Nervous about riding 2 up.

[Mr.E]

Hey Guys.
So, I wasnt sure whether to make my own post, or to have this with the other 2 up skills thread, so do with it what you will Alex x-)

Any who, I've been contemplating about riding 2 up lately. I do have friends who would like to ride along with me, and I really want to, but it makes me very nervous. Mainly because I dont want to some how *knocks on wood* drop the bike. Especially with another person on it.

You may say "Oh, well if your not ready then dont do it" and thats not the case. I'm ready for the most part, I'm just nervous and what not. My question is, how nervous were you when you first rode 2 up? How different was it taking the turns? and has anyone dropped their bike while riding 2 up, but not because of their passenger, but because of your own error in lean/stopping/turning judgment?

Thanks!

[leed]

I wasn't that nervous when I first did it. With the extra weight, the bike is a little eager to turn in turns, and everything you do wrong is amplified. By that I mean, on/off braking, poor shifting, wiggling.

As has been posted many times, make sure the passenger knows what to do. Though they don't have direct input on the handlebars, where their weight is located, and given the geometry of our bikes, you will feel everything they do, and you will feel the bike move with it too.

Brake early, don't go too fast in turns, and you will probably need to put both feet down at stops. Also, don't forget to adjust your suspension for twice the weight. Easy on the clutch, shift smoothly, make sure they move with you (look over inside shoulder) in turns and you'll be fine.

[Kevin2109]

This topic =

The number 1 thing with riding 2 up is making sure they are comfortable and trust you, trust is KEY. Trust yourself too, how can you expect them to trust your abilities when you dont tust your own? Let her/him know that you will take care of them, its really not that scary

[EthioKnight]

The way I overcame my initial anxiety/fear/nervousness was to use my 14 year old little brother as a guinea pig for me to experiment with and build confidence.

[thisisbenji]

Originally Posted by EthioKnight

The way I overcame my initial anxiety/fear/nervousness was to use my 14 year old little brother as a guinea pig for me to experiment with and build confidence.

Ha

[Alex]

If you have to ask...

[250rr]

Originally Posted by Mr.E

Hey Guys.
So, I wasnt sure whether to make my own post, or to have this with the other 2 up skills thread, so do with it what you will Alex x-)

Any who, I've been contemplating about riding 2 up lately. I do have friends who would like to ride along with me, and I really want to, but it makes me very nervous. Mainly because I dont want to some how *knocks on wood* drop the bike. Especially with another person on it.

You may say "Oh, well if your not ready then dont do it" and thats not the case. I'm ready for the most part, I'm just nervous and what not. My question is, how nervous were you when you first rode 2 up? How different was it taking the turns? and has anyone dropped their bike while riding 2 up, but not because of their passenger, but because of your own error in lean/stopping/turning judgment?

Thanks!

Give us a report if/when you decide to go for it!

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by Mr.E

.........My question is, how nervous were you when you first rode 2 up? How different was it taking the turns? and has anyone dropped their bike while riding 2 up, but not because of their passenger, but because of your own error in lean/stopping/turning judgment?

No need to be nervous; it is basically the same thing with more inertia.

The more difficult parts can be two:

1) Leaning without the help of the passenger, or even fighting him/her reacting by leaning over the opposite direction.

2) Stops: You have to have a firm stand on the floor and keep the bike straight up. Sudden movements of the passenger at that point can throw you out of balance, especially if you have short legs. The passenger should keep the feet up on the pegs.

A very common accident is the hot muffler burning the leg of the passenger during getting down.

Please don't speed up or ride over your head; if you feel uncomfortable, you or your passenger are doing something wrong.

Check this video:

Link to original page on YouTube.

.

[razorgamez]

I took my first passenger 3 weeks ago. Made sure I had basic gear covered. In terms of the actual riding part, it was fine for the most part. For the first 10-15 mins i took it really easy so I could get used to having a passenger but its not all that different. Major changes you will feel are in acceleration, braking and handling but everything is easily manageable. Also make sure your preload is set to the proper level or handling really really sucks! One more thing some people have the tendency to um...try to reorient themselves/twitch on the passenger seat to feel more comfy at times...make sure you tell them not to do it when turning! Freaked me out big time the first time.

[saxnbass]

Pick your lightest weight friend to do be your first passenger. Mount is roughest, stops are second. Once you're moving, it's really not that bad. Just tell them to keep their head with yours, that'll cause them to lean when you lean.

[raybolic]

Well make sure you can handle the bike yourself first.. i.e. know how to emergency stop.

First time riding 2up was difficult for me.. I was only 3 months into riding that time and I would probably say you shouldnt ride 2up until at least half year of experience. You need to do everything smooth as others said in this post.

The thing that is most concerning me at the beginning was balancing the bike while taking off (without wobbling left and right), slow turns, and just simply going slow.

As an advise, to overcome these you'd have to be very smooth with your clutch and throttle control. If you need to go really slow past something, keep the clutch in the friction zone and give a little bit of gas, while softly on the rear brake. Don't completely let go of the throttle and clutch at low speed, I find it really difficult to balance like this.

Brake a lot earlier. The rear brake lock up a lot easier, so don't be too hard on that and use the front instead.

Dont accelerate too hard until your passenger is comfortable riding with you. Popping your clutch and a slight wheelie/jolt will make them tense and try to "hug" you for the rest of the ride. Putting weight on your back means that weight will transfer to your forearms, making turns and balancing just more difficult!

Passenger position is also important. Don't have them hold your waist or your back, instead have them extend their arms onto the gas tank.

[Kevin2109]

Originally Posted by raybolic

Brake a lot earlier. The rear brake lock up a lot easier, so don't be too hard on that and use the front instead.

Umm... no? If anything you have more traction in the back and can brake harder. Its better to use the rear more then the fron 2 up because you are disturbing the bike less

Originally Posted by raybolic

Popping your clutch and a slight wheelie/jolt will make them tense and try to "hug" you for the rest of the ride.

Thats exactly how Alex.s reacted when I wheelied lol

[raybolic]

Originally Posted by Kevin2109

Umm... no? If anything you have more traction in the back and can brake harder. Its better to use the rear more then the fron 2 up because you are disturbing the bike less

Suppose it's personal preference then.. It didnt seem the rear brake was effective in stopping when I am 2up so I tend to step on it harder

Maybe it's just in my head haha

[Kevin2109]

Originally Posted by raybolic

Suppose it's personal preference then.. It didnt seem the rear brake was effective in stopping when I am 2up so I tend to step on it harder

Maybe it's just in my head haha

Lol the rear brake works 100 times better 2 up, the extra weight back there really helps. And all depending on your suspension setup. When mine is nice and soft for track braking is a little difficult because the rear moves up and down so much when using the front brake. If its normal slow braking then the front is fine, I'm just talking about hard braking

[massacremasses]

Originally Posted by Kevin2109

Lol the rear brake works 100 times better 2 up, the extra weight back there really helps. And all depending on your suspension setup. When mine is nice and soft for track braking is a little difficult because the rear moves up and down so much when using the front brake. If its normal slow braking then the front is fine, I'm just talking about hard braking

Youll have extra weight on the back of the bike now.. which will give you more traction... more weight, more traction, harder to lose traction. more effective braking...

same thing as in a RWD truck with an empty bed as opposed to a bed with a load...

[coondog]

I ride solo only, and am never a passenger. No one has ever ridden one of my bikes either.

[Kevin2109]

Originally Posted by coondog

I ride solo only, and am never a passenger. No one has ever ridden one of my bikes either.

[ProdigyRacingLA]

Originally Posted by EthioKnight

The way I overcame my initial anxiety/fear/nervousness was to use my 14 year old little brother as a guinea pig for me to experiment with and build confidence.

Hahaha.

Anyhow, good advice all.
I have a friend who weighs much more than I do. Probably about 40lbs heavier then me and wants to be my passenger. I have a fear of taking her. For one I'm only 3 months into my riding and 2 she's heavier than me!!

Stopping and turning seems difficult from what I can imagine.
Anyone ever have a heavy passenger before? I.e fat girl? Haha

[Mako]

Originally Posted by Kevin2109

Thats exactly how Alex.s reacted when I wheelied lol

hahaha, his "OH CRAP" moment was priceless...


just bought my girl a jacket for her birthday, should be here on thursday. going to practice some turning in a parking lot and then good to go

[ProdigyRacingLA]

Good tips!

[dbking321]

ull be fine iI do it all the time. just tell them to try and not wiggle around when turning and never try to leave away from you when your turning. and accelerate and brake smoothly cause that also makes them wiggle. other than that its almost the same as riding by your self

[mustang5.0]

makes me hella nervous... any ladies daring enough to jump on the back of my bike so i practice before i get wifey on the back

[jason_hann53]

just practice at slow speeds. youll get the hang of it in no time. having someone that isnt scared helps too

[Kevin2109]

Its like anything else in life, if you just do it you get more comfortable with it, why sit there and be sacred and contemplate the **** out of it. GET YOUR ASS OFF THE COMPUTER AND GO RIDE 2 up

[mustang5.0]

Originally Posted by Kevin2109

Its like anything else in life, if you just do it you get more comfortable with it, why sit there and be sacred and contemplate the **** out of it. GET YOUR ASS OFF THE COMPUTER AND GO RIDE 2 up

lol.. makes me want put wifey on the back even less.. idk.. i can except the risk that come with riding for myself... but could not except the guilt of something happening to my wife

damn.. looks like its time to pick up sluts to put on back

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by Kevin2109

Thats exactly how Alex.s reacted when I wheelied lol

Dick. i should have punched you in the nuts instead.


seriously though the biggest hurdle is not tipping the bike over when they get on (kevin loves to try to tip the bike over getting on the back) making sure they understand they need to NOT MOVE THEIR WEIGHT. (KEVIN!) *SOME PEOPLE* lean away from the corner (KEVIN!) when trying to turn... makes it very hard.

[mustang5.0]

Originally Posted by trixter

Your marriage would last longer if you practiced with sacks of potatoes first, course if the sitcoms are accurate then she will get upset that you think she is just a sack of potatoes.

lmao.. i have an endless free pass

[Kevin2109]

Originally Posted by alex.s

Dick. i should have punched you in the nuts instead.


seriously though the biggest hurdle is not tipping the bike over when they get on (kevin loves to try to tip the bike over getting on the back) making sure they understand they need to NOT MOVE THEIR WEIGHT. (KEVIN!) *SOME PEOPLE* lean away from the corner (KEVIN!) when trying to turn... makes it very hard.

Hey you asked, dont joke about something you know I'll do!

Piss off! I learned towards the end... And the 250 was never designed for that much weight lol

[alex.s]

true... plus theres a lot you can do as the driver to make it harder for people to screw you up. i think you kinda naturally learn to autocorrect the pillions mistakes after a bit

[Kevin2109]

Originally Posted by alex.s

true... plus theres a lot you can do as the driver to make it harder for people to screw you up. i think you kinda naturally learn to autocorrect the pillions mistakes after a bit

You both get used to it, and some times the passenger just isnt feeling it that day, or just feels like being a shittie passenger... *cough* judith *cough*

[alex.s]

haha does she screw with you while you guys ride? coming back from indio makes me think of that scene from "the chase" (i think that was the name?) where charlie sheen gets it on with the girl he kidnapped.

[alex.s]

and yes, im saying you kidnapped ju. obviously.

[Kevin2109]

Originally Posted by alex.s

haha does she screw with you while you guys ride? coming back from indio makes me think of that scene from "the chase" (i think that was the name?) where charlie sheen gets it on with the girl he kidnapped.

Shes normally pretty good, but sometimes man she just wont stop moving around. It is nice when she rubs my legs when we ride

[Mr.E]

Originally Posted by 250rr

Give us a report if/when you decide to go for it!

First, I'd like to thank everyone who commented and put their input on the subject. I know it's an over used topic, but it really does help to ask.

I've been really building up the urge to go, so finally my friend asked me when and I decided to take her. Everyone was on point with what they had said. I reviewed this thread and others to collect as much prep as I could. I told my friend what to do and what not to do when/while riding.

We went around the neighborhood once to get the feel. It was a little sketchy because in a turn she was trying to adjust, and I could most deff feel it. But it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

The scariest/hardest things first:
-Only problems were in turns, it felt like she was fighting me just slightly, but eventually we were completely in sync and it was awesome.
-When we were coming to stops, before I fully stopped she would let go of me and raise up, which made it a bit difficult to control. I told her about it and that became not a problem.

Thats it for the bad lol.

The good was a lot.
It was really cool riding with a second person. I see it all the time and am always like "Wow thats cool" and now I actually felt apart of that crowd lol. When we became in sync the ride was smooth, and very enjoyable. Eventually I got more confident and took turns a bit better, and it was nice (I didnt go crazy or over my limit. Lol). Another plus was the body heat, and I say this because I didn't notice how cold it was until I dropped my friend off lol. I was almost shivering when I got home.

Over all, it was a pretty cool experience. I even did it again tonight because I'm so much confident. I thought the mounting and dismounting would be so hard, but it really wasn't bad at all, for me any ways. I perhaps think stops were a bit harder if anything, only because of the distance needed increased and what not, but the whole thing over all most deff gave me much more confidence then I had before, and I won't hesitate to take anyone on my bike again. x-)

Thank you so much for all the tips.

[walty87]

Idk if this has been said already so I'm sorry if so.

one thing my girl does when riding on the back of my bike is that when we come to stops, or when I slow down... she supports herself by pushing against the gas tank with her hands. This is nice because it stops her from bumping into me more. I hate when our helmets clink.

[Mr.E]

Yeah the girl i was riding with did that when we came to stops. But when i startd going real slow he would sit up right which threw me off lol. The girl did complain of her hands hurting afterwards for the support from the pressure. Idk why. I felt kinda bad lol.

[GreenNinja]

Originally Posted by Mr.E

Yeah the girl i was riding with did that when we came to stops. But when i startd going real slow she would sit up right which threw me off lol. The girl did complain of her hands hurting afterwards for the support from the pressure. Idk why. I felt kinda bad lol.

There I fixed it for you

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by Mr.E

.............

Over all, it was a pretty cool experience. .............

Thank you so much for all the tips.

Way to go, Eric!!

Thanks for reporting your success back

[250rr]

Good report. Thanks!