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Old May 7th, 2019, 10:43 AM   #2
snapshot
Fogwalker
 
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Name: Jeff
Location: Western NC
Join Date: Mar 2015

Motorcycle(s): '09 Ninja 250 "Matilda"

Posts: 124
I wrote this a while back ('09) on another board. It's basic, but it's what I have. Definitely bump up the preload on the rear shock!

"Brief her on what you expect of her and what she should expect of you.

Make sure that you're ready for her to get on the bike. Have her wait for you to nod or tell her to mount up.

Have her get on with the kick-stand down and before you straighten up the bike. Have her get off in the same fashion. (This may not work well on lowered machines.)

You'll notice that it's easier to stall when starting off. Take longer to let out the clutch.

It will take much longer to stop. Plan ahead.

It will also be harder to balance when stopping. Again, plan ahead.

Tell her not to move around unless she absolutely has to and then only when on straight sections of the road.

Tell her to always keep her shoulders even with yours. Make sure she never straightens up when you're in a turn.

Have her put a hand on the tank and one on your stomach, (then pat with one hand while rubbing with the other) <- humor.

Make sure she sits up straight and doesn't put her weight on you. You won't ride very well with a 140-pound back-pack.

It's mandatory that she wave at all children.

How smooth you are will be important. It's much harder to be smooth with a passenger.

It's a good idea to add some pre-load to the rear shock in order to compensate for the passenger's additional weight. The bike will handle better that way as well.

Adding pre-load to the shock can save your chain as well. Hitting a pot-hole with a big-ole girl on back will stretch a section of your chain. (Don't ask...)

Low-speed riding can be your down-fall. It's smart to practice it with your passenger in a parking lot before riding on the street.

It's a good idea to give your passenger an idea of how much of an effect they can have on a moving bike. You can do this by riding in a parking lot and letting them steer by leaning off to each side. By letting the bike follow what they do, they'll understand that riding is more of a cooperative effort than they think.

All that said... I've had passengers that I could practically drag knee with. That came from a lot of miles of actively practicing together. It's very rewarding to smoothly flow through a canyon with someone on back, but it takes a lot of work from both riders. I'd do track-days with a passenger if they'd let me."

No one else has touched this yet, so I wonder what they'll have to offer.

The kickstand mounting technique is for the shorter riders.

Ride well,

J~
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Take care of new riders, for we were them, and they will be us. Y. Hong 2004
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