fall :)

DIY - Adjusting the rear shock preload (http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=11956)

Thanks Alex, for the link.:thumbup:

IMHO, the passenger should have good gloves, not because of the temperature. Mainly for protection in case of a fall :)

Well, duh. But a lot of new passengers don't have a lot of gear or don't know to have it. Plus you often run into the "gear makes me look fat/ruins my hair/etc" mentality.

I've found that with young women in general, unless they're very self-aware, it's often easier to get them to wear gear by encouraging the practical aspects (temperature control, comfort, etc).

But y'know, it's been over a decade since I've been a woman in my early 20s :eek: so maybe I'm not hip with what the kids do anymore. :lol:

Okay you know that your bike is going to hand differ. As for set up, you will most likely have to crank up the preload on the rear shock at least one notch. Next educate your passenger a bit. Doesn't get on or off the bike until you say so. Look over your left shoulder when you turn left, over your right shoulder when you turn right. As for where they hold on, that is a matter of personal. Different passengers and drivers have different prefferences. And lastly.... Only one male per bike, four nuts on two wheels just isn't right.

I don't take passengers and certainly never am one. Many reasons.

Random people don't work well as passengers. At least in my experience.
Apart from all the theoretical knowledge, you also need trust. Riding with someone who does not trust you completely will be a very unpleasant experience.
If it sucks the first time, don't forget that it's equally your fault and hers. Try all the maneuvers you can think off in the parking lot, and maybe most importantly, let her move around the bike and notice the influence she makes on the ride.
Good luck!

Lol its not just a random person its a friend of mine and she's not some retarded bimbo :P Thanks though that's good advice.

Lol its not just a random person its a friend of mine and she's not some retarded bimbo :P Thanks though that's good advice.

bimbo's arent allllll bad :D

And lastly.... Only one male per bike, four nuts on two wheels just isn't right.

:rotflmao:

Only one male per bike, four nuts on two wheels just isn't right.

Certainly not these four nuts (http://www.hell.tv/t/videos/373/two-guys-one-bike.html). Even the bike said GTFO. :)

Poor poor RC51

Certainly not these four nuts (http://www.hell.tv/t/videos/373/two-guys-one-bike.html). Even the bike said GTFO. :)

Bad things happen when you break the rules. :rotflmao:

So I learned this cool new trick, its called resurrecting a dead thread! Lol :P

If everything goes as planned tomorrow I'll be going on my first two up ride. Around a neighborhood at first (for lack of a parking lot) and if all is well we may venture out into the city for a short ride. Anybody got some last minute tips? I'm sorta breaking all the rules here, inexperienced first passenger, I don't have a ton of experience myself... but we're taking it reeeaaaaal slow!

... Just make sure you cover the ground rules before riding and take it easy (assuming you read through all the above posts). Ohh, and have fun and let us know how it goes!

Definitely going to annoy the heck out of her with safety stuff lol, taking it very slow (literally lol not even going to ride fast) and hoping for a good ride! Will make sure I post how it goes

Definitely going to annoy the heck out of her with safety stuff lol, taking it very slow (literally lol not even going to ride fast) and hoping for a good ride! Will make sure I post how it goes

Don't go too slow, the faster you go, the more stable the bike and the less affect she'll have if she shifts her weight. Just ride the posted speed limits - nothing more, nothing less.

Practice in a parking lot, for both her and for you, she needs to learn how to be a passenger and you need to learn how to ride with a passenger. An empty backpack provides a stable place for her to slide her hands inside and feel secure.

Ehh I'd like to go to a parking lot, but I think a residential neighborhood will do just as well. Almost no traffic, + real life problems like STOP SIGNS AHHH

Tried to post this earlier but my computer wouldn't let me and I didn't feel like retyping it, now I just got off work and am very tired so please excuse any typos lol

So our ride was AMAZING!! Everything went extremely well! Better than I could've hoped! Things were a bit wobbly at first, gave her a pre-ride pep talk then pulled over frequently to discuss stuff I was noticing and after a little while we were really getting better, stops felt natural, the lag between me trying to initiate a turn and then her leaning was reduced to nothing, and everything was just smooth. I could always tell the difference in handling though, bike over all felt soggier and when she stepped off the rear really came up, must have compressed the suspension a lot but it didn't bottom out, the ride was still smooth with no problems over bumps. Did emergency braking and swerving and what not, she did super well, our helmets only touched a couple times and after I pointed that out to her it didn't happen again and during hard braking my man parts were never crushed! So after 25mph residential roads that we had ridden several times got repetitive, I took it to the streets. Started out on smaller less busy streets of course, I knew the acceleration of my bike would be effected but I guess I'm so used to the quickness of it that how much my bike was slowed down really surprised me, starting took a bit of extra clutch slipping and more throttle and generally to keep a similar pace to what I normally ride like, 1000-2000 rpms extra were needed. 4th gear which has enough power at 40mph to pull me out of trouble also felt extremely bogged down with her on the back, and she isn't heavy, guess that's just the nature of a 50hp bike. Everything went well in the city, I was always braking earlier than usually and being extra smooth with my shifts. We still both have a lot to learn but I was highly impressed by how good she was as a first time passenger, and the difference to the bikes performance is easy to get used to. I actually felt really off when I was riding back home alone, like similar wobbliness to when I first started riding with her, but the bike did feel a lot more responsive again

When I bought my bike I went ahead and purchased riding gear (jacket, helmet, gloves) for a passenger as well because I knew I'd eventually have one. I also took an unexperienced rider as my first passenger. I did mention to them not to lean against me or fidgeting around a lot. I do find myself braking or letting off the throttle much sooner when I have a passenger and giving myself extra space to stop. Even during the summer I encouraged my passenger (girlfriend at the time) to wear gloves just in case we did wreck since your natural reaction is to brace your fall. There was seldom times when we'd ride without helmets. Even if I had to go to her house to pick her up I'd use my helmet lock to attach it to the bike. Once, I even partially sat on her jacket to carry it over to her house.. I'm sure I looked pretty cool with a pink jacket between my legs lol I eventually picked up a pair of passenger grab bars for my bike so for longer rides she didn't have to constantly be leaned over grabbing me or even one hand around the waist and one hand holding a grab bar. I really enjoy being able to ride two up on my bike when it's a more casual bike ride. It's always fun dropping them off too and feeling the performance increase all over again :) Glad to hear the ride turned out well with no problems!

Okay, On topic, but not at all directed to the OP, whom I am glad is having good and safe experiences with 2-up riding. :thumbup:

************************************************

I'm personally new to riding (September), but hubby has been riding for nearly 6 years now! Reading this and other 2-up posts had the effect of... making me YELL at my husband! I don't think he had his bike 2 weeks before he had me on the back of that thing! Now, he "seemed" incredibly capable with no noticeable difficulties adjusting to having a rider (not wobbly, jerky or anything to cause me alarm), however, just KNOWING now how early in his riding experience that was is a bit MORTIFYING to me.

I definitely fussed him out and told him he was trying to kill us both! I don't remember when it was, but probably months into our 2-Up riding, he did drop the bike when we had to come to a sudden stop and he couldn't make up for the weight shift differential. He also accidentally got the front tire off the ground once (don't remember if that as the GXS-R or the CBRR)... he was very excited about his accidental baby wheelie...

So the lesson here folks is DON'T RIDE WITH NOOBS! LOL... Or crazy boyfriends or husbands.

No, but really, just keep in mind that it is all a learning process, and really give yourself time to feel comfortable, but not overconfident with your ride. I much prefer riding my own to riding two up, because the lack of control and the amount of trust required is enormous! Not to mention that passengers who don't know how to ride do not fully understand the risk that they are taking or the skill require for you to execute a safe ride. Understanding that better now, I wouldn't have put myself in that same position until DH had much more riding experience. And my husband is probably the most safe, responsible rider I know... then and now.

Okay, On topic, but not at all directed to the OP, whom I am glad is having good and safe experiences with 2-up riding. :thumbup:

************************************************

I'm personally new to riding (September), but hubby has been riding for nearly 6 years now! Reading this and other 2-up posts had the effect of... making me YELL at my husband! I don't think he had his bike 2 weeks before he had me on the back of that thing! Now, he "seemed" incredibly capable with no noticeable difficulties adjusting to having a rider (not wobbly, jerky or anything to cause me alarm), however, just KNOWING now how early in his riding experience that was is a bit MORTIFYING to me.

I definitely fussed him out and told him he was trying to kill us both! I don't remember when it was, but probably months into our 2-Up riding, he did drop the bike when we had to come to a sudden stop and he couldn't make up for the weight shift differential. He also accidentally got the front tire off the ground once (don't remember if that as the GXS-R or the CBRR)... he was very excited about his accidental baby wheelie...

So the lesson here folks is DON'T RIDE WITH NOOBS! LOL... Or crazy boyfriends or husbands.

No, but really, just keep in mind that it is all a learning process, and really give yourself time to feel comfortable, but not overconfident with your ride. I much prefer riding my own to riding two up, because the lack of control and the amount of trust required is enormous! Not to mention that passengers who don't know how to ride do not fully understand the risk that they are taking or the skill require for you to execute a safe ride. Understanding that better now, I wouldn't have put myself in that same position until DH had much more riding experience. And my husband is probably the most safe, responsible rider I know... then and now.

They say that hindsight is 20/20 :D

I agree though, people in general should put more thought into who they trust their life with. I know some will jump at the opportunity to ride with anybody, and I'm kind of scared for them as I know some less-than-safe riders who will take nearly anybody for a ride too. Definitely not a good combination.

But nowadays, I have friends regularly asking me for rides, so I figure I must be doing pretty good :D

I've given a 2-up ride on a 250r a while ago, but it's a blast on my R6 that's well setup for me :)
I've even taken my friend for a ride on their FZ6.

If any of you want a real 2-up ride though, go find your local trackday provider at your local track. You'll need full gear and to sign a disclaimer, but they (at least the ones on the west coast) don't charge to take you out for a few 2-up laps. It's a pretty safe bet that the instructors willing to do 2-up rides are skilled, and they'll go much faster and smoother than anybody will sanely go on the street.

16397

If any of you want a real 2-up ride though, go find your local trackday provider at your local track. You'll need full gear and to sign a disclaimer, but they (at least the ones on the west coast) don't charge to take you out for a few 2-up laps. It's a pretty safe bet that the instructors willing to do 2-up rides are skilled, and they'll go much faster and smoother than anybody will sanely go on the street.

This is kind of AMAZING! Thanks for sharing!

:whatshesaid:

and yeah thats prolly the only time Id really wanna 2up with another male. Or another rider in general

I don't think he had his bike 2 weeks before he had me on the back of that thing!

I probably did about the same thing. I'd say it was within the first month of me having MY bike. Although by the time I had purchased my bike I had my license for nearly 2-3 years but had only rode an ex-gf's dad's fz1 for a few bike rides to learn on. I wasn't completely educated with two up riding, however I used my common sense to realize that I'd need to give myself more stopping time and that my passenger needed to know not to be wiggling/dancing around back there. Actually, the first time she was on the back of my bike, we had only went to the end of her street and back at about 10-15mph just so we could both get a feel for what it'd be like (also her helmet had not came in yet at that time).

Had a passenger for the first time since I started riding (over a year ago) and wow it made a huge difference. Noticed the difference in acceleration, braking and handling. It was the first time I was meticulously checking everything!

Now I have a few questions:
This applied mainly when I was braking but, whenever I was braking my friend would slide against me and I would be holding her weight too...how do I avoid this?

And also, any tips for riding 2up?

/merged with a few good 2-up threads. :thumbup:

My girlfriend and I ride 2 up all the time. Our combined weight is about 290 lbs. It definitely affects the performance of the bike. But it really isn't as bad as most people make it out to be. The only problem I've found with it is that it causes a problem with the aim of the headlight at night. It tends to shine just a little bit too high causing oncoming drivers to think I have my high beam on. But, this could have something to do with the fact that I still have the rear shock on its factory (softest) setting. Only other issue was we took a 950 mile trip together and it cause quite a bit of premature wear on the rear tire.

Haven't really hit anything curvy with her on the bike yet. But as for as city and even highway riding, there isn't that much difference once you get up to speed.

I have my preload on 4...need to put it on 5 but it wont budge for some reason (will be loking into it later this week). For me I am a bit on the heavier side (220lbs) and my friend was around 140ish, maybe a bit lower. In terms of the bike picking up speed etc it wasnt all that bad but just experiencing the difference between solo and 2 up was huge. Once i dropped her off It felt like i Was flying!

Yeah, from what I've read and heard from a fellow ninjette rider, you should definitely set the pre-load appropriately. Shouldn't really be the same as you riding along by yourself if you have a passenger.

I have my preload on 4...need to put it on 5 but it wont budge for some reason (will be loking into it later this week). For me I am a bit on the heavier side (220lbs) and my friend was around 140ish, maybe a bit lower. In terms of the bike picking up speed etc it wasnt all that bad but just experiencing the difference between solo and 2 up was huge. Once i dropped her off It felt like i Was flying!

Have her put her hands on the tank during braking. Also tell her to grip you with her legs and tell her to stiffen her neck a bit so her helmet doesnt hit yours. I have close to 1000 miles now riding 2 up, I love it so much. I've ridden on the back of the back before, I hated it lol but I had much for respect for all the people Ive taken out

ok, what does 2 up mean?

Riding with a passenger

Have her put her hands on the tank during braking. Also tell her to grip you with her legs and tell her to stiffen her neck a bit so her helmet doesnt hit yours.

^ amen to that. That's what I have my passengers do, and wow does it make things so much easier. Also if she actually looks through turns that helps loads too.

I've ridden on the back of the back before, I hated it lol but I had much for respect for all the people Ive taken out

Same here. That's where I really learned what I wanted my passengers to do based on how it felt to be on back. I don't like it much back there, but it gave me a good perspective of what the ladies are feeling when the ride with me.

yea well 90% of the ppl wear sandals, or even barefoot! and often no helmet... let alone proper riding gear.

here is a classic picture of a balinese family riding to or from a ceremony

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/wayanlam/DPSBalifamilyintraditionalbalinesed.jpg

at least my gf and i have proper helmets, gloves, leather jacket, long pants (not leather tho, just gets too hot...) and shoes.

found some more pictures, this is what you see here every day, every minute that your on the road :P

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/wayanlam/indonesia_motorcycle_taxi.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/wayanlam/asiatics_on_motorbikes_01.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/wayanlam/DPSBalifamilyintraditionalbaline-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/wayanlam/08motorbike4.jpg
Exactly the same here in Thailand but I insist on the wife at least wear a helmet (took a long time ) but she still wears shorts and flipflops

Ok...need some tips or advise. I've been trying to adjust the preload on to 5 for a few days now and it just wont budge after 4....i have no idea why!...I've been trying to do it with the bike on the kickstand...would that be a problem? I had no probs getting it up to 4 but after 4 it just won't budge! any ideas on wat to do?

Have her put her hands on the tank during braking.

I agree. I was a passenger on a bike for 6 months before I started riding my own. I still ride on back occasionally. The best strategy is when slowing down, she should have her palms flat on the gas tank. When speeding up, arms around you or holding on to your belt. A good passenger has to watch ahead just as much as a good rider. She should know when you are about to have to stop, swerve, accelerate, etc as soon as you know you have to. A watchful passenger reacts in a way that keeps the bike and the rider happy!

Ok...need some tips or advise. I've been trying to adjust the preload on to 5 for a few days now and it just wont budge after 4....i have no idea why!...I've been trying to do it with the bike on the kickstand...would that be a problem? I had no probs getting it up to 4 but after 4 it just won't budge! any ideas on wat to do?

5 is a real b**ch to get it on and off of. Try using the little pipe thing with a flat end that came in your tool kit. It will slide right onto the end of your spanner, and will give you a little extra leverage. then just kinda go at it slowly, and push a little at a time, bracing your hand on the wheel as you go, and it should go right up to the 5th level

Ok...need some tips or advise. I've been trying to adjust the preload on to 5 for a few days now and it just wont budge after 4....i have no idea why!...I've been trying to do it with the bike on the kickstand...would that be a problem? I had no probs getting it up to 4 but after 4 it just won't budge! any ideas on wat to do?

Hammer and a flat head

I agree. I was a passenger on a bike for 6 months before I started riding my own. I still ride on back occasionally. The best strategy is when slowing down, she should have her palms flat on the gas tank. When speeding up, arms around you or holding on to your belt. A good passenger has to watch ahead just as much as a good rider. She should know when you are about to have to stop, swerve, accelerate, etc as soon as you know you have to. A watchful passenger reacts in a way that keeps the bike and the rider happy!

Exactly! I always have a long pre-ride talk with someone when its there first time :)

I always have a long pre-ride talk with someone when its there first time :)

+1

one more question, what are the potential consequences of for example me riding around with a preload of 5 by myself (i usually use 3)

Bumpier ride.

^^ followed by sore bottom :p

Perhaps. I've got a lot of cushioning. :) I've had mine at 5 since the first few days with the bike, and I appreciate the stiffer feel.

:lol: I rode mine at 5 for about a week until the spanner tool got delivered, and I gotta say, it was pretty jarring for me. It was like riding a dump truck. Then again, I'm the opposite end of the weight spectrum from you. Mine's currently on 2 and is perfect for me; firm but still compliant.

:lol: I rode mine at 5 for about a week until the spanner tool got delivered, and I gotta say, it was pretty jarring for me. It was like riding a dump truck. Then again, I'm the opposite end of the weight spectrum from you. Mine's currently on 2 and is perfect for me; firm but still compliant.

Ok, I know this is personal, but how much do you weigh? I'm 180lbs. without carrying stuff and I have my preload at 2. Should I have mine at 3?

NDspd I'm 135 :lol:

try it and see how you like it

great! i am glad my situation could be of help to someone. :) :thumbup:

besides providing more of a space between our helmets, my wife feels she is able to get a better grip holding the bag and feels more secure.

on my new bike, she is slowly trying out the rear grab rails, but still prefers to keep one arm around the bag.


I'm taking someone on a ride this weekend, so that's a great trick to know! Thanks!

What are some things a rider should tell a passenger before having them on back? I know the obvious ones, lean with me, don't dismount the bike until I give the go-ahead, but what are some others? I'm taking a buddy of mine on a ride this weekend. And then I'm teaching him to ride the Ninja himself. Kind of a cool 2nd date, huh? ;)

Well... unless it's time. No reach arounds sounds like a good rule.

What are some things a rider should tell a passenger before having them on back? I know the obvious ones, lean with me, don't dismount the bike until I give the go-ahead, but what are some others? I'm taking a buddy of mine on a ride this weekend. And then I'm teaching him to ride the Ninja himself. Kind of a cool 2nd date, huh? ;)

You don't want want them to lean with you. Last time I checked, when a passenger leans with me, it makes the bike lean too much and if I change positions, they don't mimic fast enough so it causes problems. I just tell them to stay in their same position.

What are some things a rider should tell a passenger before having them on back? I know the obvious ones, lean with me, don't dismount the bike until I give the go-ahead, but what are some others?

Have him use the tank to brace himself during braking, or else you'll end up with and extra ton of weight on your arms and you'll end up doing push ups and trying to control the brake still.

Have him squeeze your hips with his knees, and keep even weight on both pegs. If he starts shifting weight between his feet, the whole bike will lean unexpectedly. It's the same idea as carrying someone on the pegs of a bmx bike.

Overall, just tell him to relax and have fun. The sooner he gets over the terrified stage, the better. I've ridden pillion a few times. The first time I did it, I was terrified. Now, it's kinda fun. ...in a strange way...

EDIT: leaning with you is good. Just make sure he does it BEFORE the turn, or else you get the extra lean mid-turn that GreenNinja is talking about. Leaning with it is always good.

Work out an "OK" and "OH SH*T" hand signal before the ride.
Passengers don't get on until the driver gives the green light.
Passengers don't get off the bike until the driver gives the green light.

What are some things a rider should tell a passenger before having them on back?

i worked out a simple "tapping" my shoulder system with my wife.

something like 1 tap- slow down
2 taps - pull over and stop when i have a chance.
3 taps - she is going to readjust her position when i am at a stoplight (amazing how much a person shifting their weight will move the bike when at a stop).
4 taps - take the next cut off.

something to that effect. i forget the exact system (we haven't ridden together for quite awhile now). it was hard to talk on the freeway when we both wore full-faced helmets and earplugs. we didn't ride enough together to validate getting a radio communication system.

also, go easy on the brakes and throttle. adjust the preload to compensate for the additional weight of your passenger.

Thanks all!
My preload is currently on 3. I'm not taking him on a really twisty ride, so I'm hoping 3 will be ok if I take it easy. Would you all recommend bumping it up one or two? I'm 120lbs and I would guess he's about 170.

3 should be fine for a nice easy casual ride.

I have no experience with the 08-12's so I can not comment on them. I just bought a 300 which obviously 2ups much better then my 2007 PreGen 250. The picture below should say it all about 2uping on a 250. That is me (200lbs+) and my girl (125lb) on a 2007 Ninja 250 riding "The Tail of the Dragon" at Deals Gap having a blast. :cool:

Can it be done? YES! Can it be fun? YES The question I think you should ask yourself is, why are you 2upping:::: Are you wanting to go carve curves in the mountains OR are you out wanting to enjoy the open road with a friend/loved one? :rolleyes:

Have fun & Be Safe!:thumbup:

Does tire pressure need to be adjusted to accomodate a passenger?

Yes. Add a couple PSI for a passenger.

Pinging Alex for more info. I remember that he had a little more info on tire pressures vs weight.

Kawi doesn't recommend any different pressures based on 1-up or 2-up, but some other bikes do make that distinction. I think I'd just make sure that the pressures weren't on the low end, as with the extra weight there could be more of a negative effect should the tires be softer than recommended.

Cool. Thanks Alex! :)

Well... unless it's time. No reach arounds sounds like a good rule.

I thought that by second date, reach arounds were almost mandatory.

One of the problems with riding pillion is they almost refuse to lean or even try and counter it!

The best tip I can give is to tell them to keep their head in line with yours, that way you can "remote control" them into leaning naturally.

One of the problems with riding pillion is they almost refuse to lean or even try and counter it!

The best tip I can give is to tell them to keep their head in line with yours, that way you can "remote control" them into leaning naturally.

I just tell them always look over my inside shoulder in a turn and there weight shift will be good.

I just tell them always look over my inside shoulder in a turn and there weight shift will be good.

That's a good idea, generally. Unless you have a significant amount of experience with riding 2 up, and your passenger does as well, you should not be taking turns too aggressively anyway, so as long as they aren't moving around too much, they shouldn't be causing too much trouble. No one likes staring at the back of a helmet, and inside is better than outside.

Hey all. The 2-up rides were really fun! It was my passenger's first time ever on a bike, and he called her fast. Yeah! :D He was giddy and it was a cool reminder of my first time on a bike. Popping the 2-wheel cherry. THere's never a cooler feeling...well, except maybe dragging knee on a racetrack!
Anyway, the only times I had problems were occasionally when coming to a complete stop. The bike got wobbly and felt unstable. I think it was because I was tensing up on the bars a bit because the extra weight made me feel unstable. I got better by our 3rd ride on it, but I still didn't feel comfortable at stops. Oh, and we went over a pair of railroad tracks and had a bit of a tank slapper. Loose on the bars works every damn time. But I was like DAYUM! That's never happened to me in that spot before.
So I'll absolutely do it again, but I was surprised at the adjustments I was having to make due to the extra weight on back.

Good work! :thumbup: It's more challenging riding 2-up on a light sportbike. It's one area where a larger/heavier/more torquey bike does make it more predictable and easier to handle.

^^ I'd agree with that. I wish I had more torque for 2-up riding. But the amount that I do that doesn't really merit buying a new bike.

Also, what's the best remedy for a little head shake? More gas to keep the front light? Just thought I'd ask a general riding skills question while we were on the subject.

Also, what's the best remedy for a little head shake? More gas to keep the front light? Just thought I'd ask a general riding skills question while we were on the subject.

Yea, loose and throttle.

Anyway, the only times I had problems were occasionally when coming to a complete stop. The bike got wobbly and felt unstable. I think it was because I was tensing up on the bars a bit because the extra weight made me feel unstable. I got better by our 3rd ride on it, but I still didn't feel comfortable at stops.

Just like cornering, get your braking done early and trail off at the end, then plant a foot. It's sooooooo smooth.


I was surprised at the adjustments I was having to make due to the extra weight on back.

Aint that the truth..... :thumbup:

Just like cornering, get your braking done early and trail off at the end, then plant a foot. It's sooooooo smooth.



You can smooth it out a bit like that, but the extra weight is still something that you simply have to get used to. My other bike is something like 800 pounds, I can't really feel much difference in the braking and acceleration when my wife is on the back, but low speed handling is so, so much different, bringing it to a stop without dropping the bike is more of a challenge. (the bike is taller and harder to balance at a stop anyway, haven't dropped it yet but sometimes it feels like a challenge muscling it to keep it up when I stop.)

I did 2 up on a pregen. Forks compress a bit more and you gota air the tires up a lot. Acceleration takes a hit but it does fine.

2up still scares me. Even now that I have a big boy bike.. I think it may scare me more now that my wife actually wants to take a ride with me.